One ofUltimateSpider-Man’swas that in this new timeline, Uncle Ben is alive and well – but now that character has discovered his nephew’s new duel life as the Webslinger, I’m afraid it could possibly spell his doom. Marvel fans are sharply divided on whether the new Ultimate Universe will subvert expectations once again, or spiral into all too familiar tragedy for Spider-Man.
InUltimate Spider-Man (2024)#11 – written by Jonathan Hickman with art by David Messina – Uncle Ben reveals that he knows Peter Parker’s secret identity as Spider-Man, and that only makes fans more worried about Ben.
The core of the issue involves a private conversation between Ben and Peter on theanniversary of Aunt May’s death, in which Ben reveals that he knowsPeter has become a superhero. The problem, to me, is that this revealonly makes it feel more like Uncle Ben’s going to go the way of his regular counterpart and die tragically.
Uncle Ben’s Discovery Of Spider-Man’s Secret Identity Could Be A Signal That The Character Isn’t Long For This World
Ultimate Spider-Man#11 – Written By Jonathan Hickman; Art By David Messina; Color By Matthew Wilson; Lettering By VC’s Cory Petit
In the previous issue ofUltimate Spider-Man,Ben and J. Jonah Jamesonconfront Harry Osborn with the fact that they’ve realized his identity as the heroic Green Goblin. As Ben says inUltimate Spider-Man#11, it didn’t take him more than a week after that to work out that Peter, Harry’s surprise new friend, is Spidey. Ben and Peter’s convo in issue #11 is brilliant, but it’s also portentous. Every conversation about being Spider-Man in this series seems tocome back to the idea of Peter keeping his family safe, which is a Chekhov’s gun if I’ve ever seen one.
Ultimate Spider-Man#11 weighs the scales in making me worry much more for Uncle Ben, though I still reckon he’s less likely to die than most other characters.
The series is balanced on a knife’s edge at all times. There’s a good chance someone dies tragically sooner rather than later, but there’s also a decent chance that writer Jonathan Hickman,an expert at playing with readers’ emotions, is worrying us all for nothing. It would be just like Hickman for the ultimate symbol of Peter’s triumph to be the fact thatno-onein his life dies. That said,Ultimate Spider-Man#11 weighs the scales in making me worry much more for Uncle Ben, though I still reckon he’s less likely to die than most other characters.
I Definitely Think Ultimate Spider-Man Is Setting Up A Major Death, But Uncle Ben Might Be Too Obvious A Pick
Writer Jonatthan Hickman Is Known To Kill His Darlings
Uncle Ben’s almost too obvious a choice to die, because we all know what his traditional role in the story is, so, assuming someone’s biting the dust, who’s it going to be instead? I’ve two main candidates. One is Harry Osborn. After all, he’s the one who gave Peter his lecture on power and responsibility in this universe, and he’s been acting recklessly since he stuck a Norman Osborn AI inside his head. The other major candidate is J Jonah Jameson, who’s just as snoopy as Ben, but is arguably more expendable for the story.
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My esteemed colleague Casey Loving reckons thatPeter’s son is likely to die, but I suspect that Peter’s immediate family are actually safe. One reason readers are invested in this series is because it is gratifying to follow a married Peter Parker with kids, who gets to have a relatively stable family life. Killing one of his kids would be a horrific twist, which would sour lots of readers on the series. However, if one thing that lends credence to Casey’s theory, it’s thatJonathan Hickman is more than happy to upset readersin service of telling a memorable story.
The Spider-Man Franchise Has A History Of Killing Off Characters Who Learn Peter Parker’s Secret Identity
But Does That Hold True In The Ultimate Universe?
Part of why Uncle Ben discovering Peter’s secret is so scary is that we as comicreaders, but especially asSpider-Manreaders, are so conditioned to treat someone discovering a secret identity as confirmation that they’re basically dead. In a world where mainstream comics have to revert to a recognizable status quo sooner rather than later, major supporting characters knowing secret identities isn’t sustainable, and so many comics also have random new characters or minor villains discovering the secret, only to die before the truth can out.
Ultimate Spider-Man Learned Peter’s Power & Responsibility Lesson from a Shocking Character
The new Ultimate Spider-Man learned his most important life lesson about responsibility from someone who’s been both his best friend and greatest foe.
That’s part of the genius ofthis new Ultimate Universethough; we can’t take anything for granted. Over the course of the last even issues, almost everyone in Peter’s immediate orbit has worked out that he’s Spidey, from Mary Jane to both his kids, to Harry Osborn to now Uncle Ben.Peter’s actually rubbish at keeping his identity a secret, and that feels fresh. We can’t use ‘X knows Peter’s identity, so they’re dead’ as an assumption anymore. Anyone in this book could learn Peter’s secret and I’d be willing to accept it.
In The Marvel Universe, No One Is Exactly Freaking Out About Peter’s Secret
But That Could Have Ramifications
In keeping with the “realism” ofUltimate Spider-Man, no one who has so far discovered Peter’s identity overreacted. I love soap opera-esque histrionics as much as the next fan – I am an X-Men fan, after all – but they wouldn’t fit this book’s tone. InUltimate Spider-Man#11, Uncle Ben gets to react in a realistic way. He just wants to know that his family will be safe if everything goes wrong.Unfortunately, if we readers know anything, it’s that things usually get worse forSpider-Man; I just hope it doesn’t mean that someone’s about to die.
Ultimate Spider-Man (2024)#11is available now from Marvel Comics.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
