Carol and Peter: MAKE IT HAPPEN!

[GreyRules1O1]

Peter is too immature for relationship with Carol.

[Darthfury78]

Peter is too immature for relationship with Carol.

That's what Julia Carpenter once said about Spider-Man before she became Madam Web. Once she got to know about his history, she decided to keep her eye on him. Also, once Carol got to know Peter Parker, she developed a mutual respect for him.

[Kevinroc]

Personally, I don't think that Peter should be in a relationship with anyone at this time. The only reason why fans were hostile towards Carlie because the relationship never took its time to grow organically as a mutual relationship first. This way, the fans who have come to like the character. I still feel that Carlie isn't out of the game with Peter Parker. It's just going to take its time from this point onwards in a slow and steady manner. Just like Peter's relationship with Mary Jane is just taking its time slowly.

This is why The Black Cat rejected him because she didn't want to be known as the rebound girl for Spider-Man. Any woman who is interested in Spider-Man/Peter Parker is not going to have a serious relationship with a man who just got dumped by his recent ex-girlfriend. There are no Friends with Benefits for Spider-Man.

No, the reason fans were hostile to Carlie is because she wasn't Mary Jane. And she was being set-up as the new girl after OMD. And they went in knowing people were going to hate Carlie. So it was a relationship doomed to fail from the very beginning. It doesn't matter how "fast" or "slow" it was handled. And she had been a supporting character for 102 issues (yes, I know she wasn't in every issue of BND) before she and Peter became a couple (which lasted for about 27 issues).

[Xenon]

When did I say that they could never interact in any capacity? That would be ridiculous. (Although Peter won't be interacting with Karen because of legal issues. Oh well.)

Re: The last part....what? Who?

Re: The first part, the only difference between them being romantically involved and platonically involved is what they do when he shows up. One isn't inherently more undermining than another. If he's carrying her by being there, it doesn't matter why he's there.

But the entire text of this thread is to promote a romantic relationship between Peter and Carol, which I think is a horrible idea. It undermines Carol's worth (she can't step out and be her own character unless she's tied to Spider-Man) and it takes away from the soap opera of Peter Parker's life to be in a relationship with a superheroine.

But a traditional super hero team-up (as well as interacting in The Avengers)? That's fun. Good stuff there.

As to the core argument, there are a couple things to say here....

1) This is Carol's THIRD solo title (unless I'm forgetting one). Her original Ms. Marvel run, the mid 2000s run, and now this. Carol's worth I think is pretty well established as that B-list superhero (and I really like Ms. Marvel, but just the way things are)
2) Yes, it DOES take him away from the traditional soap opera aspect of his life. But you could still have soap opera in his life, just in a new way. Which I think is the point. Mind you, it has a limited shelf-life, of course, but in a world where his relationships are all doomed anyway, it's a new avenue (and really one of if not the only viable one left)
3) I still don't see how it undermines her worth though. At least, as long as you handle it right and you don't extend ti too long (which it really shouldn't do anyway)

[charlesthehammer]

Since she is getting a new ongoing I doubt it will happen (not to mention Dan's opinions on these types of things), and if it did, I don't think it would work to well.

[Kevinroc]

Re: The last part....what? Who?

Re: The first part, the only difference between them being romantically involved and platonically involved is what they do when he shows up. One isn't inherently more undermining than another. If he's carrying her by being there, it doesn't matter why he's there.

1: DC character Karen Starr or Kara Zor-L, alias Power Girl. (Think "what if Supergirl were about 10 years older.") She was created by Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada and Wally Wood. And even though she is Superman's cousin from another dimension, the best Power Girl stories, IMO, are the ones where she branches off on her own and doesn't rely on her obvious famous family.

2: My point is that characters like Carol (and Karen, but since this is about Carol, we'll keep it there) were built more on establishing their own legacy and not relying too heavily on guest stars to sell their title. Because a Peter/Carol relationship feels like it would just be a sales stunt and rely more on Spidey's branding then on whatever quality a Carol Danvers title might have.

As to the core argument, there are a couple things to say here....

1) This is Carol's THIRD solo title (unless I'm forgetting one). Her original Ms. Marvel run, the mid 2000s run, and now this. Carol's worth I think is pretty well established as that B-list superhero (and I really like Ms. Marvel, but just the way things are)
2) Yes, it DOES take him away from the traditional soap opera aspect of his life. But you could still have soap opera in his life, just in a new way. Which I think is the point. Mind you, it has a limited shelf-life, of course, but in a world where his relationships are all doomed anyway, it's a new avenue (and really one of if not the only viable one left)
3) I still don't see how it undermines her worth though. At least, as long as you handle it right and you don't extend ti too long (which it really shouldn't do anyway)

1: I am aware. Although now they're giving her the Captain Marvel name. (Which is really interesting since she started out as a supporting character of Captain Marvel.)

