The other day David shared word that the Spider-Man newspaper comic strip had just de-rebooted the reboot to Spidey’s marital status in the strip, meant to bring it in line with the comic books.
In the strip, the change occurred in January of this year, with January 2nd’s strip announcing in an all-text third panel that, “In keeping with the new Spider-Man story line in Marvel Comics, we, too, are going back to to Spidey’s roots. He’s single and in college. Let the surprises begin!”
That lasted almost five months, before the notoriously conservative and change-resistant fans of the notoriously conservative and change-resistant medium apparently prevailed upon the strip’s creators and/or syndicate, and the reboot was itself rebooted. (I wonder what that opposition must have been like? I mean, For Better Or Worse Fans were downright scary when it came to Liz’s marriage to Anthony, and Lynn Johnston didn’t bend).
The change lasted only for the length of a single story arc. After the Sunday strip saying the last story arc was only a dream, Monday’s strip reiterated the change (above).
But! Note the phrasing of that third panel. “Peter is back in the present again–still wedded to Mary Jane! But just you wait–till Wolverine shows up!”
“But,” huh?
Er, so while Peter and MJ were married as of Monday, but that might change when Wolverine shows up…? Is Wolvie going to wreck the Parkers’ marriage?
You know, Logan does have a thing for redheads. And there was that cover for Marvel Knights Spider-Man #13. And Tobey Maguire has a certain boy-ish charm, he’s no Hugh Jackman.
Or maybe that last panel is just ambiguously phrased. But I like my interpreation better.
