Mary Reilly (1996)

Is the Brand New Day of the “Spider-Man Comics” Refreshing?

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada had it in for Spider-Man’s marriage to Mary Jane Watson. Quesada argued Peter Parker was more interesting as a bachelor – and more sympathetic not being married to a supermodel. Some fans (me included) liked the spunky redhead, while others were dead-set against her. Quesada knew either killing off MJ or divorcing her was ultimately a no-sell. The controversial solution came with a Faustian price.

To be fair, the Spider-Man comics had been one bad story after another. Ever since the iconic death of Gwen Stacy at the hands of Green Goblin, Spider-Man comics have struggled to remake the same iconic success. Their results were mixed. In 1996, Marvel introduced a new Spider-Man – Ben Reilly – and claimed Peter Parker was a clone. Meant with disastrous fan response, the situation was reversed, and Ben Reilly killed saving Spider-Man. Inn 2004, Marvel made the audacious claim the Green Goblin had fathered children with Gwen Stacy. Peter Parker gained an Iron Man-like costume as a result of mutating powers in “The Other” storyline, but despite good reviews, both the powers and the costume disappeared during Civil War.

Spider-Man publically unmasked himself in Civil War. The moment gained critical response, but wrote the character up the creek without a paddle. Once Spider-Man had a change in heart, he became a wanted man by villains and the law alike. This made “Brand New Day” more than an effort to oust Mary Jane Watson, but also bring a chance to bring clarity back to Spider-Man.

Neither Brand New Day, nor its prequel, One More Day, was meant with more acclaim than its predecessors. As Aunt May lay dying, both MJ and Peter agreed to have their marriage wiped out by the demon Mephisto, in exchange for Aunt May’s health. The story went over like a lead balloon with fans – Aunt May was around ninety years old in the comics, well into her declining years.

Still, the story made the Spider-Man comics more interesting. Green Goblin’s son Harry is brought back to life. Peter Parker’s identity is safe. A redheaded superheroine named Jackpot may or may not be Mary Jane Watson. Despite fan criticism, the Faustian pact made Spider-Man a more readable book. But will the ends justify the means? Only time – and a lot of spider-webs – will tell.

The Strange World of Dr. Strange

The Latin phrase Deus ex machina translates literally into “god out of a machine”, which refers to an artificial or improbable character or situation which is suddenly introduced to resolve the problems of the plot. It may have worked well in studying Greek tragedies, but it gets a little more complicated in comic books, where the improbable is an everyday occurrence. And no other character straddles this line more than Marvel’s own Dr. Stephen Strange.

Like all Silver Age comic creations at Marvel, Dr. Strange is an extremely human character. Once a brilliant – but arrogant – surgeon, Stephen Strange lost his ability to operate during a horrific car crash. Distraught, he traveled the globe looking for a cure to his injuries. Upon visiting a mystic hermit named the Ancient One, Strange saved his host from an attack by the Ancient One’s treacherous apprentice, Baron Mordo. Having risked his life against forces he could not fathom, Stephen earned the respect of the Ancient One, who took him as his new apprentice and taught him the mystic arts. Stephen Strange then took up the mantle as Sorcerer Supreme – the foremost authority on the mystic arts in the world.

The abilities of Stephen Strange are far too numerous to name – and this became a problem in the recent years, when Doctor Strange could solve nearly any crisis in which he was involved, with more recent comic book stories dealing more explicitly with his limitations. For example, Dr. Strange has been using dark magic on impulse to solve his problems – once in a battle with the Hulk and once again during an unexpected supervillain ambush. Both scenarios had potential to hurt the people around him, so Dr. Strange left the physical plane for the magical equivalent of “cold turkey”. As a result, Dr. Strange is out of action – at least for the time being.

Today, Dr. Strange remains a major if not troubled part of the Marvel Universe. Even Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada has commented on his Deus ex machina status. The recent changes surrounding his status seem to be efforts to hopefully change that. But if all else fails, we can be sure the second-in-line for Sorcerer Supreme is more than ready to take it should Strange ever forfeit the title – Fantastic Four foe Dr. Doom is the world’s second smartest man in terms of both science and magic.

About the Author

Follow the exploits of rockers DEMON TWEAK and the racing clan HARD DRIVING HEROES, as they battle the evil trickster Loki at http://www.classic-comic-book.com . Also read articles on your favorite classic comic book heroes written by our resident historian VIRGIL THE STORYTELLER.

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