Marvel Just Teased A Spider-Man Sequel Nobody Wanted

Marvel Comics is teasing the return of "the most notorious Spider-Man story ever told," and a new teaser has understandably put readers' minds right in the gutter as it hints at one of the most controversial Spidey stories getting a sequel.

The new image seems to suggest the reality introduced in "Spider-Man: Reign," a comic that will almost certainly never get a live-action adaptation (though its creator, Kaare Andrews, would like to see it used in the MCU), may be returning. This is a surprise, as a sequel to this would be one of the oddest storylines to pick up on again more than a decade and a half after its initial release.

Marvel Comics

The image features Spider-Man carrying a woman, who appears to be Mary Jane Watson, through heavy rain. The hero is covered in webbing and seemingly trying to save MJ in an image reminiscent of a cover for "Spider-Man: Reign," which was written and illustrated by Andrews. If that title sounds familiar, it's because it was one of Spider-Man's most notoriously controversial events, as the alternate timeline storyline not only featured the first appearance of Spider-Man's genitals, but also a central plot point of the book that had the senior Peter Parker accidentally killing Mary Jane Watson with his radioactive sperm. Yes, you read that correctly; in an attempt to craft a darker exploration of Marvel's iconic web-slinger, the four-issue series' story went there. However, rather than having any long-lasting impact on the hero, it ended up being an inappropriate footnote in Spider-Man's history.

While Spider-Man's stories have long been among some of the brightest and most fun Marvel Comics has ever published, the hero has also experienced some excellent darker tales as well, from "Kraven's Last Hunt" to the hero's struggles with the symbiote suit that eventually spawned Venom. "Spider-Man: Reign," however, was one of Marvel's biggest swings and misses at telling a more harrowing story starring Peter Parker. The four-issue tale featured the deaths of several characters in a dark Marvel future, but none were more head-scratching than revealing Mary Jane Watson was no longer around because she had succumbed to cancer caused by having sex with Peter.

The radioactive... fluids and image revealing Peter's genitals aside (oh, boy), the story is basically just a tragic Spider-Man tale where the hero comes out of retirement to deal with an authoritative regime in New York City. It features several Spider-Man villains, including the "Sinner Six," elderly supervillains Kraven, Electro, Mysterio, and others whom the corrupt mayor controls. The story ends with Spider-Man taking down the Sinner Six and promising to return to action after years of retirement. It seemed like a natural endpoint for the comic, but now it appears Marvel is bringing it back.

Marvel will soon reveal what the promo image actually represents. But if "Spider-Man: Reign" has been given a sequel, as many think it has, it will be one of the more perplexing decisions the publisher has made in some time. Virtually nobody wants more of the controversial storyline.