Spider-Man Makes Peter Parker Watch

People are not happy with the latest Amazing Spider-Man comic, and it is not hard to understand why. Over the years, comic books have become a big point of contention, and they are an essential part of the live-action and animated ecosystem. The stories written in these comics ultimately come to life on our TV screens. In many ways, these comic book writers end up dictating the direction the MCU and DCU will take. Thus, their roles in the superhero space are critical.

Due to this, fans can become extremely upset about certain storylines. Since both Marvel and DC commission so many writers, it becomes inevitable that one of them will anger fans. Every writer has their interpretation of what a Superhero should be. However, every fan also expects writers to stay true to the original understanding. When that does not happen, chaos ensues. Writing new and exciting stories is extremely important, and you want writers to be free to create their versions of these heroes.

Unfortunately, sometimes these creative freedoms come with a darker undertone. Writers will use these opportunities to insert their political messaging. They will make heroes take divisive stances on social issues and change everything that made them great. Other times, they write stories that no one wants.

The Amazing Spider-Man Plot Point

This brings us to the Amazing Spider-Man issue 24. Zeb Wells wrote the story, but not everyone understood the plot. Warning: I will share plot points from this point forward, so cover your ears and eyes if you do not want spoilers. Peter Parker and Mary Jane are sent to an apocalyptic alternative version of New York City in this comic book issue. Through various circumstances, Spider-Man returns to his reality, but Mary Jane gets left behind. Peter Parker, however, refuses to give up on Mary Jane, and he gets his hands on a device that will send him back to this alternative universe to save MJ.

However, when he gets there, he realizes it took him longer than he thought. Although only a few weeks passed, years went by in MJ’s time. Time is not the only thing that moved on, though. So did Mary Jane. When Spider-Man arrives to take Mary Jane back to her own time, he discovers she has moved. She has a new partner and two children. While some initially thought that the children were not hers, the story does indicate that it is her biological children with another man.

For Peter Parker, this is a massive twist in his life, and he is watching as his wife is now with another man. As years went by for Mary Jane, I do understand why she moved on. However, it makes no sense that the writers will break them up in such a manner.

Fan Reaction To Spider-Man And Mary Jane Break Up

The fan reaction to this story could have been more kind. Most people do not like plot points where Spider-Man and Mary Jane do not end up together. What makes it worse for many fans is how they decided to do this. Giving Mary Jane a new partner with children while she is still with Peter makes it so much worse. Spider-Man is forced to watch as his partner moves on with another man. There is always a chance that the writers can fix this plot point, but that will take a lot of work to do.

Mary Jane and Peter are stuck in an alternate universe but not alternate versions of themselves. It means Mary Jane moved on from Spider-Man and now has a new family. Erasing this timeline now will erase her children as well. It is a plot point that does not make much sense. Many fans feel like Marvel is going out of their way to try and humiliate Peter Parker by making him watch Mary Jane move on with another family.

Original creator Stan Lee always had one request for new Spider-Man writers. Do not screw over the Peter Parker and Mary Jane story. With this, many feel like Spider-Man is a character that is just meant to lose everything. He consistently loses his family, friends, and now his girlfriend or, in some comics, wife.

The Aftermath

You should note that Spider-Man writers know what they are doing well. They are not just writing these plot points thinking they are good and then getting an unexpected reaction from fans. In many cases, they intentionally write controversial plot points. They are counting on the anger of fans. It could be a better long-term strategy, but writers still think it is a good idea. Writers do this intentionally because, in most cases, they outright admit it.

Web Wells admitted that this latest issue would be upsetting to fans. The comic book is promoted to fans as saying, “The most shocking issue of Amazing Spider-Man in fifty years.” “A heartbreaking issue that will have fans everywhere talking.” Wells stated, “I can tease that many people will be mad at me. I can tease that editor Nick Lowe told me not to do any comic conventions after this issue comes out,” “People will be upset.” If you know that fans will be upset with the plot point, why would you continue to write? Is the goal not to make the fans happy?

It is not a good idea to intentionally upset fans. When you write stories you know will anger fans, I can only conclude that you are not writing for your audience and are writing stories to amuse yourself, which is an inferior way of approaching things. Comic books should always be fan service, and you should move on if you do not write for the fans. Again, writers are responsible for giving fans what they want.

Conclusion

All of this is just my opinion. Ultimately, writers do what they want, and fans can react. I do not see the point of intentionally upsetting your fanbase. Angering fans and then being proud of that is not a good idea. Spider-Man is still a top-rated comic book, and it is one of the few Marvel Comics that sells very well and turns over a profit. Maybe Disney was making too much money. Thus, they instructed their writers to anger as many fans as possible.

Since there are so many issues with Spider-Man, fans will move on to another story. Hopefully, fans can still find joy in reading about their favorite superhero.