CIVIL WAR ISSUE 2 : A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

***SPOILER WARNING*** IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE SECOND ISSUE OF MARVEL'S CIVIL WAR, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ ANY FURTHER....

LAST CHANCE....

OK...IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, YOU WANT ME TO REVEAL THE BIG NEWS...

At the end of the second issue of Marvel Comics Civil War, a monumental event takes place in the life of Marvel biggest hero. Peter Parker, in front of a bank of cameras and countless reporters, unmasks himself and reveals to the world that he is…Spiderman. Take a moment to think about what this means not only to Peter but to the rest of Spidey’s supporting cast. This drastically affects EVERYTHING about Spider-Man and I don’t think the changes will be positive.

What do I mean by that? Specifically, what will become of Peter Parker? It’s not like he can go teach high school science, unless of course, he wants Doctor Octopus to show up at recess for a pick-up game of “Smear the Spider” with his students as the balls. If he can’t teach, I guess he could hang out at the Daily Bugle with Robbie Roberson or Jonah Jameson. He could pick up free-lance photo assignments. Surely, old J Jonah (being the caring and understanding guy that he is) will receive Pete with open arms and welcome him back into the Bugle fold. By giving up his secret identity, Peter has given up his life…or everything that his life once was.

What about people that are the closest to Pete?  I mean, Spidey’s villains wouldn’t try to get at him by going through his loved ones would they? Well for the answer to that, just look back at Spiderman’s past. Go read Amazing Spiderman #121-122 and see what happens when just one of Spiderman’s rogues gallery does when they discover Pete’s then secret identity. The person to pay the ultimate price is Pete’s first love, Gwen Stacy. The cover below says it all:

Because of Pete’s choice, Aunt May can’t go down to the corner market for a gallon of milk for fear of the Vulture swooping down and making off with her. In just one splash page, Peter’s beloved Aunt has been reduced to a shut in. Thank the heavens for the Parker family’s uptown address at the New Avenger’s Headquarters. I hope she likes the confines of Avenger’s Mansion/Tower/Cave (or whatever Bendis is calling it these days) because that’s where she is the safest. Please give Jarvis our regards.

Then, there is Mary Jane, Peter Parker’s wife. What can become of poor little Mary Jane? She just traded name of “Mary Jane Watson-Parker” for “Mary Jane Watson-Spiderman”. Her career…gone for the same reasons Aunt May is now a shut-in. That is, if she’s lucky. She’d better hope the Kingpin, Rhino, or maybe Electro don’t track her for a way to get at “Webhead”.  Keep in mind, Joe Quesada, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, has gone on the record publicly as an opponent of the Mary Jane/Peter marriage. This,combined with the danger that Mary Jane will be in, might spell doom for comic’s favorite non-powered red –headed sweetheart.

There is one group of people who will pay a greater price for Pete’s (and ultimately Marvel’s) choice. That group is US. As the readers of the wall-crawler's monthly adventures, we will suffer the most.  Long after the hub-bub of the Civil War is over, we will have to deal with the aftermath. We will be the ones who watch as Marvel tries to explain their decision via content, observing Peter dealing with his life and the upheaval it has now entered. Spider-man as we know him is no more!