Throughout its history, Marvel Comics has frequently revised or reimagined its character origins and stories, a practice known as retconing. This is crucial for maintaining interest in the heroes and villains over time. Although Marvel tried to revamp everything with their Ultimates series, readers mostly preferred sticking with the characters they knew and loved from their youth. However, Marvel Comics has been consistently reworking its characters throughout different periods, with Spider-Man and the X-Men being the ones most prone to major changes. The downside is that not all these retcons were favorably received by fans, who often disliked the alterations made to their cherished comic book heroes.
Let’s explore some instances in Marvel Comics where the creators introduced significant revisions (retcons) that did not always resonate favorably with the fans.
10) Retconning “Dark Phoenix Saga”
In simpler terms, the Dark Phoenix Saga marked a significant event in Marvel Comics history as it featured the death of a major character, Jean Grey, following her transformation into the destructive entity known as the Dark Phoenix. This transformation led to the consumption of a sun and the deaths of billions on a nearby planet. To appease the Shi’ar, Jean gave up her life to save the X-Men. However, this act of sacrifice was eventually undone by a retcon, which claimed that it was actually the Dark Phoenix impersonating Jean, leaving the real Jean Grey safe in a spaceship submerged at the harbor bottom. This narrative twist absolved Jean of any guilt but also rendered her sacrifice meaningless. Since then, there have been numerous occasions where Jean has died and come back to life in Marvel Comics, diminishing the impact of her original death.
9) Nightcrawler’s Parentage
As a dedicated film enthusiast, I’ve always been captivated by the intricate backstory of Nightcrawler. Initially, he was found within the confines of a circus, where he was nurtured and safeguarded by Margali Szardos and the troupe, as his unique appearance might have endangered him as a young child.
However, as time progressed, Nightcrawler unveiled more about his ancestry. In the beginning, it was claimed that he was a spitting image of the demon Azazel due to their resemblance and similar powers. But Marvel later changed this narrative, revealing an astounding truth – Kurt’s parents were none other than Mystique and Destiny!
Mystique took on male form and sexual organs using Azazel’s traits to conceive Kurt with Destiny. This twist was complex, undeniably showcasing trans and queer representation in comics, but the extensive retcon of his origin still presents challenges for fans to accept wholeheartedly.
8) Professor X Manipulating Wolverine’s Memory
As a dedicated fan of comic books, I can’t help but reflect on my favorite series – Giant-Size X-Men #1, where Professor X formed a new X-Men squad, including global heroes like Wolverine from Canada. Little did we readers know, this team was not the original, as the previous one had tragically perished while trying to rescue Professor X’s original students. This chilling truth was kept hidden by none other than Professor X himself. But here’s where it gets even more intriguing: Wolverine, a cornerstone of the X-Men team, didn’t join willingly. He was sent to eliminate Charles Xavier, only for the professor to brainwash him into believing he wanted to be part of the team. This mind-bending revelation paints Professor X as one of the most questionable mentors and leaders in the Marvel Comics universe, a far cry from the benevolent figure we once knew.
7) Heroes Reborn
During the 1990s, Marvel Comics faced financial difficulties, leading them to make a move that upset many long-time fans. In an attempt to attract a younger audience, they began imitating their main rival’s style. To achieve this, they hired artists from Image Comics like Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld to revamp their entire comic book series. This change culminated in the storyline called “Heroes Reborn,” where Onslaught killed off the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Following this, Lee and Leifeld introduced new origin stories for the characters, which laid the foundation for what would later become the Ultimate Universe. Initially, sales soared, but a year later, they plummeted, forcing Marvel to revert back to their original storylines.
6) Moira MacTaggert In House Of X
The Krakoan Era, marked by Marvel Comics as a fresh look for the X-Men, brought about an optimistic era for the X-Men universe that seemed nothing short of promising. However, after several years of innovative storytelling for Marvel’s mutants, it was decided to conclude the Krakoan Era. To bring this change, Marvel made a significant alteration in one of their characters’ histories, and it didn’t quite make sense.
