According to Senior Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort, he onceemphatically refused to follow through on a creative decision from above, in which the publisher decreed that a pregnant Mary Jane Parker would suffer a miscarriageat the end of a dramaticSpider-Manarc. Had he not drawn a line in the sand, the often-malignedOne More Daystoryline from a decade later may have had an even more controversial precedent.
On his Substack, Brevoortrevealed his role in stopping the plot in its tracks.Spider-Man: The Last Adventure–written by Fabian Nicieza, with art by Darick Robertson – was a four-issue miniseries released between late 1995 and early 1996. As the title suggested, the storyline was conceived of as Peter Parker’s final outing as the Webslinger.
Brevoort’s unwillingness to endThe Last Adventurewith Mary Jane losing the baby led to the arc ending on an uncertain note; sadly, the story of MJ’s pregnancy did end in tragedy, though it ultimately took several years before Marvel concluded the story of MJ’s pregnancy.
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Marvel’s Tom Brevoort Refused To End Spider-Man’s “Final Adventure” With The Parkers Losing Their Baby
Spider-Man: The Final Adventure– Written By Fabian Nicieza; Art By Darick Robertson; Color By Gregory Wright; Ink By Jeff Albrecht; Lettering By Bill Oakley
WithSpider-Man: The Final Adventureinitially intended to end in celebration, it would’ve certainly been jarring for Brevoort and the book’s creative team to be instructed to conclude the series on a devastating down-note.
Tom Brevoort’s tenure at Marvel Comics stretches back to the late 1980s, meaning he has been with the company through its greatest triumphs, as well as its most divisive moments. Having taken over as the Senior Editor for Marvel’sX-Office as theX-Menfranchise transitions from one era to the next, Brevoort has garnered perhaps more fan attention than ever before in his career. His Substack has offered an illuminating insight into the behind-the-scenes machinations at Marvel, both past and present – including the controversial ending toSpider-Man: The Final Adventure,which the Editor revealed he squashed.
In response to a fan question about times he “put his foot down” as a Marvel Editor, Brevoort revealed the company’s controversial plan for Mary Jane’s pregnancy during the ’90s storyline, which he revolted against. Brevoort wrote:
When I was working on SPIDER-MAN: THE FINAL ADVENTURE, a limited series that was meant to be the last gasp for Peter Parker as Spider-Man. It was intended to end with the birth of Pete and MJ’s child, but halfway through, a decision was made to radically change direction and to get Pete back into the Spidey costume on a regular basis as soon as was possible. So I was told to end the series with MJ having a miscarriage – and I refused to do that. I told my boss Bob Budiansky quite bluntly that I wasn’t going to go down in history as the person who aborted the Spider-Baby.
Notably, more than just saying “no” to this contentious decision,Brevoort fought back against his superiors' abrupt 180-degree turn in their plan for the Parker family. WithSpider-Man: The Final Adventureinitially intended to end in celebration, it would’ve certainly been jarring for Brevoort and the book’s creative team to be instructed to conclude the series on a devastating down-note.
In the end, asSpider-fans will know, Tom Brevoort’s “line in the sand” moment overThe Final Adventureonly delayed the inevitable. As he noted:
Consequently, that entire decision was kicked further down the line – MJ wound up being pregnant for something like two years before it was all settled – and the ending to our series was a bit of a damp squib. But it wasn’t a horror show, so there’s that.
Still, it is worth reflecting on how radically differentSpider-Man– and Marvel’s – history might have been, had Brevoort ended the series with Mary Jane’s miscarriage; or, alternatively, if he had been able to dissuade Marvel from inflicting such a blow on Peter and MJ entirely. Considering how Marvel would subsequently handle the Parkers, this anecdote also illuminates the line of thinking thateventually culminated inOne More Day.
Though Brevoort states that Mary Jane was pregnant for several more years afterThe Final Adventure, the tragic death of her and Peter’s daughter May in childbirth took place inSpider-Man#75, which was released in October 1996, just less than a year after he refused to go through with the plotline.
Marvel Has Never Truly Appreciated Peter And Mary Jane’s Romance
Mary Jane Watson'’s First Appearance:The Amazing Spider-Man#25 – Written By Stan Lee; Art By Steve Ditko
Tom Brevoort’s story aboutThe Last Adventureand the miscarriage plot emphasize that this “conspiracy” against the Parker family has consistently gone all the way to the top at Marvel.
