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Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 8:39 pm
by AlexEvangeli
I was using the Spider-Man chronology page for a project and in checking the entries there were a few things that seemed a bit odd. Most pressingly to my project though, the chronology lists A LOT of stories which happen in between ASM #542 and #543, during the Back in Black storyline.

I'm just a bit questioning of this because ASM #543 has Peter checking up on Aunt May's blood test result following a transfusion he gave her 'the other day'.


I'm no medical expert but for a critical patient like Aunt May a blood test wouldn't take that long.


But when you factor on all the stories which apparently happened in between her transfusion and Peter getting the results in ASM #543 almost a week at the very, very least would've transpired. That isn't even counting Spider-Man guest appearances or appearances in team books like New Avengers.

Wouldn't that be waaaaaaay too long a time to wait for blood test results? And doesn't that make Spider-Man's comment about 'the other day' questionable?

Could ASM #543 perhaps in fact happen earlier in the chronology, say closer to ASM #542?

Another thing to bear in mind is the fact that at the end of ASM #543 Peter is more or less praying to God saying he's lost. However Peter did in fact literally meet God Himself in Sensational Spider-Man volume 2 #40 which was the story immediately preceding ASM #543 (if we ignore the New Avengers annual). That isn't necessarily a contradiction but the narrative might

Could anyone help me out please?

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 10:02 pm
by Russ Chappell
Hi, Alex. Welcome to the Project.

Page 8 of Paul Bourcier's calendar touches on some of these issues. He has ASM 542 in February, and in June, he has issues of Irredeemable Ant-Man that must occur before ASM 543. There's loads of info in that calendar, and a lot to digest, but if you have any specific questions, Paul or some of the others here should be able to answer them.

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 11:04 pm
by Col_Fury
Basically, ASM doesn't leave room for any other Spider-books or appearances, so something has to be ignored.

ASM 538 happens when Cap surrenders during Civil War; Aunt May is shot that night. In ASM 539 Spider-Man starts wearing his black costume, and continues immediately through ASM 542, where May is in a hospital room. Then "the other day" later ASM 543 happens and May is moved out of the hospital room, which continues into ASM 544 and One More Day, where Spider-Man stops wearing the black costume.

The Sensational Spider-Man black costume issues (for example) feature Aunt May in her hospital room, so they have to happen somewhere during these ASM issues, while May is in a hospital room. Despite the "other day" reference, the only break where that's the case is between ASM 542-543.

Or, World War Hulk. Spider-Man's in his black costume during that crossover. The only break in the action during ASM 539-544 (where Spider-Man starts and stops wearing the black suit) is between ASM 542-543, again despite the "other day" comment.

The easiest thing to do is re-interpret "the other day" to mean "a while back" in ASM 543. Otherwise, we have to start ignoring which costume Spider-Man's wearing, or ignoring where Aunt May is, or other things that are hard to ignore/explain.

That's the gist, at least. :)

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:18 pm
by AlexEvangeli
In theory though why do the hospital beds seen in the satellites have to be the same ones from ASM?

I mean I might be forgetting something, but in ASM #544 May is in a room on her own. Were one to ignore ASM #543 wouldn't you not know that she'd been moved at all?

What I'm saying is, couldn't that issue happen closer to ASM #542 and then everything else happens, just in a different hospital?

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 9:29 pm
by Col_Fury
AlexEvangeli wrote:Were one to ignore ASM #543 wouldn't you not know that she'd been moved at all?
Why ignore ASM 543 when we can re-interpret one line of dialogue (which is in ASM 543)?
AlexEvangeli wrote:I mean I might be forgetting something, but in ASM #544 May is in a room on her own.
The only reason she's in a private room in ASM 544 is because Peter beat up a policeman, stole an ambulance and forged the hospital paperwork under an assumed name for May in ASM 543; she's not getting long term treatment here like she was in ASM 539-542 when she was registered under her real name. All because they ran out of money, which means May's not in her own room in this new hospital any longer than a day or so. And because Peter is so desperate after this, he goes to confront Iron Man in ASM 544. If we place a gap between ASM 543-544 it removes the immediacy and Peter's desperation.

No one's saying that opening a gap between ASM 542-543 is a perfect fit, but it is the least damaging option.

If you have to, you can pretend Peter gave May multiple blood transfusions, and the one he's referencing in ASM 543 was the most recent (unseen) one.

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:15 pm
by AlexEvangeli
Fair enough. That makes about as much sense as it can now I guess. If it's okay could I double post on this thread for similar continuity questions?

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:18 pm
by Russ Chappell
If it's about "Spider-Man Back in Black" you can post here. If it's about "other things" you should start a new thread.

Re: Spider-Man Back in Black and other things

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:37 am
by AlexEvangeli
Russ Chappell wrote:If it's about "Spider-Man Back in Black" you can post here. If it's about "other things" you should start a new thread.
Okay. What if I just make a thread for general Spider-Man/Spider-Man character chronology questions. I mean I have a lot so I wouldn't want to make a zillion threads if it will be troublesome to you guys? I'll make a different one right now for a question which is pressing me regardless.