Warning! Spoilers forSpider-Man and Wolverine#2 ahead!
Marvel Comics has been teasing the shocking revelation thatWolverinekilledSpider-Man’sparents, which would upend decades of lore for both beloved characters, andwhile it now seems that this was an elaborate fake-out, many Marvel readers have been left wishing the publisher had pulled the trigger, so to speak.
Spider-Man and Wolverine#2, written by Marc Guggenheim, with art by Kaare Andrews, features Peter Parker going fully apoplectic on Wolverine, after apparentlylearning Logan is responsible for his parents' deaths.
Wolverine counters that he’s not to blame, and this seems to be true. Yet this pull-back has left some fans chagrined, saying Marvel should have gone all in.
Marvel Teased Wolverine’s Responsibility For Orphaning Peter Parker, But It Won’t Follow Through
Spider-Man and Wolverine#2, Written By Marc Guggenheim; Art By Kaare Andrews; Available Now From Marvel Comics
There are increasingly few things that remain truly sacred, irrevocable parts of Marvel canon; among these are the fact thatPeter Parker, the future Spider-Man, was orphaned as a child after his parents died in a plane crash, and that, before becoming a hero with the X-Men,Wolverine was a brainwashed assassin.
Spider-Man and Wolverineisn’t being presented as a “What If?” story, and now it seems clear that Marvel isn’t going to go through with making Wolverine the Parkers’ killers.
It isn’t an extraordinary surprise that someone at Marvel, either author Marc Guggenheim, or at the editorial level, would recognize the dramatic potential of linking these two threads of Marvel history. Marvel is known as the “House of Ideas,” and many of those ideas are “What If?” questions,and “What if Wolverine killed Spider-Man’s parents?” is undeniably a potent one.
ExceptSpider-Man and Wolverineisn’t being presented as a “What If?” story, and now it seems clear that Marvel isn’t going to go through with making Wolverine the Parkers’ killers. So, while readers can certainly enjoy the series’ story on its own terms, in terms of the bigger picture of Marvel canon, the second issue has some fans asking “why?”
Marvel Walks Back The “Reveal” That Wolverine Killed Spider-Man’s Parents
Some Fans Say It’s The Latest In An Unfortunate Trend
After the release ofSpider-Man and Wolverine#2, the consensus among fans now is that the series is pulling a classic Marvel storytelling maneuver. That is,forcing its two heroes into conflictunder false pretenses, as the result of a miscommunication, before bringing them back together to fight the real enemy, whoever that might turn out to be.
The series could certainly still subvert that expectation, but one thingSpider-Man and Wolverine#2 seems to clearly imply is that Wolverine was present when the Parkers were killed, but was not actually their killer. The ambiguity of the moment, as preserved in a cockpit recording of the Parkers’ final moments, ultimately serves to set up a greater mystery.
Meaning, who really killed the Parkers, and what Wolverine was doing there, are questions for upcoming issues to answer. Still, some Marvel readers have expressed weariness with this plot, if for no other reason than it promises a fundamentally shocking change to the history of Marvel’s two greatest characters, but pulls back from committing to it.
Marvel Fans Bought Into The Idea Of Wolverine As The Parkers Killer, But Marvel Pulled Back
The Publisher Isn’t Willing To Go That Far
To be fair, those fans who are dissatisfied withSpider-Man and Wolverine#2 are responding to a larger trend in Marvel Comics, rather than the story of the issue itself. Especially in recent years, it seems at times that the publisher has become content with toeing the line of major lore changes, without making them official.
Making Wolverine responsible for the Parkers’ murders, or not, is just the latest example. The implications of sticking with this would be massive, and would extend far beyond the limits of just this limited series. It would fundamentally change Wolverine and Spider-Man’s dynamic forever. And that’s not something Marvel is willing to do.
Instead, the publisher is willing to use the possibility in order to motivate a serious conflict between the two heroes in the short-term, but one that can be resolved relatively quickly in the confines of theSpider-Man and Wolverineseries. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, of course, but again, it can add up to fan frustration over time.
That is,Marvel fans want major changes to lore. In fact, they practically crave them. “Fake-out” retcons like inSpider-Man and Wolverineare, in a way,the equivalent of promising someone a four-course meal and then giving them a snack.Yes, they still ate, but how can they be as satisfied as they expected to be going in?
Adding Wolverine To Spider-Man’s Origin Story Might Unnecessarily Complicate Things
Marvel Is Weaving A Tangled Web
Lastly, when it comes to Wolverine’s involvement in the death of Peter Parker’s parents, there is the question of necessity. That is, if Marvel is ultimately taking the less dramatic route, and making Wolverine present at the Parkers’ deaths, but not their killer, itisn’t unfair to argue that this is an unnecessary complication to both characters’ backstories.
For lore-forward fans, [Spider-Man and Wolverine#2’s] “downgrading” of the series’ major revelation has taken the air out of the book’s momentum.
To consider another fandom for a moment: there is a commoncomplaint amongStar Warsfansthat too many connections between characters makes the universe feel smaller, rather than more expansive. The same can be said of the Marvel Universe. As tempting as it is, connecting Wolverine and Spider-Man’s backstories isn’t necessary.
Once more, it is worth noting that these concerns don’t make the story author Marc Guggenheim is telling inSpider-ManandWolverineany less exciting of a read, but for lore-forward fans, the second issue’s “downgrading” of the series’ major revelation has taken the air out of the book’s momentum somewhat.
Spider-Man and Wolverine#2is available now from Marvel Comics.
Wolverine
The human mutant Wolverine (a.k.a. Logan) was born James Howlett, blessed with a superhuman healing factor, senses, and physiology. Subjecting himself to experimentation to augment his skeleton and claws with adamantium, Logan is as deadly as he is reckless, impulsive, and short-tempered. Making him the X-Men’s wildest and deadliest member, and one of Marvel Comics' biggest stars. He’s played in Fox and Marvel’s movie franchises by Hugh Jackman.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
