Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Last updated

"Brand New Day"
ASM558 COV2.jpg
Cover to The Amazing Spider-Man #558.
Art by Barry Kitson.
Publisher Marvel Comics
Publication dateJanuary – July 2008
Genre
Title(s) The Amazing Spider-Man #546–564
Main character(s) Spider-Man
Harry Osborn
Mister Negative
Jackpot
Menace
Freak
Creative team
Writer(s) Dan Slott, Marc Guggenheim, Bob Gale, and Zeb Wells
Artist(s) Steve McNiven, Salvador Larroca, Phil Jimenez, Chris Bachalo, Marcos Martin, and Barry Kitson
Inker(s) Dexter Vines, Andy Lanning, and Tim Townsend
Colorist(s)Morry Hollowell, Dave Stewart, Jason Keith, Jeromy Cox, and Antonio Fabela

"Brand New Day" is a comic book storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man , published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2008. It chronicles the start of Spider-Man's adventures in the aftermath of the status quo-altering "One More Day" storyline, [1] and continues afterwards into "Spider-Man: Big Time". Although the banner only runs across the front covers of #546-564 and the Spider-Man: Swing Shift (Director's Cut) one-shot (itself a reprint, with new material, of the Free Comic Book Day 2007: Spider-Man one-shot), "Brand New Day" is also used to refer to the entire 102-issue run of stories featured in The Amazing Spider-Man #546-647 and accompanying tie-in series, one-shots, and annuals.

Contents

During this time, Marvel made The Amazing Spider-Man the company's sole Spider-Man title, upping its frequency of publication to three issues monthly and cancelling the other then-current Spider-Man titles The Sensational Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , [2] and inaugurated the series with a sequence of "back to basics" story arcs. [3] This marks the first time since December 1976 (when Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 was published) that only one regularly published title featured Spider-Man in its title.

Plot

The new status quo

Following the events of "One More Day", Spider-Man's marriage to Mary Jane Watson has been erased, resulting in adjustments to his own history. Spider-Man's secret identity has also been forgotten by everyone, including people who knew his identity before his public unmasking. Harry Osborn is again alive; he has been living in Europe for several years. Aunt May is alive and well and volunteers in a homeless shelter. Peter has his original mechanical webshooters. Although "some people" vaguely recall that Spider-Man unmasked himself during the events of Civil War , they do not remember whose face was under the mask, and even if this is brought to their attention, they soon cease to worry about it. [4]

Brand New Day

Spider-Man has not been seen for one hundred days due to the implementation of the Superhuman Registration Act. In the meantime, Peter Parker has been residing at Aunt May's house as he searches for an affordable apartment. Feeling concerned, Peter decides to visit the Daily Bugle and is shocked to learn about the publication's severe financial troubles. Unfortunately, the stress takes a toll on J. Jonah Jameson, who suffers a heart attack.

In light of the Bugle's financial difficulties, Robbie Robertson asks Peter to do what he can to get Spider-Man pictures that he believes would boost circulation, which convinces Peter to return to the web-slinging. Robbie is finally getting on top of things as Dexter Bennett, a celebrity businessman, arrives to inform him that he's bought all of Jameson's Bugle shares and is now running operations.

After encountering supervillain Menace, Peter is concerned that Harry might have returned to his goblin-glider ways, but Harry's girlfriend, Lily Hollister, provides an alibi.

Mary Jane Watson, Bobby Carr, and Jackpot

It is established that Mary Jane and Peter were in a long-term relationship, but things ended badly, and their relationship is now frosty at best. As far as Peter (or anyone else) remembers, he and Mary Jane did not get married, but cohabited as a couple since the day of the aborted wedding. It is unclear whether Mary Jane has an awareness of her previous marriage to Peter, and their deal with Mephisto.

In one conversation, Spider-Man asks, "Do I know you?", to which MJ responds, "We've met. In another life." Spider-Man is not aware it is MJ he is speaking to; she is concealing her identity as per her current boyfriend's (film star Bobby Carr) wishes. However, based on their dialog from "One Moment In Time", neither MJ nor Peter seem to have any recollection of the deal.

