When does your Spider-man canon end?

[marhawkman]

Sins past isn’t that bad imo. It’s not like Gwen Stacy had a character to ruin.

It's weird, the retcon followup... made every aspect WORSE.

[Lairston]

I'd have to say the 90s clone saga. The 90s was not a good time for my comic book enjoyment. They went through the characters I liked and pretty much desecrated them. Superman died became a lightning bolt, Batman's back was broke and when he returned he was an ******* in a costume they might as well have colored all black and he remains an ass to this day, Green Lantern went nutso and tried to destroy the universe, and then Spider-man really isn't the real Spider-man that you read your whole life. I read a lot less books after it for a long time.

[KC]

It doesn't. Or at least hasn't yet.

[ARkadelphia]

It doesn't. Or at least hasn't yet.

The correct answer

[KurtW95]

Hahaha, that's true. As a fan of OG Gwen, I cannot deny you're right.

I will completely deny it. OG Gwen had a much more unique personality than the powered version we've been smothered with lately. I would argue she had more of a personality and depth that Mary Jane from her debut to when she was killed off. She had flaws. And struggles. I am not going to insult Mary Jane. As I think she is a great character. But I think Gwen is a better match to Peter all the livelong day. Heck, Mary Jane's personality has been rewritten as many times as you could say there are differences in Gwen in different canon. But this is the same canon. And I understand that people change, but the need to change her is proof in it of itself that the idea that she was a better match to Peter, and Gwen deserved to be killed off in her favor, is wrong. But Mary Jane stated off as a carefree hippie and Gwen sometimes showed that she couldn't resist getting in peoples' faces if they insulted people she cared about. Which is laudable, but can become a flaw very easily. She was tough and daring but also sensitive and higher degrees in emotionality and concern. The kind of depth everyone forgets about when discussing her. Which compliments Peter and his idiosyncrasies.

[Joe Sidetracked]

I voted "other" because none of the answers felt quite right, but after giving it a day's thought my answer could probably align with the Clone Saga. Being specific, it's the moment Norman Osborn comes back from the dead.

Until that point it felt like Spidey still had forward motion. But as Marvel lost its nerve we had Norman come back, May come back, lost the baby, lost Ben. It wasn't just that all that personal development was for nought - it was all completely thrown out the window and immediately ignored. OMD made Peter a loser, but the end of the Clone Saga was the first massive regression.

Despite that baggage I still love JMS' run up to Sins Past. I also enjoy some of Slott's and Spencer's runs, but they don't feel like the Spidey I grew up with in the same way that, say, Peter B. Parker does.

[WebLurker]

Eh, for me, mid-90s, whenever you jump over to Spider-Girl or Renew Your Vows.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

I just ran across this old jokey tweet I made months ago:


How To Predict A Spidey Fan's Age With 60% Accuracy:

Born before 1970: Hates the marriage, calls MJ a slut.
Born '71-mid 80s: "Norman should have stayed dead."
Born late 80s-late 90s: Won't shut up about 2/4: TAS, Raimi, JMS, Spectacular
Born 2000+: Just discovered Ultimate and won't shut up.


Hmm, I wonder if this relates to the "canon" thing.

[clonegeek]

I just ran across this old jokey tweet I made months ago:


How To Predict A Spidey Fan's Age With 60% Accuracy:

Born before 1970: Hates the marriage, calls MJ a slut.
Born '71-mid 80s: "Norman should have stayed dead."
Born late 80s-late 90s: Won't shut up about 2/4: TAS, Raimi, JMS, Spectacular
Born 2000+: Just discovered Ultimate and won't shut up.


Hmm, I wonder if this relates to the "canon" thing.

Me being in the latter age group but agree with the '71-mid 80s.

[Spider-Tiger]

Me being in the latter age group but agree with the '71-mid 80s.

I also think Norman should have stayed dead even though I was born in the 90s. And May, Harry, and Kraven. The stories in which these characters died are among the best Spider-man comics and bringing them back diminished the impact. (However, my opinion could be a bit influenced by the Raimi trilogy where Norman dies in movie 1 and then influences the plot as an apparition.) Norman's return was at the beginning of this change-phobia that editorial was getting.

That being said, much like May they turned a lemon into lemonade with the stories following the resurrection enough to make it worthwhile. So it's much easier to accept than a retcon like OMD which has completely handicapped Peter's love life.

[PCN24454]

I also think Norman should have stayed dead even though I was born in the 90s. And May, Harry, and Kraven. The stories in which these characters died are among the best Spider-man comics and bringing them back diminished the impact. (However, my opinion could be a bit influenced by the Raimi trilogy where Norman dies in movie 1 and then influences the plot as an apparition.) Norman's return was at the beginning of this change-phobia that editorial was getting.

That being said, much like May they turned a lemon into lemonade with the stories following the resurrection enough to make it worthwhile. So it's much easier to accept than a retcon like OMD which has completely handicapped Peter's love life.

Yeah, I loved her working at the F.E.A.S.T. and generally having a character outside of Peter.

[JBatmanFan05]

Interestingly, Spider-Man is like the only comic character for where my canon (or headcanon) has ended (for now). And it ended, I determined about 2 yrs ago, with Hobgoblin Lives, which is not long after the Second/90s Clone Saga. The end of the 90s Clone Saga was good enough to salvage the whole thing somewhat, and then Kingsley as Hobgoblin, one of my favorite Spidey villains, was perfect and finished off some loose ends.

So up to Hob Lives is more or less classic Spider-Man to me, the best Spider-Man canon and verse.

[Lee]

I just ran across this old jokey tweet I made months ago:


How To Predict A Spidey Fan's Age With 60% Accuracy:

Born before 1970: Hates the marriage, calls MJ a slut.
Born '71-mid 80s: "Norman should have stayed dead."
Born late 80s-late 90s: Won't shut up about 2/4: TAS, Raimi, JMS, Spectacular
Born 2000+: Just discovered Ultimate and won't shut up.


Hmm, I wonder if this relates to the "canon" thing.

This doesn't ring true to me. The past couple of months this forum has had all kind of weird posts about MJ's sexual autonomy (just earlier today I saw a post calling her a "thot"), all coming from people deeply invested in her being married to Peter.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

That being said, much like May they turned a lemon into lemonade with the stories following the resurrection enough to make it worthwhile. So it's much easier to accept than a retcon like OMD which has completely handicapped Peter's love life.

Oh definitely. I said this before, but BND isn't good even by reboot standards. It's not Morrison's Action Comics, or even Scott Snyder's Batman. Both of those had a certain level of quality to it, even if overall the New 52 was a mistake.

[marhawkman]

I just ran across this old jokey tweet I made months ago:


How To Predict A Spidey Fan's Age With 60% Accuracy:

Born before 1970: Hates the marriage, calls MJ a slut.
Born '71-mid 80s: "Norman should have stayed dead."
Born late 80s-late 90s: Won't shut up about 2/4: TAS, Raimi, JMS, Spectacular
Born 2000+: Just discovered Ultimate and won't shut up.


Hmm, I wonder if this relates to the "canon" thing.

Early 80s... group 3.