Everyone in New York City gains spider-powers. I can only imagine what the reaction to Dan Slott's pitch must have been. It sounded like a corny and slightly insane idea but he made it work. As a mini-event, Spider-Island involved many characters in the Marvel Universe and managed to not interrupt those characters' books.
At the conclusion of most events, almost everything reverts back to the status quo. People gained spider-powers and then were transformed into giant spiders but returned to their normal forms at the end. With Spider-Island, there were some things that did not return to normal.
Big changes have resulted. Spider-Man's perfect 'Big Time' life has taken some hits. Spider-Man may have come out on top over the Queen's evil scheme but he has some new problems to deal with. Here are the six biggest changes for Spider-Man as a result of Spider-Island.
== TEASER ==Eddie Brock is a Hero
It was Anti-Venom's powers that helped Mister Fantastic create a vaccine for the infected people of New York. It cost Eddie his powers but we know the chances of him remaining without are pretty slim. Eddie has been seen as evil from his time as Venom but now has the opportunity to turn over a new leaf.
As Anti-Venom he was trying to do away with the bad guys so we'll most likely see him trying to find a way to re-gain some sort of spider or superpower.
Kaine Will Become the New Scarlet Spider
This isn't officially confirmed but how many more clues do we need? Kaine has been a major thorn in Spider-Man and the original Scarlet Spider's side since his debut. He started seeing things differently but was killed during the Grim Hunt. As a resurrected pawn of the Queen, he managed to overcome her programming and the exposure to the vaccine cured Kaine of his facial scars. And when he left, he just happened to be wearing a blue hoodie.
Kaine is still considered a killer and should have to answer for his past crimes. He is trying to redeem himself and with Peter's stealth suit, he will be making his way somewhere Spider-Man hasn't been before.
Spider-Man is No Longer a Public Menace?
It would be easy to try to place the blame on Spider-Island on Spider-Man but the public knows it was the Queen's plan. Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson's years of brandishing Spider-Man as a menace, it's no surprise why so many would believe it to be true.
Now that all of New York City knows what it's like to walk in his shoes, they'll look at him differently. Whether or not they'll have short term memories over this remains to be seen.
There's also the question of whether or not Jameson can finally admit that Spider-Man is actually a hero rather than a menace.
Peter Parker No Longer Has a Girlfriend
Peter and Carlie Cooper have gotten close since they started dating. He was tempted in revealing his secret identity to her but was hesitant. Unfortunately, with Carlie being a forensic scientist, despite Peter's efforts to conceal any evidence that he was Spider-Man, it wasn't enough. She was able to figure it out.
In Carlie's eyes, Peter has been lying to her from the beginning. Every time he rushed off somewhere or pretended to be normal, it was a lie. Spider-Man is a big part of who Peter is and he kept it from her. Now that she knows, how long until others find out.
Spider-Man's Secret Identity is No Longer Mystically Protected
As part of One Moment In Time, a spell was placed over Spider-Man so that no one, except Mary Jane would know his secret identity. Doctor Strange warned him that if he was unmasked or if he revealed his identity to others, the spell would weaken.
When people in New York City started gaining spider-powers and started dressing as Spider-Man, Peter couldn't safely go out in his costume. There was no way for the Avengers or others to know who was the real one. When he realized everyone had his powers, he publicly revealed that he too had spider-powers in a way to inspire normal people to rise up and do the right thing. Spider-Man's enemies that knew the secret before won't automatically remember his identity but are now able to learn it.
Spider-Man is About to Suffer a Big Loss
Running into Julia Carpenter, the new Madame Web, she apologized for his loss. Spider-Man assumed she was referring to the possibility that he could use the vaccine and cure his own spider-powers and not have the burden of being Spider-Man anymore. She informed him that the loss she was referring to was something that would be coming in the future.
Spider-Man Has His Spider-Sense Again
This happened earlier in the arc (issue #671). It's debatable if this really counts as a change since he only recently lost his spider-sense and had them since first became a web-slinger. Either way, they're back.
What's next for Spider-Man?
It would be nice if Spider-Man could catch a break. We know the chances for that aren't great. Spider-Island has brought Peter and Mary Jane closer together. Her time with spider-powers allowed her also to see what his life was like. She couldn't help but put herself at risk when she finally gained superpowers. With Carlie out of the picture, perhaps we will see Peter and Mary Jane get back together. They are meant to be together after all.
Spider-Man will have to be on his toes now. His secret identity isn't as safe as it was before. New and old enemies will make their way back to cause havoc in his life. And the Jackal is still on the loose as well. Spider-Man may have won the battle during Spider-Island but the war against evil is far from over.