The TRAGIC History of Spider-Man’s Marriage

In this video, Owen explains the rise and fall of Spider-Man's marriage to Mary Jane Watson, the real reason behind One More Day and why Jonathan Hickman's Ultimate Spider-Man is so important.
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▶ Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:14 - 'Till Death Do Us Part
9:02 - A Tale of Two Peters
13:25 - A Deal With The Devil
18:32 - Tensions Rise
25:09 - An Ultimate Proposal
32:44 - Outro
▶ Special thanks to @alexlennen @ComicDrake @comicpop @criticalrants @MattDraper and @PanelstoPixels for providing additional voiceover!
▶ Spider-Man PS5 footage belongs to PGP.
• Spider-Man 2 All MJ Cu...
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sugi.wa - memories
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#SpiderMan #Marvel #ComicBooks

[@OwenLikesComics]

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[@ninja1man4u]

Love that you got Sal from comicpop to narrate the prehistory segments. Very sweet

[@ninja1man4u]

It's surprising that Mary Jane and Peter aren't the poster child for super hero couples since they are BASICALLY marvels answer to Lois lane and superman. Mary Jane doesn't dilute spiderman...she gives him strength and grounds him

[@Christ2010Grad]

You can thank One More Day for that.

[@UltimatePower01]

@@Christ2010Gradand the powers that be in marvel editorial that keep it up to this day

[@cheapfinish6224]

At least the newspaper strip kept them married after 2007, and even revealed OMD/modern Spidey comics were just a bad dream Peter was having. Sadly, when Stan died, Marvel cancelled the newspaper strip in 2019, and Peter and MJ are happily settled over in Australia in it's continuity.

[@w1-em4nq]

lol, i find it entertaining they say people don't care about OMD. This and Nu52 years later, had me walk away from comics. Yet here we are, with both companies undoing stupid events in most opinions. And me, frequenting stores again

[@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache]

I will never understand why they felt like they needed to undo Spider-Man's marriage. If people wanted to read a younger Spider-Man back then they had Ultimate Spider-Man to read. While people who wanted an older Spider-Man had the original comic series they could read. It is even worse now as we have Miles as the younger Spider-Man for people to read, but they still want to treat Peter as the young relatable hero. Just let Peter grow up already.

[@loganthomas2421]

“Because Spider-Man being married makes him too old and our kid readers don’t want to read about an old Spider-Man so he shouldn’t be married”

[@christopherb501]

Because Joe Quesada is a sexist, an idiot, and a HACK.

[@Darkyfally]

@@loganthomas2421kid readers shouldnt read 616 comics

[@jayguero2123]

Or better yet, why not just end the whole comics while ending on the highest note possible and create completely new original titles and characters. The answer has always been the same; to keep the status quo and continue making money from an infinite supply of issues. As consumers, we have the ability to make them do just that with our wallets.

[@darren.mcauliffe]

We have Spider-boy now too. Zero reason to keep Peter young.

[@jmace2424]

Imagine if One More Day had been an actual exploration of grief for Peter losing Aunt May rather than just editorial tearing up the marriage license.

[@dylanlance8704]

seriously! she’d been in the hospital like 50 times since the start of the comics. it would explore the fact that you can’t stop death and let peter enter a new chapter

[@proudspartan313]

I think the enduring fanbases of stories like Mayday's Spider-Girl run, Renew Your Vows, and now Ultimate Spider-Man show just how much readers want this new, family focused spin to Spider-Man tales

[@prosperotorres7965]

And Life Story Extra

[@TheFLAMEXD]

It's sad that Marvel Comics treat Gwen Stacy, Peter's dead ex-girlfriend, way better than they treat Mary-Jane, his wife.

[@sawkchalk6966]

I mean... Sins Past exists...

[@cheapfinish6224]

@@sawkchalk6966 They retconned Sins Past in 2021.

[@sawkchalk6966]

@@cheapfinish6224 true, but honestly the original story was so icky to me. Using the legacy of a beloved character for cheap shock value like that really just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[@TheFLAMEXD]

@@sawkchalk6966 They still treat her far better than Mary-Jane. She gets to have cool adventures as a superhero, has a plethora of multiverse superhero variants, was the star of 3 cartoons and two very successful animated movies. Mary-Jane doesn't get anything close that anymore and is shafted hard.

[@sawkchalk6966]

@@TheFLAMEXD ok that I can get behind.

[@bZman]

I liked the marriage. I liked Ben Reilly. I wanted 2 Spider-Men all the way back in the 90s. Now Marvel has screwed us over so much just having a married Spidey is something to get extremely excited over

[@demonteprice5870]

It kinda feels like we're back in the 90's and all that's missing is just bringing back the damn marriage; there's another main Spidey in addition to Peter in the main u, Peter and MJ are married in Renew Your Vows and the new Ultimate, both super recent and both hit elements of Peter's character that just haven't been there since he stopped well, being happy, but also showing that Peter is still an everyman and just as relatable without retread teen coming of age, I'm 21 and Peter Parker has "came of age" like five times in my entire life. Insomniac in some parts is adapting a lot of that too; May's death, Pete getting serious with MJ, there's a new Spider-Man with Pete and through his raw energy and more freestyle approach we see just how much Peter's matured and polished, only this time it's Miles and not Ben. All the piece's are there for the main book and it's insane that the *real* Peter Parker only seems to exist anywhere but Amazing Spider-Man.

[@TheOvervoid]

Peter and MJ are ICONIC, like Clark and Lois. Marvel need to have the same realisation DC did and fix their bs already.

