Ultimate Spider-man #105 (Spoilers!)

[ultimatespyder20]

No more predictions my friends, it's here, and pack full of spoilers. So if you do not want to know what happens turn back.



The issue starts off at The Baxter Building where Reed Richards is asking Peter if he wants to be cured. Peter is astonished, but tells Reed he'll have to think about it. Peter takes off to go see Aunt May, and Mj stays behind at the Baxter Building. Minutes after he leaves Nick Fury shows up asking where Peter is so he can contain the situation. Mj can't understand why Fury wants to arrest Peter so much and tells Fury that in a way Peter looks up to him as a father figure. This gets to Fury and he leaves. Next, Kitty and the X-men fly over Queens looking at the damage. Jean listens in on S.H.E.I.L.D. Agents thoughts and hears that Peter's aunt is in the hospital. Next Page, Peter sits beside Aunt May's bed feeling horrible about what has happened. He begins to talk to her (even though she is asleep). He tells her he is so sorry for lying to her and that he should have told her. He also tells her he thinks of her as his mother. Then Nick Fury walks in. Peter gets pretty angry with him for building the spider-slayers. Fury tells him that he did it incase Peter snapped and became some big super-villian. He just wanted to be prepared. He tells Peter that is he doesn't screw eveything up that he may become something special. As he leaves he tells Fury to tell Reed that he says no to the offer. Outside the room Jean & Kitty are cloaked listening to the conversation. Kitty begs Prof. X to erase Aunt May's memory so tht she won't remember Peter being Spidey, but Prof. X says no and Kitty gets pissed. Inside the room May wakes up and tells Peter that his costume is horrible (I love tht line) and she hugs him with tears in her eyes. Back in Queens Mj is reunited with her mom. Somewhere else Peter & Spider-woman meet. She tells im tht she is going to leave and become Jessica Drew and maybe be a super-hero, and then they hug as Jessica says, "Ready for the most awkward hug ever?" (another good line). Next page, Nick Fury stands in a S.H.E.I.L.D. facility with a group of scientists looking at Scorpion & Gwen-Carnage sedated in two display tanks. Fury tells the scientists to get to work (interesting:rolleyes:). Queens the next day, Peter looks at the damage at his house. Mj walks up. She tells him that she told her mom Norman Osborn attacked her and Spidey saved her. Mj's mom comes on the scene on she tells Peter tht he will be staying with them. Mj tells Peter tht she is glad tht she has him back and they kiss. In the background Kitty watches as they do. Later, as Mj brushes her teeth she looks in the mirror and shes a reflection of Kaine behind her. She turns around screaming, but it's only Peter behind her.

The End

My Opinion

Wow. Great issue. Everything has finally been tied up and we now see where this series will be going. I like tht Peter didn't take the cure. Fury told him he would become something special, but by special what does he mean, and what is he going to do with Scorpion & Gwen-Carnage? Hopefully we may find out before to long. I just hope we won't have to wait until issue #200. I was so glad Xavier didn't erase May's memory, tht would have just destroied this series for me. I like how May & Peter will be able to talk more now. Spider-woman I hope we will see again, and soon, she'll be a good character to use in the series. Mj sheing Kaine in Peter's reflection is pretty creepy. Could she now be having mental issues after being through so much? Like I said I really enjoyed this issue and I'm looking forward to Ultimate Knights :D.

Alec

[CMBMOOL]

Wow, powerful ending to a great saga. With Bendis in the Ulitmate version of Spidey, he may have change the mythos of the hero for the better. :D

[MaxofSteel]

Sounds like a great issue. Can't wait to pick this sucker up. :p

[Magneto Rocks]

So basically a predictable, clichéd ending. Well I wish I could say I was surpsied...

[Beast]

Boo to the end of Spider-Man and Kitty as a couple. :p

[Xanrn]

Well I don't think it is the end.

But if it is, I have to go with Magneto Rocks.

Screw MJ this is Ultimateverse not freakin 616.

[lightning]

Fury told him he would become something special, but by special what does he mean, and what is he going to do with Scorpion & Gwen-Carnage?

