Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager, granting him spider-like powers. After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned that "with great power, comes great responsibility." Swearing to always protect the innocent from harm, Peter Parker became Spider-Man.
I'm glad my favorite character is coming back. To Spider-Ock I say good riddance. I would like for a different writer but we know that's not going to happen.
Official: Peter Parker Returns April 2014 in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1
The moment some believed would never happen is coming up.
This may not exactly be news anymore. Last week an image apparently leaked revealing a new AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 with a familiar looking Peter Parker as Spider-Man.
There wasn't an official confirmation but Marvel did ask for the image to be removed. But now we can post the image once again as the NY Daily News has the exclusive on Peter Parker's return.
A relaunched AMAZING SPIDER-MAN debuts in April, written by Dan Slott. Slott's plan was always to eventually return Peter to the role of Spider-Man yet there were some that actually believed Peter's death was permanent and basically acted very mean and inappropriate instead of patiently waiting. Keeping the secret wasn't easy for Slott.
“To do that for a solid year of my life, that’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do — to look small children in the eye at a convention and lie to them,” says Slott. “One of them with an honest-to-God Little League uniform and a quivering lip. Inside, part of me was dying.”
Peter Parker is coming back. That may ruin the surprise (which really shouldn't be a surprise) but it won't be that simple.
“We’ve gone over 30 issues without Peter Parker, so when we let him out of that box and he gets to put on that costume again and he gets to swing through the sky, it’s going to be the greatest feeling,” says Slott.
Official: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, PETER PARKER To Return
Peter Parker, fully back in the spider's seat of his own mind, is returning to the pages of a relaunched Amazing Spider-Man #1 in April, by the creative team of Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. The NY Daily News just officially confirmed the news that we now know was leaked Wednesday evening by the appearance online of a cover to an upcoming free preview book .
The series (and character's) return is no surprise to writer Dan Slott, who will continue his web of intrigue that he started in 2008 as part of the rotating writing team of the "Brand New Day" era of Spider-Man; he knew of Peter's return since before he killed him off in December 2012.
“To do that for a solid year of my life, that’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do — to look small children in the eye at a convention and lie to them," Slott told The Daily News. "Inside, part of me was dying." Slott did, however, on a set visit for Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, tell Andrew Garfield that Peter would be back in time for the film.
When Slott first discussed the storyline that would kill off Peter and see Otto Octavius, who debuted in 1963's Amazing Spider-Man #3 as Doc Ock, one of Peter's oldest, most nefarious villains take his place as Spidey with the executives at Marvel, the writer said he was "as cynical" as any fan would be.
Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso says that "people will appreciate him a little more after this." He added that he thought "people have been taking [Peter] for granted."
As for the return itself, the Daily News was light on details, but Dan Slott has taken to social media to tease fans that at least some hints will come as early as this coming Wednesday, January 15, 2014. In Superior Spider-Man currently, Otto/Spidey has merged with the Venom symbiote - while Dr. Strange's magic erased Parker from the alien suit's memory, it does recognize that something is wrong with its host. The Avengers are on the scene, and Peter's ex-girlfriend Carly, who has figured out the mind-swap, is currently being held captive by the Green Goblin.
"This Sunday, January 12th there will be some BIG Superior Spider-Man SPOILERS on news & comic news sites," Slott posted on his facebook page.
"If you can, you should probably try to avoid them till after you've read your new comics on Weds.
“We’ve gone over 30 issues without Peter Parker, so when we let him out of that box and he gets to put on that costume again and he gets to swing through the sky, it’s going to be the greatest feeling,” Slott told the New York Daily News
The publication was unclear whether Slott moving on to "Amazing Spider-Man" signals the end of "Superior Spider-Man." Furthermore, no details were given on what might happen to the "Superior" sister titles -- "Superior Foes of Spider-Man" and "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up" -- should "Superior Spider-Man" end its series run. It's likely Marvel will have more news in that direction as "Amazing's" release date approaches.
Peter Parker returning to his body the around the same time Marc Webb's "Amazing Spider-Man 2" film launches is unlikely to be coincidental, though Slott has had a plan in place for Spider-Man since before the debut of "Superior Spider-Man" #1, and had to be resolute in his outward stance that Peter wasn't coming back.
“To do that for a solid year of my life, that’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do -- to look small children in the eye at a convention and lie to them,” the writer said. “One of them with an honest-to-God Little League uniform and a quivering lip. Inside, part of me was dying.”
It's clear he's been playing the long game for some time, and only time will tell how Peter will come back to his body. After all, the last time readers saw Peter Parker, it was as a ghost inside Doc Ock's brain, which was wiped out completely during the series' first few issues.
"We did it this way because no one was expecting it. Everyone out there assumed we'd have a big reveal later. People thought we'd bring Peter back in a year's time -- or right before the next Spider-Man movie," Slott said of the ghostly Peter Parker shortly after the debut of "Superior Spider-Man" #1. "Everyone was so savvy with how this all works that I thought the best way to keep people off their game was to just put that card on the table right from the get go. You're all so sure it was coming -- Well? Here it is! But if you think that's all there is, get ready to be wrong."
Here’s That Big Spider-Man Spoiler That Dan Slott Warned You About [SPOILER]
Well then. With the spoiler in headlines pretty much everywhere already, it’s going to be impossible to avoid seeing this one, I imagine, but:
We saw this one coming. NY Daily News has the word from Marvel:
Thirteen months after Spider-Man’s alter-ego was fatally squashed in the pages of his comic book, Peter Parker is about to make a miraculous recovery.
The nerdy Queens-born super hero had gone out losing to the nefarious Dr. Octopus — who trapped his arch-enemy’s mind in his own dying body just in time for him to croak. Doc Ock, aka Otto Octavius, survived in Parker’s body to take up the mantle of Spider-Man with no one else the wiser.
