Pieces of the Puzzle

Marvel has finally exposed the last pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in their "Spider-Man in 2010" promotional art. Most interesting, of course, is that Peter/Spider-Man and Mary Jane are apparently reaching for one another across the center of the image.

Naturally, may folks might assume this implies that Peter and MJ will be re-united once more. However, having gone to such a trouble to separate the two, it would seem a safe bet that the road to recovery is going to be one of those "long and difficult paths" that political figures like to allude to when talking about exit strategies from middle-eastern conflict zones.

Indeed. One particularly sneaky idea does spring into my mind as I examine the scene. Most people have assumed that Spider-Man and his red-headed-flame are reaching to each other as they attempt to make contact. But it's quite feasible that what we are seeing is the two of them attempting to grab each other as they are pulled apart. That's certainly supported by the fact that MJ is in her wedding dress.

I premonitionalise that Marvel is simply promising to explain the circumstances that lead to their original wedding being canceled. Remember, it was "the marriage" that Mephisto insisted on taking from them. So it makes sense that, at the point of the wedding, some event occurred which caused the rift between them. This has already been alluded too in earlier issues of ASM.

So my guess for Peter and MJ in 2010 is that we will discover what actually happened in "Wedding of Spider-Man 2.0" to cause it not to result in the marriage we saw all those decades ago. Furthermore, I suspect that Peter and Mary Jane may share a kiss or two, and a great deal of angst. But I wouldn't bet money on seeing Mr. P & Mrs. MJ Watson-Parker listed in the 2011 New York Telephone Directory, that's for sure!