[@miguelorozco4445]

Clark and Lois have their own tv show related to the marriage and their children (Superman And Lois) But Peter And Mary Jane ? Great job marvel, great job

[@brodygarrison5216]

DC definitely has had a good track record in terms of letting their characters age. For example Superman, Batman, and Flash (Wally) have had children and/or been married for a decade at this point.

[@miguelorozco4445]

@@brodygarrison5216 not really Wally and Linda had the same treatment like Peter and MJ until they stopped doing it a couple years ago

[@brodygarrison5216]

@@miguelorozco4445 Yeah I know, but to be fair they course corrected after only like 3 or 4 years of them being separated. The people at DC who tried getting rid of Wally are gone now but Marvel editorial is still gonna keep Peter single and miserable for the foreseeable future

[@TheOvervoid]

@@miguelorozco4445 omg I'd kill for a show like that!

[@UnchartedMedia]

I definitely feels like Marvel thinks it's easier to just keep Peter and MJ apart rather than come up with interesting new stories with them. Try as they might to convince them otherwise, the general public will always associate the two together, so Marvel should really embrace that and let both characters grow together, like actual people do

[@Payload82]

Agree hire’s an idea MJ calls Peter and tells him that little Ben or Annie May are crawling around the apartment but is fighting either rhino or some new villain and can’t come home right away.

[@galactic85]

I just want to say for the record that I was about 8 years old or so when they undid the marriage. I was the target demographic they were trying to appeal to and "one more day" alienated me from the Amazing Spider-man comics permanently. When it first happened I assumed it was just something that was done temporarily like the death of superman so I decided I would go back to reading Amazing Spider-man once Peter and Mj reunited. About 2 years passed and I started to learn more about the behind the scenes politics at marvel and that's when I realized it wasn't coming back. By that point it was easy to stay the course and just not read anymore.

[@Space_Cowboy_Revolver]

Spider-man fans: I just want Peter to be happy. Marvel: I got some bad news for ya!

[@benwasserman8223]

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 was a very solid first issue. The problem is, no matter how much we like to act otherwise, it will never be the "canon" Peter Parker storyline on Earth-616. So there's a clear resentment that people need to visit Elseworlds stories for Married Peter adventures. Which I guess includes Across the Spider-Verse.

[@mcurran6505]

When Marvel destroyed Peter & MJ's marriage in One More Day, I was furious. Out of all the Marvel couples, they were my favourite. I often hope that one day, we may finally see those two get back together, but seeing the current predicament with the latest run on Amazing Spider-Man, I think I would rather read the new Ultimate Spider-Man comic just to see how far things will go for this version of Peter and MJ.

[@benwasserman8223]

There's no predicament though. I've looked at all professional reviews for the Zeb Wells run and the majority of them have been largely positive. It's only when we get to the MJ stuff that people acknowledge a glaring issue, which is very fair. But I'm really sick of people acting like everything about the Wells run is awful when it's clear they're angry at one specific thing and either ignore the rest or make it an extension of that critique.

[@cheapfinish6224]

@@benwasserman8223 You can quit lying to yourself any day now shill.

[@zemox2534]

I am glad you like it but people have a right to dislike it and frankly after listening to reviews I can see why the vast majority hate it.

[@Shift_Salt]

To this day I find anyone who acts vehemently apposed to the idea of any iteration of Peter and MJ's relationship, and calls it laughable as a pairing, to be a massive contrarian who simply doesn't understand the kind've relationship they can have and have had in the past when handled by the right creatives and given proper space away from higher up interference pushing some agenda. And I'm not simply talking about people who may go "Oh well I just really liked him with Gwen and thought they were a better fit!" I've legit seen people stan for Peter and Silk harder than any other relationship and mocked anyone else for their preferred pairing, fandom discourse of any kind is a mess but relationships get so damn petty it is insane to me.

[@OverlyPositiveFanboy]

Spidey and Silk?! That wasn't even a romance! It was basically a spider-aphrodisiac.

[@lilbill15]

I’m convinced that the writers of Spider-Man use him to channel their own mid life crisis’ like they don’t like being married THEY aren’t as happy as they used to before they got married like don’t project your own dissatisfaction with your life decisions

[@jacobrivera1721]

Exactly leave it out of it

[@fluidthought42]

"But Spider-Man is supposed to be escapism! Who wants to escape into a world where a caring and devoted man has a loving relationship with a beautiful, confident woman and they work together to build a future and a family? That's insane!"

[@dappercrow1454]

for me the worst part of all this is that Marvel can't just own the decision. If they either just got Peter and MJ back together or just wrote MJ out completely it would be a lot better, and they would stop getting emails by disgruntle readers (and former readers) over OMD. But every couple of years Marvel has to go and either make a new universe were that version of Peter and MJ are together only to either abandon or destroy that setting after one story or even worse another tease that they will get back together only to dash readers hopes again.

[@MattDraper]

I hope it’s not too controversial to say that I think you’re fantastic, Owen!

