Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Amazing Spider-Man #60!Aunt Maywas introduced more than 60 years ago when the iconic web-slinger first debuted in Marvel Comics, and throughout the majority of that time, May has had no idea that her nephew is actuallySpider-Man. And even during the brief periods when May found out in the past, she certainly didn’t take it very well (at least, not right away). But now, after more than 60 years,Aunt May finally accepts that Peter Parker has to be Spider-Man.
InThe Amazing Spider-Man#60 by Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr., Aunt May confronts Spider-Man after she helped him take down the Sandman by giving him a ‘Sandman-beating’ device that he dropped during their battle. Aunt May tells Spider-Man to leave Peter alone, as she believes that their partnership is only hurting her nephew. However, during their conversation, a spark goes off in Aunt May’s mind, something she spends the rest of the day reflecting on.
Later that evening, while having dinner with Peter (and after an entire day of introspection), Aunt May realizes something that she once knew, but wasforced to forget: Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Rather than confronting him outright, however, May merely tells Peter that she understands why he’s Spider-Man, and why he’s kept that a secret from her. Aunt May sums it up perfectly, “When my nephew runs off, tells a white lie, or gets himself hurt… it’s because someone needs help, isn’t it?”, which tells Peter that she not only knows he’s Spider-Man, she accepts him as Spider-Man.
Aunt May Discovering Peter Parker is Spider-Man is a Continuation of a Previous Story Arc
The Amazing Spider-ManVol. 2 #38 by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.
Before telling Peter (in so many words) that she knows and accepts that he’s Spider-Man, Aunt May says something especially interesting, “I realized something… something I knew but didn’t know I knew”. That one line proves that this moment isn’t just a solitary instance of Aunt May putting it together that her nephew is Spider-Man, but actually a continuation of the first time she figured out the truth.
InThe Amazing Spider-ManVol. 2 #38,Aunt May learns that Peter Parker is Spider-Manafter seeing him lying unconscious in his tattered suit in the previous issue. Aunt May then goes over to Peter’s apartment and confronts him about this, which becomes a deeply heartfelt conversation and exploration into their shared trauma following Uncle Ben’s death, and the underlying issues that arise when one holds onto a secret this big from a loved one. It’s one of the best exchanges between Peter Parker and Aunt May in Marvel history, showing how strong this remarkable woman really was all along.
But then, after theOne More Daystory arc, this entire conversation and Aunt May’s revelation is erased from canon, asOne More Dayeffectively brought Spider-Man back to square onein terms of his established continuity - and that included wiping Aunt May’s memory of him being Spider-Man. However, it seems Mephisto’s spell inOne More Daydidn’t quite stick, as this new Spider-Man issue reveals that Aunt May didn’t just figure out that Peter is Spider-Man, she admits that she ‘knew that she knew’, linking back to when she learned the truth in #38.
Earth-616’s Aunt May is Way More Understanding of Spider-Man than Her Earth-1610 Counterpart
Ultimate Spider-Man#99 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
Even when Aunt May initially found out Peter Parker was Spider-Man in Earth-616, she took the news remarkably well. Obviously, the most recent issue actually shows Aunt May being fully accepting of Peter Parker’s other life as Spider-Man, but even back inTASMVol. 2, she is still ultimately understanding of why Peter lied about being Spider-Man while confronting him with the truth. That much cannot be said for Aunt May’s Earth-1610 counterpart.
In the original Ultimate Universe, Aunt May discovers that Peter Parker is Spider-Man inUltimate Spider-Man#99. Rather than taking a moment to try to understand and process this news, Ultimate Aunt May lashes out angrily at Peter. She screams at him, saying that he’s ‘no child of hers’, effectively disowning him while throwing him out of the house - something that’s especially harsh given that he was just a teenager at the time.
Looking back at this moment makes the latest one inThe Amazing Spider-Man#60 much more heartwarming. Aunt May could have lashed out at Peter just like her Ultimate Universe counterpart did, but instead, she didn’t even fully confront him. Instead, she just let him know that she knew one night during dinner, casually said that she understood, and then promptly fell back into her role as his aunt, telling him to eat his dinner before it got cold. And, more than anything, Aunt May lets Peter know that nothing has changed between them because he’s Spider-Man.
Marvel’s New Ultimate Universe Mirrors Aunt May’s Acceptance of Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Manby Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto
While Earth-1610’s Aunt May was far from initially accepting of Peter after she found out he was Spider-Man, Aunt May in Earth-616 more than made up for it inThe Amazing Spider-Man#60 - something that’s being mirrored in Marvel Comics’ new Ultimate Universe of Earth-6160. Sadly, in Earth-6160, Aunt May is dead, so she and Peter will never have a moment like the one inTSAM#60. However, that doesn’t mean Peter hasn’t received that same level of love and understanding from those closest to him in regard to the truth that he’s Spider-Man.
Peter Parker’s entire family - his wife, Mary Jane, and his two kids, Richard and May - knows that he’s really Spider-Man, and while initially shocked, all of them were overwhelmingly supportive. It seems this is becoming something of a trend in Peter’s life across the multiverse, which is amazing news for the web-head, as keeping himself hidden from those he loves most has only ever fractured those relationships in the past. But now, in the latestSpider-Mancomics set in both Earth-616 and Earth-6160, Peter is getting the support and understanding he never thought he’d receive.
After 61 Years, Marvel Finally Turns One Iconic Spider-Man Character Into A True Marvel Hero
Marvel Comics just turned 1 iconic Spider-Man character (who used to be a borderline villain) into a legitimate hero 61 years after his introduction.
Aunt May finding out Peter Parker is Spider-Man in the original Ultimate Universe served as a worse case scenario for the hero, the manifestation of all his anxieties about letting those he loves most in on perhaps the most important aspect of his life. It also acts as a stark contrast to other realities, highlighting how heartwarming his family’s acceptance of him in the new Ultimate Universe truly is. And the same is true about Earth-616, as after more than 60 years,Aunt Mayfinally accepts Peter Parker asSpider-Man.
The Amazing Spider-Man #60by Marvel Comics is available now.
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.