I just figured Fury meant that if Peter doesn't do anything stupid (like get himself killed or become a villian), he could end up being a great hero one day. Peter already does some pretty heroic things, and he's just a kid. Fury's more or less telling him if he sticks with it, he could probably accomplish great things once he grows up.

[KenK]

I loved the ending. As for MJ having mental issues now, I think it's just post-traumatic stress. The whole experience has been exactly what Peter has feared, and the worst thing may be that MJ and Aunt May have survived it. That is to say, now they have to live with these horrible memories, and Peter has to deal with theim living with those memories. MJ's gonna need therapy for the forseeable future. Aunt May seems to be willing to accept Peter as Spider-Man, but at the end of the day, he's say his nephew/surrogate son, and he's still a teenager. No matter how capable Peter is as Spider-Man, she's still gonna see him as a child.

[ultimatespyder20]

Mj and Peter getting back together really doesn't annoy me. Kitty was alright, but I'd rather see Mj & Peter together. They've known each other longer, and they really do seem like they are mean't to be with each other. I do hope Kitty & Peter may still be able to be friends.

Alec

[Red Lotus]

So basically a predictable, clichéd ending. Well I wish I could say I was surpsied...

I was into this arc till the end. I didn't like the fact that Richard was a clone. I wanted May to die and Richard to be the one who knew Peter was Spider-man. I also hated the MJ is back and now I guess Kitty is out. I thought the whole Kitty thing was a great change and now it feel like it was all for nothing.

[megabyte01]

I liked this issue. It was a strong ending that resolved every dangling plot thread this arc brought up. It had strong character moments on every other page that we have been waiting for a while. I like that peter had a chance to say goodbye to Jessica because 1) it was a lightearted break from the serious moments, and 2) Jessica deserves a good send off (by the way, what's the Michael Keaton referece about?). I wish that Gwen's fate was a little more resolved, but I guess we'll have to wait until Venom's return before we see her again. the bit with MJ at the end: horrible flashback, or a taste of things to come?

So, now the clone saga is officially over. It's had its ups and downs. The poor guy has had his whole life turned upside down, but Peter kept fighting and he managed to pull it all together in the end. It will take time, but his life will recover. That's the theme this issue wanted to convey (after all, his house was busted, but still standing right?).

i'll be more generous than usual: 9/10

i considered waiting untill the next tpb before seeing ultimate spider-man again, but changed my mind after reading this issue. i guess that's high enough praise.

[caney]

Enjoyed this issue. It's amazing how much I like the non-action issues of this book. Bendis is just wonderful at hitting right the character moments. I think the new status of the characters at the end of the clone saga is interesting. There's lots of fun new places to go with the stories from here.

Between this and New Avengers, Bendis is on a roll this week!!!

[shadow of a madman]

I liked the little jab at Bush in there.

[Omega Alpha]

Oh, great, Pete is with MJ again, how original:rolleyes: Finally USM was doing something completely different, with great potential, and we come back to "Spidey's girlfriend helpless against supervillain" or "Spidey's superhero activies cause problems in his relationship" :( . And, while it had good moments (specially with Fury and Pete), it was all very predictable and clichéd.

[DoctorDoom]

Eh , I thought I'd hate MJ as his gf again, But I find I don't mind it. And I loved the awkward hug.

I kinda wanna see more Spider-Woman.

[Devil May Care]

Bottom line is that I liked it. I liked that a line seems to have been drawn between the FF and Fury. Liked the interaction between Peter and Jessica. Liked the fact that despite his assurances Fury still has ulterior motives. But if I had my druthers...

1) I'd have nixed the papa clone bit and let Pete's dad stay in the picture.

2) I'd have let Pete and MJ remain friends and have him stay romantic with Kitty. Didn't 616 Pete date Gwen for a long time with MJ still being his friend? Why couldn't that work here?

Sometimes I think Marvel chooses to forget that the Ultimate line is a fresh start and that not everything needs to mirror the 616 universe.

