Part of Spider-Man's appeal to me was growing up with him. No, I wasn't around back in the 60's, but I started reading reprints of the Lee/Ditko works first, then read mostly reprint comics as I grew up (how I loved my Spider-Man Megazine!). And a logical part of growing up is getting married. I still wish they had kept baby May around, as moving into parenthood would have been the next step.

Now, I realize that for new readers they can't grow up with Spidey the same way as he's already reached adulthood, but for us "old-timers" it would be a shame to undo momentous events in Peter's life like his marriage, much like it was a shame to kill off his child and to bring back Aunt May.

>Peter is a hard luck hero, particularly so in his original Steve Ditko incarnation. That's the character's appeal-- that people can relate to him, not that they want to be him. To give him that constant of a beautiful and understanding spouse wrecks that; we already know that as a cartoon character he's immortal, and since he now has marital bliss ( permanent marital bliss, since he'll never be divorced or widowed ), his personal life is good and we no longer need care about him.

Considering how many marriages are on the rocks or end in divorce these days, I fail to see how a married Peter is guaranteed a good personal life. Marriage brings a whole new set of concerns and problems.


How does Peter dating different women all the time more imaginative? Peter's been there, done that. I'd rather see a cast member grow over the years than just constantly add new ones just for the sake of Peter dating them.

Peter has one of the greatest supporting casts in comics, when utilized. Jonah, Robbie, Ben Urich, Glory Grant, Betty Brant (Leeds, whatever she goes by these days), Flash Thompson, all are great characters who have carried their own storylines within Spidey's book. Use them! Bring in new people, cycle some out, but there's no reason the book can't be about Peter and Mary Jane and then their supporting cast.

Spider-Man is probably the only superhero who I think of as their civilian identity first. When I was a kid, I read the book because it was Spider-Man. As I got older, I wanted to read about Peter. I didn't even care in Spider-Man 2 if Peter put on the costume or not, because I care abotu Peter Parker. And part of Peter's life is his marriage to Mary Jane.

The best Spidey stories are Peter-driven. Unfortunately too many of them get undone or tarnished later (death of Aunt May, that whole Gwen Stacey/Norman Osborn twin thing, ugh). If Peter is the everyman superhero, he shouldn't get big cosmic resets. He should have to live with his past like everyone else.

As to the unmasking, if it had been utilized properly, it could have led to years of stories. Unfortunately the full potential hasn't even been realized.

I'm not sure if I'm getting my point across well, but this'll have to do for now.


You need to stop in more often!

~Hat~