Aunt May in the ANAD Marvel

[Ravin' Ray]

As if Mary Jane joining the cast of Superior Iron Man isn't enough, now we have news that another important member of Peter's family is joining up in another title. Writer Chip Zdarsky mentioned that Aunt May will be in Howard the Duck! From CBR's Howard the Duck interview with Zdarsky and artist Joe Quinones:

How are Howard and Tara when you pick things up with them in #1, which takes place after a time jump following the end of "Secret Wars"? Have things changed much for them since we last saw them, and are they interacting with any new supporting characters?

Tara's much more comfortable using her abilities now, which means she's more able to be thrown into crazier circumstances and revels in it. Howard, however, is at a low point. He legitimately feels like the universe is trying to kill him and is, frankly, growing tired of it.

And Aunt May has joined the cast! Howard clearly needed an office administrator, so she's come on to help out when she's in town from Boston. We're spending a fair amount of time in space for this volume, though, so we don't get to utilize her as much as I'd hoped. We also have Joe's cat Biggs in the office as a half-cat, half-robot, because Joe's cat is the best and we're drunk with low-level power.

And here is Aunt May on the cover of #1, with more appearances in the preview panels.



If you read the pre-Secret Wars Howard the Duck, you'll know that
spoilers:

Aunt May was among the elderly Ringmaster hypnotized into searching an item of power, so she's met Howard already.

end of spoilers

[Samurai Jack]

I was wondering who the lady on the cover was. I don't have any problems with characters from Spider-Man crossing over to different Marvel series. With Amazing Spider-Man going international, and Miles' own ongoing probably having his own cast of characters, the Amazing Spider-Man characters would have little to no focus for years. I'm looking forward to Mary Jane's role in Invincible Iron Man and Aunt May's role in Howard the Duck.

[Celgress]

Good grief thanks Marvel for stripping Peter Parker of everything that makes him Spider-Man, good job people.

[Orbus]

Good grief thanks Marvel for stripping Peter Parker of everything that makes him Spider-Man, good job people.

Eh she hasn't been relevant since Straczynski's run. And prior to that she hadn't been relevant in decades apart from Amazing Spider-Man #400 which was a fitting send off for the character.

I don't see her not being in fixture in Amazing Spider-Man (I'm sure she'll show up as will MJ) as stripping everything that makes Peter Parker Spider-Man when she's rarely been a fixture for years. I say that as someone who feels that a bigger consequence Brand New Day/One Moment In Time beyond the removal of the marriage was doing away with May knowing Peter's identity and the good work JMS did with that but I can't get too upset about a character that's barely featured being featured elsewhere.

[AngelJD]

The issue she was in with Howard the Duck was enjoyable and she seem to have a good caring and comical chemistry with him that I was expecting her to fill out a form to be his official secretory (after his last one got beheaded). While MJ with Iron Man has me worried this pair up seems like a good fit.

Alot of people in the forums has found her pointless and no longer fitting with Peter's world and development but instead being a anchor against him growing and expanding. Since she doesn't work that well paired in Peter's world anymore instead of killing or making her fade away simply moving her to become apart of a new character's world, cast, and vibe where both she and the other(s) can play off of each other and have expansion and potential good fit chemistry. Plus her working with Howard is sure to give Peter more amusing headaches. The villains that Howard usually fares against also seem to be ones where even Aunt May might be able trick or to fight off or hurt with a cane. Overall this is a potentially good pair up that can help both characters, story, and jokes.

[Sardorim]

In my canon Aunt May died, OMD never happened as Peter Parker doesn't make demonic deals and Peter is still married to Mary Jane and they have a child.

[Saiga]

If this keeps her out of the AMS books, this can only be a positive change. She was a truly terrible supporting character for Peter.

I don't really know Howard the Duck and I doubt I'll read it, but if she actually works in that title than that's even better for her. The main thing is just giving her some other role than a burden for Peter.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Great to know that a counterpart of 616 May Reilly Parker Jameson will live on on the all-new mainstream marvel Earth, post Secret wars.
R.i.p. 616 May Reilly Parker Jameson 1962-2015

[Confuzzled]

Eh she hasn't been relevant since Straczynski's run. And prior to that she hadn't been relevant in decades apart from Amazing Spider-Man #400 which was a fitting send off for the character.

I don't see her not being in fixture in Amazing Spider-Man (I'm sure she'll show up as will MJ) as stripping everything that makes Peter Parker Spider-Man when she's rarely been a fixture for years. I say that as someone who feels that a bigger consequence Brand New Day/One Moment In Time beyond the removal of the marriage was doing away with May knowing Peter's identity and the good work JMS did with that but I can't get too upset about a character that's barely featured being featured elsewhere.

This. In a lot of ways, OMD proved to be more detrimental to Aunt May than it did for MJ. While MJ could be used as the perpetual tease and carrot on a stick, folks had absolutely no clue what to do with May. Ironic given the nature of OMD's story.

Glad someone is using her in a fun way at last.