[stillanerd]

Let's see, on top of being paranoid, spoiled, and naive, Kitty's now a control freak (begging Xavier to erase the knowledge that Peter is Spider-Man from Aunt May's memory which he refuses, and considering how little respect for privacy and interfering with minds Ultimate Xavier has, THAT speaks volumes!) and a stalker to boot (all part of being a lovesick teenager I suppose). And seeing Peter and MJ play tonsil hockey (which was also bound to happen) Bendis firmly establishes her as the jealous and emotionally immature ex-girlfriend who just refuses to move on and let Peter go. So any Spiderkitty fanatics STILL want to see Peter and Kitty walk down the aisle? I said months and months ago that I thought Peter and Kitty's relationship was "too cute" and that Bendis was stringing people along until he got Peter and MJ back together--because the main focus of Ultimate Spider-Man is the development of Peter and MJs relationship, which Bendis himself admitted to. (Course, I didn't know exactly how Peter would get back together with MJ and I certainly didn't think it would be this soon, although it looks like MJ hasn't quite got over her trauma yet, not to mention that the culprit looks exactly like her boyfriend AND that he's now temporarily living under the same roof.)

[Arilou]

So any Spiderkitty fanatics STILL want to see Peter and Kitty walk down the aisle?

They're what, Sixteen, seventeen? A bit too young to be thinking about that don'tcha think? :p

But yes, because psycho-pro-active is still more fun than depressed-passive.


(Course, I didn't know exactly how Peter would get back together with MJ and I certainly didn't think it would be this soon, although it looks like MJ hasn't quite got over her trauma yet, not to mention that the culprit looks exactly like her boyfriend AND that he's now temporarily living under the same roof.)

I predict they are going to go through a periodic breakup cycle for a *long* time. Unfortunately, I see this developing into Clark/Lana from Smallville.

I do think they need to dump MJ *either* in USM or in the regular Spidey titles, on version is enough, but I have no particular preference for which one.

One major weakness with this entire arc has been Bagley's faces: Sue and Gwen look the same, as do Jean, MJ and even Kitty at times. He obviously has problems drawing female faces.

[KenK]

"Ready for the most awkward hug in the history of the world?"

That was priceless!

And can someone fill me in on the Michael Keaton reference?

[Omega Alpha]

I think that the Michael Keaton reference is because of the movie Multiplicity.

[killerbass]

I think that the Michael Keaton reference is because of the movie Multiplicity.

Which is a great funny, underrated movie.

Oh yeah, and it deals with clones...

--Tom

[Jimmae]

right.. isnt there a new female student joining his high school in the next arc? (think i read that in the preview or something..)
and hasnt kitty been talking about leaving xaviers for ages now? and with prof x dead in ult x-men, wont she have even less reason to stay... ?
i think the whole kitty/mj thing isnt over yet, hence why they made kitty look so creepy in the comic

[Xanrn]

Huh I'm sorry but where is the bit where MJ and Pete kiss with Kitty looking from the background?

If they end the relationship with MJ in 616, I'll be fine with this.

But I would much prefer they did something bleeding original.

[saral]

Kitty started off well I feel, Peter's guilt complex and realisation that MJ couldnt be trusted to look after herself. A little stalkerish maybe, but Kitty had startd to recover well, then she went down the tubes fast. Every plot point from the moment we heard about the SIII film was down to split Kitty and Peter, while before it was being worked on.

Yep the Smallville Clark/Lana syndrome looms. Back for films, split apart again... Sigh...

As I suspected Shadowcat will become Ultimate Spiderman's Black Cat.
(Yes I know theres a Black Cat, but you get what I mean)

[sgt pepper]

A great finish. Really touching ending. If it's a cliche, it hits all the right notes and works.

Funny to see Xavier refuse the mindwipe when his Ultimate version is so crazy and weird (and inconsistent). He's haphazardly done much worse than mindwipe is UXM, but this he refuses. OK.

I didn't get the Keaton reference either.

One plot point this didn't explain--how did May seem to recognize Richard and not be surprised to find him alive? I'm not looking for speculation or rationalization. Can someone point to a quote from an issue that expalins this, or was it a snafu?

[ultimatespyder20]

One plot point this didn't explain--how did May seem to recognize Richard and not be surprised to find him alive? I'm not looking for speculation or rationalization. Can someone point to a quote from an issue that expalins this, or was it a snafu?


