Will One More Day be a permanent black mark in Spider-Man history ?

[Tuck]

Would you have been more likely to buy and keep up with BND and beyond if there had been a more honest and clear reboot? Just saying that we switched over from earth 616 somehow to an earth exactly the same except for a few Spider-Man-specific details?

Because there have been good stories since the reboot, and I wonder how much Marvel may have shot itself in the foot simply for how they went about things. (I really think that married Pete and MJ having never existed is the most irksome part of it for a lot of people.)

[JBatmanFan05]

Would you have been more likely to buy and keep up with BND and beyond if there had been a more honest and clear reboot? Just saying that we switched over from earth 616 somehow to an earth exactly the same except for a few Spider-Man-specific details?

Because there have been good stories since the reboot, and I wonder how much Marvel may have shot itself in the foot simply for how they went about things. (I really think that married Pete and MJ having never existed is the most irksome part of it for a lot of people.)

Oh yea, I would have bought. Not even a divorce was necessary.

I once suggested and still think Marvel should have just retconned the marriage out....retold the marriage issue all of the sudden out of nowhere and not explain at all in-story why the retcon happened. And all prior stories happened the same, except for the marriage. No devil or villain deal, no explanation (leave that to the imagination)...the readers would know the real world explanation and that would be that. Folks would still be very angry, no doubt, wouldn't be perfect (no way would be (not even divorce)), but the solution is just a good bit better.

[Sardorim]

OMD is indeed the worst Spider-Man story ever told and ruined what made Spider-Man great by making him Mephisto's worshiper who took glee in mind wiping all of 616 to erase his selfish decisions that he refused to take responsibility for like an adult.

Yeah it will be remembered as the worst part in Spidey history probably.

The good aspects of the story are that the art is great, and Peter does act in character when he chooses to save May.

Remember that Peter was never really shown to be religious or anything, so doing a deal with a devil should not bother him more than letting May die.

The bad aspects are that it is a thinly-veiled, cold, emotionless retcon machine. The story is extremely unsatisfying, deus ex machina stuff. Mephisto never had anything to do with Spidey at all.

If they wanted to lose the marriage, a divorce would have sufficed. It would have avoided the confusing thoughts people get about how the details in past stories happened when reality was altered.

You could even have written a good story about MJ not being able to take it anymore and leaving Peter.

No, he was 100% OOC.

Guilt tripping MJ to agree to his selfish and self-centered deal where he gets everything he wants and she loses everything.
Refusing to accept May dying after May accepted her demise.
Taking the decision out of May's hands, never once did he consult her as he knew she would never agree to mindwiping the entire world and ending the marriage.
Tossing his unborn daughter under the bus, MJ was pregnant in that story. No amount of retcons or backpeddling can erase all the evidence there that supported it. Mephisto used Baby May for a reason and taunted them about never having her now for a reason because he wanted to rub it in on what they lost because they all agreed to Peter's selfish desires.
Looking for the easy way out, refusing to accept responsibility for his decisions.
Agreeing with mindwiping himself so he doesn't "suffer" while MJ must suffer for the deal.

That wasn't Spider-Man, that was editorial destroying his character because they didn't want MJ around anymore and wanted Peter to have a new girl in his bed multiple times a year.

[Celgress]

There is no one here who dislikes OMD like I do (I bring it up a lot). That said, there is NOTHING in comics that is permanent. Even Uncle Ben and Gwen have returned (albeit in different forms). It may take one year, it may take 10 years, it may even happen with RYV ( although I doubt it), but it will not be like the Chicago Cubs not winning the World Series since 1908. That said, I do not expect to be reading Spider-Man ( or comics for that matter ( with NO FF)), when OMD and 'Sins Past' get sent to and I quote Ronald Reagan. "The Ash Heap Of History."

More like the dung pile, where those atrocious tales truly belong.

[JBatmanFan05]

No, he was 100% OOC.

