Should Aunt May die for good?

[hobnob]

Kill her but then immediately bring her back with the Kroakoa resurrection protocols where she can come back younger and looking like Marisa Tomei.

That’s what they’re going to do to MJ at the end of this run when she rolls three skills trying to save Peter from Paul. They’ll undo the time passage too and bring her back four years younger. /s

[Mister Mets]

There seems to be a third group that is an amalgamation of the two: The idea that continuity matters, but the Clone Saga and late 90's were such a mess that certain changes to Peter's life (like May's death or the introduction of Mayday) should be mostly ignored (I'm guessing people are a little more okay with Norman being brought back and Peter's clones sticking around because they're more tied to his life as Spider-Man than as Peter Parker). And then you can split that group even more. Some of them think May's death and Mayday's intro should eventually be done in an environment less toxic and convoluted than the Clone Saga was, while others think maybe it shouldn't be done in 616 continuity.

I see a similar growing split to post-OMD. That some think everything in the past 16 years should be ignored, others that nothing should, or only Wells' run should be ignored (which I think says a lot about how bad Wells' run is that people will make a single exception like this, lol).

I think that's a fair point.

It's hard to divorce Amazing Spider-Man #400 from the larger clone saga. It's an issue that ends with Peter Parker's arrest, and many readers aren't fans of the Trial of Peter Parker.

[Spider-Tiger]

There seems to be a third group that is an amalgamation of the two: The idea that continuity matters, but the Clone Saga and late 90's were such a mess that certain changes to Peter's life (like May's death or the introduction of Mayday) should be mostly ignored (I'm guessing people are a little more okay with Norman being brought back and Peter's clones sticking around because they're more tied to his life as Spider-Man than as Peter Parker). And then you can split that group even more. Some of them think May's death and Mayday's intro should eventually be done in an environment less toxic and convoluted than the Clone Saga was, while others think maybe it shouldn't be done in 616 continuity.

I see a similar growing split to post-OMD. That some think everything in the past 16 years should be ignored, others that nothing should, or only Wells' run should be ignored (which I think says a lot about how bad Wells' run is that people will make a single exception like this, lol).

I'd say that's a pretty fair breakdown. The sticking point for me and the Clone Saga (besides Norman's revival) is Mayday. I'd like to see that revisited at some point. I wouldn't want 400 retconned back in as the real May or anything crazy like that.

As far as the Wells material, I don't think it needs an *immediate* retcon. Especially if there's no intention to retcon OMD. I'm willing to ignore it in the next run because that's how editorial functionally treats the post-OMD stuff. After a few shakeups, the toys are put back in the box, and nothing materially changes. I'm willing to accept that logic as long as the next run has a better handle on the characters and gives better stories.

However, if the marriage ever returns with an OMD part 3, it should be addressed. But I think the last 16 or so years of back and forth and relationship turmoil are a relatively easy fix by tying these events and OOC moments to Mephisto.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

I'd say that's a pretty fair breakdown. The sticking point for me and the Clone Saga (besides Norman's revival) is Mayday. I'd like to see that revisited at some point. I wouldn't want 400 retconned back in as the real May or anything crazy like that.

The best thing about bringing her back is that unlike Damian and Jon, she can be older without it affecting Comic Book Time . (If she was adopted by another family, it's not "weird" if she's introduced as a six-year old or if the writer after him ages her up to a teenager).

As far as the Wells material, I don't think it needs an *immediate* retcon. Especially if there's no intention to retcon OMD. I'm willing to ignore it in the next run because that's how editorial functionally treats the post-OMD stuff. After a few shakeups, the toys are put back in the box, and nothing materially changes. I'm willing to accept that logic as long as the next run has a better handle on the characters and gives better stories.

However, if the marriage ever returns with an OMD part 3, it should be addressed. But I think the last 16 or so years of back and forth and relationship turmoil are a relatively easy fix by tying these events and OOC moments to Mephisto.

I think some of the stuff from Wells' run has to be retconned (specifically the MJ stuff). It's way too toxic. But yeah, other than that, you can kinda ignore the rest. Again, by design, like you pointed out.

[hobnob]

I think some of the stuff from Wells' run has to be retconned (specifically the MJ stuff). It's way too toxic.

I’m a huge MJ-stan but honestly they can keep a lot of it IMO. I don’t think they will because a lot of fans are mad as hell, but I think the better choice is to write it back to resolution. You could wipe it clean but that feels like a cop out. Most people spend their lives with someone who as an Ex with a capital E. It’s normal. Pete has Gwen, and MJ has no one. Harry just isn’t in the same league as Gwen in terms of significance.

