Quote Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Jack View Post
Him being transported by the Beyonder isn't his fault and missing out on the birth of his kids counts as tragic, i.e. he behaved as a hero in investigating this construct in Central Park and got transported to an alien planet and missed out on the most important day of his life. That counts as his activity as Spider-Man taking a tragic price from his daily life for believable stuff.

But after that not so much. He wears the Symbiote despite knowing it's alive which shocks Reed. In 616, Peter dropped the suit the minute he found out. And his reasons for wearing the suit are more mid-life crisis and as he says, "to be relevant" than anything. He knows he can't cut it as well as Spider-Man anymore, he has a company and kids. But he decides to take this wacky alien suit. He doesn't even care about Kraven wearing his suit and shooting people when Reed brings it up. He just brushes that aside. His reaction on seeing Kraven-in-black-costume with the gun is more or less, "I came to blow off steam, beating up a guy who kills people in my costume counts as a guilt-free blowing-off steam exercise." So there's not any heroic motives for anything he does in this issue.

Also the only reason he got ambushed by Kraven is because he decided he needed some "air" to get away from MJ and his crying kid.



I am saying that there needs to be a sense that he is trying to balance being a father with being a hero. It's obviously a difficult thing to do, balancing being a Dad to a newborn and being Spider-Man. It's hard for writers to get into that especially if you are doing it in a Teens Rated setting with actual violence and so on (which Conway and Houser's RYV isn't set in). But the arc is Peter tries to make a go at balancing both, and then decides he can't and makes a choice.

For that to happen, there needs to be a demand from society for a Spider-Man which Reed Richards' conversation implies there isn't. And Peter needs to show that he loves his children and wants to be a Dad and be there for them. He has to show that he's making a go at it. Otherwise all we have is the story of a selfish asshole who's forcing his wife and kids to adjust to his routines and the only person he allows in his personal life is his dementia-addled Aunt who can't talk back to him anymore and so on.

In 616, Peter tries to be a good boyfriend to Betty, Gwen, Mary Jane. He tries to be a good nephew, a good student, a good husband. and so on. We see him put the effort, some days he scrapes through. Other days he misses out because he needs to be Spider-Man. That gives a sense of tragedy and poignancy to that.

That's why I say Life Story Peter doesn't try.
Ok yah I see your point and concede. Either way MJ came off as the better person in this story, no doubt. But I'm pulling for Peter to come around, realize he was wrong and get back with MJ and restore his family life.

I was calculating and this book seems to take place at or around year 7 in their marriage. Thats a time when alot of marriages fail. Its long enough that the initial thrill of being together is over and alot of things settle in for the long haul. Just smacks many people broadside and they panic and decide to bail.