What Retcons were needed

[Bamf25]

We have recently had a thread discussing should the MU be rebooted. In that vien, I was wondering what retcons that have been done were NEEDED, even required. This means that the character, story, or book was so screwed up or even broken, that the change was required to move things forward, and make things better.

[Grapeweasel]

Every vile trace of Sins Past needed to be expunged.

[Expletive Deleted]

Strictly speaking, none. Most of the time, we're better off just ignoring unpleasant continuity than spending time and energy deleting or changing it.

That said, when Roy Thomas (the patron saint of ridiculously comprehensive continuity) was combining Golden Age continuity, mythological continuity, and Kirby's Eternals into the Marvel Universe, the various retcons he enacted were needed in order to make things fit. We can of course argue the necessity of integrating those continuities into the MU in the first place, but, if you're already past that point, you need retcons to make it work.

For instance, if you want to keep the post-War Captain America stories in continuity, you need to retcon in a "new" Cap or three. Which Roy (and Steve Englehart) did.

[marvell2100]

Punisher needed one badly. He was psycho. He was Black. He was an angel. He was the head of a Mob family. He was becoming a joke. Now? He's a much better read.

[Expletive Deleted]

Punisher needed one badly. He was psycho. He was Black. He was an angel. He was the head of a Mob family. He was becoming a joke. Now? He's a much better read.
And while those unfortunate bits of continuity are never, ever referenced, they weren't actually retconned away.

[BugsySig]

I agree with the post-war Cap stories needing the retcon.

Another would be Wolverine: Origins. Logan's past was so screwed up over the years, with the idea of false-memory implants, etc, that it was about time that Marvel made the effort to like them all together. Not sure if it counts as a classic retcon, but it was desperately needed.

The only other I can think of is the recent Iron-Fist mythology that has been added. I guess we can't judge until after the "Secret Origin of Danny Rand" mini comes out, but so far the changes/additions have really helped the character break out.

[Leocomix]

Teen Tony and that whole story about Iron Man being a traitor for Kang since the beginning of the Avengers had to be retconned.
Most of the continuity fixes that Busiek and Slott did were necessary.

[XPac]

One reton I liked was in Earth's Mightiest, where they retconned Wasp marrying Yellow Jacket. I always thought it was kinda messed up how Wasp took advantge of Hank by marrying him while he was in a mentally deranged state.

I think retconning that to SHIELD psychiatrists telling her to go along with it for his own good is a sensible retcon that doesn't make them all look like jerks for allowing it to happen.

I think many of the retcons involving Thanos worked. After Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos basically gave up on the notion of trying to destory the universe... but too many writers flat out ignrored the character development and kept using him as the villain he once was. Starlin's retcons protecting the character may have been somewhat over protective... but it also kept his characteriation and plot development consistant.

[StoneGold]

Sharon Carter is no longer Peggy's sister but her niece.


Hell, the sister thing barely worked when it was originally written.

[XPac]

Sharon Carter is no longer Peggy's sister but her niece.


Hell, the sister thing barely worked when it was originally written.

Peggy worked in Avengers headquarters in modern times right? I'm suprised they haven't retconned Peggy to be Peggy's niece at this point.

[Seraku]

Bucky Barnes

[StoneGold]

Peggy worked in Avengers headquarters in modern times right? I'm suprised they haven't retconned Peggy to be Peggy's niece at this point.

Apparently, whatever Gabe Jones gets from hanging around Nick Fury can also be transmitted sexually.

Mainstream comics in general has a few too many WWII vets running around in their apparent primes.

[Sandy Hausler]

Every vile trace of Sins Past needed to be expunged.


Amen.

Sandy Hausler