KilroywasNOTHere
"BEEP!"
So I've been making a Spider-Man fan comic in an effort to try and undo One More Day at least for myself. I thought it was going to be a relatively simple task. Spider-Man made a deal with the devil to undo his marriage in order to save his aunt. Simply have him fight the devil remarry marry jane bota bing Bota boom deal undone simple task.
Except...the more I dig into Spider-man's history, the more I found a history of lack of character, character fridging...corporate mandates, and honestly....the revelation that the crap we think is plaguing Marvel comics now was plaguing it even back then.
Spider-Man's backstory is fairly simple. A young teenage boy gets bit by a radioactive spider and develops spider-like attributes. At first, he gets a big head using his powers, until one day he neglects to stop a crook that would then turn around and murder his uncle. Distraught over the death of someone he loves and alone, Spider-Man vows to uphold his responsibility and never let something like that happen again.
Fast forward a bit to 1971 life hits Peter but he manages. He goes to university he gets a job dead in or not, and he manages to find love in the form of a woman named Gwen Stacy. The two hit it off and are even going to get married. It looks like Spider-Man may finally grow up and move on beyond his past regrets...and then Gwen is kidnapped by the Green Goblin and is thrown off a bridge. Spider-Man tries to save her but accidentally breaks her neck and she dies. Distraught over the death of someone he loves and alone, Spider-Man...vows to uphold his responsibility and never let something like that happen again...huh.
Fast forward a few years (and several attempts to bring back Gwen that were never followed through on and/or were retconned) Spider-man rekindles his love and his spirit in another woman named Mary Jane. The two fall in love and they Mary. It looks like Spider-man is finally going to finally grow up and move on beyond his past regrets... it's 2007 and Aunt May gets shot. When no one can help him (conveniently enough) he makes a deal with the devil...his marriage in exchange for Aunt May's life. Alone, Spider-Man...vows to uphold his responsibility and...never let something like that happen...again.
it's now 2023 there lots of Fake-outs with MJ and Peter Spider-man is rekindled with a relationship with Felicia. He makes friends with the likes of Kamala Kahn AKA Ms Marvel...she dies and Distraught over the death of someone he loves and alone, Spider-Man...vows to uphold....his responsibility and never let something like that happen...again! Am I the only one seeing a pattern here?
It seems like every time any writer whether it's stan lee or another writer tries to push Spider-man forward past his origin story, Corporate or someone seems to want to keep Spider-man in a perpetual cycle. it really seems like Marvel characters are not characters...they are plot devices and it's not just Spider-man or Gwen Stacy. The X-men have never evolved past being a political pedestal even going as far as to make their own black...I mean Mutant Ethnostate. Carol Danvers had all the potential to be Marvels answer to Superman/Supergirl and it wasn't till the 2000s that marvel did anything with her only to walk it back.
50 years of lore has led to a massive mess of character arcs repeating themselves. Plot holes and retcons that contradict itself, and an overall feeling that these aren't stories so much as they are soaps, individual moments that you are supposed to individually be invested in but not really take seriously in the grand scheme of things but for those of us who do like stories with continuity and character evolution (Which I'd argue is most people) it just leaves a bitter taste in our mouths.
At this point, I can't read any Marvel comic within the main universe past or present without seeing the corporate strings. Like with wrestling, I see the corperate mandate behind every plotline and character decision. Except unlike with wrestling where I'm meant to enjoy the wrestlers themselves as opposed to the storyline. Marvel tries to emotionally manipulate the readers into getting invested in the story. Every cheap throwback to older comics or Gwen Stacy resurrection fake-out just feels bitter and cynical.
What I'm about to suggest is likely to pee off a lot of Marvel comic book fans new and old and 10 years ago or heck even 1 year ago I would not have suggested such a thing myself. I think Marvel Comics needs a hard reboot. I think Earth-616 needs to be retired and Marvel needs to start over. The Cape Genre has evolved as well as the medium of Illustrated storytelling. People like in-depth well rounded characters they like progressive continuity that doesn't trip over itself in contradictions, people want to see the characters they are invested in earn their place and not backtrack...and I think we need new Marvel comics that can reflect that.
Honestly, I think a reboot can help Marvel get rid of redundancies (Seriously we don't need both Gwen Stacy AND Mary Jane when one can easily fill in the role of the other and we already have a foil in Black Cat. There is a reason why Lana Lang is not a major part of the Superman mythos anymore) and gives characters that were a living embodiment of wasted potential a chance to shine. (looking at you Ms Marvel)
And I'm aware that this is going to be a hot take because a lot of people like the fact that Marvel has 50+ years of continuous continuity but I think clinging to that continuity and that Status Quo by any means necessary at all costs, at the cost of character growth is what's caused the current situation it has.