2: I'm generally not wild about super heroes dating. Particularly ones who are under different "umbrellas." I just keep thinking back to the relationship between Green Lantern Kyle Rayner and former Wonder Girl Donna Troy. The point is the writer doesn't really have control over the relationship. (And since Peter and Carol both have ongoings, it makes it all but impossible to coordinate. Never mind that Donna was just a supporting character that the Wonder Woman comic wanted back at the time of her relationship with Kyle.)

And of course, it isn't really an original idea. Since we saw Peter/superheroine explored in Ultimate Spider-Man.

3: Mostly because it, IMO, relies on Peter's star power to help push Carol Danvers as a character. (She's already a long standing Avenger, with a few appearances in video games, and about to be a member of the Avengers in the Earth's Mightiest Heroes animated series.)

[Darthfury78]

Since she is getting a new ongoing I doubt it will happen (not to mention Dan's opinions on these types of things), and if it did, I don't think it would work to well.

I feel that Spidey should not be in a relationship with anyone at this time. We all agree that Spider-Man should keep his relationship with a superheroine at the "Friends/Pals" level. In addition, we know that any relationship other than Mary Jane is doomed to fail. So now with that out of the way, let the conversation continue.

[Kevinroc]

I feel that Spidey should not be in a relationship with anyone at this time. We all agree that Spider-Man should keep his relationship with a superheroine at the "Friends/Pals" level. In addition, we know that any relationship other than Mary Jane is doomed to fail. So now with that out of the way, let the conversation continue.

Even a relationship with Mary Jane is doomed to an eternal "on-again/off-again" thing. (It'll just be a lot more nakedly apparent.)

[Darthfury78]

Even a relationship with Mary Jane is doomed to an eternal "on-again/off-again" thing. (It'll just be a lot more nakedly apparent.)

True. Until another creative team decides to make them a couple again, as it has been done with Lois Lane and Clark Kent! Let's not forget that Kaine might one day become the successor of Spider-Man when Peter decides to retire the role unto him. From there, Peter and Mary will finally have the chance to raise their daughter, Mayday Parker in the background. Something that would have been ongoing if Marvel didn't kill off Ben Reilly in the first place since he was the first person to succeed Peter Parker as Spider-Man.

[charlesthehammer]

I feel that Spidey should not be in a relationship with anyone at this time. We all agree that Spider-Man should keep his relationship with a superheroine at the "Friends/Pals" level. In addition, we know that any relationship other than Mary Jane is doomed to fail. So now with that out of the way, let the conversation continue.

I am fine with that (you are even getting it in Avenging), but that I don't think that is what the OP was talking about.

[stewart48]

I just really liked the buddy aspect that came from the end of the last Ms Marvel series, more chili dogs on rooftops and their own version of the fastball special, no thing romantic, flirtatious at most.

I feel that Spidey should not be in a relationship with anyone at this time. We all agree that Spider-Man should keep his relationship with a superheroine at the "Friends/Pals" level. In addition, we know that any relationship other than Mary Jane is doomed to fail. So now with that out of the way, let the conversation continue.

Do we really all agree? Such an ego on that one

[custodes]

Well.....Peter could use a super hero girlfriend. Something to freshen up the books. Not that Blackcat thief. A real hero. Give Gwen and MJ and whoever a rest. Carol is as good as any. Red Shulkie? Rogue? Green Shulkie. What's Clea up to?

[kid_omega]

One of the problems of Carol and Peter being in a relationship is that there is a risk of having 2 super-heroes in ASM. It will be more like a team-up book rather than a solo Spidey title. I mean, how can you write Carol as Perter's girl without having to deal with her daily role of fighting villains and crime? And wont it be obvious that Peter and Carol are Spidey and Ms. Marvel?

[Darthfury78]

One of the problems of Carol and Peter being in a relationship is that there is a risk of having 2 super-heroes in ASM. It will be more like a team-up book rather than a solo Spidey title. I mean, how can you write Carol as Peter's girl without having to deal with her daily role of fighting villains and crime? And wont it be obvious that Peter and Carol are Spidey and Ms. Marvel?

This is why Carol will not show up in Amazing Spider-Man on an ongoing status que. She'll occasionally show up in Avenging Spider-Man in a guest team-up. But Carol is not going to become Peter's girlfriend. In the end, Carol's relationship with Peter Parker will not extend beyond the Pals/Friends level.

As far as The Amazing Spider-Man is concerned, Peter has more important things to worry about with regards to his social life outside of the superhero realm.

[John Zaleski]

I would love to see this.

And I am in llove with that avengenging spider-man cover.