This is the story that brings Mary Jane Watson back into Amazing Spider-Man. Ever since Mephisto mind-wiped the world into forgetting Spider-Man’s public unveiling of his own secret identity, saved Aunt May’s life, and made Peter and Mary Jane forget they were ever married, we the readers have been left in the dark about what actually happened to MJ in the new, Brand New Day timeline.
Last issue, May married J. Jonah Jameson’s dad and near the end of the wedding, Mary Jane showed up. At the start of this arc, he wakes up in bed with his roommate, Michele Gonzalez.
And he was so drunk, he remembers nothing. He then has a run-in with the new Slyde, who is posing as a villain but actually working for Mayor Jameson to entrap Spidey.
Thankfully, he’s not the main opponent in these stories.
Chameleon is trying to perfect a Peter Parker voice as part of a master plan to … We’re not sure yet. It’s shown that he remembers Parker from somewhere, but he’s not sure where, teasing the readers that maybe Mephisto’s spell is beginning to fray. Anyway, as Peter, Chameleon sets up a meet with MJ.
There’s also a bit of a fake out as Chameleon kills Peter Parker, but nobody really fell for that.
As Peter Parker, Chameleon sleeps with Michelle again (and does other damage to Peter’s social life) before going off to meet MJ, where he acts completely out of character. He also says some brutal and unforgiving things to the now-wheelchair-bound Flash Thompson, who made amends to Peter many issues ago. Then, it’s off to a photo shoot for JJJ, where Chameleon’s plot is revealed: He’s working for a terrorist organization to blow up Jameson’s Shadow Command Centre where he stashes his Mandroids.
But of course the not-really-dead Spider-Man saves the day…But ends this arc with his personal life askew.
However, one thing Chameleon did do was help out the now-homeless Harry Osborn, which makes MJ like Peter even more. Their conversation at the end of the arc (above) offers no answers about whether she knows Peter is Spider-Man–it could go either way. She references him fighting Doctor Octopus, but he did that at the wedding in his Peter Parker persona, so it doesn’t reveal anything.
At the very end, we get a few panels showing that Sasha Kravinoff will be the next villain.
This was a great story. It really underscores how the BND crew have taken the old Spider-Man toys and reimagined and repositioned them.
English (US) · 