Marvel fans can endlessly debatewhich couple is the most belovedin the publisher’s long history, but it would be difficult to find any reader who seriously omits Peter Parker and Mary Jane from the conversation. From their iconic first meeting – when Mary Jane cemented herself inSpider-Manlore forever with her very first line,“Face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot”– the couple has gone on to have a legendary comic book romance. Except for nearly sixty years, to one degree or another,Marvel has always seemingly lacked a true appreciation for their romance.
More than that, Marvel has repeatedly thwarted the Parkers' chances at happiness. 2007’sOne More Daystoryline is the most infamous example of this, while Mary Jane’s pregnancy storyline – and its sad conclusion – from the preceding decade is another. Tom Brevoort’s story aboutThe Last Adventureand the miscarriage plot emphasize that this “conspiracy” against the Parker family has consistently gone all the way to the top at Marvel, and consequently, that there was never more than a slim chance that Peter and Mary Jane would ever establish a family, or even end up together.
Marvel Has Always Approached Peter And Mary Jane’s Romance As A Tragedy
Spider-Man: One More Day– Written By J. Michael Straczynski (& Joe Quesada); Art By Joe Quesada; Color By Richard Isanove; Lettering By Chris Eliopoulos
Much has been made of Marvel’s desire to preserve some kind of status quo for Peter Parker, but there is more to their treatment of the Parker family than that.
Of course, ongoing comic book storytelling is soap operatic by its very nature. In other words, creators seek to harvest drama from any available source, by any means necessary; as a result, no relationship, or individual, is safe. In comics, triumphs only happen so the ensuing tragedy can be more impactful, and vice versa. Marvel Comics’Spider-Man has always been a particularly tragic character– and in fact, his longstanding friendship with Mary Jane Watson blossomed into romance only in thewake of Gwen Stacy’s traumatic death, which arguably still ranks as the most brutal moment inSpider-Manlore.
That point is arguable only because of later storylines, such as the loss of Peter and Mary Jane’s child – which Marvel eventually did move ahead with – and of course, the mystical dissolution of their marriage inSpider-Man: One More Day. Much has been made of Marvel’s desire to preserve some kind of status quo for Peter Parker, but there is more to their treatment of the Parker family than that. Peter and Mary Jane’s inability to achieve happiness isa product of the publisher seeking to continually raise the stakes ofSpider-Manstorylines.
Marvel’s Rebooted “Ultimate Spider-Man” Is A Glimpse Into A Major “What-If?” For The Parkers
Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 2)– Written By Jonathan Hickman; Art By Marco Checchetto
Spider-Mancan be considered one of Marvel’s most ill-fated heroes, even as he rises to face every challenge thrown at him, both as a hero and as a human.
Whether fans look at Marvel’s handling of Peter and Mary Jane in the mainstream Earth-616 continuity as a case of arrested development, or instead consider it to be a result of persuing the most naturally drama-filled storytelling decisions, the publisher has not let the desire to witness a fully-functional Parker family go entirely unheeded. That is, the Parkers have been the frequent subject of alternate timeline stories, as theMarvel Multiverse offers limitless possibilitiesfor versions of them to settle down together.
While the degree to which this has satisfied readers varies from story to story, it has continually offered proof of fans' continued investment in their relationship. Lately, the most exciting version of this has beentaking place in Jonathan Hickman’sUltimate Spider-Man (Vol. 2), which began from the novel premise of Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man far later in life than usual, after he and Mary Jane had already married and had children. In a concrete way,the series has served to give fans a glimpse of what the mainstream Marvel Parkers could have been like, had the company not interfered.
Naturally, given the invariable tragedy-triumph dichotomy of superhero storytelling in general, andSpider-Manstories in particular, many readers are already bracing themselves for theUltimateParkers to face calamity and ruin. As Tom Brevoort’s story aboutSpider-Man: The Last Adventureand Mary Jane’s pregnancy makes clear, this has always been Marvel’s intention for the characters, in some form or another. In this sense,Spider-Mancan be considered one of Marvel’s most ill-fated heroes, even as he rises to face every challenge thrown at him, both as a hero and as a human.
Spider-Man: The Final Adventureis available now from Marvel Comics.
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.