Writer Dan Slott had known Parker’s demise wasn’t permanent and the wall-crawling Mets fan would be back in the relaunched “Amazing Spider-Man” series that debuts this April, but he had to endure reaction ranging from death threats to Internet backlash to childrens’ tears while maintaining secrecy
If Ock returns to his original body (a matter of a couple years I guess) I still think the relationship between the two of them should improve. For example, with Ock knowing Pete's ID, but also having a complex, twisted sense of respect for what he does and the life (and family) he once claimed as his own. Kinda like what DeMatteis did on "Web Of Death".
@8008s: I don't see a logical way for that to happen unless it's one-sided with Otto. Because If I was Peter I'd probably hold Otto in the same regard as Norman Osborn. But I could be wrong.
I wish they would have picked up with issue #701. I can deal with that because PETER IS BACK!
If i remember right I think after issue 400 or maybe 500 ASM went down to 1, and then when they got to 80 it changed to 480, so it is possible for them to pick the numbers back up.
edit: looked it up it was from issue 450-500 they were numberd 1-49 and then at 500 it went back. if you think about it this could be issue 726 if you count SSM and then maybe when we get to issue 75 or even 50 it will swap to ASM issue 750 or 800.
@master_of_suprise: Oh yeah Peter should abhor him, but I meant that Ock should see Spider-Man in a different light. Maybe as a broken mirror of sorts.
@jonny_anonymous: What urge made you feel necessary to say something about Miles in a thread dedicated to the return of Peter Parker? I'm really curious.
@teerack damn.....you're gonna change the cover when the issue will come out...seriously,Ramos?!....NO!
@arturocalakayvee He didn't beat me....he cheated!....it comes out in April,and i would have opened one,when SSM 30 would have come out.....little rat... :P
So that brings up the question.....what are you gonna write here for 3 months?!......Superior has 6 issues more,you know?.....
I wish they would have picked up with issue #701. I can deal with that because PETER IS BACK!
If i remember right I think after issue 400 or maybe 500 ASM went down to 1, and then when they got to 80 it changed to 480, so it is possible for them to pick the numbers back up.
edit: looked it up it was from issue 450-500 they were numberd 1-49 and then at 500 it went back. if you think about it this could be issue 726 if you count SSM and then maybe when we get to issue 75 or even 50 it will swap to ASM issue 750 or 800.
400. ASM #500 was JMS's "Happy Birthday" arc,and it had renumbered long time ago.
Same thing will happen with this ASM volume.....it will get renumbered to the 700+ issue that it will be then,in a year or two.
@jonny_anonymous: What urge made you feel necessary to say something about Miles in a thread dedicated to the return of Peter Parker? I'm really curious.
@jonny_anonymous: Mkay... So, there's a thread decidated to Peter's return and the new Amazing Spider-man relaunch and you thought you should say something about Miles...Sure, you have the right to, but I see no point in this. Anyway, take care.
Dan Slott Readies the Return of Peter Parker and "Amazing Spider-Man"
SPOILER WARNING: This interview contains major spoilers for the future of "Superior Spider-Man."
Remember Peter Parker? Brown hair, a little nerdy, internationally beloved pop culture icon?
Peter's been mostly absent from Marvel Comics as of late, since the dawn of the "Superior Spider-Man" era in January 2013. As you are very likely familiar with, a circa late 2012 Dan Slott-written storyline saw perennial nemesis Doctor Octopus switched brains with an unwilling Spider-Man, just before Doc Ock's ailing body met its seemingly permanent end. Things looked just about as bad as they could get for Spidey, but a shred of Peter Parker's consciousness stuck around in his body to try and keep Otto Octavius in check -- until Doc Ock discovered it and quickly had it expunged. Since then, Doc Ock has been fully steering the Spider-Man ship, doling out justice with a distinctly supervillain-esque approach. And despite some rather vocal outcry, "Superior Spider-Man" has been both a financial and critical hit for Marvel.
CBR News spoke with Slott to learn slightly more about the new "Amazing Spider-Man" -- with several months of story left to be revealed, he's keeping the hows and whys of Peter's return a closely guarded secret -- and opine on the impact of "Superior Spider-Man," which wraps in April with the "Goblin Nation" arc. "All the way up to this new launch, every issue is a bullet in the gun," Slott said. "Every issue, some major domino is falling over."
CBR News: Dan, let's start with the timing of the "Amazing Spider-Man" relaunch, because obviously it was inevitable that Peter Parker will come back at some point --
Dan Slott: Wait, wait, are you telling me that for a 50-year old, half-century long icon, the greatest superhero of all time, Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man, we weren't going to keep him dead? You've uncovered my master plan!
Was there a planned length of time for the "Superior Spider-Man" era? Did you maybe keep things going longer once it became clear it was a success?
We could have kept this going for ages, but we stuck with the plan that was always there. There were times we'd be talking about it at Marvel before there'd been any fan reaction, and they'd ask, "Can you keep this up all the way to the movie?" Remember, we're a double-shipping book. "Maybe you can keep this up for six months. Nine months. Ten months. A year." I'm like, no, no, no -- there are 30-plus issues of this. We can do this."
Once the reaction came in for the very first issue, and the thing went back to press three times, we were like, "OK, it's got legs. We're good." We knew back in January, after the first issue, that people were going to stay along for the ride.
It's been a success and not only in the main title, but spawning the "Superior" brand on several other titles at Marvel.
I think it's very neat, where you had other books where Spider-Man was going to appear, and other teams would ask "Do we have to use Superior Spider-Man? Can we set our stories before the switch?" Then after you had books like "Daredevil" and "Journey Into Mystery" using Superior, and everything worked out great, then it was all, "Can we use Superior?" It's weird to me, to watch this all happen, because it's a story I've wanted to tell since "Amazing Spider-Man" #600.
And suddenly you have Ryan Stegman launch it. And Humberto doing art, and Giuseppe Camuncoli. And it all comes to life. We have the best art team in comics. How do you screw that up? I could have switched his brain with a monkey, and we'd still be having this talk, because the book just looks so good.
And it's been consistent -- a lot of titles launch with big numbers, but "Superior Spider-Man" has sustained them, netting two spots in the top 10 most months of 2013.