[@martinvillareal4409]

It’s not the marriage was the problem, it’s the writer. Peter married to MJ was the best development that Peter has ever had. But thanks to the editors to make him single again, they ruined the Spider-Man’s story arc. No one ask for the Brand New Day, or Spider-Island nor The Superior Spider-Man’ story. But thanks to Zeb Well by introducing Paul, it’s a whole lot worse. Even though the new Ultimate Spider-Man gives what we wanted. But many fans are still wanting Peter to be married with MJ again in the 616 😢💔

[@VincentEternal]

Despite the decision in 2008 to get rid of their marriage Peter and MJ still remain Marvels most iconic couple and I think internally Marvel still considers them an official couple even if it’s not currently in the comics. In the 2022 Marvel encyclopedia they call MJ Spider-Man’s wife and that she’s Peter one true love. I guess that just goes to show that despite Marvel treats them they still consider them their best couple.

[@yourfatboy5359]

I'm suprised how the history of the marriage is rarely talked about here on KZbin, people just simply say "oh yeah then they got married" no one brings up who or why or how all of this happened, no mentions of the writers the editorials the fan reception how the idea came to be and what it took to make it real. I've been searching for a proper video which goes behind the scenes of this important moment in spidey's mythos yet i never found one. Hopefully this video will answer my questions... Also happy new year owen!

[@itsishbish2689]

That statement about getting no messages about One More Day is one of the most bullshit ridden things I've ever heard lmao. It's crazy how out of touch these people are.

[@cobanmcgee3584]

I was looking for this comment! Like having to put in your news letters two separate times in the same run "Hey guys nobody is talking about OMD, trust me your the only one" is absolutely wild.

[@liamhemstock2286]

The marriage is so important. It gives Peter even more commitment, responsibility and reason to try and help. He CHOSE to be with MJ by marrying her. To show he is ready to fall in love again Their marriage should be light hearted and heart felt. Mary Jane is one of my favourite supporting characters ever and her raising a daughter about being yourself and not trying to hide is a beautiful story as she didn’t get that. She loves Peter more because he is the father to her daughter she wishes her dad was to her. Spider-Man is based around the hard choices he makes, the tragedy and then will to keep trying. Being a dad is a huge responsibility which IS Spider-Man. The Hickman run has showed me everything I’ve wanted from the character but in a new way. This Peter has all the responsibility and non of the power and makes the choice tk be Spider-Man due to a life long dissatisfaction and feeling incomplete which is such a beautiful story. This 6160 Spider-Man is my Spider-Man. It’s fresh but familiar and so fascinating

[@jacobrivera1721]

Facts

[@jonbodhi]

Well said

[@immersivecomics1603]

Marvel needs to treat Spidey and MJ like how DC treats Clark and Lois. Clark and Lois are THE comic couple and it should be the same for Spiderman

[@kenji7318]

Lowe frustrates me as someone who seems to enjoy when readers arent receptive to his ideas and makes fun of them for not getting what they want, even though the majority of Spider-Man fans just want good comics

[@sonataonmymind]

It seems to me that Peter's marriage to MJ was never a problem for most fans (even the super successful commercial phase with McFarlane is already with Peter married), I think this was a problem for editors and writers who didn't knew what to do.

[@fluidthought42]

Yeah, in Ultimate Carnage for example they had MJ just fret and worry over Peter for most of the arc. Writers don't know what to _do_ with MJ, which shows me that the problem isn't the characters but the lack of talent. Writing a married couple isn't especially difficult writing, soap opera and drama writers do so for weekly broadcast shows all the time. It's still work and a skill mind you, but one that lots of Marvel writers obviously either lack confidence in or lack period. Personally, I think MJ should get into local/city politics. It fits her firebrand, proactive attitude and also allows her to get involved in cape plots without making her a Lois Lane clone.

[@SAPProd]

First Gerry Conway saying Peter needs to stay time locked as a teen/young adult, now Roger Stern trashing a married Peter (tho I at least get where he comes from, since he wrote ASM when MJ was still her old self, pre “I know you’re Spidey” and all her backstory). Definitely one of those “never meet your heroes” things. I’m pretty sure Peter was more sad because of all the Clone Saga craziness and losing his child than “man, sucks being married”.

[@mikemorro140]

It is kind of crazy to me that Conway is also against the marriage cause he basically cemented MJ as Peter's greatest love and even wrote stuff like Parallel Lives which added onto it further

[@SAPProd]

I laugh at all these creators believing Spider-Man “lost his way” growing up, when really it’s Marvel that’s lost its way: Marvel in its first Golden Age (the Silver Age) was praised for having actual continuity, for allowing their characters to grow up, experience life changes, not remain in the status quo like their Distinguished Competition. However, since Marvel is now more concerned with brand-recognition and maintaining a status quo, the gall of these people to say that the series lost its way when THEY’RE the ones acting like this is the most bitter irony. Also, I do not believe writers/editors at all being all “we don’t get a lot of letters about One More Day anymore. Most have moved on and ask about other things.” That reeks of marketing spin, gaslighting, and lack of perspective. It’s more likely 1) that of topics discussed, OMD is the most talked about, they’re just grouping anything not OMD together to compare, 2) requesting they do something to undo OMD is futile since they obviously don’t care to change things, and/or 3) the majority of fans have left the books since they hate the stories and refuse to financially support it. They can spin it however they want. As a fan of the Clone Saga, One More Day was a terrible story and conclusion and JMS wanting to remove his name is more telling and damning than any spin Marvel does.