I thought of this too, but if you look is issue #100 it shows Richard and May meeting months earlier in the street somewhere. Here May is surprised to see him alive, and she tells him never to come see Peter, and then runs off. That's when he showed up at the house that night, and she wasn't surprised at all. She thought the clone was the real deal also.

Alec

[filthysize]

Peter and MJ living together.

Well, hello possibilities...

[sgt pepper]

I thought of this too, but if you look is issue #100 it shows Richard and May meeting months earlier in the street somewhere. Here May is surprised to see him alive, and she tells him never to come see Peter, and then runs off. That's when he showed up at the house that night, and she wasn't surprised at all. She thought the clone was the real deal also.

Alec

Thanks! I forgot that.

[Sparda]

Now as a great future possiblity is seeing what happens, next for Gwen and Scorpion Peter.

[Izzycow]

an interesting idea is to have her be like black cat.

or another way to look at it is have it be like how she was scared of the black costume in 616

Emo Peter- You love spiderman and not me!
Mary Jane- hell yes! you nearly got me killed you dumb peice of crap. besides, the spider stuffs kinky

go on bendis. use that line. i dare you

[stillanerd]

They're what, Sixteen, seventeen? A bit too young to be thinking about that don'tcha think? :p

But yes, because psycho-pro-active is still more fun than depressed-passive.

Even better to read about a depressed-pro-active. :p Seriously, though, I was pointing out that, right around the beginning of Peter and Kitty becoming a couple, I distinctly remember a lot of the more vocal fans who were swooning like love-crazed groupies that they wanted Peter and Kitty to eventually get married they were that fanatical, a concept I thought was ridiculous, not just because they were still teenagers (although technically that's no problem in the South :D) but because Bendis himself said that the development of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship was far more important in Ultimate Spider-Man than it was in the 616 titles, meaning sooner or later Peter and MJ were bound to get back together and I was amazed that folks completely chose to ignore this out of a need for something different.


I predict they are going to go through a periodic breakup cycle for a *long* time. Unfortunately, I see this developing into Clark/Lana from Smallville.

I do think they need to dump MJ *either* in USM or in the regular Spidey titles, on version is enough, but I have no particular preference for which one.

Well, count me out if MJ starts dating Harry again becomes pregnant with his child like Lana's relationship with Lex Luthor in Smallville (cue chorus of fanboys going "What you talking about? That sounds awesome. Bendis should so do that!") :p

But yeah, the whole relationship with Peter and MJ and their ups and downs has been one of the main focuses of the series (much like the movies have been) and Bendis I don't believe will get rid of that. Although I do understand why some fans don't want it to have story after story of Peter and MJ's romance, but honestly, they're pretty much identifiable with each other now.


One major weakness with this entire arc has been Bagley's faces: Sue and Gwen look the same, as do Jean, MJ and even Kitty at times. He obviously has problems drawing female faces.

And at worse every female Bags draws sometimes has a tendency to look like Aunt May, and it's something I saw when he was the artist on Amazing Spider-Man back in the early 90s. Course it's not nearly as bad as Rob Liefeld where every female he draws looks like Chyna from WWE.

[megabyte01]

after reading it again, the scene in the hostital where kitty tried to convince xavier to change aunt may's memories stuck out in my mind. i remembered that every time the subject of peter's secret identiy came up, kitty tried to encourage him to tell his aunt, that she could handle it. she even volunteered to be with him when he went to confess to his aunt at the end of #94 (which was all for naught of course). 11 issues later, we find kitty is trying to prevent peter from doing something that would allow them to have a relationship in the future: reveal his identity. honestly, i believe it's the author telling us that he will not undo this change to the status quo. that is, aunt may knowing peter is spider-man. at the same time bendis is moving kitty out of the picture even further. whether she'll bow out gracefully, or she'll be the new student at peter's school in the next issue, haunting him like the ex-girlfriend she is.

if you can't stand the thought of peter being with mj in the future, i think that the last scene in #105 casts a reasonable doubt on the future of mj. after all, who would be the most likely star in the future 'death of a goblin' arc?

