**Warning Spoilers for Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 Below**
Marvel Comics, writer Tom Taylor, and artist Marcelo Ferreira revealed a heartbreaking illness for Peter Parker’s Aunt May, which has a number of people theorizing she might be the next major Marvel character to die.
In the second story in [easyazon_link identifier=”1302916904″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1[/easyazon_link], Aunt May begins writing Peter Parker a letter that begins with “Dear Peter, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to worry.”
As the story progresses, Peter is shown out on a date with Mary Jane as more and more of Aunt May’s letter is revealed.
Eventually Aunt May and Peter run into each other, but Aunt May quickly excuses herself and explains in the letter, “I didn’t want you to worry if there was nothing to worry about.”
The story progresses with Aunt May confronting now Mayor Wilson Fisk as she makes her way to the Maria Wheelock Cancer Center. Meanwhile, Spider-Man handles business with a couple of bullies on a school bus.
But the big reveal about Aunt May is that she’s not visiting anyone at the cancer center. She’s actually the patient as a doctor greets her, “Thank you for coming in on such short notice.”
As Aunt May closes out her letter she writes to Peter, “Don’t be angry. I just didn’t want you to worry. A few weeks ago, I found a lump.”
However, she never actually sends the letter to Peter. Instead crumpling up in her hands. Then distraught with emotion she puts her head in hands.
The implication is that Aunt May has some form a cancer, and it could be fatal, especially with the doctor indicating that Aunt May has to speak to a number of other people, and not just one doctor.
That could mean she has to speak to multiple doctors including a surgeon if they plan on operating on the lump. Depending on wear the lump is located, they might also need to bring in a specialist.
Given Aunt May’s body language and her emotional letter to Peter, many believe this could be Marvel’s way of setting people up for Aunt May to pass away.
However, another notable patient has attended the Maria Wheelock Cancer Center. That patient was Jane Foster. Foster fought against her cancer diagnosis by becoming Thor. Her cancer would return after she used Mjolnir to defeat Mangog. She would lose her powers without the mighty hammer and attend treatment at the center. Foster is still kicking it, so it’s quite possible that Aunt May might actually be inspired by Foster and beat back what looks to be a potentially fatal cancer diagnosis.
What do you think about Aunt May getting cancer? Do you like this direction for Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?