[@XanderVJ]

One of the most ironic elements about the whole Spider-Marriage situation is that Marvel kind of wrote themselves into a corner, not because Peter and MJ's relationship was bad, but because IT WAS TOO GOOD. The thing is, Peter and MJ work so wonderfully as a couple in the comics*, their personalities complement each other so well, their chemistry is so off the charts and their developments make so much sense that it's pretty much impossible to split them up in a way that feels in-character for them. Or at the very least, not without an amount of negative character development that Marvel is clearly unwilling to do, since it would take an insane amount of talent, time and effort to pull off organically, and even then a big part of the fanbase would be alienated anyway. That's why the only methods they have used are to write them out of character and/or pulling off comicbooky BS like OMD or the most recent ASM run. Now, while I'm glad that the Spider-Marriage is gonna have its day in the spotlight with the new Ultimate series... I can't say that this excited me, because this is just another bone thrown to Peter and MJ fans. And honestly, we've had so many of those during the last decade and a half now. It's still another alternate universe story, at the end of the day. It's not even the classic Ultimate universe, which would have given the whole thing a bit more weight given its bigger legacy. But right now, I can't see this whole thing as anything more special than, say, the "Renew Your Vows" story line. If they manage to make a good story out of it, I will embrace it. But they aren't addressing the core of the issue, which is the main continuity refusing to let Peter grow out of that period he was in between the 1960's and 1970's. Not to mention that in the last couple of years the entire series feels like unadulterated emotional torture porn... * No disrespect to Roger Stern, but what he says around the 10:09 has to be one of the worst takes on the character I've ever seen. I understand that by the time he wrote the Hobgoblin arc, MJ had rejected Peter's marriage proposal, but saying they were "like oil and water" is just going too far, specially during previous eras like Gerry Conway's tenure. My guess is that he was too attached to the Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. era that he didn't properly appreciate Peter and MJ's development after that. Not too disimilar to Joe Qesada, actually. Except Stern has a bit more of an excuse since the relationship had been around for less time

[@jonbodhi]

I think fans could have accepted a simple DIVORCE! She could decide she couldn’t have a life of Spider-Man’s danger, especially with children. Killing her, terrible as it would have been, would’ve underlined the dangers and sacrifices of being Spider-Man. What they did was the worst of all possible options.

[@jmace2424]

Marvel: uses “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” in everything. Also Marvel: the only responsibility Peter can have is to Aunt May!!!

[@outpostalpha]

The history of Peter and MJ's relationship is a fascinating one. It's certainly interesting to watch which direction Marvel decides to take it with each iteration of the characters.

[@GenerationWest]

The easy breakdown between the creators who want a constant status quo, and the fans who want established change, and for me and others, no more arrested development from Peter.

[@spider-fam]

I'm BEYOND ready for Marvel to restore the marriage to 616 Peter. Ultimate Spider-Man is great on its own thus far, but the 616 version really feels hobbled, and the loss of his marriage and those responsibilities has stagnated the character for nearly 16 years.

[@galactic85]

Things that are not relatable according to marvel- marriage Things that are extremely relatable according to marvel- getting your brain swapped with your archenemy who successfully impersonates you and steals your life for months, briefly becoming the CEO of a fortune 500 company, encountering 50000 alternate versions of yourself and teaming up with them to save the multiverse once every other year or so.

[@IkanTheNo-One]

My experience to the whole fallout of the end of Peter/MJ Marriage as well as how Marvel has handled the main series feels like a break-up with a person there was excitement at first but then things start to wore out towards the ending point. Now with Hickman/Checchetto's Ultimate run, this brings back the excitement that I used to have for the character as well as his world, to put it simply, I'm so ready to follow this very closely. P. S. Thumbs up to Owen for this great summary and explanation 👏🏻.

[@Turn4theWorse]

I’m kinda hoping for what happened with og USM to happen again in terms of impact. One of the big reasons modern-day Peter isn’t allowed to grow up is bc of how successful younger Peter was in USM. Plus that book has changed the way Spidey has been adapted since. Hoping we get a similar effect where having an older Peter book do well will start pushing older Peter back into the spotlight

[@litterboxstudios]

The fact that they keep bringing MJ back in Amazing Spider-Man, seemingly more and more frequently, both undercuts the idea that they don’t belong together, and also kind of shows that basically every attempt to grow Peter’s personal life past her since “One More Day” just hasn’t really worked. Mary Jane is a very popular character and I think the widest audience automatically accepts her as and/or and expects her to be Peter’s love interest. It’s weird how much they’re running away from that.

[@XwoooahX]

Great video. I grew up reading Spider-Man when he was married. I fell in love with Peter and MJ together. They are my #1 favorite comic couple because of the stories during that era. OMD made me quit collecting them for nearly a decade until Spencer came on board. Zeb Wells had to ruin it though, but I am very excited and jumping back in with the new Ultimate Spider-Man!

[@Kyle-qi8oj]

Marvel undoing the marriage isn’t the shocking thing to me. It’s their resistance to retcon/undo one more day, despite it being it easily being one of the most hated marvel comics ever. I don’t think fans should be given everything they want, since I think doing that can lead to boring stories and boring media in general, but Peter and MJ’s marriage made Peter progress as a character and grow as a person, something that has been a theme of Spider-Man comics of day one. Undoing that and refusing to remarry him has essentially left the character in progression limbo for nearly 20 years

[@loganthomas2421]

Even tho a lot of writers have mishandled their relationship, Peter and MJ are still my fav couple in comics. They both have similar upbringings, the longest history, and connection that all of Peter’s loves didn’t have. Sure I liked Gwen and Black Cat but MJ was the only one who really loved Peter and stuck with him through it all. I’m glad fans and some writers still want to see them together

[@KalParkaran]

I’ll never forgive Marvel for doing JMS so dirty, his whole run did an amazing job of showing how perfect Peter and MJ are together so to force him to end his run with One More Day is just a kick in the teeth