[Arilou]

after reading it again, the scene in the hostital where kitty tried to convince xavier to change aunt may's memories stuck out in my mind. i remembered that every time the subject of peter's secret identiy came up, kitty tried to encourage him to tell his aunt, that she could handle it. she even volunteered to be with him when he went to confess to his aunt at the end of #94 (which was all for naught of course). 11 issues later, we find kitty is trying to prevent peter from doing something that would allow them to have a relationship in the future: reveal his identity. honestly, i believe it's the author telling us that he will not undo this change to the status quo. that is, aunt may knowing peter is spider-man. at the same time bendis is moving kitty out of the picture even further. whether she'll bow out gracefully, or she'll be the new student at peter's school in the next issue, haunting him like the ex-girlfriend she is.

if you can't stand the thought of peter being with mj in the future, i think that the last scene in #105 casts a reasonable doubt on the future of mj. after all, who would be the most likely star in the future 'death of a goblin' arc?

I believe the point was that Kitty was trying to do what she thought Peter would want: *She* thinks Aunt May could handle it, but she didn't think Peter thinks she could. Kinda.


Even better to read about a depressed-pro-active. Seriously, though, I was pointing out that, right around the beginning of Peter and Kitty becoming a couple, I distinctly remember a lot of the more vocal fans who were swooning like love-crazed groupies that they wanted Peter and Kitty to eventually get married they were that fanatical, a concept I thought was ridiculous, not just because they were still teenagers (although technically that's no problem in the South ) but because Bendis himself said that the development of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship was far more important in Ultimate Spider-Man than it was in the 616 titles, meaning sooner or later Peter and MJ were bound to get back together and I was amazed that folks completely chose to ignore this out of a need for something different.

Well, then I'll just have to hope Joey Q. Really does break them up in 616. (Which IMHO would be by far the inferior solution because it would be throwing years of character development into the dumpster)


But yeah, the whole relationship with Peter and MJ and their ups and downs has been one of the main focuses of the series (much like the movies have been) and Bendis I don't believe will get rid of that. Although I do understand why some fans don't want it to have story after story of Peter and MJ's romance, but honestly, they're pretty much identifiable with each other now.

To be blunt, I'm not certain. Bendis is tricky, and well.... He's pretty "meta". I wouldn't put him past changing the entire premise of a story drastically just for the heck of it.

[DBZ MAN]

I have 2 problems that I can't solve with the clone saga:

If the memories that the old peter clone had were fake then how come one of them has Aunt May being in one and remembering him? (maybe that one wasn't a memory I guess...?)

Why did the old peter clone just shriville up and die all of a sudden? Sounds a bit of a weak ending if it was a clone degeneritive thing.

[Red Lotus]

If the memories that the old peter clone had were fake then how come one of them has Aunt May being in one and remembering him? (maybe that one wasn't a memory I guess...?)

The clone thinking its really gets out seeks out May. Or maybe Ock let out the clone knowing he would go to May.


Why did the old peter clone just shriville up and die all of a sudden? Sounds a bit of a weak ending if it was a clone degeneritive thing.


It could be been a fail safe. That as soon as the clone figured out it was a clone it clicked in to kill it self.

[Pyro]

after reading it again, the scene in the hostital where kitty tried to convince xavier to change aunt may's memories stuck out in my mind. i remembered that every time the subject of peter's secret identiy came up, kitty tried to encourage him to tell his aunt, that she could handle it. she even volunteered to be with him when he went to confess to his aunt at the end of #94 (which was all for naught of course). 11 issues later, we find kitty is trying to prevent peter from doing something that would allow them to have a relationship in the future: reveal his identity. honestly, i believe it's the author telling us that he will not undo this change to the status quo. that is, aunt may knowing peter is spider-man. at the same time bendis is moving kitty out of the picture even further. whether she'll bow out gracefully, or she'll be the new student at peter's school in the next issue, haunting him like the ex-girlfriend she is.

if you can't stand the thought of peter being with mj in the future, i think that the last scene in #105 casts a reasonable doubt on the future of mj. after all, who would be the most likely star in the future 'death of a goblin' arc?I was thinking along similar lines, in that Bendis seemed to use the Kitty/Jean/Prof. X scene to say that while he could take an easy out, he wouldn't. And that's an interesting point you bring up, that she was previously the one encouraging Peter to tell his aunt. In any case, I feel really bad for Kitty. Nothing's going her way right now.