I know. That's ludicrous! And we're all putting out an issue every other week. And that's a testament to the entire creative team. Every issue I look at it, and go, "I am really proud of this." Guys like my co-writer Chris Gage coming in to help out when I'm slowing down. Steve Wacker [former Marvel senior editor now moving to a job in Marvel Animation] making sure you get those two issues a month. It's crazy.
We did something truly insane. You look at the Internet outrage over #700, there were so many people saying, "I'm going to boycott this book. This book is going to tank. I refuse to buy this. How dare you?!" All the people who talk on your boards here- - on all the comic message boards -- you think we'd get this by now; they don't represent the people who are actually walking in the store and saying, "I want that."
For Bendis's entire run of "Avengers," the flagship book of Marvel Comics, you could not keep it on the rack. And yet if you looked on message boards there would be people going, "You disrespected the Avengers! Wolverine and Spider-Man on the team? Why?" This is the world we live in now. It's my New Year's Resolution to stop reading the comments. It so doesn't reflect what's actually happening in the stores, at the shows and at the signings. Even now, you would think this is the most hated book in the world. But when you're meeting fans in person, they're all asking a million detailed questions about what's going on in the book.
People were obviously upset a year ago with #700 and Superior Spider-Man happening, do you think things have flipped to the point where people going to be upset now about Peter Parker coming back?
Absolutely! Everyone who was enjoying it and being quiet is going to jump in. What's fun for me is over the year, I get more and more people every month going, "I badmouthed this book, but now that I've actually read it for myself, I can't stop." Or, "This arc turned me around." It's bizarre. I get these sincere apology messages from people I've never met. I'm like, "OK, that's cool."
So… Spoiler. Might want to stop the interview here….
You're going to see this week, in "Superior Spider-Man" #25 – super spoiler! -- that the ghost of Peter Parker is very much alive, and functioning, and trying to fight his way back.
That seems key! To get back to the timing of it -- you mentioned the movie, and obviously it seems like a natural time to launch a new "Amazing Spider-Man" series while a film is hitting theaters -- was that always the plan, to tie it to "Amazing Spider-Man 2"?
Yes. You're going to have a major motion picture coming out. There's going to be ads everywhere, there's going to be toys in toy stores, and Spider-Man on t-shirts. There's going to be a general awareness of, "Hey, look, Spider-Man!" So how could you not ride that wave? It would be negligent not to. This is a massive franchise that's been around for half a century, and you always want to bring in new readers, and try bringing people into comics.
Here's the thing. You love comics. I love comics. Our readers clearly love comics. But for the industry to thrive, we need new readers coming into the mix. A big summer blockbuster is going to be a whole new generation's introduction to this character and this world. So it's great that, potentially, there's going to be an all-new Amazing #1 there for them.
Meanwhile, for the hardcore, we've got the mega finale of the entire "Superior Spider-Man" saga. And it's going to have massive repercussions for Spider-Man's world, and bringing back Peter Parker to deal with the fallout -- that's fun. There are going to be so many ramifications. All the way up to this new launch, every issue is a bullet in the gun. Every issue, some major domino is falling over. Don't dare look away. When I was pitching the book, one of the things that we knew was going to have readers coming back, no matter how much we protested, no matter how much we screamed "Spider-Man is dead, dead, dead," we knew that part of the appeal of this series was, "How is he coming back? How are they going to pull that off?" And now we're heading into that zone. So? What is the trick? Is the rabbit already under the hat? [Laughs]
Also, watching Doc Ock in Peter's life, doing all these crazy things -- whether it's alienating this person, or setting up a new relationship with that person, or starting his own company, or getting his doctorate --- Peter Parker's going to wake up, and he's going to be "Dr. Peter Parker." And he never went to a single class! He has a diploma on the wall. "Hey, thanks, Otto! You did that." What's he going to do, walk into Empire State University and say, "Take back your doctorate?" There are all these strange pluses and minuses in his life. When Peter Parker comes back, he's going to Rip Van Winkle into this strange new world.
There's definitely a lot of stuff set up for him to untangle once he comes back.
Untangle? It's Peter Parker. It might get tanglier! You don't know. It's fun, because I see people guessing this and that and the other thing, and they're wrong. People haven't nailed it yet. There are surprises coming, and that's going to be the fun of it. It's that old Chinese curse – "may you live in interesting times." That's what you want from your character. Is it going to be all bad? Is it going to be all good? What's it going to be? What's going to be this world that he wakes up into? And how is he going to deal with it? And how is he going to be changed from having been dead for a year? What kind of Peter Parker are we going to meet?
One imagines you wouldn't go through all of this just to go back to telling the same type of Peter Parker stories.
If we woke up in a world where J. Jonah Jameson was in the Bugle, and Peter Parker was taking pictures for a living, and Aunt May was in the hospital, I would shoot myself. It's the ongoing story of Peter Parker, Spider-Man. His life moves forward.
When I got to start the "Big Time" run, we took the giant leap of, "What if Peter Parker got his dream job?" What if he wasn't running around hand-to-mouth, or taking photos -- which is something he wasn't even earning. It was him just webbing a camera to a wall. How does that make you feel when you wake up in the morning? This is the sum and total of who you are, Peter Parker; you're the guy who webs a camera to the wall. All this other stuff you're doing is because you got bit by a radioactive spider. You're worthless.
Suddenly with "Big Time," he gets to use all of Peter Parker's gifts and talents, and he gets this great new job. And during "Superior," we literally blew it up. Horizon Labs exploded! Everybody who works with him thinks, "You're responsible, and Spider-Man's a jerk." He had such a good job! It was there for like 50 issues of comics.
And there's another overt tie-in to the movie -- Electro is going to be playing a part in the first arc of the new "Amazing Spider-Man," right?
Much in the same way that when we used The Lizard we didn't tell the story they were telling in the movie -- we found an all-new Lizard story to tell that fit into Spider-Man's world at the time. Like we were saying earlier -- you have the public's awareness. People who have never bought a comic book before, they're going to know who Electro is. Why not take advantage of that? No one at Marvel has pointed a gun to my head and said, "Use Electro!" This is me jumping up and down going, "We should use Electro!" It's just the way I'm wired.
