History ComicBook / JMSSpiderMan

[[redirect:ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski

[[redirect:ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski]]

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ComicBook/SpiderMan, created in UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} by Creator/StanLee has been written by various writers over the years. One of them was Creator/JMichaelStraczynski, who wrote over seventy issues of our favorite wall-crawler's adventures. His run was one of the most acclaimed by critics, controversial among fans and... screwed by ExecutiveMeddling in the history of Creator/MarvelComics publishing, despite the fact that Creator/JoeQuesada promised JMS very large creative freedom at the beginning.

This run, along with ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', helped remake Spider-Man into one of the flagship characters of Marvel Comics in the early 2000s after the confusing and turbulent storylines of the mid-to-late '90s. Until confusing and turbulent storylines overtook the title again... Roughly about half of the complete run was a retool of the traditional ''Spider-Man'' mythos and character dynamics, the other half being ever more outlandish crossover events between other titles, and gigantic wrestling matches between "new and edgy" plot developments and the status quo of earlier.

Notable concepts brought about during the JMS run include: Spider-Man's (and many of his rogues') animal motif having potential supernatural origins, Spider-Man as a permanent and visible member of the Avengers (really a case of Creator/BrianMichaelBendis' ''New Avengers'' title bleeding over), organic web-shooters (to link up with [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy the Sam Raimi films]]), "[[FanNickname Iron Spider]]", and [[TheUnmasking the public reveal of Spider-Man being Peter Parker.]]

Followed by ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' and ''ComicBook/BrandNewDay''. Elements of this run also featured throughout ''ComicBook/NickSpencersSpiderMan''. Also in 2002, JMS and the team won an Eisner Award for Best Serialised Story in honour of #30-35, “Coming Home”.

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!!''JMS' Spider-Man'' provides examples of following tropes:

