One More Day

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The storyline was developed almost two years before its release at one of Marvel's creative summits. Quesada, Straczynski, Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Jeph Loeb, Tom Brevoort and Axel Alonso developed the concept between them, with Ed Brubaker and Dan Slott adding more at the next summit. Quesada felt dissolving Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's marriage and returning Spider-Man to his roots was necessary to preserve the longevity of the character for the next 20 or 30 years. Straczynski publicly revealed he disagreed with aspects of the story, saying "There's a lot that I don't agree with, and I made this very clear to everybody within shouting distance at Marvel, especially Joe Quesada." Straczynski planned to take his name off the last two issues of the OMD arc, but Quesada talked him out of it. Quesada explained their rift was primarily over the "methodology" of how to erase Peter and Mary Jane's marriage, but Straczynski was on board with the editorial mandate of undoing the Parkers' marriage. Quesada sees Peter's making a "deal with the Devil" as a villain (Mephisto) taking advantage of someone at his weakest moment, which he feels is a better resolution than Peter and Mary Jane getting divorced.

In Their Own Story

The events of "One More Day" began in Amazing Spider-Man #544, where Peter Parker's Aunt May is shown slowly dying from a gunshot wound sustained during the events of Civil War and Back in Black. Peter is forced to ask Tony Stark for financial assistance as he is unemployed and then seeks counsel with Doctor Strange. The latter informs Peter that he can do nothing to grant Aunt May her life back. However, he helps Peter seek the aid of several others including Doctor Doom, the High Evolutionary, Reed Richards, and Doctor Octopus; none are able or willing to help him. A desperate Peter attempts to go back in time using a magic spell without Strange's approval, harming himself in the process. Strange heals his wounds and convinces him that all he can do is be by his aunt's side before she dies. On his way to the hospital, Peter is confronted by a little girl who says she holds the answer to his problem. Spider-Man and his wife, Mary Jane Watson, agree to Mephisto's offer, and this part of their history is erased so that, effectively, they have never been married.

Reader's Guide

The plot centers on Aunt May being shot by a stray bullet from a goon of the Kingpin meant for Spider-Man, leaving her dying. Desperate, Spider-Man encounters the demon Mephisto, who offers to save her life if Spider-Man gives him his marriage. Spider-Man and his wife, Mary Jane Watson, agree, and this part of their history is erased so that, effectively, they have never been married. The storyline set the stage for a restructuring of the Spider-Man titles, resulting in the cancellation of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and The Sensational Spider-Man, with The Amazing Spider-Man revamped as a thrice-monthly publication. Quesada said every story that happened in the Spider-Man canon still "counted", with the only change being that, due to the world's newly revised memories, Peter and Mary Jane did not marry due to some unknown incident and the official unmasking of his identity to the public during the 2007 Civil War mini-series has been forgotten. Also, Spider-Man lost the organic webshooters that he gained in the "Avengers Disassembled" storyline, and the other spider-like powers that he gained in the 2005–2006 storyline "The Other". Elements of the storyline were adapted in the feature film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Did You Know?

• The four issues were originally scheduled to ship weekly in August 2007 but encountered delays due to Quesada's art duties conflicting with his job as editor-in-chief.
• During development, Quesada and Straczynski made plans to resurrect Gwen Stacy in the final chapter, but this was discarded after numerous Marvel editors and writers lobbied for the character to remain dead.
• Straczynski's original script for the storyline's fourth issue involved changes to continuity going as far back as 1971, including Peter helping Harry Osborn get into rehab for his drug addiction immediately.
• Quesada sees the storyline as an emotional climax and resolution for the relationship between Peter Parker and Tony Stark, who had developed a father-son-like bond during the "Civil War" storyline.
• Quesada stated that the storyline in which Mary Jane was pregnant is seen as never having happened after the retcon.