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Perhaps no single comic book storyline is so deeply dislike , hated , and reviled as Marvel ’s 2007Spider - Manmini - seriesOne More Day . While other comics may have feature rushed artwork or ill articulated stories , few can touchOne More Daywhen it amount to inspiring craze and rue among an established fan base . But what if the entire affair could be retconned into something … proficient ?
For the unfamiliar , there are really several reasons whyOne More Dayis so profoundly loathed . Fans of the love story between Peter Parker andMary Jane Watsondislike it for bringing one of comics ' large romances to an end by only erasing their marriage from existence . Many Marvel Comics lecturer dislike it for how suddenly it altered the larger Marvel Universe , wind reality in defiance of established persistence and characterization . The modern comics have taken steps to rectify the error ofOne More 24-hour interval , includingrestarting the Peter / Mary Jane romance .
Yet there is still a great mickle of damage that has been done to the Marvel Universe at declamatory . Thankfully , it could all be easily excuse with one retcon , uncover the ' truth ' about the notorious miniseries , and a subsequent storyline to help readers accept " what really fall out " inOne More Day .
The Story Of ‘One More Day’
In monastic order to excuse the storey ofOne More daylight , one must also consider the state of the Marvel Comics Universe at the fourth dimension . It was just after the originalCivil Warevent , which saw the establishment of a Super - Human Registration Act that required anyone with great power in the United States to be registered with the federal governance . In an effort to help oneself build documentation for the law , Peter Parker revealed his hole-and-corner identity as Spider - Man to the world at heavy . This eventually result in an assassination attempt by the Kingpin , which left Peter ’s Aunt May fatally wounded and in a comatoseness .
Peter turn toDoctor Strangefor assistance , but Strange say it was beyond his power to save Aunt May . foreign did extend to cast a magic spell that countenance Peter call for around the Marvel Comics universe for helper , but everyone from mutants with healing contact , toDoctor Doomhimself said there was nothing they could do to help . thing look hopeless , until Peter was approached by the demon Mephisto - a Devil in the classic Faustian mold , and foresightful - time enemy of theSilver SurferandThor , who offered the great unwashed what they want most … in exchange for their psyche .
When Peter enjoin he would never sell his soul , even for Aunt May , Mephisto flout and said he had no interest in Spider - Man ’s soul ( admit it would be wearisome to watch out him suffer in Hell for eternity , knowing he had made a noble ritual killing ) . Instead , Mephisto ask for Peter to give up his marriage , as put down a holy symbol of love would be just as fulfil to a being of pure evil . After discussing the bargain with Mary Jane and get the titulary " one more day " together , reality was rewrite . Peter and Mary Jane had never been married , and were no longer even dating in the new world created by the deal with Mephisto . The knowledge of Peter ’s secret individuality was also erased from the minds of the world , for reasons that went unexplained at that time .
Behind The Scenes of ‘One More Day’
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Quesada approachedAmazing Spider - Manwriter J. Michael Straczynski with the estimation of a storyline that would end the Peter / MJ marriage and close - out Straczynski ’s Eisner Award winning discharge on the serial . Ironically , much of Straczynski ’s run had been pay to rebuilding their relationship , after Mary Jane and Peter undergo a trial separation just before he took over the series . Over a two year period , over half - dozen other writers and editors would chip in to the construct that becameOne More Day , includingKick - Asswriter Mark Millar , Ultimate Spider - Mancreator Brian Michael Bendis , and incomingAmazing Spider - Manwriter Dan Slott .
Straczynski ’s original plan forOne More Daywould have altogether reset the timeline of theSpider - Mancomics , taking the series ' status quo back to 1971 , just after Stan Lee had stop writing the Good Book on a monthly foundation . In increase to restoring Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn to life , this would apparently have quenched Quesada ’s mandate that Peter ’s young person once again be stress in the funnies . alas , other author reportedly convert Quesada thatGwen Stacy ’s iconic deathwas too important a story to be wipe out , so the idea of just resetting the timeline to when Peter and Mary Jane were college students was rejected . Despite this , Harry Osborn was still as if by magic resurrect followingOne More Day .