* AgeGapRomance: [[spoiler: The forty-something Norman Osborn with the fresh out of high school Gwen Stacy]] in ''Sins Past''.
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Charlie]]'s fate, although another writer eventually freed him.
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: One of the more notable additions to JMS' Spider-Man is the addition of possible supernatural influences on the very odd coincidence that Spidey and a lot of his enemies are themed after animals.
* AuthorTract: Mostly well-handled as JMS made Peter a teacher, which allowed him to introduce many social problems he wanted to talk about. Not so good during the ComicBook/CivilWar, through. Well, the Civil War in general was full of confused Aesops, but ComicBook/CaptainAmerica quoting Creator/MarkTwain's "river of truth" speech to Spidey is undeniably awesome.
* AwfulTruth: In ''Sins Past'', [[spoiler: Gwen Stacy had an affair with Peter Parker's nemesis Norman Osborn (''the Green Goblin'') and gave birth to twins prior to her death. It's this revelation that hurts Peter]].
* BadFuture: During time travel Peter saw one when his future self has been prosecuted by police (strongly hinting that he killed somebody) and shot to the death, while fighting policemen.
* BettyAndVeronica: Peter was this to [[spoiler: Norman Osborn's Veronica over Gwen Stacy's Archie during the ''Sins Past'' storyline]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: In JMS' opinion, the entire reason Peter received his powers.
-->'''Spider Totem:''' Who could be a better hunter then one who had been prey? Someone who would be driven to fight back against the dark forces sent by the world, who would never stop, even though they were bigger and more and perhaps even stronger than he was. Because once having been prey, he would never allow himself to become such again. Would never surrender. Would take death before submission.
* CanonDiscontinuity: The 9/11 issue, as it happens in the middle of a different story and is never mentioned again. Justified in that Marvel wanted to address the disaster, and for obvious reasons could not have planned the issue to fit into the current storyline.
* CardCarryingVillain: Morwen, goddess of chaos. She actually wanted to ally herself with Peter, rather than Loki, because the former has chaotic character, while the latter wants to control others.
* CharacterDevelopment: All Parkers got a lot of it. Peter and Mary Jane got big amount of it with getting back together, Aunt May got a lot when she found out Peter is Spider-Man... and Creator/JoeQuesada removed all of it to make ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay''.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: JMS based his version of Aunt May on the more intelligent, sensible May glimpsed in stories by writers like Creator/RogerStern and J.M. De Matteis, along with the fiery May seen in the Ultimate title. He also quietly let the "goofy old gal" characterization brought back by the Byrne run lapse into the past.
* CombatCueStick: During the ''Other'' story arc, Mary-Jane uses a pool cue to fight off a LoonyFan who had been [[StalkerWithACrush stalking her]].
* CoolOldGuy: Ezekiel. Right after they meet, Peter compares him to Uncle Ben.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Luke Carlyle seems to be a little of a deconstruction as he found out that being one is too much effort and trouble and decided that becoming a typical supervillain is much easier.
* CorruptTheCutie: Digger was trying to convince Spider-Man that gangster he was protecting is trying to do this to him. Spidey, fortunately, is in a completely different mindset.
-->'''Spider-Man:''' [[PreAsskickingOneLiner Spider.]]
* CrazyPrepared: It's a bit of something superheroes don't talk about amongst each other, but apparently every time they meet up, most of them look for weaknesses the other has in case they would ever turn evil or something like that and have to be stopped.
* CrystalBallScheduling: One issue has Peter visiting the set of an upcoming ''Amazing Lobster-Man'' movie. Parts of the movie reflect his life even in aspects that the filmmakers presumably couldn't have known about, such as the movie's hero getting his powers after being bitten by a radioactive lobster -- and even more so when it's changed to him getting his powers from being TheChosenOne of a Lobster-God, reflecting the change JMS had just made to Spidey's own origin.
* DaddyDNATest: In ''Sins Past'', Peter ''knows'' he's not the father of twins Gabriel and Sarah Stacy but tests his blood sample with the twins blood sample to find out for sure. Justified, since he and Gwen haven't even slept together prior to the twins conception and this leads to him to discovering that Gwen cheated on him and Mary Jane confirming his worst.
* ADeadlyAffair: In ''Sins Past'', [[spoiler: Gwen Stacy had an affair with Norman Osborn, Peter's worst nemesis. She regretted it, gave birth to twins and planned on raising the twins with Peter. It was this that caused the Green Goblin to snap and kill her.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: JMS had a good handle on Spider-Man's well-known sense of humor.
* DoingInTheScientist: Ezekiel tries to do this by suggesting it wasn't the radiation that gave Peter his powers, but a totemic spider-god called the Great Weaver.
* TheDogBitesBack: After Spider-Man defeated Morlun the first time, his servant, Dex, shot him to death as revenge for bad treatment.
* EmbarrassingCoverUp: A purely accidental one had kept Aunt May from guessing Peter's ''real'' secret -- she'd had the feeling that he was hiding ''something'', and noticed that he seemed to be a bit awkward around girls, so she [[MistakenForGay thought that he might be gay]].