Guilt tripping MJ to agree to his selfish and self-centered deal where he gets everything he wants and she loses everything.
Refusing to accept May dying after May accepted her demise.
Taking the decision out of May's hands, never once did he consult her as he knew she would never agree to mindwiping the entire world and ending the marriage.
Tossing his unborn daughter under the bus, MJ was pregnant in that story. No amount of retcons or backpeddling can erase all the evidence there that supported it. Mephisto used Baby May for a reason and taunted them about never having her now for a reason because he wanted to rub it in on what they lost because they all agreed to Peter's selfish desires.
Looking for the easy way out, refusing to accept responsibility for his decisions.
Agreeing with mindwiping himself so he doesn't "suffer" while MJ must suffer for the deal.

That wasn't Spider-Man, that was editorial destroying his character because they didn't want MJ around anymore and wanted Peter to have a new girl in his bed multiple times a year.

Great great points. I didn't cover all this with the radical nature of it all I mentioned.

[normanosborn]

@normanosborn: Sorry it's from Infinity Crusade. The context is/was that the character on the right, The Goddess selected Peter to be part of her flock due to his religious devotion and he unquestionably agreed as did the rest. In another scene in that series Beast ponders why if he himself is a believer why wasn't he chosen as well and was answered that only those of who are the most devout are chosen.
The scan for Peter found here.
Information about Infinity Crusade here.

So in the context as established as a guy who would literally put his life on the line for Jesus the deal with Mephisto becomes even more out of character and contradictory.

Thanks, very interesting.

Although the argument could be made that Mephisto is actually not a character from the bible, but just another devil. Does Peter make this distinction though, probably not.

No, he was 100% OOC.

Guilt tripping MJ to agree to his selfish and self-centered deal where he gets everything he wants and she loses everything.
Refusing to accept May dying after May accepted her demise.
Taking the decision out of May's hands, never once did he consult her as he knew she would never agree to mindwiping the entire world and ending the marriage.
Tossing his unborn daughter under the bus, MJ was pregnant in that story. No amount of retcons or backpeddling can erase all the evidence there that supported it. Mephisto used Baby May for a reason and taunted them about never having her now for a reason because he wanted to rub it in on what they lost because they all agreed to Peter's selfish desires.
Looking for the easy way out, refusing to accept responsibility for his decisions.
Agreeing with mindwiping himself so he doesn't "suffer" while MJ must suffer for the deal.

That wasn't Spider-Man, that was editorial destroying his character because they didn't want MJ around anymore and wanted Peter to have a new girl in his bed multiple times a year.

Just because May told Peter that she is cool with dying does not mean that Peter would let her die if there was another option.

It might be selfish, but then it is. Peter has guilt issues. He could not cope with feeling responsible for both Ben and May's deaths.

I'm not going to argue about the fan theory that MJ was pregnant.

I agree that it was more of an act of editorial meddling rather than a real story.

[Cmbmool]

Just because May told Peter that she is cool with dying does not mean that Peter would let her die if there was another option.

It might be selfish, but then it is. Peter has guilt issues. He could not cope with feeling responsible for both Ben and May's deaths.

I'm not going to argue about the fan theory that MJ was pregnant.

I agree that it was more of an act of editorial meddling rather than a real story.

Peter should have respected May's last wishes even if he didn't agree with it.

[Scott Taylor]

People have mentioned Sins Past. For me, its not a comparison because the writer of Sins Past planned to retcon it within OMD. Editorial wouldn't let it happen. So rather than a comparison, OMD and Sins Past are really linked together arm in arm.

[Phantom Roxas]

I think pretty much the only reason to actually tolerate the story is if you're so adamantly opposed to the marriage that you couldn't care less about how it's done. Hurray for the settling for the bare minimum!

[boots]

I think pretty much the only reason to actually tolerate the story is if you're so adamantly opposed to the marriage that you couldn't care less about how it's done. Hurray for the settling for the bare minimum!

the other reason to tolerate it is because it’s over and done. i didn’t read it, have no desire to and don’t hate the marriage to the point where i would accept anything to remove. it’s there, it’s part of the mythos now and it has no impact on me.

hooray for not judging the hell out of other people for not wanting what you want.

[SuperiorIronman]

Cry for justice sucked in 2009 and it sucks now
Young blood sucked in the 90's and it sucked now
One more day sucked in 2007 and it still sucks now!

This story is far past the point where it could have been saved. The thing is that this could have been something good, it didn't need to be a bloated corpse of a status quo shift. What if Mephisto was afraid of May? What if that is why he needed her gone so whatever he had planned couldn't be stopped. That could have made for a good follow up.