In the beginning of House of X, Moira, a key character, was revealed as a mutant with the power to reset the universe upon her death and rebirth, while retaining memories from previous lives in an attempt to improve things for mutants. Although she continued to help her kind, this pursuit led her down a dark path and ultimately resulted in Krakoa’s destruction. While the Krakoan Era was captivating, the retcon of Moira was less satisfying, and it seems there could have been a more coherent approach to the start and end of this storyline.
5) “Sins Past” (Gwen & Norman)
In a simplified narrative, Spider-Man’s life has been far from ideal, with him experiencing more heartbreaking losses than most other superheroes. One of the most contentious storylines in Spider-Man’s history is known as “The Clone Saga,” which started when Gwen Stacy appeared to be resurrected. However, a shocking revelation years later undid Gwen’s life in the comics, causing such outrage among fans that many considered abandoning the series. In the 2004 storyline “Sins Past,” it was revealed that Mary Jane knew about Norman Osborn and Gwen’s affair, which resulted in her pregnancy with his twins. This contradicts everything Gwen stood for in the comics, and the fact that Mary Jane kept this secret made fans feel betrayed. This storyline also led to “Kindred,” though many found the retcon of Gwen and Norman’s relationship distasteful.
4) Ms. Marvel Is An Inhuman & Mutant
When Kamala Khan debuted as Ms. Marvel, it was due to the Inhumans releasing Terrigen Mists on Earth, leading to her discovery of her Inhuman heritage and subsequent powers. Later, in a twist in the comic book narrative, she was revived by the X-Men using Krakoa’s resurrection protocol because she carried mutant genes, even though this was initially not part of her origin story. It was later revealed that Kamala was a unique hybrid of both Inhuman and mutant, implying that her powers would have been different if her mutant genes had manifested first. In real life, Marvel made this change to Kamala’s origin during a dispute over movie rights with Fox, as they were streamlining their mutant and Fantastic Four storylines at the time. However, making Kamala both an Inhuman and a mutant created unnecessary complexity in her character, and some argue that there was no compelling reason for this change.
3) The Clone Saga
For nearly two decades, ‘The Clone Saga’ in Marvel Comics was widely disliked, perhaps even longer. The storyline kicked off when it appeared Gwen Stacy had been resurrected. However, things weren’t as they seemed. It turned out the villain known as the Jackal was cloning people important to Peter Parker (Spider-Man) in order to drive him insane. In the end, Spider-Man faced off against his own clone, with one of them losing their life during the battle. For two years following this event, Spider-Man went about his usual activities, but then Peter Parker reappeared and declared he was the genuine Spider-Man. This sparked controversy because it turned out that for those two years, fans had been following Ben Reilly, who believed he was Peter, while the actual Peter Parker had vanished. Many readers felt that this plot twist essentially invalidated two years worth of character development.
2) “Crossing”
It’s possible that the most contentious move in the history of Marvel Comics’ Avengers comic books was the decision to portray Iron Man as a character who had significant flaws. Initially, Iron Man was a beloved character for Marvel fans, having gone through numerous trials and tribulations, including his compelling “Demon in a Bottle” narrative. Fans followed Tony Stark as he overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, during the 1990s, Marvel opted to rewrite Tony Stark’s entire backstory, claiming that he had always been working for Kang and was secretly a double agent with the Avengers, ultimately assisting Kang in causing global destruction. In the end, Tony Stark perished, and a younger version from another universe took his place, leaving fans feeling deeply disillusioned with him. This marked a significant turning point in Iron Man’s character, and it may have been the moment when he transformed into one of Marvel Comics’ most maligned superheroes.
1) “One More Day”
Among Marvel Comics’ storylines, none has sparked as much contempt and dislike as the events leading to the “Brand New Day” timeline, initiated by “One More Day.” In this tale, Spider-Man aligned with Iron Man during the “Civil War,” ultimately revealing his identity. This move put his family in peril, and Aunt May tragically sustained a bullet meant for Peter. To safeguard Aunt May’s life and restore his secret identity, Peter and Mary Jane struck a deal with Mephisto. In exchange for Aunt May’s life, they forfeited their marriage and erased their shared history from the comics. The subsequent issue portrayed Spider-Man as never having married Mary Jane, setting the stage for a new era in his comic book series. This change was met with intense disapproval then, and the sentiments remain strong nearly 20 years later.
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2025-09-08 01:12