[@NRCollective]

Good Work OLC! I read the ongoing Spider-Man by Dan Slott and Mark Bagley...I dropped it when they did an issue showing Peter Parker's life was better off never being Spider-Man. This reminds me of the trope of 'Never being born means everyone is better off' in media that I despise, especially when they're using a character that's over 60 years old that Marvel is flat out saying, "Yeah, Parker's life was more or less ruined after being bitten." Heck, I think fans are not so much just demanding OMD be undone (Which I support undoing) but demanding Earth-616 Peter Parker be happy and have some stability in his life because it seems every run after OMD tears Parker's stability down and goes back to basics mentality because 'he's more relatable...' When I heard about the ending of Nick Spencer’s run, which was more about justifying OMD as Mephisto’s evil plan to ensure that when his conquest for Earth began, Mayday wouldn’t be around to stop him, I thought, ‘Wait…didn’t I hear about this plot point?’ I had to look around and found it. It was a plot point…in a fanfiction written by Celgress where Peter gets shot instead of May. Mephisto is wondering momentarily about this diverted development…even mentioning how Peter's daughter would be a thorn in his plans. And you want to know the kicker… This story was published in January 2018. Nick Spencer’s CANON Spider-Man run started in July of that same year. I'm not saying Nick saw this tidbit and decided to make that canon for his long run, but it is certainly a cosmic-level coincidence to have that.

[@lesterwilliamsjr649]

Peter B Parker is the only Peter that can pull off the beard in my opinion. Spider-Man and mask have always been a weird thing, I'm still trying to understand how Miles can fit so much hair under his mask.

[@pickedceasar1216]

Still would like to actually see how much of a percentage Spider-Man marriage related fan mail they get as all he specified was one related to One More Day

[@pickedceasar1216]

It’s also crazy that almost any popular iteration of Spidey is with MJ as his endgame yet the main universe and the comic higher ups usually deny it as being popular or try to diminish or out right deconfirm/deny them being together

[@rhadamanthys649]

Nick Lowe is just talking out of his ass.

[@fluidthought42]

​@@pickedceasar1216 I think the most cynical interpretation is that Peter being a perpetually single loser is supposed to make him more relatable and more appealing to their intended demographic. I suppose that they made Peter a tech CEO, but if that's supposed to be a correction it's definitely an overcorrection, and frankly way more harder to relate to than the idea of being married.

[@pickedceasar1216]

@@fluidthought42 I didn’t think that it was horrible idea but just horrible execution but it definitely felt way too much like they just wanted him and Iron Man to swap places for no reason

[@chriscampanozzi6516]

Great information, thank you.

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

So far I'm loving Hickmans Ultimate Spider-Man comics

[@fabioriccardo9290]

The omd joeq-jms fight i recall was a Much more complex and those quotes were based on joeq not allowing explanations about the last scenes.. "Is magic you dont have to explain It"

[@bensneb360]

Definitely my favorite superhero couple, so always happy to see them together

[@pcplayerclarkey3026]

I would actually like to see a similar comic event like they did with the Archie comics a couple years back when he sees a life with Veronica, then 1 with Betty, and then 1 later on in the series with Josie. I would like this idea to be used for the characters; MJ, Black Cat, and Gwen. Different timelines with different love interests with different results.

[@hiddensquid7048]

Great timing on the vid owen, i don't think I could've waited one more day for another upload!

[@OwenLikesComics]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@apersonwhomayormaynotexist9868]

I binged Zdarsky's daredevil over the past 2 days, reading all 50-some issues, and my biggest takeaway was that I was SO excited for more Checchetto Spider-Man. Obviously the suit was different but the way he drew peter was so amazing and almost identical to the art we've seen of spidey in costume so far. He also often drew peter cloaked in shadows and not just shining brightly in dark spaces, and it really was creepy especially since matt didn't know who peter was so he really just was a man in a mask showing up at his house late at night and threatening him

[@rhadamanthys649]

Spidey in Zdarsky's Daredevil run was so good, both in design and writing.

[@themangochannel]

Thanks for the video. I've never really been into the Spidey comics, but I still found it interesting to hear about the editorial edicts and story changes. Thanks again!

[@OwenLikesComics]

Thanks for watching!

[@davehandelman2832]

Fantastic work, Owen! As always!!

[@graefx]

One of the things i notice with Spider-man more than other books, is the push-pull between writers and readers. Their initial marriage being a reflection of the writers at the time and their lives, then a reaction by the next generation wanting a return to familiarity they grew up with, and now Peter being the age of a millenial in Ultimate. Especially those fan who's introduction was the 90s TAS

[@graefx]

I hope that Ultimates allow for different a remixed takes on characters ala DCAU Gods and Monsters but also for a progression for the characters to age, retire, and new ones to be created.

[@owensreviews625]

Just got done watching the video and I have to say, well done as always Owen. Personally, when I began reading Spider-Man comics it was post-OMD when Peter and MJ were no longer married, so I don’t have that connection to that side of Spider-Man that many others do. That it isn’t to say I hate the marriage, far from it, it was just something I only knew about in retrospect. So, I think it’s pretty neat that Marvel can basically have its cake and eat it too with the main ASM having Peter and MJ still separate while the new USM features Peter and MJ as a happily married couple with two children. And Ultimate Spider-Man #1 was one of the best debut issues I ever read, as it feels like Hickman aims to do a deconstruction/inversion of what makes for a typical Spider-Man story while featuring GORGEOUS art by Marco Checchetto. So, I’m very excited to see where USM and the rest of this new Ultimate Universe goes next.