* EnemyMine: Spidey and Octopus during a fight with Carlyle.
-->'''Spider-Man:''' Wait, you are helping me?\\
'''Dr. Octopus:''' No. Hurting him.
* EvenNerdsHaveStandards: In high school Charlie Weiderman was such a big nerd that even ''Peter'' once picked on him (though motivated largely by a desire to keep his bullies' attention focused on their new target and away from him for once).
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler: Ezekiel is essentially this. Whereas Spider-Man used his powers to help others and fight evil, he rejected his task and used his powers for selfish purposes. Ultimately he realizes this and sacrifices himself to save Spider-Man]].
** Charlie Weiderman is what Peter might have become if he hadn't had Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Both were highly intelligent but physically unimpressive kids who were bullied a lot, and both dreamed of one day getting back at their tormentors. But Peter had strong moral guidance from his parental figures to instill in him his sense of responsibility; while Charlie had little support from parents who were implied to be uninvolved and sometimes abusive, and [[NeverMyFault always fell back on blaming others for his problems and actions]], which persisted into adulthood.
* EyeScream: "The Other" has Morlun pluck out one of Spidey's eyes and [[ImAHumanitarian eat it]] as he beats [[CurbStompBattle Spider-Man to close to death]]. Of course, [[DeathIsCheap Spider-Man got better]].
* FanDisservice: [[spoiler: The love scene flashback with Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn in ''Sins Past''. Especially when he morphs into the Green Goblin right in the middle of the act]].
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler: Ezekiel when he tries to sacrifice Spider-Man to save himself.]]
* HappilyAdopted: In ''Sins Past'', Gwen Stacy was hoping to raise her twins with Peter, knowing that he'll be a good adoptive father to them and better than Norman. This motivation gets her killed by Norman Osborn.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Ezekiel]].
* ImAHumanitarian: As noted in EyeScream, Morlun ate one of Spider-Man's eyes during their second battle. Possessed by the Other, Spidey then repays this and the beating by eating Morlun's face.
* GuileHero: Spidey is not averse to defeating his opponents with traps and science-y stuff. When he needs to throw down though, [[LetsGetDangerous he can.]]
* LastStand: Peter witnesses an alternate self make a last stand against the police in a BadFuture.
* LetsGetDangerous: Spider-Man in his final battle with Morlun. He was perfectly skilled before, but there he finally drops the jokes to focus on teaching Morlun a lesson.
* ImplacableMan: Morlun -- he's basically Spidey's [[Franchise/SilentHill Pyramid Head]] in the first story.
-->'''Spider-Man:''' I hit him with everything I've got. He keeps coming. [[ImprovisedWeapon I hit him with everything I can find]]. He keeps coming.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: The first act of Charlie Weiderman as a supervillain is to kill the JerkJock and AlphaBitch who tormented him back at school. While they certainly didn't deserve to be murdered, [[AssholeVictim it's hard to feel sorry for them]].
* LoveFatherLoveSon: In ''Sins Past'', Gwen Stacy narrates how she used to date her old boyfriend Harry Osborn. Then, she had an affair with his father Norman Osborn.
** [[spoiler: Peter was in love with the late Gwen Stacy, then starts to develop feelings for her look-alike daughter Sarah in ''Sins Past'' and ''Sins Remembered'']].
* LoveTriangle: [[spoiler: Peter/Gwen/Norman]] in ''Sins Past''.
** Mary Jane/Peter/Sarah in ''Sins Remembered''.
* [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane Maybe Magic, Maybe]] ILoveNuclearPower: The totemic motif is written in a way that allows fans to choose their favorite from multiple interpretations of how Peter got his powers. Was it all a RedHerring and his powers are caused by radioactivity? Is Peter a ChosenOne of Anansi? And if he is, do his powers come from magic or is he the first one that got them from science? Did the spider bite him because it was scared, or because it wanted to pass its power on to a human before dying from radiation? Or maybe [[spoiler: it was Ezekiel who was the ChosenOne and because he refused the call, all his duties and status passed on Peter?]] And if so, did Anansi give him the power or are they two completely unrelated incidents [[spoiler: and Peter could become the ChosenOne because of already having the necessary personality '''and''' powers?]] You decide. The end of that story arc has Peter discussing this issue with a South American shaman, who answers that [[MathematiciansAnswer none of these possibilities are mutually exclusive]].
-->Tomorrow the sun will come up. You can tell me all the reasons of science that it ''does'' come up, the orbital mechanics, all the laws of thermodynamics. And I can say it ''will'' come up because it is ''meant'' to come up. I see no contradiction. Do you?
* MinimalisticCoverArt: The cover for Amazing Spider Man #36 is completely black, with white lettering and no artwork. [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror It was about the September 11th attacks.]]
* MobBossSuitFitting: Used for humor. Morlun is introduced with grim foreshadowing in the captions -- while he's getting fitted for a suit and wondering if it makes his butt look big.
