10 Moments Marvel Have Chosen To Ignore

4. Spider-Man Had/Has A Child

Nightcrawler Child Of Satan
Marvel Comics

The 90s was a tumultuous time for Spider-Man both creatively and commercially. His publisher was facing bankruptcy and was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at its various titles to keep them afloat. In the wall crawler's case, this included massive shifts in the status quo. From his marriage to his long term love Mary Jayne Watson to the death of his beloved Aunt May, there was no idea too far fetched that his creators wouldn't consider it.

At some point during one of their fabled "Creative Retreats," someone first mentioned the word "Clone" and Spider-Man would never be the same again. To me, it always looked like a redundant and clumsy way resetting Spider-Man's continuity. Marvel effectively introduced a duplicate Peter Parker in the form of Ben Riley who had all of the power and none of the responsibility that came with being married.

The problem was instead of just killing the original off they decided to give him a "Happily ever after". The plan was for him, Mary-Jayne and his new baby to swing off into the sunset leaving Ben Riley in the Spider-Costume to have a whole new set of adventures. The problem was the fans were having none of it, leaving Marvel with the question of what to do with the Parkers' baby.

As with everything else during this period, it was handled in the most convoluted and ridiculous way possible. The only two "facts" in that story are Mary-Jayne's labour and the babies disappearance off-panel. What happened to it? An agent of Norman Osbourne might have abducted it. It might have died during childbirth. Norman Osbourne might have murdered it. It might not have been a baby at all but a Spider-human hybrid that the Doctors burned in the incinerator.

Whatever the events of that night where pretty much the entire Marvel universe just pretended that there had never been a baby. It's never shown during the "Greatest Hits" of Peter Parker's pain that Marvel likes to trot out once a year. Mary-Jayne suffered no trauma or psychological side-effects from it. Norman Osbourne never gloated or taunted the Parkers. Everyone just forgot the child existed and this was BEFORE "One More Day"!

Contributor
Contributor

Kevin McHugh is a code-monkey by day and a purveyor of the unpleasant by night. Having had several comics published by Future Quake Press he is now moving into prose. An avid fan of punk rock, cheap horror movies and even cheaper fast-food Kevin can be found pontificating either on Twitter or over at WhatCulture Comics where he is a regular contributor. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two daughters.