Electro was seen recently in "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up," and you wrote him in "Amazing" with the Sinister Six stuff. But I'm guessing if you're bringing him back in a big way here, you've got a new angle to the character, a new take on him?
You'll have to wait and see, but the one thing I can promise our die-hard 616 fans: We are not turning him into an Ultimate version of Electro. He's not going to magically look like he does in "Amazing Spider-Man 2." This is the Electro that you've been reading about for some time, but in a new story.
He won't look like he does in the movie, but will the new arc see something of a visual refresh to Electro?
Page 1 has not yet been drawn yet. I'm sure we'll talk about it, but if I had my druthers, he would be in that big, ol' yellow, lightning bolt hat. [Laughs] Because that's how I met him, and that's how I like him. It's silly, and it's wonderful. I don't think Humberto has done any Electro designs yet, and Humberto's designs are awesome.
Since you're also writing the soon-to-launch new "Silver Surfer" series, is "Amazing Spider-Man" also going to be twice monthly?
When I unintentionally pitched "Silver Surfer" -- that was just me and Tom Brevoort talking about, "How would you do a Silver Surfer book?" and then after talking about it for a couple of hours, he went, "Write it up," and I went, "Wha? How am I going to do this, I'm doing Spider-Man twice a month?" "We'll find a way." So far that way has meant not sleeping, but it's all worth it, because I get to work on "Amazing Spider-Man" #1 with Humberto Ramos, and I get to work on "Silver Surfer" with Mike Allred. It's all pretty awesome. And we've got some extra spider-y surprises. So while I'm saying it's Spider-Man twice a month, you're going to have to wait and see how, because there's a wrinkle. We have not turned over all the cards yet.
So you're now only the, I think, third writer to write an "Amazing Spider-Man" #1?
I don't think of it that way. [Laughs] I think of it as, "Hey, I get to do Amazing Spider-Man" #1. In all honesty, when you're working on "Amazing Spider-Man," you are on the shoulders of giants, and I'm very aware of that. The cool thing is, I get to write the Spider-Man that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created, that John Romita Sr. worked on, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Roger Stern -- everybody adds to the tapestry, and it's kind of fun to be the current guy in the line.
"What's going to happen to Otto Octavius?" is a very good question that people should be asking. What's going to happen to him? Now that we've let the cat out of the bag, now that we've told everybody Peter Parker is coming back, what happens to Otto? I'm not saying a word!
Good things come to those who wait. Amazing things come to those who wait for Peter Parker.
Marvel's original friendly neighborhood Spider-Man comes back to life in the All-New Marvel NOW! re-launch of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN this April. Doctor Otto Octavius has been the proud owner of Peter Parker's body and life for the better part of a year now, but soon, he will learn that even superiority proves no match against the amazing original.
But how will Peter return? And what will his world look like when he's back in tights, swinging from skyscrapers and saving the day? We spoke with writer Dan Slott for those answers and more!
Marvel.com: Dan! Peter Parker's back! How do we feel about this?
Dan Slott:I'm feeling horrible! I wanted to keep him dead and in the ground! [Laughs] Okay, that's terrible. I shouldn't say that.
How do I feel? I feel relieved. I've been doing a heel turn for a year. I've been gleefully shouting, "Peter Parker is dead!" When I knew full well that he was coming back. Of course he's coming back. Did you really think we'd kill Peter Parker for good? Come on! He's the greatest super hero of all time. He's my drop-dead favorite character in all of fiction. Of course I'm not killing Peter Parker. Of course there was a trap door. Of course there was a way back. Of course there was a plan.
Marvel.com: How far back does the plan go? Did you already know how you'd bring Peter back before you took him off the table?
Dan Slott:This was part of the pitch of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. Walking people through it, I told them, "And then we reach this point where people begin wondering, 'How are they going to bring him back?'" That was part of the appeal, part of the fun of the mystery, everyone wondering, "How are they going to do this?" The other part of the appeal is, "What is Doc Ock doing to Spidey's world? What's going to be left? What's that world going to be like when Peter Parker comes back?"
Marvel.com: What can you say about how Peter's "comeback" plays out, and where it leaves Doc Ock?
Dan Slott:Peter still has a hero's quest in him. He's coming back, but this is not going to be easy. Great power and great responsibility always comes at a great cost.
As for Doc Ock, that's one of the biggest questions of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. What happens to Doc Ock? Now that you know Peter Parker's coming back, what is going to happen to Otto Octavius? That's a very big question. That should be weighing on your mind.
I think we're going to surprise a lot of people with how Peter's going to come back, what's going to happen to Ock, and what kind of world Peter Parker finds when he [returns]. What is going to happen? There are so many plates in the air, and so many characters [that] have relationships with Spider-Man that have changed. So many aspects of Spider-Man's world, and Peter Parker's world, have completely changed.
On top of that, Peter will have to deal with something else [when he returns]. You always have to throw the left hook. It can't just be what everyone expects it's going to be, or where there's the fun in that? There's always one more thing on top, one more twist, one more bump in the road you did not see coming.
Marvel.com: Poor Peter. That guy never catches a break!
Dan Slott:Oh, I think that if you were as good as dead, and somehow you came back from that? That would the biggest break you could possibly catch. [Laughs] Not catching the break would be if he was still underground. That would be the ultimate "Parker luck."
Marvel.com: Before Peter steals the spotlight back, let's take another look at SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. As the book nears its final act, how do you feel about how the Doc Ock Spidey experiment worked as a whole?
Dan Slott:I've been in this industry since 1990, but this was really my first time launching a flagship title from day one with a fantastic team. That was exciting. We kind of knew going in that this was a weird book. It's very disorienting. I'm really grateful for everybody's support of the book—the fan support, editorial support, everybody—because it's a weird book that easily could have crashed and burned. Everybody could have been like, "Doc Ock as Spider-Man? No!" And just walked away.