Spider-Man speculates that Mary Jane Watson may be the new registered superhero Jackpot. Jackpot herself tells Spider-Man that her real name is Sara Ehret, but when Spider-Man visits this woman, she denies all knowledge of this. Sara is later seen approaching Mary Jane at the airport for an autograph.

Cast

New supporting cast

Carlie Cooper - A very close lifelong friend of Lily Hollister, Carlie works as a forensics expert in the crime scene unit. New to her job, she shows interest in the more "exotic" cases, but has to start at the bottom. Her father is Ray Cooper, a deceased cop who was well respected by his peers. While preparing a body found in the river for the Medical Examiner, she finds a spider-tracer in its mouth, which initiates the police warrant for the "Spider-Tracer Killer" (believed by most to be Spider-Man).

She is kidnapped by Dr. Rabin, an insane professor intent on using human sacrifices to appease an ancient Mayan god. He drags a bound and gagged Carlie out into a blizzard and attempts to murder her and offer her to the god, but she is saved when Spider-Man arrives and defeats Rabin.

Dexter Bennett - The new owner of the Daily Bugle, which he renames the DB. He has a personal vendetta against both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, which leads Peter and Robbie Robertson to leave the paper.

Lily Hollister - Harry Osborn's girlfriend. Her father, Bill Hollister, is running for the Mayoralty of New York, chiefly at her insistence. As the supervillain Menace, she is the most recent goblin to become an enemy of Spider-Man, with a particular interest in the Mayoral elections. [5]

Vin Gonzales - He works for the NYPD, and hates Spider-Man, thinking that the webhead is up to no good. However, his friend Al O'Neil, who also works for the NYPD, disagrees. Peter moves into Vin's apartment and becomes his roommate . [6] When Peter resigns from the DB, he doesn't want Vin to know, because he fears Vin would think he was rooming with a flake. When he does find out he is furious that Peter lied to him; however, they have since reconciled. [7]

Other characters

Ryan Maxwell - A construction worker who is knocked off a platform by Menace while changing the sign on the exterior of the Daily Bugle building. Spider-Man arrives to catch Bill, but Ryan's neck is injured in the process. Ryan later approaches the lawyer Matt Dowd, asking if he can sue Spider-Man for knocking him off a building. Dowd tells him that because his identity is unknown, they can file a "John Doe" complaint and serve him by publication; if he doesn't respond, they get a default judgment against him.[ volume & issue needed ]

Bruno Karnelli - The overweight son of a Karnelli and a Manfredi, who credits his parents' marriage with bringing the two crime families together, although he is offended that he has not been invited to their big meeting. He makes a deal with Mister Negative, who promises to make Bruno head of both families. After Sean Boyle accidentally plants a spider-tracer on him, Spider-Man follows him (hoping it will lead him back to Boyle) as he is pulled into a blue van and kidnapped. Bruno is tied to a table by Mister Negative and his Inner Demons as they extract a large amount of blood from him, until they are interrupted by Spider-Man, who lets them escape in order to save Bruno. Spider-Man believes that the only way Bruno would become leader of the crime families is if all other candidates for the job are killed, which makes Bruno realize that this has been Mister Negative's plan all along. Bruno then tells Spider-Man where to find them.[ volume & issue needed ]

New villains

Sean Boyle - This crook insulted Spider-Man by wearing a mask resembling his while committing crimes; he came to be known as the "Spider-Mugger". Boyle steals several wallets, including Peter Parker's and, accidentally, one of his Spider-Man webshooters. He attempts to sell the device to his fence, Dooley, at the Blind Spot (a waterfront bar for crooks), but Dooley considers the webshooter useless and returns it. When Boyle puts it on only to discover what it actually is, he accidentally shoots a spider-tracer onto the back of Bruno Karnelli, who is also at the bar. Boyle hides this from Dooley and starts using the webshooter to restrain his victims, until he realises that he must have stolen it from the real Spider-Man and one of the wallets he's given to Dooley contains his ID. He returns to the Blind Spot and asks for it to be returned, attacking Dooley with webbing, but Dooley turns it around on him and starts strangling Boyle with it. Later on, as Dooley drives off, Spider-Man finds Boyle's lifeless body with the webshooter and tracer still on him. Gonzales and O'Neil witness Spider-Man doing this and assume he has murdered Boyle.[ volume & issue needed ]

Overdrive - Introduced in Free Comic Book Day's Swing Shift, this villain can "pimp out any ride", using nanites to control and reshape any vehicle he manages to steal. Claiming to be Spider-Man's biggest fan, he often remolds cars into replicas of his old Spider-Mobile.