* MomentKiller: In #50, Peter and MJ ''finally'' attempt to reconcile despite complications like ''attempting to fly to each others' homes at the same time without calling first.'' Luckily, they bump into each other after a storm forces both their flights to make an emergency stop in Denver. It's all very dramatic and emotional, and just as they sit down to talk, Peter finds himself utterly speechless with a DeerInTheHeadlights expression on his face despite MJ questioning the life of a superhero's significant other... [[spoiler: because '''''GOD-DAMNED DOCTOR DOOM JUST WALKED INTO THE LOUNGE.''''' Which of course precedes an attempt on the dictator's life]].
* MythArc: [[invoked]] The search for answers about Spider-Man's powers, the "Spider-Totem", and the battle against Morlun. Sadly ExecutiveMeddling resulted in the whole idea [[TheChrisCarterEffect being]] [[AbortedArc screwed]]. At least until Arana/Spider-Girl's comic series tied into it, with the titular character working for a company founded by Ezekiel Sims and joining a cult worshipping the Spider-Totems, and ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland'' brought back the Queen and Web of Life. It's come back with a vengeance in Spider-Verse, where Morlun's family and the Spider-Totems are central parts of the story.
* MythologyGag: During the story "Skin Deep," Peter heads to theater that Mary Jane is rehearsing a play for to warn her that she could be under attack, only to be kept out by an usher while the rehearsal is still going on, similar to a scene where Peter wasn't allowed into a play after it had started in ''Film/SpiderMan2'' . As a bonus, the usher is drawn to look like Creator/BruceCampbell.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: When Reed Richards used his device to stop Mindless Ones, he allowed Dormamu to escape from his prison.
* NobodyPoops: Averted, first thing Peter does coming back home after defeating Morlun is go to the bathroom. In another story we see him coming out of the bathroom pulling his pants on.
* OneWingedAngel: When Morlun goes to Stark Tower to finish Peter off and breaks Mary Jane's arm when she tries to stop him, Peter wakes up, partially transforms into Man-Spider, and kills him.
* PartingWordsRegret: May reveals that the night Ben was killed, the two of them had been fighting - something small and inconsequential, just one of the disagreements that happen over the course of a long marriage and nothing they weren't going to easily make up over. But Ben had stepped outside to clear his head...and the reconciliation would never happen. Peter, she explains, isn't the only one who's been carrying guilt since that fateful night.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Spider-Man delivered one to ComicBook/DoctorDoom. Doom responds by saying that Spidey still lives only because Doom owes him his life.
* RefusalOfTheCall: [[spoiler:Because Ezekiel refused the call, Peter has to fight with all the supernatural villains he was originally destined to defeat]].
* SelfDeprecation: One issue has two guards arguing that ''Series/BabylonFive'' sucks because you have to watch the last season [[KudzuPlot for the previous ones to make sense]].
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: The way [[spoiler: Dormammu]] was stopped.
* ShoutOut: Upon meeting the Gatekeeper, Spider-Man references ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''. JMS, of course, worked on ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters''.
* SurprisePregnancy: In ''Sins Past'', Gwen Stacy discovers she's pregnant from her affair with Norman Osborn and gives birth to twins 4 months early.
* SurvivalMantra: When Spidey faces off a few enemies who have proven to be far stronger than he is, he reminds himself that while he is a man, he is also part [[AnimalMotif spider]], and spiders are ''hunters''.
* ThematicRoguesGallery: Lampshaded, when Ezekiel pointed out that Spider-Man has many more animal-themed villains than any other superhero. After a few encounters with mystical villains, Ezekiel was trying to use this trope as a proof that Peter's powers are magical [[spoiler:though it's implied at least some of those mystical enemies were actually after Ezekiel himself]].
* ThouShaltNotKill: Spidey was very close to breaking this rule twice, with Morlun and Shathra [[spoiler:both times he was spared from making the choice, because somebody or something else killed them]]. He actually killed Digger, but he was a zombie, so it doesn't count.
* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Ezekiel]] definitely plays this role. In ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' tie-ins, ComicBook/IronMan tends that way too.
* TheTrickster: JMS pointed out in one story that both Spider-Man and Loki are different examples of tricksters and explored differences between them. Particularly since the Totem story arc set Peter up as a kind of successor to Anansi, the spider trickster from Myth/AfricanMythology. Hence the parallel to Loki, the Norse trickster.
* TroubledButCute: In ''Sins Past'', Gwen Stacy narrates how she fell for Norman Osborn and had an affair with him because she felt there was another side to him that was broken and troubled and she felt sorry for him.
* VillainsOutShopping: When Ezekiel tells Peter about Morlun, he talks about what "dark rituals" he's probably using to get ready. We cut to Morlun getting a new suit for two panels.
-->'''Morlun:''' [[DoesThisMakeMeLookFat Does this make my butt look fat?]]
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Two. New Digger has a little bit of it, being shocked by how much the world changed when he was dead. Charlie Weiderman is second.
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Followed by ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' and ''ComicBook/BrandNewDay''. Elements of this run also featured throughout ''ComicBook/NickSpencersSpiderMan''.