This book was always constructed as a story with a beginning, middle and end. About a third of the way in was when we purged Peter Parker. Halfway in is when Spider-Man has a whole new look and he's doing everything the Doc Ock way. Everything was mapped out and every day we went at it at full-force. It was exciting, but we knew, walking in, it's a very weird premise.
One of the great things we got out of SUPERIOR is that something happens in every issue. When you look at it, almost every issue or arc had some massive status-quo change for Spider-Man and his world. "You just destroyed Horizon Lab? Spider-Man just took over the Raft? What?" Everywhere you looked around, something happened. Working on the series, we knew from day one that we were jamming our foot on the accelerator and we weren't lifting up. We're firmly on the gas, just going as fast as possible. That's the feel we wanted for this book. It was fun to see readers going, "Why is something big happening all of the time?" That was part of the energy of this book.
And then there's all of the brilliant art from Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli. There was a nice feeling of, "Yeah, we're going full-tilt, and look how pretty it is. The foot's on the accelerator, there's no brakes, but man, what a gorgeous sports car."
Marvel.com: The fan reaction has been loud on both sides of the fence. Some people love Doc Ock as Spidey. Others, not so much. What has it been like for you, reading the reactions, knowing that Peter's return was on the horizon?
Dan Slott:It's been tough in that there are so many times you want to drop the mask and yell, "He's coming back, don't worry! You will see him again!" It's been hardest at conventions and signings, when I get the question from little kids. You just have to have a heart of ice. "Sometimes, bad things happen to good people." It's so hard not to say, "He'll be fine in a year from now! He will be okay! Stay strong!"
I remember when Jonathan Hickman killed the Human Torch. I was turning in scripts for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, and my take was the same as the jaded comic book fan: "Oh yeah, he's really gone. Johnny's not coming back. Yeah right." Tom Brevoort took me aside and said, "You can't play it that way. You have to be true to Jonathan's story. You have to play this like the Human Torch is dead." I think that gave us one of our best issues, when we had the wake for Human Torch during "Big Time." Everyone's sitting around the coffee table late at night at the Baxter Building, reminiscing about their favorite Spidey-Torch stories. And it got me thinking: "Yeah, that's the way you have to do it. You have to play it straight."
The fan reaction has been brilliant. It's been so polarized and, most of all, passionate. That's great. If Peter Parker, Spider-Man and Doc Ock make you feel this passionate, even if it's pulling your hair out? That's a wonderful thing. It means you care.
Marvel.com: What are you most looking forward to about writing Peter Parker again? What have you missed about him?
Dan Slott:I've missed the humor. There's humor in SUPERIOR, but it's flipped. It's at the expense of Doc Ock and just how arrogant he is. I've missed Peter Parker, the wise-cracking smart aleck. I can't wait to get back to that, and to have him come back.
Throughout SUPERIOR, Doc Ock believes he's a hero. When he takes out someone like Massacre, who has killed a dozen people, [Doc Ock] believes he's doing the world a favor. He thinks he's saving so many future innocent people, the people under his protection, the people who need a hero. You don't blink when you see a scene like that in PUNISHER or WOLVERINE, but that's not the guy we see on kids' lunch-boxes and on pajamas. That's not the guy floating down Sixth Avenue at the Thanksgiving Day Parade. That's not our guy. He doesn't kill. But that's great. If a book that's been around for 60 years has you surprised, and is still breaking your expectations? You want your comics to do that. Those are the ones you remember.
Now, when Peter comes back, it's time to be amazing again. It's time to remind everyone just how wonderful it is to have the Amazing Spider-Man, and what an incredible hero you have when you have your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Marvel.com: In SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN, the title character kills his enemies, not just subduing them. That's not Peter's style. With Peter returning for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, what can you say about the book's tone? Can we expect something a little lighter than SUPERIOR?
Dan Slott:I think the new AMAZING SPIDER-MAN—this is probably the last thing I should say. There are some words in comics that are verboten. One of the most dreaded words when you're promoting a comic is "fun." You're not supposed to say this book is going to be "fun," or "all-ages"—that's another dirty word. But when you think about it? “Star Wars” was all-ages. Some of the greatest movies of all time are all-ages. And Spider-Man should be for everyone.
It's weird for me, how many fans of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN are little kids—and they get it. Kids are so much smarter than they're given credit for. So many of the kids understood that this is "the bad Spider-Man." For a while, you're cheering for Wile E. Coyote. And they got it.
This is one of my favorite stories from when AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 came out: There was this boy named Max, who wasn't old enough to read yet, but he loved Spider-Man. So he and his dad would read Spider-Man together. His dad would put Max on his lap, and they would read together. So they're reading through #700, and they get to the page where Peter is clearly dead, and the dad lost it. He freaked out. "How could they do that? How can they end Spider-Man like that? They can't kill him!" And Max pulls on his dad's sleeve, and says, "It's okay, dad. Spider-Man's going to be fine." He got it!
his is an icon, a character that is woven into our culture. There are certain fictional characters that transcend, and will be around forever: Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man. Every generation gets Peter Parker as Spider-Man. It's a contract that has been written to the people of planet Earth, ever since 1961. You will always get Peter Parker Spider-Man.
Follow the latest twists and turns in SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN and then prepare for the return of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN this April!
"What's going to happen to Otto Octavius?" is a very good question that people should be asking. What's going to happen to him? Now that we've let the cat out of the bag, now that we've told everybody Peter Parker is coming back, what happens to Otto? I'm not saying a word!
I GOT IT.
Remember this? I bet Otto's consciousness, in his last battle, is time-displaced and gets caught in a time loop. By the time the loop closes, in the near future, Pete's the only mind left in his body.
Here’s a look at some visuals that purport to be from a new Peter Parker: Spider-Man Infinite Comics, using the digital medium to tell multi-layered stories.
The creative team are, apparently, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Mast Geoffo and Juan Bobill
Here’s a look at some visuals that purport to be from a new Peter Parker: Spider-Man Infinite Comics, using the digital medium to tell multi-layered stories.