Anyway. Just my depression-fueled rants. What are your thoughts on this?
Except...the more I dig into Spider-man's history, the more I found a history of lack of character, character fridging...corporate mandates, and honestly....the revelation that the crap we think is plaguing Marvel comics now was plaguing it even back then.
Spider-Man's backstory is fairly simple. A young teenage boy gets bit by a radioactive spider and develops spider-like attributes. At first, he gets a big head using his powers, until one day he neglects to stop a crook that would then turn around and murder his uncle. Distraught over the death of someone he loves and alone, Spider-Man vows to uphold his responsibility and never let something like that happen again.
Fast forward a bit to 1971 life hits Peter but he manages. He goes to university he gets a job dead in or not, and he manages to find love in the form of a woman named Gwen Stacy. The two hit it off and are even going to get married. It looks like Spider-Man may finally grow up and move on beyond his past regrets...and then Gwen is kidnapped by the Green Goblin and is thrown off a bridge. Spider-Man tries to save her but accidentally breaks her neck and she dies. Distraught over the death of someone he loves and alone, Spider-Man...vows to uphold his responsibility and never let something like that happen again...huh.
Fast forward a few years (and several attempts to bring back Gwen that were never followed through on and/or were retconned) Spider-man rekindles his love and his spirit in another woman named Mary Jane. The two fall in love and they Mary. It looks like Spider-man is finally going to finally grow up and move on beyond his past regrets... it's 2007 and Aunt May gets shot. When no one can help him (conveniently enough) he makes a deal with the devil...his marriage in exchange for Aunt May's life. Alone, Spider-Man...vows to uphold his responsibility and...never let something like that happen...again.
it's now 2023 there lots of Fake-outs with MJ and Peter Spider-man is rekindled with a relationship with Felicia. He makes friends with the likes of Kamala Kahn AKA Ms Marvel...she dies and Distraught over the death of someone he loves and alone, Spider-Man...vows to uphold....his responsibility and never let something like that happen...again! Am I the only one seeing a pattern here?
It seems like every time any writer whether it's stan lee or another writer tries to push Spider-man forward past his origin story, Corporate or someone seems to want to keep Spider-man in a perpetual cycle. it really seems like Marvel characters are not characters...they are plot devices and it's not just Spider-man or Gwen Stacy. The X-men have never evolved past being a political pedestal even going as far as to make their own black...I mean Mutant Ethnostate. Carol Danvers had all the potential to be Marvels answer to Superman/Supergirl and it wasn't till the 2000s that marvel did anything with her only to walk it back.
50 years of lore has led to a massive mess of character arcs repeating themselves. Plot holes and retcons that contradict itself, and an overall feeling that these aren't stories so much as they are soaps, individual moments that you are supposed to individually be invested in but not really take seriously in the grand scheme of things but for those of us who do like stories with continuity and character evolution (Which I'd argue is most people) it just leaves a bitter taste in our mouths.
At this point, I can't read any Marvel comic within the main universe past or present without seeing the corporate strings. Like with wrestling, I see the corperate mandate behind every plotline and character decision. Except unlike with wrestling where I'm meant to enjoy the wrestlers themselves as opposed to the storyline. Marvel tries to emotionally manipulate the readers into getting invested in the story. Every cheap throwback to older comics or Gwen Stacy resurrection fake-out just feels bitter and cynical.
What I'm about to suggest is likely to pee off a lot of Marvel comic book fans new and old and 10 years ago or heck even 1 year ago I would not have suggested such a thing myself. I think Marvel Comics needs a hard reboot. I think Earth-616 needs to be retired and Marvel needs to start over. The Cape Genre has evolved as well as the medium of Illustrated storytelling. People like in-depth well rounded characters they like progressive continuity that doesn't trip over itself in contradictions, people want to see the characters they are invested in earn their place and not backtrack...and I think we need new Marvel comics that can reflect that.
Honestly, I think a reboot can help Marvel get rid of redundancies (Seriously we don't need both Gwen Stacy AND Mary Jane when one can easily fill in the role of the other and we already have a foil in Black Cat. There is a reason why Lana Lang is not a major part of the Superman mythos anymore) and gives characters that were a living embodiment of wasted potential a chance to shine. (looking at you Ms Marvel)
And I'm aware that this is going to be a hot take because a lot of people like the fact that Marvel has 50+ years of continuous continuity but I think clinging to that continuity and that Status Quo by any means necessary at all costs, at the cost of character growth is what's caused the current situation it has.
Anyway. Just my depression-fueled rants. What are your thoughts on this?
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