Spider-Man Theory: Marvel is About to Undo “One More Day”

This article contains spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #51.

Marvel Comics may be about to undo the controversial Spider-Man story “One More Day.” In 2007, Marvel Comics published one of their most controversial stories when “One More Day” saw Peter Parker literally strike a deal with the Devil, Mephisto, in order to save the life of his beloved Aunt May. In doing so, Peter paid a terrible price; history was rewritten and the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane was erased.

In truth, Marvel had never been especially keen on the marriage of Peter and MJ, and had in fact had been attempting to find a way to write it out for years. As celebrated Spider-Man writer Dan Slott explained in a post on the CBR forums back in 2017, Marvel had originally rushed into the marriage without thinking about the long-term implications for the Spider-Man franchise. “It was seen as progressing the character too far and distancing him from his core,” Slott explained. “While for a number of fans who were reading along with the book at the time, it was an amazing status quo change that they got to witness and follow– it pushed the character past a point where new readership wouldn’t be introduced to the character in his regular setting. The core continuity Spider-Man can’t be a character for one generation, he’s an icon that every generation should be able to discover.

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Slott has since been replaced by Nick Spencer, and he’s seemingly got his sights set on “One More Day.” Is it possible Marvel has relented, and the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson is about to be written into continuity once again?

Kindred Is A Classic Spider-Man Character Given An Unexpected Twist

Nick Spencer has been building up a “new” Spider-Man villain over the course of the last two years. Kindred is a mysterious being who claims to originate from Hell and who hates Peter Parker with a fierce passion. He’s determined to use all his supernatural power to destroy Spider-Man and everything he loves. In a shocking twist, Spencer has recently revealed that Kindred is actually Harry Osborn, Peter Parker’s oldest friend. The one problem is that there’s no way to reconcile this story with “One More Day,” simply because Harry was apparently resurrected as part of that storyline and proven himself a hero.

There’s really only one way to resolve this; Kindred has to be the original Harry Osborn, the character who died after a fit of madness in the legendary Spectacular Spider-Man #200. Cast to Hell for his sins, Harry would have watched with fury as the timeline was changed and a new, living Harry took his place, one who got his life together, rebuilt his marriage, and became a father to his son Normie. No doubt this was actually Mephisto’s real endgame with “One More Day,” a (literally) fiendish way of torturing Peter Parker. The twisted and vengeful Harry has now been unleashed upon the world as Kindred, and his wrath towards Spider-Man knows no bounds.

Spider-Man Is About To Learn The Truth About “One More Day”

All this inevitably means Spider-Man is about to learn the truth about “One More Day.” He already seems to sense something is wrong in his soul. Kindred taunts his dreams and every time Peter awakens with a sense of inexplicable guilt. Finally, in Amazing Spider-Man #51, the wall-crawler heads to Doctor Strange for help. The Sorcerer Supreme plans to give Spider-Man access to the astral plane in order to help him track down Spider-Man’s Spider-Verse allies, who have been possessed by Kindred. Partway through his enchantment, though, Strange notices something about Spider-Man’s soul – something that gives him pause. “Peter,” Strange inquires, “have you ever made a kind of… arrangement… in regard to your–” Doctor Strange stops himself from asking, shaken by the enormity of what he is considering. “No,” he interrupts himself. “It’s impossible.” He then sends Spider-Man on his way, resolving to investigate matters himself. The momentum is building and it seems possible the true ramifications of “One More Day” and all Peter lost are about to be revealed.

It’s quite clear the books are moving into Mephisto’s endgame, the story he dreamed of when he rewrote history on Spider-Man’s behalf. It’s true there is no hint of this in the original “One More Day” plotline, but the fact is that Mephisto is literally Marvel’s version of the Devil. He speaks in lies, half-truths, and outright falsehoods. And he feeds on pain and suffering, rejoices in sorrow and despair. Imagine the joy he would derive from seeing Spider-Man tortured when he learns the shocking truth.

Will Marvel Undo “One More Day?”

It’s impossible to say for certain how Nick Spencer’s story will end – but it could well be with “One More Day” written out of continuity, and the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane restored. This would be a major course-correction for Marvel Comics, and a delight to many old-school Spider-Man fans – but why is it possible now? Why does Dan Slott’s logic, expressed so eloquently back in 2017, no longer apply?

It’s because the comic book industry is changing. Publishers are no longer aiming at brand new readers; rather, they are attempting to appeal to nostalgia. That’s particularly visible with some of Marvel’s current high-profile creative decisions. Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men relaunch is best understood if you have an in-depth knowledge of the mutants running all the way back to the 1960s, and current X-books star little-known characters as esoteric as Nanny and Orphan-Maker. Meanwhile, Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man run has been increasingly dominated by nostalgia, with the writer clearly imagining his target audience as the readers who picked up Spider-Man books back in the ’90s, when Peter and MJ were an item.

Meanwhile, it’s gradually become clear superheroes can actually change and grow and still be popular – especially in the case of their married lives. Slott himself proved that when he penned an alt-universe story, Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, in which Peter and MJ were a couple with a kid. DC Comics went on to demonstrate the same principle when they rewrote Superman’s status quo, again setting him up as married to Lois Lane and with a son. Far from turning people off, these decisions were celebrated. Spider-Man and Superman have confirmed that comics can go beyond what Stan Lee called the “illusion of change,” actually instituting real change, and still work.

All this means Marvel may well be calling time on “One More Day,” and bringing the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane back into mainstream Marvel continuity. It would be a remarkable decision, undoing what is widely considered Spider-Man’s worst storyline, and allowing Nick Spencer to transform the Spider-Man franchise forever. It’s going to be fascinating to see whether Spencer can pull this off.

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