[@cheapfinish6224]

You should know that the post-OMD ASM isn't the real Spider-Man reality, the one with the marriage is, and until that's fixed, you will never have an authentic "mainstream universe" experience, as OMD was a timeline change

[@bulgom182]

Great vid. Two things I’d like to contribute: Elephant in the room first. Everyone conveniently forgets that Mephisto Joe already had Ultimate Spider-Man (who aged at a snail’s pace m) when he started publicly raving that he wanted a single unmarried wallcrawler. Outside of Stan, I think Stern is one of the three greatest Spider-Man scribes ever alongside DeMatteis & Peter David. I believe Stern had a disconnect with Peter & his world as he has said that once he’s off a book, he doesn’t keep up with it. He’d left ASM more than a decade before he returned with Hobgoblin Lives. I suspect he never saw or read how deftly & organically other writers had had handled the marriage for close to ten years, hence why Spidey felt weird to him.

[@brianwilcox1686]

This is what the mainline book should strive for again. They should let Peter grow up instead of constantly being in his 20s or 30s. With kids, and being married to. Mj but instead, they are rehashing old stories they broke up. Peter and MJ put MJ basically with a character no one likes, and probably will never see the light of day after well’s leaves the book, and they ruined Ben Riley They basically had another shot to redeem the Spider-Man character, but they screwed that up even more

[@jacobrivera1721]

For real

[@seanrowe6973]

Wow! So impressed by the depth of research you put into each video. And thank you for being an earnest fan boy in your approach. 👍🏾👍🏾

[@OwenLikesComics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@prodlilrasta]

love this! could u make a long form video on the Titans from Marv Wolfman?

[@facu7982]

As always great vid 👌👌👌. Ultimate spider-man will always be my favorite interpretation of the character and it has been an important part of my life back, then when i was a teen and now that i'm about to be 30 this year, it makes it hard to wait every month to for new issue to read this new adventures of an adult, husband and father Peter Parker. ❤

[@mattjvr6189]

One of the reasons Renew your vows is is one of my favourite series is because it puts the couple together and with a kid, it feels like a great continuation of Spidey's character arc.

[@jamesd4695]

What I don’t get is why fans keep buying the book if they are so upset about the breakup. Speak with your dollars. I personally don’t buy any more ASM. I’m putting my resources behind the ultimate universe.

[@undeadmage7341]

Great video as always

[@OwenLikesComics]

Appreciate that!

[@maldon3659]

"Mawage, mawage is what brings us together today"

[@nicholascorrin4648]

Great over view Owen ❤

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

Honestly Spider-Man editorial are the greatest enemies Peter has ever faced. they are the problem. They still live in the past and are to ignorant at the solutions staring at them and what fans really want. At least glimmers of hope like the new Ultimate Spider-Man shine through the darkness.

[@jacobrivera1721]

Fact they so lost their way they more like writing for themselves than the fan anymore

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

@@jacobrivera1721 Exactly! They don't wanna feel like the lome unloved jackasses they are and thus project onto Peter to make him like them

[@jacobrivera1721]

@@AngelPerez-tu1nk which is totally not healthy at all

[@anenemystand5582]

The thing is. We have what marvel was so desperately trying to create years ago. A young spiderman free from the baggage of his many years. Miles. Can't we just let peter go? Like he can still have comics, but god damn let the man age

[@fluidthought42]

From the debates/arguments I've had online, there's this underlying fear that a Peter with _real_ responsibilities wouldn't be able to be Spider-Man, that it would mean him giving up being Spider-Man. However, more and more Spidey media is depicting a grown Pete with kids and a job and a marriage engaging in Spider man action. Right now the pressure is coming from basically any and all Spidey adaptations to let Pete age and mature, and let us have grown man adventures with the character we all know and love. Really I think that this fear of commitment is an underlying fear of change, but it's hampered by the fact that Pete and MJ were married for almost two decades, for many folks a forcibly single Peter is the radical change, not the previous alternative. The single Pete thing is not hitting any demographics beyond those who never really experienced or saw that relationship at all, especially those ignorant of OMD. I envy the people who are ignorant of OMD.

[@palmn15]

Your videos make me want to pick up more comics than I can buy haha. Awesome stuff, Owen.

[@yasinniroomand]

Me too man I Start to Love Spider-man with spider man animated series

[@darrylbrian]

Hope you cover Spiderman #1 sometime soon since it's the 2nd best-selling comic of all time and the rest of the Torment storyline (Spiderman #'s 1 - 5) as it is a sequel to Kraven's Last Hunt

[@pistaalkohol]

I am really looking forward to how this run will unfold.

[@SogekingFirebirdStar]

It has not been confirmed that Mary Jane ever fell in love with Paul.

[@aVerveQuest]

Funny how the editor says everyone's moved on from this yet they set up an entire new universe to tell the story of Peter and Mary Jane as. married couple. Very little of the new ultimate universe looks to have as much staying power as Spiderman

[@thataintfalco7106]

One More Day did SO much damage to MJ’s and Peter’s relationship long after it happened

[@abruoon]

14:04 oh god those eyes

[@rolandoalvarado2979]

Continue to make more videos 🎉

[@hrstar24]

I just assumed this new Ultimate Spiderman series was a crappy cash grab reboot, I had no idea Johnathan Hickman was writing it or that it takes place w/ older Peter Parker, gonna be the first comic book I have bought in years

[@phillip_rogersjr]

Joe Quesada has a permanent spot on my shit list

[@idongesitusen5764]

I still have affection for the way the ‘94 cartoon handled the marriage. Giving readers choices based on feedback is what Marvel should be doing to keep fans reading. I’ll get Ultimate’s first trade no question, hope it’s good.

