The state of the New Marvel Universe, and how it relates to Spidey in particular – is becoming a rather obtuse and tangled web.

The name of this website is “Superior Spider-Talk” and not “Superior Marvel-Talk”, so I’ll try to keep it simple – we like to stay relevant to your interests, true believers! That said – wow, “Secret Wars” is a big Marvel Universe makeover that is going to change a lot of things for Spidey; some changes will be temporary and some more permanent, with Marvel purposefully keeping us in the dark about the outcome as long as possible.

With the reveal of the minimal teaser shown at the right, Marvel announced that when the mega-event “Secret Wars” wraps up, all surviving titles will leap forward in time eight months after “Secret Wars” takes place. So assuming that we have a main Spider-Man book (IE Amazing) that launches after “Secret Wars,” taking the spot of Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows – that unannounced book will take place 8 months after the last RYV issue.

Got it? Lets get more complicated. Marvel also just announced that starting with Spider-Woman #10, the Spider-Woman books will take place before “Secret Wars.” Likely lasting until the end of the main event and Renew Your Vows, Spider-Woman’s adventures will be about her time spent before the final incursion – meanwhile you can read about what happens after in “Secret Wars.” Marvel is doing this with several titles (including Silk) under the designation “Last Days”. You can read more about how that will work here.

Now let’s assume that Spider-Woman continues after “Secret Wars” ends. In all likelihood, in one issue you will see Jessica facing the end of reality, only for the narrative to suddenly be eight months later in the very next issue -with Ben saying “Remember when the world almost ended/was remade/didn’t do anything because my memory of the event is gone? Those were sure crazy times!”

I expect that it will be less confusing to follow Peter’s arc. SECRET WARS #1 SPOILERS: As of now, he is one of the few 616 heroes who have not been reimagined into the Battleworld we first see in Secret Wars #2. After whatever insanity takes place in the “Secret Wars” finale, Peter will have to pick up the pieces of what’s left; it’s possible we will see the start of that in “Secret Wars” or Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows.

To further complicate that, we still have Otto’s countdown to who-knows-what that is due to go off sometime between the events of Secret Wars #1 and the “8 months later” relaunch. What dominoes did Octavious put in place? Will his rigged gauntlets even make it into the New Marvel Universe? This has led to a lot of speculation among fans in, an admittedly, wide open landscape of possibility.

Honestly, we just won’t know anything for sure until it happens – 0r something slips out in the previews.

Tom Brevoort also said this in today’s announcement:

“As we’ve been saying, the building blocks of the NEW MU are being established throughout the various SECRET WARS titles, with every series contributing something to the NEW MU—whether that something is a character, a place, an environment, an object, a status quo, or any other thing that you might think of,” teased Brevoort.

“It’s an exciting time to be a Marvel fan, as the whole of our fictional universe renews itself in as substantial a way as its ever done—and without throwing the baby out with the bathwater!”

I’ll leave you with the early Solicitations Marvel released for Secret Wars #6 (of 8) and Ultimate End #4 (of 5 ) – but feel free to comment below with your theories about what Spider-Man comics will look like when all this is said and done. Silk, Spider-Gwen, even all the Spiders in the “Spider-Verse” slice of Battleworld – who survives this event? And what exactly do you think the future holds for the Superior Spider-Man? We know Milse makes it into the status quo – does Peter?

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the various comment sections.

SECRET WARS #6 (of 8)
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • ESAD RIBIC (a)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
CONNECTING VARIANT BY SIMONE BIANCHI
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIC
VARIANT COVER BY BABS TARR
CLASSIC VARIANT BY TBD ARTIST
THE FINAL WAR!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

ULTIMATE END #4 (of 5)
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (w) • MARK BAGLEY (a/C)
MANGA ARTIST VARIANT COVER BY TBA
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?
• TONY VS TONY, CLINT VS CLINT, HULK VS HULK!
• The tear between domains deepens…
• How long can two territories occupy the same space?
• Here comes MILES…
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99