[filthysize]

Why did the old peter clone just shriville up and die all of a sudden? Sounds a bit of a weak ending if it was a clone degeneritive thing.

The clone was artificially aged in fast forward. His aging process was out of whack. Remember when Sue Storm told him to look at his hands and said those weren't the hands of a 40 year old? It was all wrinkly and bony like he was 70. He just died of old age.

[Dj0rel]

Does anyone think that Doc Ock is now locked up in that plastic cell ment for Magneto.

[jackolover]

I just figured Fury meant that if Peter doesn't do anything stupid (like get himself killed or become a villian), he could end up being a great hero one day. Peter already does some pretty heroic things, and he's just a kid. Fury's more or less telling him if he sticks with it, he could probably accomplish great things once he grows up.

What is Peter, now? Chopped liver? Look at all the villians he's taken care of over a 100 issues, and Fury still treats him like an amatuer? That's so crass. Peter doesn't need Fury's seal of approval. Peter has shown what a BIG hero he is already.

[jackolover]

Eh , I thought I'd hate MJ as his gf again, But I find I don't mind it. And I loved the awkward hug.

I kinda wanna see more Spider-Woman.

Doom. You devil. I too, have this Peter/Jessica fetish running there. Can't wait for her to make a comeback. Thanks Bendis for not totalling her in a train wreck. BRING BACK SPIDERWOMAN!!

[jackolover]

Let's see, on top of being paranoid, spoiled, and naive, Kitty's now a control freak (begging Xavier to erase the knowledge that Peter is Spider-Man from Aunt May's memory which he refuses, and considering how little respect for privacy and interfering with minds Ultimate Xavier has, THAT speaks volumes!) and a stalker to boot (all part of being a lovesick teenager I suppose). And seeing Peter and MJ play tonsil hockey (which was also bound to happen) Bendis firmly establishes her as the jealous and emotionally immature ex-girlfriend who just refuses to move on and let Peter go. So any Spiderkitty fanatics STILL want to see Peter and Kitty walk down the aisle? I said months and months ago that I thought Peter and Kitty's relationship was "too cute" and that Bendis was stringing people along until he got Peter and MJ back together--because the main focus of Ultimate Spider-Man is the development of Peter and MJs relationship, which Bendis himself admitted to. (Course, I didn't know exactly how Peter would get back together with MJ and I certainly didn't think it would be this soon, although it looks like MJ hasn't quite got over her trauma yet, not to mention that the culprit looks exactly like her boyfriend AND that he's now temporarily living under the same roof.)

I think Bendis has set it up for a love trangle between Kitty-Peter-MJ for the next forseeable future. Peter hasn't really committed to MJ, and dropped Kitty, has he? I think Peter will be in turmoil about how close to get to MJ, because I think Peter just has this overprotective streak for MJ. It's not romantic. Peter, as far as I'm concerned, has a girlfriend, Kitty, and he has to convince Kitty that he isn't in love with MJ. This will play out over some long story lines. Kitty does have an issue with Peter lip locking MJ and he'll have some explaining to do. Kitty's over-exuberance to mind-wipe May was a clear indication she has taken the stance of the girlfriend in Peters life by taking charge. Her heart is in the right place and she is clearly in love with Peter, the whole way. It will be good to explore that dynamic in the issues to come.

[jackolover]

"Ready for the most awkward hug in the history of the world?"

That was priceless!

And can someone fill me in on the Michael Keaton reference?

There's some obvious twin love there, and you didn't see Peter pull away. He likes his twin sister, and wants to keep up contact, which is fine by me. I wonder if they have a mental link? I wonder if Bendis will do a Ben Reilly with Peter and Jessica? I wonder if.... well, there are so many I wonder if's.

[Spidercat]

Not sure if anyone here is a fan of Broadway musicals, but I'm seeing some strange parallels between current issues of Ultimate Spider-Man and Les Miserables.

