‘Spider-Man ’94’ Will Not Reveal How Peter Parker Saved MJ From Limbo: “If This Mini Does Well, We Can Double Back And Find Out Exactly What Happened”
In an absolutely baffling creative decision given how most readers will be picking the series up specifically to finally receive a proper resolution to the original show’s cliffhanger ending, Spider-Man ’94 Vol. 1 writer J. M. DeMatteis has confirmed that the upcoming comic book mini will not explain how Peter Parker ultimately saved MJ from Limbo, but instead begin its story sometime after her rescue.
For those who either never saw Spider-Man: The Animated Series or may need a quick refresher, the unresolved plot thread concerning MJ’s sudden interdimensional trip first kicks off in the show’s Season 3 finale, Turning Point.
Essentially a TV-Y7 appropriate recreation of The Night Gwen Stacy Died, the episode finds the Green Goblin finally putting together Spider-Man’s secret identity and choosing to use this knowledge to escalate their ongoing war, realizing that rather than fighting him, it’s much easier and far-more effective to attack those he loves – beginning with MJ.
Kidnapping her and fleeing to the top of the George Washington Bridge with the intent of throwing her off its heights, the villain is stopped from doing so by the sudden arrival of Spider-Man, who moves MJ out of harms way before proceeding to beat the snot out of his archnemesis
Finding himself on the backfoot, the Goblin once again takes aim at MJ, this time using his glider to unleash a scattershot barrage of missiles upon the woman and her superpowered beau.
Though the initial projectiles fail to hit their targets, the resulting explosions caused by their impact with the bridge sends massive shockwaves through its structure, the effects of which give Norman Osborn an unintentional win by causing MJ to lose her balance and fall towards the Hudson River below.
Unable to find her body in the waters, Spider-Man initially believes MJ to have perished in the fall, but it is soon revealed to the viewer that rather than falling into the icy waters, she instead found herself falling through a portal to Limbo, as had been accidentally generated under her by the Green Goblin’s own interdimensional travel device during the preceding chaos.
And though MJ would seemingly return a short while later, conspicuously absent of any knowledge of how she survived the fall, it is soon revealed that this is not actually MJ, but rather a Hydro-Clone made by none other than Miles Warren, a.k.a. The Jackal.
Unfortunately, before the hero could begin a search for the real MJ, he would not only find himself an unwilling participant in both the Beyonder’s Secret War and the first ever ‘Spider-Verse’ adventure, but also, just as Madame Web invites Spider-Man to begin looking for her, the series’ overall cancellation.
To this end, with DeMatteis confirming at the time of the Spider-Man ’94 Vol. 1‘s announcement that Marvel was “treating this as the next season of the show,” as well as the book’s solicit boasting that it would see the web-head “swinging back into the streets of New York City with his beloved Mary Jane WATSON in tow”, many fans found themselves understandably excited at the prospect that this plotline would not only becoming to a close, but a happy one.
Sadly, while the miniseries will move past MJ’s disappearance to tell new stories in the TAS continuity, it will not explain just how the web-crossed lovers reunited.
Asked during a July interview with CBR‘s Brian Cronin as to whether “the series be more of a direct continuation of the cartoon’s cliffhanger, or will it be more of “some time later” approach to give yourself a bit of a blank slate as a starting point?”, DeMatteis affirmed, “The latter.”
“The latter,” explained the seasoned author of the original Kraven’s Last Hunt storyline. “We learn that Peter has gone to hell and back in order to bring MJ home, that they’ve had an incredible, harrowing adventure along the way, but we don’t get into the details. As our story opens, they’re home and ready to begin a new life together.”
“That said,” he added, “if this mini does well, we can double back and find out exactly what happened in the next one.”
Featuring artwork by current Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse Vol. 1 artist Jim Towe, the first of Spider-Man ’94 Vol. 1‘s five-issue run is currently on track to begin webbing up store shelves on September 3rd.