Mister Negative - Martin Li, caring owner of a homeless shelter, has a dark secret: he can switch to a "negative mode", becoming a crime boss. [8]

Freak - After ingesting drugs and the Lizard's stem-cell research specimens, an addict morphs into a mammal-like being. Unlike the Lizard, Freak has his own mind when transformed and is obsessed with getting high. When nearly killed, Freak enters a metamorphosis state inside a cocoon and hatches in a significantly mutated form; he now cannot be defeated the same way as before. [9]

Paper Doll - A teenaged girl who is obsessed with actor Bobby Carr. She dresses like a goth, and has blue skin and the power to become paper thin and blend into backgrounds. She targets people who slander Bobby Carr and compresses them into her paper thin condition, thus killing them. [10]

In other media

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aunt May</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, the character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, playing an influential role in the Spider-Man comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Jane Watson</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, making her first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #25, and subsequently designed by John Romita Sr. in #42. Since then, she has gone on to become Spider-Man's main love interest and later his wife. Mary Jane is his most famous and prominent love interest due to their long history, and one of the most iconic in all of comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Osborn</span> Comics character

Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31.

<i>Spider-Man: The Other</i> Comic book story arc

"The Other" is a comic book crossover story arc published by Marvel Comics from October 2005 to January 2006. It was the first Spider-Man crossover since 2001, and was published in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1–4, Marvel Knights Spider-Man #19–22 and The Amazing Spider-Man #525–528.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Urich</span> Fictional character created by Marvel Comics

Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #125. He was a superhero as the Green Goblin, and a supervillain as the Hobgoblin. He was later crowned the Goblin Knight before dubbing himself the Goblin King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wedding!</span> Comic book story

"The Wedding!" is a story from The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 in which Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker get married. It was published in 1987 and written by David Michelinie, featuring cover art by John Romita Sr.

Jackpot is the name of three superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Jackpot, Sara Ehret, first appeared in Spider-Man: Swing Shift, and was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Phil Jimenez. The second incarnation, Alana Jobson, debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #545. In August 2023, Mary Jane Watson was announced to be taking up the mantle as the third Jackpot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider-Man: One More Day</span> 2007 four-part Spider-Man comic book crossover storyline

"One More Day" (OMD) is a four-part 2007 comic book crossover storyline, connecting the three main Spider-Man series published by Marvel Comics at the time. Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada, with art by Quesada, the story arc concludes the fallout of Spider-Man's actions during the 2007 Civil War crossover. "One More Day" starts in The Amazing Spider-Man #544, continues in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24 and The Sensational Spider-Man #41, and concludes in The Amazing Spider-Man #545.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mister Negative</span> Fictional character in Marvel Comics

Mister Negative is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man, the Punisher, Shang-Chi, and Cloak and Dagger. The character was created by Dan Slott and Phil Jimenez, and first appeared in "Swing Shift", a story in Free Comic Book Day: The Amazing Spider-Man #1. The name "Mister Negative" is a reference to photographic negative, as the colors of his skin, hair, and costume are inverted when he transforms into his alter ego.

Vin Gonzales is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a supporting character of Spider-Man in Marvel's main shared universe. He was the roommate of Peter Parker as well as Parker's first romantic rival since the retconing of his marriage to Mary Jane Watson in "One More Day." He is the younger brother of Michele Gonzales.