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Straczynski , for his part , was dysphoric with the changes and with Quesada ’s refusal to allow him to detail precisely how the timeline was change due to Peter and Mary Jane ’s bargain . Quesada favored a flaccid reboot , free of prolonged explanations beyond Peter and MJ having lived together … but never havingofficiallymarried . Quesada after defended the choice bysaying"‘it ’s conjuring trick ' " is all the account fans have ever needed . “Straczynski in brief demand that his name be taken off the third and fourth issues ofOne More Daydue to Quesada ’s wide rewrite but was eventuallypersuaded not tofor fear of sabotaging Marvel .
Why One More Day’s Aftermath Made No Sense
One More Daywas panned by critics and lover alike , with both groups ruling it horribly out of fictitious character for Peter Parker , a zep long defined by his sentience of responsibility and ethical motive , to now be describe conduct the easy way out to invalidate dispense with the death of a loved one . Quesada ’s ' moral ' gamy - soil crumbled in the expression of those who pointed out he had Spider - Manmaking a genuine bargain with the devilin order to annul describe a divorcement , since some might consider it base , or have a backbreaking time talk to their children about Spider - Man breakage - up with his married woman . The readers and critics also questioned story factor introduce as a result ofOne More Day , like Harry Osborn ’s resurrection , and the mankind magically forgetting Peter Parker was Spider - Man , which made no sensory faculty within the context of Mephisto ’s buy .
Quesada attempted to explicate all of this off with a 2010 follow - up story calledOne Moment In Time … whichblamed the events ofOne More Dayon Mary Jane , enounce that it was she , not Peter , who read the initiative to accept Mephisto ’s deal . It also explained that all Mephisto did was set for one criminal to escape , setting in motion a chain of effect that caused Peter to miss his wedding day . The world forget Peter Parker was Spider - Man was revealed to be a group effort by Doctor Strange , Reed Richards of theFantastic Fourand Tony Stark . Characters whom , it should be take down , had just wind up press a war over the ethics of altering mass ’s head on a global scale .
As for Harry ’s resurrection ? He had just been in concealment for several eld . For obvious reasons , the leave vitriol from fans and critic was just as thick as it had been forOne More Day , if not worse . But is there any explanation that could actually have been well - received ?
Our Theory: Norman Osborn Made A Deal With Mephisto
At the same time that Peter Parker ’s novel life in the wake ofOne More Daywas confusing readers , another plot line elsewhere in the Marvel Universe was also drawing complaints about not making any sense . Norman Osborn , long out as the villainous Green Goblin , was selected to conduct the Thunderbolts - a government - patronize superhero squad largely made up of seemingly regenerate superintendent - villain . It was in this position ( during theSecret Invasionstoryline ) that Osborn was capable to manipulate the medium to submit himself and his team as loyal heroes helping to repel the Skrull encroachment . This , coupled with other events , resulted in S.H.I.E.L.D. being shut out down and Osborn being place in charge of a newfangled government establishment called HAMMER , as well as the Avengers Initiative .
Within the linguistic context of the post - Civil WarMarvel Universe , it made little sensory faculty to make Norman Osborn into a prison trustee , much less place him in care of the organization that monitor every costumed crime - fighter and super - human in the United States . It would make sense , however , if one consider a frightening possibility - that Norman Osborn had sell his somebody to reacquire the force , money , and prestigiousness that he lost whenhissecret identity was revealed to the world . While Peter Parker , if properly indite , would never make a deal with the Devil , Norman Osborn would gleefully gibe to such a buy , having sought orphic means to harm Peter Parker before in theGathering of Fivestoryline .
How This Theory Would Fix Everything
When consider through the crystalline lens of Norman Osborn making a pot with Mephisto , suddenly the wake ofOne More Daymakes perfect sensory faculty . Osborn , who had complained that Peter " discover the linguistic rule " when he outed himself inCivil War , would wantSpider - Manto find his hidden identity so that he could continue his war on his archenemy in individual . It would excuse Harry Osborn ’s sudden resurrection , as Norman had always been show as a lovingness if upstage forefather , despite his insanity . It would explicate Osborn ’s sudden rise to king , and how he came to be rank in charge of every superhero in America , despite his own criminal account .
But most of all ? Norman Osborn would sure enough screw it if all of this could be arranged in a way that would make Peter Parker think it was all his thought , and all his fault , even if he had no conscious retentiveness of it afterward . This theory might not be a perfect fix for everythingOne More Daydid to theSpider - Manlegacy and the big Marvel Universe , but it would sure explain most of it .
More:15 Worst Spider - Man Stories Of All clip
Source : CBR ( 1,2 )