The creative team are, apparently, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Mast Geoffo and Juan Bobill
Frak I hate infinite comics but I might wanna read this…
Why can't they just use this as the normal cover? Seriously that is awesome Ramos's cover is just dumb looking as a friend of mine said that Peter looks gay in Ramos Cover. :P
SLOTT & RAMOS Discuss PETER PARKER's 'AMAZING' Return
Many men (and a few women) have worn the mask and the mantle of Spider-Man , but there’s only one amazing Spider-Man: Peter Parker. And now Aunt May’s favorite nephew is coming back, and he’s got a lot to say.
This April, Peter Parker returns to comics – and the land of the living – in the relaunched Amazing Spider-Man . Long-time Spidey creators Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, the duo who crafted Peter’s demise last year at the hands of Doctor Octopus, are reuniting to tell the story of his return – and boy what a return they have planned. Newsarama spoke to the two creators to delve into Parker’s impending return, asking the who’s, the how’s and the why’s, as well as talking about the big secret Slott kept for years about Parker’s death and ultimate return – and the two people who managed to break his resolve and spill the secrets early. Slott was open and engaging with us, and Ramos showed us how much of a fan of the wall-crawler he truly is, in this open and thorough chat that runs the gamut from SpideyOck to Stan Lee to Andrew Garfield and on through to, of course, Peter Benjamin Parker.
Newsarama: Dan, do my eyes deceive me – is Peter Parker returning from the dead in a new Amazing Spider-Manseries?
Dan Slott: Oh man… [laughs] That is the most open-ended non-spoiler-y question in the world. One word: “Yes.”
Everyone knew Peter was coming back eventually. Chris, did you think Peter Parker was dead?
Nrama: Definitely no. I’ve read a few comics before.
Slott: Exactly. He’s Peter Benjamin Parker – the only one, true, amazing Spider-Man. He’s been a cultural icon for over half a century; did you really think he’d be gone forever? I remember back when I heard about the Human Torch dying in Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four series, and I had plans to write some Spider-Man stories where Johnny Storm would’ve shown up. They changed because of Johnny’s absence, and the scripts I was turning in had Spidey acting the way I felt: “Oh yeah, Johnny Storm is dead? Hey Reed! Did you see a body? He’s gotta be coming back.” I had Spidey in complete disbelief that Johnny was truly dead, but Tom Brevoort said I couldn’t do it that way. “What do you mean?” I asked him, and he explained that I had to be true to Johnathan Hickman’s plans; I had to play as if Peter believed he was dead, to be fair to the other guy’s story.
That’s very much how this worked as well. This has been in the works since Amazing Spider-Man #600 – the death of Peter in the Dying Wish storyline, the new Superior Spider-Man, all that. I’m kind of new at this secrecy thing, so I practiced the best poker face I could muster. At conventions and signings and public events when people asked if he was truly dead, I had to say “yes.” I had to bellow it while twirling a mustache and acting sinister. [laughs] I had to own it for a good solid year; it’s akin to what they call in wrestling a “heel turn.” As a writer I had to be evil and flat out lie to you. Of course, it was a lie.
Nrama: Did you ever come close to breaking down and spilling the beans? Maybe just once?
Slott: It happened at a signing in New Jersey. During the course of that day I hit that scenario about three times. And I had to do it with a straight face. There was one sad little moppet in a little league uniform with a quivering lip who asked if Peter was dead, and I told him “sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes the hero doesn’t always win. I’m sorry.”
I went home feeling terrible, but I had to stick to my guns.
Nrama: So no one pried it out of you?
Slott: Outside of my personal think tank of people that I bounce ideas off of – and everyone at Marvel – I only broke twice. Marvel did a great job of keeping it all under wraps – especially the writers. But there were two times I cracked and told somebody.
The first was for Stan Lee. One of his people contacted me and said Stan wanted to know if Peter was coming back, and I fessed up. C’mon. For Stan? How couldn’t I? The other one was while I was on set of Amazing Spider-Man 2 for a day. I was hanging out with Andrew Garfield for a bit, and one of the first things he said to me is “So, you killed me?” So I told him about #700 and the twist at the end of Superior Spider-Man #1.
And he asked, “So I’m a ghost now?” And I said, “No, we killed the ghost last week.”
He was laughing, but I couldn’t leave it like that. I looked around and then said while pointing around to cameras and crew “I get the feeling something might be happening in April or May where Marvel might want Peter Parker to be back in comics. Y’know. Something.” C’mon. He’s the real-life Spider-Man – I had to tell him. [laughs]
Nrama: It was nice of them to schedule Amazing Spider-Man 2 to coincide with the return of Peter Parker to comics, then. [laughs]
Slott: Yeah! [laughs] Actually, the first Amazing Spider-Man came out on my birthday and I told director Marc Webb it was great for him to do that. And he said it had nothing to do with it being July 4th weekend.
Seriously though, we very much knew the window of time we had between the launch of Marvel NOW! and when Amazing Spider-Man 2 was coming out; we had a wide range to tell a 30+ issue story. We’ve been very grateful for how excited everyone has been about Superior Spider-Man, the events leading up to it, and, hopefully, for this – the return of Peter.
When we were pitching it, we knew that people would be reading Superior Spider-Man for different reasons; some only to see how Peter would come back, some to see how we’re going to do it, and some interested in the idea of SpideyOck. During the planning stages we talked about this point where we’re at now, where people would know that he’s coming back and the speculation of how. I’m kind of glad that so far, no one’s figured it out. There are certain people I’ve had to let in on what’s happening so they can write their comics, and in every case they’ve said it works pretty well. But so far online, no one has pegged it. How he comes back is a story unto itself. To find out, you’ll have to keep reading.
