Do you think the writers will ever run out of stories?

[Dan Slott]

I think you are under the mistaken idea that I was using a metaphor to describe the comic book industry. I was not, I was speaking of the actual end of all things, the death of this universe.

I honestly believe that the last light in the universe, before it is completely extinguished, will be a lone Marvel editor, eye-rolling, and serious in their conviction that someone is always being hyperbolic about the end of comics as we know it.

And then a comic company will survive by traveling through a small singularity into the next universe that is about to be born.

[CaptainUniverse]

I honestly believe that the last light in the universe, before it is completely extinguished, will be a lone Marvel editor, eye-rolling, and serious in their conviction that someone is always being hyperbolic about the end of comics as we know it.

And then a comic company will survive by traveling through a small singularity into the next universe that is about to be born.

What an Amazing Fantasy you have come up with. But that is all it is. Pure fantasy.

[JT221]

It's Shakespeare's advantage...and even he was taking ideas from previous sources. That said, is probably less about originality of the tale than it is about the execution of the tale.

[Daibhidh]

I think they've been saying that mainstream superhero comics were worked out after Jack Kirby's New Gods. This I think would have been when Claremont was just starting his X-Men run.

[Ubauba01]

It would be an interesting experiment to see at what point the writers would literally run out of ideas if they were to try to write an issue every month until the end of the universe, or if the series would outlast even the end of the universe (probably not).

[Alan2099]

It would be an interesting experiment to see at what point the writers would literally run out of ideas if they were to try to write an issue every month until the end of the universe, or if the series would outlast even the end of the universe (probably not).

The thing about that is... things continue to happen, and when something happens, it can be used for inspiration.

[Celgress]

They basically already have run out of storylines as evidenced by Kraven's Last Hunt For Sure This Time We Promise, Clones, Clones, and More Clones, The Goblin's Revenge/Return/Rerun/Whatever, Spider-Verse Forever!, and Everything Is Venomized. They replay these five major storylines again and again and again with minor filler in between.

[Pav]

Frankly, if given the chance, I think I have enough Spidey stories in my own head to last a good 10 to 20 years. And I'm just one person.

So: no.

But just because we'll never run out of stories doesn't mean we'll always have great stories. Run-of-the-mill and downright awful stories will continue to exist, but their existence isn't necessarily evidence that Spidey is winding down for good.

-Pav, who will put his brain into some kind of eternal cyborg and continue downloading Spidey comics into his consciousness ad infinitum...

[TinkerSpider]

Frankly, if given the chance, I think I have enough Spidey stories in my own head to last a good 10 to 20 years. And I'm just one person.

So: no.

But just because we'll never run out of stories doesn't mean we'll always have great stories. Run-of-the-mill and downright awful stories will continue to exist, but their existence isn't necessarily evidence that Spidey is winding down for good.

-Pav, who will put his brain into some kind of eternal cyborg and continue downloading Spidey comics into his consciousness ad infinitum...

This.

Stories are infinite.

Talented storytellers and wise corporate owners are not.

Entertainment franchises can fade. And be re-invigorated. And fade again. Rinse and repeat.

But as for Marvel comics at the end of time: I’m just dying for the next adventures of the Yellow Kid, aren’t you— oh. Wait.