Aunt May needs to know Peter’s identity again

[Crazyspideyfan]

Ever since OMD, Aunt May has been trapped in limbo, with her character not progressing too much ever since she forgot Peter’s identity. The marriage arc with Jay was nice, but after he died and after Tom King’s Friendly Neighborhood run, Aunt May hasn’t really progressed in the past few years. I think Peter re-revealing his identity would strengthen her character and her bond with Peter, they even have a chance to make it a parallel to the first time he revealed his identity to May, since Romita Jr. is on the book rn.

You could make the excuse they were playing it safe for movie viewers crossing over getting into ASM, but that excuse doesn’t work any more now that spoilers:

Aunt May has known Peter’s identity since the end of Homecoming in the MCU, and she was killed in NWH, something 616 wont ever commit to.

end of spoilers

I feel like there might be some editorial mandate not allowing this to happen, since Peter has re-revealed his identity to most key characters that knew it pre-OMD except for Aunt May. Even Norman now knows it again after forgetting it for a decade. I just really want Peter and Aunt May to have a stronger bond and trust of each other, much like it was pre-OMD.

(I am not a pre-OMD purist and always love ASM, even through the controversial choices, love to see new things happen, this post is just about a pet peeve of mine.)

Edit: Tom Taylor, not Tom King lol

[Matt Rat]

Until she relearns the identity or becomes a great aunt to his kid, Aunt May will remain irrelevant.

[xpyred]

You have to question Marvel's thought process here. Peter had no issue revealing his ID to Black Cat after her heel turn. Why? He felt bad. Okay fine. But Aunt May is supposedly the person he cares for the most and yet he still keeps her in the dark? Jonah knows and that's okay? How many heroes know? Norman Osborn knows again and that puts May in ten times the danger. Yet Aunt May doesn't know? There is no real excuse as to why she shouldn't know. It's just lazy and stupid writing.

[Huntsman Spider]

Ever since OMD, Aunt May has been trapped in limbo, with her character not progressing too much ever since she forgot Peter’s identity. The marriage arc with Jay was nice, but after he died and after Tom King’s Friendly Neighborhood run, Aunt May hasn’t really progressed in the past few years. I think Peter re-revealing his identity would strengthen her character and her bond with Peter, they even have a chance to make it a parallel to the first time he revealed his identity to May, since Romita Jr. is on the book rn.

You could make the excuse they were playing it safe for movie viewers crossing over getting into ASM, but that excuse doesn’t work any more now that spoilers:

Aunt May has known Peter’s identity since the end of Homecoming in the MCU, and she was killed in NWH, something 616 wont ever commit to.

end of spoilers

I feel like there might be some editorial mandate not allowing this to happen, since Peter has re-revealed his identity to most key characters that knew it pre-OMD except for Aunt May. Even Norman now knows it again after forgetting it for a decade. I just really want Peter and Aunt May to have a stronger bond and trust of each other, much like it was pre-OMD.

(I am not a pre-OMD purist and always love ASM, even through the controversial choices, love to see new things happen, this post is just about a pet peeve of mine.)

Until she relearns the identity or becomes a great aunt to his kid, Aunt May will remain irrelevant.

You have to question Marvel's thought process here. Peter had no issue revealing his ID to Black Cat after her heel turn. Why? He felt bad. Okay fine. But Aunt May is supposedly the person he cares for the most and yet he still keeps her in the dark? Jonah knows and that's okay? How many heroes know? Norman Osborn knows again and that puts May in ten times the danger. Yet Aunt May doesn't know? There is no real excuse as to why she shouldn't know. It's just lazy and stupid writing.

Generally cosigned, especially the last part, since when Norman found out again, he did send a symbiotically corrupted Normie to kill Aunt May in the most vicious and sadistic manner he could and she had to be saved by Otto Octavius in his Superior Octopus phase. Norman might be "cleansed" of his sins now and capable of regret and remorse for them, but how long will that really last?

That said, to slightly correct the first poster here, it was Tom Taylor who wrote the second volume of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, not Tom King. Given King's prior work at DC with Batman (and more disgracefully, Heroes in Crisis), though, I'm not sure I would give him Spider-Man.

[Webhead]

One of the ugliest remnants from OMD and there's no reason not to let go of it.

[Haquim]

Aunt May needs to get back to be dead as per ASM #400

[Crazyspideyfan]

That said, to slightly correct the first poster here, it was Tom Taylor who wrote the second volume of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, not Tom King. Given King's prior work at DC with Batman (and more disgracefully, Heroes in Crisis), though, I'm not sure I would give him Spider-Man.

You are correct, I’ve been reading King’s run on Batman and have had his name in my head recently, accidentally put it instead of Taylor’s lol.

