A Lie That’s Been Unraveling for a While

One More Day was a means to an end, the solution in Marvel’s wish to bring Spider-Man back to basics. With writer Dan Slott at the helm of the title, Amazing Spider-Man was re-branded with a new direction labeled “Brand New Day.” Slott carried the title for a decade, sticking his guns to the story he was telling. It didn’t matter that part of the Spider-Man fandom called for a return to the pre-One More Day era.

Over the years, Slott’s story took surprising turns, but something peculiar began to happen. In his title, as well as other Spider-Man-related books like Spider-Man/Deadpool, readers would come across a line of dialogue or an exchange that referenced back to the events of One More Day, and the continuity prior to it.

We saw it happen in Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness’ Spider-Man/Deadpool #5, when a dead Peter Parker faced Mephisto in Hell. Later, Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s Amazing Spider-Man #14 reminded readers that Peter and MJ had lived together in Stark Tower for a while, during the events of Civil War. Then, Spider-Man/Deadpool #33, by Robbie Thompson and Scott Hepburn, saw a future version of Deadpool tell Peter Parker about his previous married life — and these are just the high points of the clue being laid for years that One More Day may end up a reman at of the past.

RELATED: Slott’s Final Amazing Spider-Man Brings Things Back to Brand New Day’s Start

Over the past few years, there have been an increasing amount of references to One More Day, and it now appears as if they were all building to Spencer and Ottley’s Amazing Spider-Man #1. With its opening page, the latest issue of Spider-Man calls back to one of the most iconic Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson stories, from an issue that took place in an era before their marriage was erased from the timeline. This can’t be a mere throwaway. After all, this is how Spencer chooses to start his Spider-Man run — with a reference to events that took place before it all disappeared. If this memory is seeping into Peter, then it means he is truly starting to remember his life prior to his deal with Mephisto.

But this is only the first hint in an issue filled with them.

Page 3: Amazing Spider-Man #1 Keeps Referencing One More Day

Subtle Hints That Aren’t So Subtle

Later in Amazing Spider-Man #1, Peter Parker attends a conference at Empire State University, where his old schoolmate Cindy Lawton is giving a presentation on how the university plans to fight the rising use of plagiarism in its students. She dubs this initiative, “brand new day.” As mentioned before, “Brand New Day” was the name of the new direction given to the Spider-Man titles following the cataclysmic events of One More Day. Spencer knows the connotation these words hold, especially in a Spider-Man context, and it’s no accident that he uses them here. Following the opening flashback scene of Peter and MJ, namedropping “brand new day” reaffirms the connection at play in the book.

Then, as Cindy Lawton continues her presentation, she uses three examples of students resorting to dubious means in order to graduate. The third and final example references a young man named Ricky London, who struck a deal with Mephisto, trading his soul for a passing grade. How curious, to remind readers of the notion that Mephisto is out there, and that people can make deals with him. In passing, this could be nothing more than a simple mention, or a brief nod to a prior Spider-Man story. But given the circumstances surrounding this latest reference, we simply cannot take it lightly.

The Long-Awaited Return of a Fan-Favorite Romance

Finally, we come to the ending of Amazing Spider-Man #1. Peter’s been through the emotional ringer ever since the start of the issue, and the day ends with him having lost not only his job, but the respect of his peers and his reputation. Faced with the resurgence of the ol’ Parker Luck, Peter turns to the one person he could always count on, the one person he thinks about when it all goes wrong: Mary Jane Watson, who doesn’t hesitate to lock Peter in a kiss.

The final narration box features Peter saying “This is my story–,” before adding “Our story.” To hammer home that fact, the scene ends with a very supportive Mary Jane Watson saying “We’re in this together, Pete. We always have been.” This seems to be a direct bookend to the Sensational Spider-Man scene that opened the book. With this, Spencer and Ottley declare that the epic love story of Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker is coming back. What’s more, it appears the creative team aims to bring the relationship back to the heights it previously held.

Pete and MJ may not be heading back down the aisle, but they have just taken the very first step towards something that fans have been asking for for a very long time. And it looks like the rekindled romance is only the beginning. With many hints at the events of One More Day and “Brand New Day,” Spider-Man’s “fresh start” may finally be bringing things back to the fresh direction that fans were enamored with more than a decade ago.

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