"Character Assassination" is a four-issue Spider-Man story arc written by Marc Guggenheim with art by John Romita, Jr. and published by Marvel Comics. The arc appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #584-#588. An interlude, "The Spartacus Gambit" was featured in Amazing Spider-Man Extra #1 and later re-released for free online via Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited alongside the release of The Amazing Spider-Man #587 in February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlie Cooper</span> Comics character

Carlie Cooper is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is named after Joe Quesada's daughter. She is friends with Peter Parker, Harry Osborn, Vin Gonzales, and Lily Hollister. She is one of Spider-Man's first potential romantic interests in the "One More Day" story arc and eventually is a girlfriend for a time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gauntlet and Grim Hunt</span> 2009–2010 Spider-Man storylines

"The Gauntlet" and "Grim Hunt" are 2009–2010 comic book storylines published by Marvel Comics. Despite being more issues, "The Gauntlet" was solicited as leading up to the "Grim Hunt" story, and the two storylines are interconnected. Written by The Amazing Spider-Man architects, "The Gauntlet" is not a strict event or storyline; it is the branding that indicates the direction of Spider-Man's life. In effect it is an event similar to Dark Reign only focusing on Spider-Man and his circle. "Grim Hunt" directly follows "The Gauntlet" and acts as a sequel of sorts to "Kraven's Last Hunt". The storyline received generally positive reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider-Island</span> 2011 comic book storyline

Spider-Island is a 2011 comic book storyline starting in The Amazing Spider-Man and crossing over into other comic books published by Marvel Comics, most of which were limited series or one-shots specifically for this storyline. The main plot involves the inhabitants of Manhattan Island mysteriously gaining powers similar to Spider-Man. It features the return of the Jackal and the Queen to the Marvel Universe and laid the ground work for the second volume of the Scarlet Spider series. The main story overall received positive reviews, with critics praising its action, humor, style, and plot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overdrive (character)</span> Comics character

Overdrive is a fictional villain, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wraith (Yuri Watanabe)</span> Marvel Comics character

Wraith is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, typically in stories featuring the superhero Spider-Man. She was created as a replacement for Jean DeWolff, a police detective and member of Spider-Man's supporting cast who was killed off during the 1980s. Yuri was introduced as a captain in the New York Police Department (NYPD) who would occasionally work alongside Spider-Man to combat crime, although her disillusion with the justice system eventually prompts her to lead a double life as the vigilante Wraith. Sporting a costume in imitation of Spider-Man and utilizing a variety of tools, some of them taken from supervillains, Wraith would wage war on New York's criminals and, even though her methods are sometimes too brutal for Spider-Man's liking, the two have resumed their old partnership several times.

<i>Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows</i> Comic book series

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows is two series of comic books published by Marvel Comics. The series revolves around Peter Parker / Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson having remained married and raising a daughter named Anna-May "Annie" Parker, with Mary Jane and Annie further becoming the superheroes Spinneret and Spiderling. The original series was a 2015 comic book limited series that tied into that year's Secret Wars event. Following the event's end, the popularity of the series led to a sequel ongoing series set in the alternate reality of Earth-18119, which was published from 2016 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinister War</span> Marvel Comics comic book storyline

"Sinister War" is a 2021 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, starring the character Spider-Man and written by Nick Spencer. The story deals with Spider-Man being in the middle of a conflict between multiple teams of villains, including the Sinister Six and Savage Six, orchestrated by Kindred. The storyline received mixed reviews from critics with many deeming it as an underwhelming conclusion to Nick Spencer's Spider-Man run due to inconsistent art, sluggish pacing, and Kindred.

References

  1. "Steve Wacker and Dan Slott interview" . Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  2. "Wizard World Philadelphia Spider-Man panel coverage". 2007-06-15.
  3. "San Diego Comic-Con 2007: Amazing Spider-Man - Brand New Day Creative Team Spotlight - Marc Guggenheim and Salvador Larroca" . Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  4. "Spider-Man: The New Status Quo!", The Amazing Spider-Man #546 (January 2008)
  5. The Amazing Spider-Man #545, 549-551, 586, 588
  6. The Amazing Spider-Man #562
  7. The Amazing Spider-Man #565
  8. Free Comic Book Day: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (May 2007)
  9. The Amazing Spider-Man #546, #552 - #555, #558
  10. The Amazing Spider-Man #559-561