Spidey/Pete seems like a super powered Marius -- good student, wants to do the right thing for others, but caught in a love triangle with two girls

Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat strikes me as becoming an Eponine figure, hopelessly in love with and devoted to Peter, who can overlook her feelings because of his feelings for MJ. She might also have an angry/vindictive side like Eponine, although my feeling is her better nature will make her remain faithful to Peter. (I actually had a dream of her singing "On My Own")

MJ seems cast as Cosette -- beautiful, the object of Peter's affections, and yet largely clueless of the events surrounding her -- not because she's stupid, but because she doesn't really belong to the world Peter is immersed in.

Nick Fury reminds me a bit of Javert -- a lawman who's devotion to doing what he thinks is right for the world often makes him let good people suffer.

Daredevil may become an Enjolras figure -- a leader devoted/obsessed to a war against injustice. His plan to form the Marvel Knights (just like Enjolras rallied a student insurrection) makes this parallel even stronger.


Not really sure if there's a Jean Valjean figure here -- Uncle Ben comes to mind, but he doesn't really fit the mold.

Just thought I'd share...

[jackolover]

Not sure if anyone here is a fan of Broadway musicals, but I'm seeing some strange parallels between current issues of Ultimate Spider-Man and Les Miserables.

Les Miserables sure sums up Peter Parkers life. Can't say I'm familiar with the stage story, but if it's as tragic as Spidermans existence, it would fit the bill. I can't see anybody torn between a normal existence and maturing into an adult, with self-destructive possibilities, as sad as what Bendis makes him in Ultimate.

I can see why Fury is so suspicious of Peter. Peter fits the stereo-typical orphaned, low class teenager, who could turn to drugs and violence. But he doesn't. That's what makes Peter doubly the hero.

[Arilou]

What is Peter, now? Chopped liver? Look at all the villians he's taken care of over a 100 issues, and Fury still treats him like an amatuer? That's so crass. Peter doesn't need Fury's seal of approval. Peter has shown what a BIG hero he is already.

The point is, and MJ points this out, Peter *wants* Fury's approval.

One of the little undercurrents in Spidey-lore (both 616 and Ultimate) is Peter's search (kind of) for a surrogate father-figure.

[jackolover]

The point is, and MJ points this out, Peter *wants* Fury's approval.

One of the little undercurrents in Spidey-lore (both 616 and Ultimate) is Peter's search (kind of) for a surrogate father-figure.

I'm not convinced Peter is searching for a father figure, as much as he's seeking approval, which is something, apparantly, MJ could see. I couldn't see that, so maybe I don't pick up on those emotional pointers as well as I should. Can you site some of the instances, or evidence, you have noticed in the past, which does show Peters search for a father figure, and/or, search for approval? None of this rings a bell with me.

[StoneGold]

I'm not convinced Peter is searching for a father figure, as much as he's seeking approval, which is something, apparantly, MJ could see. I couldn't see that, so maybe I don't pick up on those emotional pointers as well as I should. Can you site some of the instances, or evidence, you have noticed in the past, which does show Peters search for a father figure, and/or, search for approval? None of this rings a bell with me.

Captain Stacy? Ben Urich? JJ? Wolverine? Eddie?


Although the thing about Peter, especially Ultimate Peter, is that he was betrayed by all his initial father figures in rapid succession. Uncle Ben dies. Then his best friend's father, who he was getting relatively close to, tries to kill him. That's gonna mess a kid up.

[Euchre0]

As far as Peter and Kitty's relationship being pointless because it is over...frankly that seems more realistic to me. I work with high school kids and they date people anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years and then just move on. Peter hooked up with Kitty because stuff was over with MJ, no surprise he's a slightly fickle 16-16 year old boy.

seems like reality is as cliched as fiction a good bit of the time.

[Indefatigable]

I say: good ending to a rather weird and uneven story arc.

I'm not a huge fan of Peter/Kitty, but I also gotta think it should have lasted a while longer.

[Kramer4262]

I just can't say how weird it is to say cool or awesome and clone saga in the same sentance. I loves this arc and I can't believe bendis was able to at least give the kid a good ending for once and have everything tie up nicely in one issue! May okay, true love, and fury's approval. Awesome!

