Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto's Avengers #1 goes on sale tomorrow, and some pages from the opening issue have already leaked online. As expected, the series will address "One More Day" head-on and potentially set the stage for a reversal of the controversial 2008 storyline.
As a reminder, in the aftermath of Peter Parker unmasking during the events of Civil War, The Kingpin hired an assassin to kill Aunt May. She was gunned down and hospitalised with no chance of recovery, forcing Spider-Man to make a deal with Mephisto.
In exchange for his and Mary Jane Watson's marriage, May's life would be saved. Peter and MJ agreed, and their married life still happened...just without them ever tying the knot (Mephisto rewrote history, leaving neither with any memory of what they'd done). For a time, it looked like Nick Spencer might undo the storyline during his Amazing Spider-Man run, though editorial interference soon ended that.
With Mephisto set to be the big bad of Zdarsky's Avengers, could the writer be the one to finally restore Peter and MJ's marriage? It may be too late for that, but in this leak from the first issue, Spider-Man finally learns he made a deal with the devil—despite having no recollection of it—and that it was May he saved.
This unravelling of Peter's deal with Mephisto could be huge, and even if it doesn't lead to him and MJ suddenly being man and wife again, the revelation that he gave up his marriage will likely send shockwaves across his world.
Zdarsky is no stranger to writing Spider-Man and has already made him the leader of this new team of Avengers. The writer clearly has big plans for the web-slinger, and must be working closely with Amazing Spider-Man scribe Joe Kelly to figure out what the hero's future looks like.
We'll have more on Avengers #1 for you tomorrow. In the meantime, check out these leaked pages below.
IN THE WAKE OF ARMAGEDDON, A NEW TEAM ASSEMBLES...
Superstar team Chip Zdarsky & Marco Checchetto reunite for a trailblazing new era of AVENGERS! With the world order completely rewritten after AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON, there comes a day, a day unlike any other, when a new group of Earth's mightiest heroes find themselves united to avenge the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Luke Cage and Miracleman! The Avengers take center stage once again in the Marvel Universe, and it all starts here.
AVENGERS #1
Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
Art and Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
On Sale 11/4