Marvel’s Attitude Towards Spider-Man Is Wrong (and I Can Prove It)

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Spider-Man is Marvel’s most beloved character, and since he first appeared in the 1960s, he’s perfectly showcased the power of Marvel’s focus on relatable characters. Fans connected with Spider-Man because he felt like one of us – not a god or a wealthy genius, but an ordinary kid. This resonated with a new generation of readers. He became a cultural icon because he was a character who grew and changed like a real person, someone we could all see ourselves in. It was incredible! But a lot has happened for the hero, particularly since 2007.

Whether fans liked it or not, the storyline “One More Day” fundamentally altered Spider-Man’s story. Although many readers loved Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s marriage, Marvel’s editors didn’t feel the same way. When Joe Quesada and Tom Brevoort became leaders, they chose to disregard fan preferences and ended the marriage, believing Spider-Man was more appealing and successful as a single character. After reading Spider-Man comics for nearly four decades, I strongly disagree with that decision, and I can explain why.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Narrative Has Always Had More Holes than Swiss Cheese

I first encountered Spider-Man when he was older, already married to a glamorous model. Even then, he still faced many of the same struggles: dealing with the constant hassle from J. Jonah Jameson, worrying about money as MJ went through job changes, keeping his secret identity from Aunt May, and balancing fighting crime with everyday life. His life never seemed easy, but that’s what made him relatable – I always felt like I could see myself in his shoes. He was everything my friends and I aspired to be.

Marvel claims that more mature Spider-Man storylines alienated younger readers, but this overlooks the success of the comics in the 1990s. Titles like The Amazing Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Web of Spider-Man were consistently bestsellers, each selling hundreds of thousands of copies monthly. Notably, Spider-Man #1, illustrated by Todd McFarlane, sold 2.5 million copies – a record it held until X-Force #1 and X-Men #1. Even the controversial “Clone Saga” initially sold very well, which actually encouraged the publisher to extend the storyline far longer than intended.

As a long-time Spider-Man fan, I remember things really starting to feel good again in the early 2000s after the Clone Saga. A huge part of that was seeing Peter and MJ together as a married couple – it just worked, and writer J. Michael Straczynski really made their relationship a core part of the story. Now, Ultimate Spider-Man was definitely selling more, and that’s not surprising with a fresh, younger take on the character. But MJ was a big part of that book too! Honestly, the success of Ultimate wasn’t about Spider-Man being a relatable kid, it was more about the creative team and people being excited to see what they’d do with the character. The readership was getting older anyway, and they were following the creators as much as the hero.

I’ve seen a lot of chatter online about why Quesada and Brevoort decided to undo Spider-Man’s marriage, and honestly, most of it feels like speculation. But there’s one idea I’ve always felt rang truer than the others. Apparently, they both came to Spider-Man around the time of the wedding – Quesada was a reader beforehand, and I’ve heard Brevoort started after the wedding, though I’m not sure if that’s completely accurate. They saw that era as the definitive version of the character, just like my generation felt about the married Spider-Man. They wanted to return to their Spider-Man, and for a while, it actually worked. “Brand New Day” did really well, but I don’t think it was because Spider-Man was single again. It was because Marvel put their best creators on the book and were pumping out three issues a month! The sales weren’t driven by the marital status; they were driven by fantastic stories from top-tier talent.

The Change to Spider-Man Has Nothing to do With What Marvel Says

When it comes to superhero comics, particularly those from Marvel, the editors ultimately call the shots. They can make changes without explanation and expect creators to follow their direction. They’ll continue with their vision as long as sales remain strong. A good example is Spider-Man: they successfully tested a new approach with Ultimate Spider-Man for a period. However, many online comic book fans have voiced their dissatisfaction with the changes Marvel has made to the character over time.

Despite being married, Spider-Man’s popularity and comic sales actually increased. Sales remained strong until the editorial decisions surrounding the ‘Clone Saga’ storyline. Many of us who grew up reading comics were able to buy them affordably, and Spider-Man was a favorite, even with his marriage. We connected with the character and found him inspiring. At his peak, a single issue of Married Spider-Man sold 2.5 million copies – a level of success the unmarried version hasn’t come close to matching.

Marvel has complete control over its characters, and ultimately decides what happens to them, which fans have to accept. I wish they had simply admitted they didn’t care for the idea of a married Spider-Man, instead of claiming it didn’t sell well or wasn’t relatable. That justification doesn’t hold up – the sales figures for The Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 3) demonstrate that. Most Spider-Man readers aren’t children anymore; many are adults with families of their own. Spider-Man may be less relatable now than ever, but at least the creators got the version of the character they preferred.

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2025-11-22 18:41