The big dramatic way to wipe her slate clean is to have her die and come back through Krakoan resurrection. Iron Man knows MJ (and was willing to help her in Dark Web/Mary Jane and Black Cat—which is an interesting Chekhov’s Gun, that panel doesn’t need to exist at all), and he could put in a word with Emma Frost who can use Cerebro. It’s an obvious connection. Lots of suspense while she’d dead and fans are wondering it she’ll come back. When they revive her they revive her mind four years younger or something, because she’s not a mutant and Emma does her best or whatever. Next run starts with them moving in and MJ has no memory of anything that’s happened.

I’m not a fan of taking away her agency and infantilising her for the purpose of reaffirming her as Peter’s chattel, but I also really like the fact that they’re star crossed lovers who are destined to be together in every universe and would never hurt each other deliberately. I think if we’d seen MJ be more conflicted and sad about not being with Peter, people might have been more forgiving.

Doesn’t change the fact that there are people saying ‘she cheated’ but what do you expect from incels?

Should probably put this in the relevant thread.

[Daibhidh]

I’m not a fan of taking away her agency and infantilising her for the purpose of reaffirming her as Peter’s chattel, but I also really like the fact that they’re star crossed lovers who are destined to be together in every universe and would never hurt each other deliberately.

I don't think that believing that Peter and MJ's relationship should have been strong enough to survive the separation is treating MJ as Peter's chattel. It's not as if Wells' story gives MJ much significant agency. Wells has her become Paul's partner simply because Paul is there and Peter isn't.

[Alan2099]

Kill her but then immediately bring her back with the Kroakoa resurrection protocols where she can come back younger and looking like Marisa Tomei.

Honestly ... not the worst idea I've heard.

[Daibhidh]

I don't think that believing that Peter and MJ's relationship should have been strong enough to survive the separation is treating MJ as Peter's chattel.

To elaborate: I wouldn't have said MJ cheated on Peter since that implies an intention to deceive. But I do think if the roles had been reversed Peter ought to have waited for MJ. That's not treating Peter as MJ's chattel. If it's not morally problematic for MJ to start a relationship with Paul, it would be morally unproblematic for Peter to have started a relationship with Carlie while MJ was stuck in the other dimension, and I don't think that's true either. (I use morally problematic because people don't control who they fall in love with, but they still have obligations to their partners that they can handle more or less well.)
Being in a relationship with someone does create obligations but it does not make you their chattel. You can't have valid obligations to someone if you're not your own person; you have obligations to your partner because you're still your own person.

[ARkadelphia]

Aunt May has achieved immortality until Marvel finds a way to put Amazing Spider-Man #400 back in continuity.

Coming in 2024…. Al Ewing’s “Immortal Aunt May”

[Man With No Name]

How about she marries, moves away and just pops up now and again? I just find the whole idea of killing a long term character off cheap, esp in comics.

[hobnob]

How about she marries, moves away and just pops up now and again? I just find the whole idea of killing a long term character off cheap, esp in comics.

And pave the way for thrice-widowed May Parker?

Exactly the kind of misery porn Marvel likes to inflict on women.

[Mister Mets]

How about she marries, moves away and just pops up now and again? I just find the whole idea of killing a long term character off cheap, esp in comics.

If someone doesn't have any ideas for what to do with her, that's much better than killing her off because of something belief that they will swear does not fit with the claim that old women have no value.

[PCN24454]

And pave the way for thrice-widowed May Parker?

Exactly the kind of misery porn Marvel likes to inflict on women.

We could fix that by ending the series. If you end the series on a happy note, then you can assume nothing bad happened.

[Venomsaurus]

I still think Aunt May should go out like the shark in Jaws.

[Aura Blaize]

Once upon a time the idea of Aunt May dying seemed unthinkable. It's been joked that Aunt May would survive the heat death of the Marvel Universe.

But times have changed. And recent Spider-Man adaptations have done the unthinkable. They have killed Aunt May.

There was a time the comics did the same, only to take it back in one of the most soap opera way imaginable. But, given everything, is it time the Spider-Man comics follow suit and do the unthinkable? Is it time for Aunt May to finally pass on?

If it could tell a good story, maybe. But in those adaptations had a sense of finality that the comics don't. On top of that, both of the deaths I can think of led to development for Peter. Marvel seems to be allergic to that these days.

She doesn't NEED to die. Quite frankly I'm glad they've gone away from writing her as some frail old woman and instead seem to write her more like her Ultimate counterpart.