[@boywithoutaparachute]

Loved this video. Im finally gonna pick an ulitmate spiderman omnibus. You finallh convinced. And i also love hickman so ill probably read some of the new ulitmate universe.

[@GwydionAE]

I didn't grow up with comics, but I loved a lot of the other media about Spider-Man growing up, and one of those was The Venom Factor novel. It was the only one in which Peter and MJ were married (officially, anyway, unless you count his marrying a clone in the 90s cartoon lol), and I loved it! I was in high school, but I thought it was so cool seeing Peter in a happy (if still not perfect) marriage with MJ. I had Batman if I wanted to enjoy a single guy doing the superhero thing - Spider-Man tying the knot just seemed to fit. Unfortunately for me, I wouldn't actually start reading comics until 2009, at which point One More Day had already happened, and I found myself completely uninterested in a return to Peter as a bachelor. Combine that with the fact that it felt like every piece of Spider-Man media since kept returning him all the way back to a teenager, and I gave up on ever really liking any modern take on the character. Then came Spider-Verse, and lately I've been seeing images of a bearded guy people are calling Peter Parker... so to find out that the images I've been seeing are from a new Ultimate run currently ongoing? Well, seems like that's just been added to my reading list!

[@andyboie3333]

The original Ultimate Spider-Man was my gateway to Spider-man comics as well, and i am so excited to see how this new Ultimate line plays out!

[@AkiDave]

Peak video 💙

[@alexmeza6486]

I Love the Beginning scene where Stan Lee is with his 2 Creations and he always knew they were meant for each other

[@fluidthought42]

Well, not really. Peter was originally written into a love triangle between Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane. After years of the melodrama it ultimately concluded with Gwen Stacy's death at the hands of the Green Goblin. Afterwards, in the mix of grieving together for a friend (since Gwen was friends with Mary Jane too), Peter and MJ grew closer together and ultimately solidified their own relationship. It's messy, sure, but personally speaking I grew up with the era in terms of adaptations and cartoons, so I personally think her snarky attitude fits Peter very well. But after seeing more Gwen recently, like in the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon or the even the Amazing Spider-Man movies (not to mention the rise of Spider-Gwen), I can see the appeal of her and Pete being together as well. Fun fact, in Spectacular Spider-Man they were going to actually fulfill on the Gwen death arc, but the way they had set it up made it feel way more cohesive. In that show MJ was less of an obvious love interest for Pete and instead was an ally for Gwen in helping her hook up with Peter, along with MJ having her own relationships with other guys because she wasn't the kind of girl to wait around for Peter and only Peter. So instead of being a case of the writers killing off a competing love interest, it would've felt more like a natural development of the characters. Especially since MJ wss a friend of Peter, but it would've been Gwen's death that allowed her to actually grow close to him beyond just a peripheral friend of hers.

[@Thenameless1]

I got some Brookshires chicken and a new OwenLikesComics video, it's gonna be a good watch.

[@L0NELYBRICK]

Haven't picked up Marvel in about ten years (spent time in the indie small press scene instead) the return of the ultimate universe, and the seemingly warm response it's been getting is probably what will draw me back in. At least for a while.

[@rolandoalvarado2979]

I really hope the best for the issues

[@foboman2003]

Being a long time Spidey reader, and being that particulary storyline now over and seemingly made much worse with the whole Jackpot thing, at 21:45 it became too painful to watch. Have great expectations on Ultimate tho.

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

I'm excited for peach momokos new Ultimate X-Men comics

[@johncrichton8876]

1. Peter looks great with a beard. 2. Hickman is the Jay Z of comics. Marvel keeps dragging this man back for one of more hit 3. I'll take it because all the other Spiderman writers shit the bed. Except Slott. Greatest run of all time! 😁

[@CaptainCat101]

At a certain point, maybe Marvel should just not include love-interests if they don't want Spidey to be in a relationship

[@NadeemShekh-uy9zn]

I genuinely believe sins past is worse than one more day the worst Spider-Man story ever made man

[@angelsppp11]

Its just crazy for me to imagine being someone who hypothetically followed Spider-man from its inception in the early 60s, went through all the ups and downs, saw the character finally find his one true love and settle down and get married and grow into an adult, and then one day that just ends in one of the worst ways possible for one of the worst reasons possible. Like that's 45 years worth of development just down the drain instantly because the people in charge didn't want to let their most popular character evolve and grow as he should. Like even the f'ing Batman has a legitimate kid of his own, on top of the many basically adopted kids he has. Best thing to do from this point on is buy more Ultimate Spider-Man as it comes out and buy significantly less Amazing Spider-Man, and also hope that the editorial or Hickman himself (god forbid) doesn't mess around with this new Ultimate Peter's family and marriage because that might literally be the last straw.

[@fluidthought42]

I mean Batman has retconned marriages, but yeah I don't think even the most ardent Damian haters are clamoring for his retroactive abortion. I think I would've been more accepting of Peter and MJ splitting up if it happened naturally rather than because of demon magic, but the abortion that accompanied it was... well I don't think anyone is a fan of storylines where the main character (accidentally) makes his wife get an abortion against her will.