Marvel is aware of how much One more day sucked. They know by now and there chosen way of dealing with it is because they don't want to acknowledge it happend. Fair enough as it was critically panned and they lost a bunch of readers. But here is the thing, it could've had a follow-up. Peter could've magically had his memories restored. He finds Mephisto and learns why he did it and realizes he has to stop him. Peter could've been manipulated and controlled. Whatever he did at Doctor Stranges sanctum might've caught Mephistos attention and he decided Peter or at least his daughter was a threat to him. This story might not have been good but it could've end saved.

[Sardorim]

Thanks, very interesting.

Although the argument could be made that Mephisto is actually not a character from the bible, but just another devil. Does Peter make this distinction though, probably not.



Just because May told Peter that she is cool with dying does not mean that Peter would let her die if there was another option.

It might be selfish, but then it is. Peter has guilt issues. He could not cope with feeling responsible for both Ben and May's deaths.

I'm not going to argue about the fan theory that MJ was pregnant.

I agree that it was more of an act of editorial meddling rather than a real story.

Yet Peter didn't go to May for her opinion, he decided FOR her because he knew she would never agree to it. That's extremely selfish of him to play with someone's life in such a way and going against their wishes.

Don't see him having guilt issues over torturing MJ eternally especially since MJ saw the child she will never have now because of Peter's selfishness.

Worse yet is Marvel hasn't even brought up the exact reasons as to why Mephisto would care to let Peter have his selfish desires become a reality as he hasn't even shown up yet to even gloat or to prove that he "won".

[Celgress]

Cry for justice sucked in 2009 and it sucks now
Young blood sucked in the 90's and it sucked now
One more day sucked in 2007 and it still sucks now!

This story is far past the point where it could have been saved. The thing is that this could have been something good, it didn't need to be a bloated corpse of a status quo shift. What if Mephisto was afraid of May? What if that is why he needed her gone so whatever he had planned couldn't be stopped. That could have made for a good follow up.

Marvel is aware of how much One more day sucked. They know by now and there chosen way of dealing with it is because they don't want to acknowledge it happend. Fair enough as it was critically panned and they lost a bunch of readers. But here is the thing, it could've had a follow-up. Peter could've magically had his memories restored. He finds Mephisto and learns why he did it and realizes he has to stop him. Peter could've been manipulated and controlled. Whatever he did at Doctor Stranges sanctum might've caught Mephistos attention and he decided Peter or at least his daughter was a threat to him. This story might not have been good but it could've end saved.

I'd enjoy Spidey facing the terrible consequences of his rash decision at some future point. A scene within the story where Mephisto thanks Peter saying "I couldn't have done this without you" or "Don't you like the world you helped create?" could be truly soul shattering, if properly done. The hero who always strived to do the right thing no more what in a moment of weakness causes a horrendous future by inadvertently empowering an evil entity, has epic tale written all over it. However considering those in charge at Marvel used Mephisto merely as a poorly thought out plot device I highly doubt any such follow up story shall ever be told.

[Mighty Roman]

I think the reason that OMD is so hated is because Peter made a deal with a demon. If it was Loki, or Doom, or The Beyonder who changed time, people wouldn't care. They'd still be angry about the marriage vanishing, but it wouldn't be quite as bad as what we actually got.
In fact, I always thought that Loki erasing the marriage would make more sense. Loki offers to save May because Peter once saved his life. Peter is so desperate for help he agrees. But to confuse and torture Peter, Loki changes History, erasing Peter's marriage and ressurecting Harry Osborn.
LOKI: "The deal is done! Time is changed! The day us up Peter. Prepare to enter a Brand New Day, but I think you'll notice some....differences.

[Scott Taylor]

I think the reason that OMD is so hated is because Peter made a deal with a demon. If it was Loki, or Doom, or The Beyonder who changed time, people wouldn't care. They'd still be angry about the marriage vanishing, but it wouldn't be quite as bad as what we actually got.

The "Deal with a Devil" aspect was one more crummy layer to it for me, certainly. But honestly every other plot point in OMD made me feel crummy about Marvel.