What we’ve been doing with the Spider-Man stories is making it so something big is always happening. Doctor Octopus replaces Spider-Man?! Spider-Man is building a giant headquarters?! There are giant Spider-robots?! Henchmen?! He’s blackmailing the mayor?!? Huh?! We’re always hitting you with something where you have to come back to see what happens next. We’re not taking our foot off the accelerator, and there’s a lot more twists and turns coming – leading up to Peter’s return – and what happens after. And then you’re going to hit an even bigger moment that’ll make you go “Oh my god” and Spidey’s world changes forever.
Nrama: Humberto, you’ve had a long relationship with Spider-Man – going on longer than virtually any other comic artist in modern times. What’s it been like going through Superior Spider-Man and the absence of Peter Parker?
Humberto Ramos: When I was told about the Superior Spider-Man story, honestly I was worried about how people would react. [laughs] Even when Dan explained it all to me, I didn’t know if fans would accept someone besides Peter. But in the end it’s out-performed everyone’s expectations, and it’s been cool how much people liked it – including myself. I’ve read nothing but good reviews, so in the ends it’s all cool.
But honestly, it’s nice to have Peter back and be able to be the one drawing the story of him coming back here in Amazing Spider-Man.
Nrama: So tell me what’s it like doing that now?
Ramos: Well, I grew up reading Spider-Man. He’s the character that brought me into comics in the first place, and I’m excited to see him back. It’s a big honor and a responsibility to be in this position drawing his return because everybody cares about Peter Parker a lot. I can’t do anything but be respectful and serious about this story and the characters I’m drawing. Not just for his return, but every time I’m about to start a new page.
Nrama: In Peter’s mind, where has he been all this time?
Slott: That’s part of the story we’re going to tell. For the first nine issues of Superior Spider-Man you had ghost Peter watching in horror at all the things Otto was doing to his life. After #9 though, ghost Peter hasn’t seen a thing. So when Peter does come back, he’s very much in a “Rip Van Winkle” scenario waking up to all these massive changes. Otto’s been very busy. SpideyOck blew up Horizon Labs? What?! For 50-something issues, working at Horizon Labs had been Peter’s dream job, and it’s gone! Kablooey.
Nrama: How has the whole death experienced changed Peter?
Slott: You’re going to have to keep reading. That’s going to be a major part of the all-new Amazing Spider-Man. There’s an aspect that’s going to surprise people, especially those who think they’ve got it pegged. If all that’s there waiting for him is the worst-case scenario – that’s way too predictable.
But how can things possibly go back to normal for Peter after this? They can’t, and they’re not. You’re going to see new twists to everything including Peter Parker himself. You can’t go through this kind of ordeal and not be changed.
Nrama: Peter’s got a lot to catch up on, but crime waits for no hero – who first in line to get a face full of web fluid?
Slott: Electro. The one thing I would tell fans though is that it’s not the thing you’re worried about. We’re not going to snap Electro to be in line with the movie; this is Max Dillon, the character you’ve been reading about for years.
Nrama: That being said, Electro isn’t the only villain appearing in Amazing Spider-Man 2. With such synchronicity at work between the Marvel movies and the comics themselves, is there a chance we could see some other villains from the movie return here in Amazing Spider-Man?
Slott: Possibly. I’m a fan of the movies. You guys saw it when the first movie came out; Lizard was featured in the movie, and we had a Lizard story in the comics. My take is that there are so many potential new readers out there. And after they see a movie, if they see a Spider-Man comic on the shelves it could be the first Spider-Man comic they ever read. So if they like the movie Electro from Amazing Spider-Man 2, then we’re going to have a Marvel U. Electro story in the comics waiting for them.
Nrama: Are you going to be experimenting with anything new – in design or in storytelling for Amazing Spider-Man #1?
Ramos: Every page I draw I attempt to do something different. If you go back and look at my work this past year, I’ve been changing my work a lot. It’s because I know I have to be as fresh as I can. There’s always a new artist I have to compete with on comic book shelves; just for that I know I always need to improve.
In terms of costume design, I think after Superior Spider-Man and the new costumes he’s had, people want to see the classic red and blue Spider-Man and that’s what we’re doing.
Nrama: Dan, how does it feel to be the writer that killed Peter Parker and the one who brought him back?
Slott: Awesome! I’m having a great time. Spider-Man is my favorite fictional character of all time – not just in the superhero genre or just in comics, but all of fiction. I love having the opportunity to do this; it’s my dream job. What’s been fun and different is that for the past year I had to make a heel turn and drive home the idea Peter is dead, but now it’s going to be fun to get back to Peter and get back to the wise-cracking, friendly neighborhood hero we all know and love.
And next up, I’m bringing back Uncle Ben.
Kidding!
Nrama: Do you think the year-long absence of Peter Parker from comics has reinvigorated him in the eyes of fans?
Ramos: I was a guest at 14 comic conventions last year, and at everyone one people asked me if Peter was ever coming back. I get that question on Twitter, Facebook, and everyone. I knew at the time he was because Marvel plans things ahead, but to keep the secret I had to tell everyone no. It was kind of fun playing at this; I would sometimes tell people I didn’t think Marvel had any wish to bring Peter back at all, which would shock people. Of course people expected Peter to come back, but how and when we did it was important. The when is Amazing Spider-Man #1, but you won’t know how until you read the issue.
Nrama: Humberto, when I interview Dan here I’m startled by just how invested and excited he is in Spider-Man, and the series – more so than any other comics creator I’ve ever interviewed about any project, creator-owned or work-for-hire. Working with him for so many years, how do those intangibles Slott brings to this affect what you do with the comics pages themselves?
Ramos: Dan’s enthusiasm affects the work every time, every day. I used to try to please everybody when I was drawing, but I realized it was impossible to pleas everyone who reads comics. Suddenly I realized that there are a few people I should really aim to please: my editors and my writer. If I can accomplish that, then I’m pretty sure most of the other people at comic book stores will be happy as well.
But it’s always a challenge to thrill Dan Slott because he knows Spider-Man inside and out; he knows the Spidey universe like no one else. Every time I finish a page I email it to him and the editors because that’s the way I work. It can be late at night – 2 or 3am his time – and I’ll get a quick email back from him commenting on the page. Fortunately they’re complimentary – “How cool is this?” or “This is why I’m in comics!” He’s always really encouraging of how I interpret his scripts, and his messages really help a lot.