[@bluewings2]

The fact that during Spenser run they made Peter and MJ being together again, taking time to justify their decision with mystical implication with Mephisto knowing that he will be defeated by Peter and MJ child, all that for in the end having Wells undoing everything, is beyond me. It was such a slap, and it's no wonder why more and more fans are bitter and dropping the main title. Especially since they treat Peter as a loser in his own series, not giving him anything positive and undermining him at every occasion. They really need to make 616 Peter amazing again : they don't want him to be married ? at least let him have a stable girlfriend, a good job, being amazing in his super hero life, and not relying on Norman fucking Osborn. They really should take inspiration from Slott ideas but with better writing and focus on the characters. I was very happy with Ultimate Spider-Man 1, I hope the best for the future of this book.

[@TevyaSmolka]

I love Peter parker Spider-Man and Mary Jane Marriage so much that it drives me crazy that marvel comics keeps on destroying this amazing couple for garbage stories like paul that nobody likes myself included, and just proves my point more and more that marvel comics should just finally pull the trigger and give us Peter Parker Spider-Man and Mary jane to finally have there daughter Mayday parker Spider-girl my all time favorite character finally exist in the main marvel universe and live happily ever after. Which then opens the door for are boy Miles Morales Spider-Man finally take over the main marvel universe, while Peter Parker Spider-Man and Mary jane get to have there daughter mayday parker the future spider-girl and there son Benjy parker who also has spider-powers similar to his sister but also has organic web shooters and live together as a family and live happily ever after and boom problem solved everybody wins at least in my opinion.

[@jacobrivera1721]

Agree I grew up with spider girl that what got me hooked on the character of Spiderman his daughter is what grew up in early 2000 but with how marvel is treating us sad

[@TevyaSmolka]

@@jacobrivera1721 indeed and I also Grew up with Spider-girl the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary jane as well, which like ultimate Spider-Man comics also got me hooked on the character too. Also I agree with how marvel is treating us fans who love Peter parker and Mary jane being married its just sad and depressing at least in my opinion.

[@jacobrivera1721]

@@TevyaSmolka for real

[@TevyaSmolka]

@@jacobrivera1721 lol indeed ;)

[@pious83]

Marvel's first power couple, Reed Richards and Sue Storm were married in 1965. Two years after Fantastic Four #1. Franklin, their first child debuted three years after the marriage in 1968. As such their *adult* story of married, family life has been the ongoing narrative ever since. Despite them being a very toxic couple (80-20 via Reed). They are still married to this day, 59 years later. Yet no one is calling out for a free and single Reed Richards (or Sue)!? So the format clearly works for the FF. But Editorial deems it somehow can't for Spider-Man??? It just seems counterproductive to deny your poster child from growing up. For an unsustainable status quo of stagnation. Even Kitty Pryde ain't thirteen anymore. The New Mutants, are _older_ Mutants etc, etc, etc

[@Libertyfudge]

Reed Richards can build anything convenient to the plot BUT couldn’t fix Aunt May’s bullet wound

[@TheDrexLord]

Thank god for Johnathan Hickman, hopefully the new ultimate universe it popular enough that the editors over at marvel comics will finally let peter and mj be together agina in 616

[@rogerpineda5063]

I love Peter and MJ’s marriage. I hope that one day, those two manage to return and kick Mephisto’s a**

[@mttylerdurden9]

Can't wait to see the ultimate universe version of Paul.😂😂😂😂

[@River.w]

The problem to me isn't if Peter and MJ are married, I feel like that's symptom of a much bigger problem. Which to me is that the writers seem to be obsessed with returning a character, whom many fallen in love with because of his growth through the narratives, to an outdated status quo that the majority of their current readers weren't alive for. Personally the way Peter Parker deals with his traumas through many of the narratives I've seen, read, and played is similar to the way I've dealt with mine. I can say that Spider-man, be it through through pulped up pages, animation cells, or my Nintendo/PlayStation controllers has saved my life, and provided catharsis. Something he is incapable of doing if they keep fixating on cucking his marriage. It's also absolutely wild to me how people in the entertainment business think it's okay to invalidate their fans feelings about something and say we should just "Move on"... Like y'all know we pay for the bread you guys eat, right?

[@samfisher6606]

I loved Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #1! It really feels like a completely new character. If this wasn't under the Marvel name and the characters weren't Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, J. Jonah Jameson, etc., I would think this was a fresh series about a family man who gets superpowers. But there is also a familiarity. I love some of these concepts. I love that Peter actually had parents that he remembers. MJ finally feels like herself. Hickman's books always feel long because they have a lot of dialogue but not so much that it weighs the book down, which was my main problem with Ta-Nehisi Coates' run on Black Panther. I still think Peter getting his powers at thirty-five is the most interesting change. I love that it's being treated like a mid-life crisis. And it feels very real because of how true to Hickman's life it is. I love that JJJ and Ben are friends. And given their ages, Ben was likely JJJ’s mentor. I have some questions because I don't know if some of the other changes would have actually happened? Would Peter really work at The Bugle full-time if he's not taking pictures of Spider-Man and selling them for cash? I was expecting him to be an Oscorp scientist. Maybe that is why Ben is an editor at the paper. Would Peter and MJ really be together if Peter didn't have the confidence Spider-Man gave him? What did Ben do for work in 616? Also, did anyone else read Ben in Paul Eiding's voice, who is the voice actor for Max Tennyson in Ben 10?