[gliderpilotgirl]

I think Bendis has set it up for a love trangle between Kitty-Peter-MJ for the next forseeable future. Peter hasn't really committed to MJ, and dropped Kitty, has he? I think Peter will be in turmoil about how close to get to MJ, because I think Peter just has this overprotective streak for MJ. It's not romantic. Peter, as far as I'm concerned, has a girlfriend, Kitty, and he has to convince Kitty that he isn't in love with MJ. This will play out over some long story lines. Kitty does have an issue with Peter lip locking MJ and he'll have some explaining to do. Kitty's over-exuberance to mind-wipe May was a clear indication she has taken the stance of the girlfriend in Peters life by taking charge. Her heart is in the right place and she is clearly in love with Peter, the whole way. It will be good to explore that dynamic in the issues to come.
ok, I am agreed. Bendis has set the comic up for a really awesome love triangle, but as Stillanerd previously said: It's starting to echo MJ/Peter/Black Cat from the 616. Kitty's behavior greatly resembles Felicia's, though Kitty has more to redeem her, pretty much meaning her heroic career. Kitty thinks she has true love, but it's infatuation with Peter as Spider-man, first and foremost. She doesn't remotely know the real him, she knows the shell Peter exudes to pretty much everyone other than May and MJ. If she really knew him, she'd have picked up on his discomfort much earlier, stemming from his feelings for MJ.
I firmly disagree on your point that Peter's love for MJ is not romantic. In my eyes, he never moved on from MJ in the first place. His discomfort in issue 91 when with Kitty " it's not you", his reaction of shock and anger to Kitty's accusation in 97 ( anger from guilt ). He has been "settling" for Kitty, mainly because she made it easy, and he wouldn't have to be alone and could be guiltless. Sure he liked her, but superficially. In his words: "She's cute and funny and my age". There was nothing special about it.
The relationship was harmful and dishonest to Peter and his character. Did Kitty allow him to grow at all in a meaningful way? No! She may have offered to stand with him to face May, but he had to discover the wisdom of that decision himself. He made no progress as a person, and in my eyes he went backwards..hurting MJ, leading Kitty on, he's been a jerk.
The facade needs to end. He needs to do the right thing, and apologize to Kitty, for denying her the deep connection him and MJ share, and unintentionally playing with her heart.
And what Peter does not need is a girlfriend taking charge over him, and thinking she knows best. She has no normal life to deal with, nothing to hide. She doesn't have lives to protect and in her hands. That insistence to Prof X came from her lack of knowledge and her frustration at losing control.
A core element of this book has been Peter and his decisions and the consequences of them. He does not need a meddling girlfriend.
Issue 105 contrasted proper help to Peter ( MJ verbally fighting for Peter to Fury, Fury needed to know that. ) vs improper ( Kitty's insistance at doing something immoral and actually detrimental to Peter's development. )

[MaxofSteel]

Finally got my hands on this issue today. Gotta say I'm pretty happy how things turned out.

I love fury's conversation with Peter at the hospital. Really builds up Peter's potential to be an even greater hero than he is in the 616.

I'm really excited about the upcoming arcs too. Hope Jessica comes back soon.

[megabyte01]

Unless kitty is the new student at midtown high , which i doubt, I don't think Peter, MJ, and Kitty will form some ind of love triangle. I say this because in the most recent issue of uxm, Kitty states she is leaving the xmen . Still, the preveiw says he will continue to have girl troubles. Kitty is deffinitly a girl who can cause trouble for Peter.
I'd love to believe Nick fury is on the level, but part of me just knows better. he would not, and did not, hesitate to ruin Peter's life without question when he considered Peter a threat. Fury did go a long way toward correcting his mistake, but I would not trust him because of everything we've seen him do behind the scenes. Remember, he is still holding Gwen hostage in some shield laboratory. I can't figure out why Peter forgot it, though.
Spider-Woman, aka female clone of Peter... it doesn't sound like a concept that would work, but it works suprisingly well. Bendis went out of his way to make the reader sympathetic to Jessica's plight. He also never missed an oportunity to point out the blatant awkwardness of Peter and Jessica's 'connection'. I'd like to see this character return sometime in the future - mainly because I'm a sucker for clone-based puns - but I think it's important for both characters to have time to grow for a while. I'd give it about 40-45 issues before we see Spider-Woman return and save Peter from some bad guy who is putting Peter's family in danger.