[PCN24454]

You have to question Marvel's thought process here. Peter had no issue revealing his ID to Black Cat after her heel turn. Why? He felt bad. Okay fine. But Aunt May is supposedly the person he cares for the most and yet he still keeps her in the dark? Jonah knows and that's okay? How many heroes know? Norman Osborn knows again and that puts May in ten times the danger. Yet Aunt May doesn't know? There is no real excuse as to why she shouldn't know. It's just lazy and stupid writing.

Cosigned all of this. Peter needs to tell her personally.

Aunt May needs to get back to be dead as per ASM #400

That has nothing to do with the topic.

[Alan2099]

I honestly didn't care much for how they treated her character once she learned he was Spider-man. Rather than it feeling like any kind of organic growth, it felt like she became an entirely new character altogether.

Personally, I prefer the idea of her not knowing, at it leaves a segment of Peter's life unconnected to his life as Spider-man as well as further enforcing the idea that you don't have to share your entire life with somebody for them to still care about you and you for them. I realize that's an unpopular opinion in today's word of Twitter and facebook where people feel the need to share there every stray thought but there was just something comforting about Peter having a parental figure that is able to go "You don't have to tell me what the problem is, but just know that I'm here for you."

[xpyred]

Personally, I prefer the idea of her not knowing, at it leaves a segment of Peter's life unconnected to his life as Spider-man as well as further enforcing the idea that you don't have to share your entire life with somebody for them to still care about you and you for them. I realize that's an unpopular opinion in today's word of Twitter and facebook where people feel the need to share there every stray thought but there was just something comforting about Peter having a parental figure that is able to go "You don't have to tell me what the problem is, but just know that I'm here for you."

My issue with this is that it just doesn't make sense for her not to know. Everyone else knows. Jonah of all people knows. Osborn knows again because of Jonah. Two of Spider-Man's biggest threats. Another issue is Peter has so many clones and everyone associated with the clones all know about Peter and his life too. Too many people know. Way too many. But aunt May shouldn't? Why?

[Lee]

I honestly didn't care much for how they treated her character once she learned he was Spider-man. Rather than it feeling like any kind of organic growth, it felt like she became an entirely new character altogether.

Personally, I prefer the idea of her not knowing, at it leaves a segment of Peter's life unconnected to his life as Spider-man as well as further enforcing the idea that you don't have to share your entire life with somebody for them to still care about you and you for them. I realize that's an unpopular opinion in today's word of Twitter and facebook where people feel the need to share there every stray thought but there was just something comforting about Peter having a parental figure that is able to go "You don't have to tell me what the problem is, but just know that I'm here for you."

I agree.

It's also just not very compelling if all the people Peter is closest to know his secret identity and support him. Most young people in the real world probably don't share all the messy details of their private lives with their mother or grandmother. You show different people different sides of yourself. The super-hero secret identity, particularly with Spider-Man, is that part of life writ large.

[Agent Z]

I honestly didn't care much for how they treated her character once she learned he was Spider-man. Rather than it feeling like any kind of organic growth, it felt like she became an entirely new character altogether.

Personally, I prefer the idea of her not knowing, at it leaves a segment of Peter's life unconnected to his life as Spider-man as well as further enforcing the idea that you don't have to share your entire life with somebody for them to still care about you and you for them. I realize that's an unpopular opinion in today's word of Twitter and facebook where people feel the need to share there every stray thought but there was just something comforting about Peter having a parental figure that is able to go "You don't have to tell me what the problem is, but just know that I'm here for you."

Telling the closest thing you have to a mother that you're a superhero is a lot different than talking about what you had for brunch for likes.

[Mister Mets]

You have to question Marvel's thought process here. Peter had no issue revealing his ID to Black Cat after her heel turn. Why? He felt bad. Okay fine. But Aunt May is supposedly the person he cares for the most and yet he still keeps her in the dark? Jonah knows and that's okay? How many heroes know? Norman Osborn knows again and that puts May in ten times the danger. Yet Aunt May doesn't know? There is no real excuse as to why she shouldn't know. It's just lazy and stupid writing.

The main argument is that it makes Peter's life too easy.

I don't actually agree. It probably makes his life harder when the woman who raised him knows that he's going to be in dangerous situations.

I hope they reveal in the Wells/ Romita run that she found out again.

[Crazyspideyfan]

The main argument is that it makes Peter's life too easy.

I don't actually agree. It probably makes his life harder when the woman who raised him knows that he's going to be in dangerous situations.

I hope they reveal in the Wells/ Romita run that she found out again.

I think it would be cool if May remembers while Romita is still on the book, because he could mirror the original scene of her finding out and it could create a unique parallel.