THE WEB PAGE: SEPT. 7, 2007
Wizard Universe’s regular swing through ‘Spider-Man: One More Day’
By Sal Loria | Posted September 7, 2007 11:00 AM |
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The amazing Spider-Man is swinging into a whole new friendly neighborhood thanks to the back-to-back Spidey mega-events “One More Day” and “Brand New Day,” both of which are poised to change the wall-crawler’s world forever. So check back here with each new issue for recaps, insight, analysis, Easter eggs and more web-slinging goodness!]
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
PREVIOUSLY IN THE LIFE OF SPIDER-MAN:
• Bitten by a radioactive spider during a science demonstration, nerdy Peter Parker gained the proportionate strength and abilities of a spider. After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter took on the alter ego of Spider-Man in hopes of helping others, because with great power comes great responsibility.
• Life threw many curveballs at Peter, but he found love with the beautiful Gwen Stacy—until a battle with the Green Goblin left her dead. Eventually, old wounds healed as he fell for, and eventually married, model/actress Mary Jane Watson. With his wife and his beloved Aunt May behind him and a membership in the New Avengers offering new support, things were looking up for Peter.
• Then the Stamford disaster, in which an out-of-control battle between heroes and villains left hundreds of civilians dead, turned the Marvel Universe upside down. Wanting to put a stop to these “unsanctioned” heroes, the government and Tony Stark/Iron Man instituted the Superhuman Registration Act, forcing all heroes to receive official sanction from the government. Spider-Man chose to back the act, and as a sign of good faith, he revealed his secret identity to the world.
• As a civil war among the heroes broke out, Peter began to rethink his stance, and realized just how much of a mistake he made by going public. Switching sides meant that Peter and his family were on the run—fugitives for making a stand against Iron Man and registration.
• While the Parkers were on the lam, a sniper hired by longtime Spider-Man adversary the Kingpin shot Aunt May. Spider-Man tracked down the man who gave the order and trounced the Kingpin while he was still in prison, vowing to return and to finish him should his Aunt May pass away. She remains in a coma, with extremely little chance for recovery…
THIS WEEK…
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #544
J. Michael Straczynski (W)/Joe Quesada (A)
THE SPIDER-SUMMARY:
• While standing by Aunt May’s bedside, Peter and MJ are visited by Dr. Fine, who informs the “Morgans”—the fake surname the Parkers are using—that unless the hospital receives proof of payment, Aunt May will be transferred to the charity care ward. Visibly upset, Peter storms out to search for money—only the doctor, who saw through the fake names, tells Peter he’ll stall the transfer as long as possible as thanks for Spider-Man saving his uncle years before.
• Breaking into Stark Tower, Peter is quickly met—head on—by the person he’s searching for: Tony Stark. Their tussle lands them on the streets below, and Peter unloads everything he’s got, encasing Tony in a cocoon of webbing. Pleading for financial help, Peter is clearly at his darkest hour. Regardless, Tony declines, stating it would go against everything he’s trying to build since the war. Breaking free of his webbed prison, Tony lets Peter go, but promises him the next time they meet, Peter will be arrested.
• Back at the tower, Tony has a change of heart, and entrusts his butler, Jarvis—who had a brief courtship with Aunt May prior to her being gunned down—with the money needed to keep her comfortable. After Jarvis arrives at the hospital and makes the necessary arrangements, Dr. Fine informs Peter and MJ that they need to face facts: Aunt May will die, and nothing “humanly possible” will prevent that. With his monetary woes temporarily solved, Peter sets out to find any solution “outside the box” that can be used, because nothing will stand in his way of saving his beloved aunt.
BORROWED TIME?
Grief-stricken with Aunt May’s current condition, the Parkers have no one but themselves to lean on. With Peter’s life spiraling out of control, could this be one of the last moments shared between them?
WHERE’S THE WELCOME WAGON?
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but surely even Peter knew he wouldn’t be greeted with a handshake and a “hello.” Instead, ol’ Shell-head decided to take his one-time protégé for a little breath of fresh air.
ALL TUCKED IN FOR THE NIGHT
Despite being one of the coolest single-page spreads in a long time, did anyone else wonder where in the world Petey stored all of that webbing to begin with? Ick.
TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES…
Jarvis, confidant and butler extraordinaire, has seen and dealt with many tragedies while employed under Tony Stark, but matters of the heart are another story altogether. The mere sight of May lying in the hospital was enough to make him break.
MIKE WIERINGO: 1963–2007
It was only fitting that Marvel would pay tribute to the recently deceased Mike Wieringo—who worked some of his illustrious magic over the years on The Astonishing Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and The Sensational Spider-Man, to name a few—in this new chapter of the Web-head’s life. Godspeed Mike, godspeed.
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