Followed by ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' and ''ComicBook/BrandNewDay''. Elements of this run are heavily featured throughout ''ComicBook/DanSlottsSpiderMan'' and ''ComicBook/NickSpencersSpiderMan''.

Followed by ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' and ''ComicBook/BrandNewDay''.

* [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane Maybe Magic, Maybe]] ILoveNuclearPower: The totemic motif is written in a way that allows fans to choose their favorite from multiple interpretations of how Peter got his powers. Was it all a RedHerring and his powers are caused by radioactivity? Is Peter a ChosenOne of Anansi? And if he is, do his powers come from magic or is he the first one that got them from science? Did the spider bite him because he was scared, or because he wanted to pass his power on to a human before dying from radiation? Or maybe [[spoiler: it was Ezekiel who was the ChosenOne and because he refused the call, all his duties and status passed on Peter?]] And if so, did Anansi give him the power or are they two completely unrelated incidents [[spoiler: and Peter could become the ChosenOne because of already having the necessary personality '''and''' powers?]] You decide. The end of that story arc has Peter discussing this issue with a South American shaman, who answers that [[MathematiciansAnswer none of these possibilities are mutually exclusive]].

* EmbarrassingCoverUp: A purely accidental one had kept Aunt May from guessing Peter's ''real'' secret -- she'd had the feeling that he was hiding ''something'', and noticed that he seemed to be a bit awkward around girls, so she [[MistakenForGay thought that he was gay]].

** Charlie Weiderman is what Peter might have become if he hadn't had Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Both were highly intelligent but physically unimpressive kids who were bullied a lot, and both dreamed of one day making their tormentors sorry. But Peter had strong moral guidance from his parental figures to instill in him his sense of responsibility; while Charlie had little support from parents who were implied to be uninvolved and sometimes abusive, and [[NeverMyFault always fell back on blaming others for his problems and actions]], which persisted into adulthood.

* YourCheatingHeart: In ''Sins Past'', [[spoiler: Gwen Stacy had an affair with Peter Parker's nemesis Norman Osborn (''the Green Goblin'') and gave birth to twins prior to her death. It's this revelation that hurts Peter]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Spider-Man delivered one to Doctor Doom. Doom responds by saying that Spidey still lives only because Doom owes him his life.

* MinimalisticCoverArt: The cover for Amazing Spider Man #36 is completely black, with white lettering and no artwork. [[TheWarOnTerror It was about the September 11th attacks.]]

* PartingWordsRegret: May reveals that the night Ben was killed, the two of them had been fighting - something small and inconsequential, just one of the disagreements that happen over the course of a long marriage and nothing they weren't going to easily make up over, but Ben had stepped outside to clear his head...and the reconciliation would never happen. Peter, she explains, isn't the only one who's been carrying guilt since that fateful night.

* PartingWordsRegret: May reveals that the night Ben was killed, the two of them had been fighting - something small and inconsequential, just one of the disagreements that happen over the course of a long marriage and nothing they weren't going to easily make up over, but Ben had stepped outside to clear his head...and the make up would never happen. Peter, she explains, isn't the only one who's been carrying guilt since that fateful night.

* OneWingedAngel: When Morlun goes to Stark Tower to finish Peter off and breaks Mary Jane's arm when she tries to stop him, Peter to wakes up, partially transforms into Man-Spider, and kills him.

* EvenNerdsHaveStandards: In high school Charlie Weiderman was such a big nerd that even ''Peter'' once picked on him.

** Charlie Weiderman is what Peter might have become if he hadn't had Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Both were highly intelligent but physically unimpressive kids who were bullied a lot, and both dreamed of one day making their tormentors sorry. But Peter had strong moral guidance from his parental figures to instill in him his sense of responsibility; while Charlie had little support from parents who were implied to be uninvolved and sometimes abusive, and always fell back on blaming others for his problems and actions, which persisted into adulthood.

* TheTrickster: JMS pointed out in one story that both Spider-Man and Loki are different examples of tricksters and explored differences between them. Particularly since the Totem story arc set Peter up as a kind of successor to Anansi, the spider trickster from African mythology. Hence the parallel to Loki, the Norse trickster.

* SelfDeprecation: One issue has two guards arguing that ''Series/BabylonFive'' sucks because you have to watch the last season [[KudzuPlot for the previous ones to make sense]]. In another issue there is the annoying director of the "Lobster Man" movie, arguing that being bitten by a radioactive lobster is a lame origin and ordering the writer to change it to the main character being TheChosenOne of a Lobster-God.

* TreacherousAdvisor: [[spoiler:Ezekiel]], in ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' tie-ins ComicBook/IronMan become a sort of this.

* {{Tricksters}}: JMS pointed out in one story that both Spider-Man and Loki are different examples of tricksters and explored differences between them. Particularly since the Totem story arc set Peter up as a kind of successor to Anansi, the spider trickster from African mythology. Hence the parallel to Loki, the Norse trickster.