Nrama: Getting back into the books, does Peter Parker returning mean we have to say goodbye to SpideyOck? Say it ain’t so!
Slott: What will happen to Otto Octavius? What will happen to Superior Spider-Man? Nope. Not telling. If you look at it, he’s had a 24 issue run so far of Superior Spider-Man, plus three of the “Dying Wish” arc of Amazing Spider-Man; that’s quite a feat. Otto has been Spider-Man and he’s been going on a unique journey. Just as we’ve been building to the return of Peter Parker, we’ve been building to an epic moment for Otto Octavius. But what happens after? Is there an after? You’re gonna have to wait and see.
Nrama: Humberto – is there anything you’ll miss about not drawing Superior Spider-Man anymore, but instead Peter and Amazing Spider-Man?
Ramos: Honestly, no? Every day when I wake up and start a new page, I’m starting fresh. So I don’t miss anything because everything is new. There’s always a new idea and a new storyline to draw, and sometimes there’s an opportunity to create a new character or design a new outfit. Every day offers me the opportunity to draw new things, and it doesn’t get any better than that.
Nrama: What are some final words you have to say for fans of Peter and fans of SpideyOck as they prepare for these tumultuous next few months?
Slott: I’ve got out my childhood repair kit, Marvelites. We’re gonna make it through this! Honest! [laughs]
It’s been a fun journey, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this whole run is that people like being surprised. I know. Who saw that coming? [laughs] With Superior Spider-Man we’ve been able to do things that have shocked the reader and threw them for a loop. We’ve seen “Spidey” doing things that Peter never would, and that’s been very off-putting for people. I remember hearing from our letterer, Chris Eliopoulos, when he was lettering the issue where Superior Spider-Man killed Massacre; he had that page up on his computer and his son walked by and freaked out. “Spidey doesn’t do that!” he cried, and Chris had to calm him down. In a few weeks later, the issue comes out, and everyone online was acting like Chris’ son. That’s what’s fun about Superior Spider-Man. That people could get that invested. Isn’t it great when comics surprise you, even when it’s because we’re putting a beloved character through the wringer?
My favorite comments from readers have been those who went from hating it to loving it, or went from loving it to hating it. But either way, they had to keep reading and had to keep up. For some it’s been torture, but for me, that’s what every episode of Breaking Badfelt like, but I couldn’t miss an episode. It’s that way with Game of Thrones and killing off favorite characters. I binge-watch entire seasons because I have to know what happens next, and it’s fun to go that route with Spider-Man. But the one advantage I’ve had with everyone else is I knew Peter was coming back. I could do whatever I want, have fun, and I always knew that with Stegman, Ramos, and Cammuncoli, it was going to look stunning, that our colorists Edgar and Antonio were gonna do gorgeous work, that everyone on the whole art team, Victor, John, and Livesay on inks, Chris on letters, these guys are the best in the business. I’ve been very lucky. Especially with editorial, this comes out twice a month, and our editor Steve Wacker and associate editor, Ellie Pyle, never let this thing go off the rails.
And it’s going to be fun to keep that momentum going even once Peter comes back. Fans want comics to surprise them, and we’re gonna keep bringing that.
Ask, and Ye Shall Receive...Answers: Episode 51 - Spidey's Return
Posted by Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero | Jan. 13, 2014 9:01pm
What does the return of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN mean for SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN? How could Peter return? What happens to Otto?
Definitely don't agree with G-Man's theory that SSM is Peter just being influenced by Ock's memories -though it would make for an interesting story if true and wouldn't be upset over it- or ASM being out of continuity tales of Peter , that seemed to be digging for scraps to me. Regardless, whether they do ASM and SSM , I'll read both because the post-SSM story SSM could be interesting.
@arturocalakayvee: I think Slott saying this is a story with a beginning and an end indicates that Superior as we know it is going to...end. Now, if he stays around somehow, that's clearly another story. @punyparker said something really interesting. Otto could use the visual projector (if his consciousness survives, pretty clear it will) in order to operate as Superior. Don't know though. Actually, I don't care, Pete's coming back and I think he's coming back in an amazing way.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Alex Ross by way of Diamond's Previews - CREDIT: Marvel Comics
No doubt Marvel has a s**t-ton of variant covers lined up for April's return of Peter Parker in the Amazing Spider-Man relaunch. In addition to the Humberto Ramos, Jerome Opena, and Marcos Martin covers we've already seen, the always-fan-favorite Alex Ross is apparently providing his trademark take on Spider-Man for the occasion too.
By way of the cover to Diamond's February edition of Previews (for products on sale in April), here's a first look at Ross' cover - what Marvel calls the Amazing Spider-Man #1 Alex Ross 75th Anniversary Variant.
Alex Ross illustrates new ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #1 variant cover
Yes, Amazing Spider-Man will return with a new #1 in April, as first leaked online a week ago and then confirmed by Marvel this past Sunday. One of comics’ most famous series making a semi-long-awaited comeback certainly seems like an opportune time for one of Alex Ross’s 12 75th anniversary variants scheduled for release from Marvel this year, and it looks like the publisher agrees. Ross’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 variant cover is also the cover of this month’s Previews, as revealed by art dealer Sal Abbinanti on Twitter.
The first cover in Ross’s anniversary series is for Avengers #25, on sale next week. Ross also illustrated a variant for March’s Daredevil #1, another relaunched volume of a Marvel series birthed in the Silver Age.
While Ross’s Amazing Spider-Man cover pays tribute to the past, don’t expect the interior of the comic to be retro: “If we woke up in a world where J. Jonah Jameson was in the Bugle, and Peter Parker was taking pictures for a living, and Aunt May was in the hospital, I would shoot myself,” series writer Dan Slott told CBR in an interview on the new series. “It’s the ongoing story of Peter Parker, Spider-Man. His life moves forward.”
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