jbtubman@water.UUCP (Jim Tubman [LPAIG]) (02/19/85)
I know that Peter Parker was raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but can anyone out there tell me what happened to his natural parents? Has it ever been made clear in any of the Spider-Man titles? Jim Tubman University of Waterloo
ciaraldi@rochester.UUCP (Mike Ciaraldi) (02/23/85)
> I know that Peter Parker was raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but can > anyone out there tell me what happened to his natural parents? Has it ever > been made clear in any of the Spider-Man titles? > > Jim Tubman > University of Waterloo You know, I asked this same question a couple of years ago (at Ithacon), and Roger Stern spoke disparagingly of the story where this question was answered. It was in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5, 1968 (I hope). It seems that the Parkers have been dead for many years. At the beginning of the story Peter is looking through some of Aunt May's old papers in the attic, and comes across newspaper clippings about his parents. According to them, Mr. and Mrs. Parker had betrayed their country and died in disgrace. Spidey looks into this and finds out that they were actually US government agents who infiltrated some group that was trying to take over the world (or something like that). Anyway, they had died while doing so, and everyone thought they were traitors. Aunt May and Uncle Ben had shielded Peter from "the shameful truth" while he was growing up. So, Spidey spends the rest of the issue tracking down conclusive evidence that they were actually OK. He finally finds their ID cards from the subversive organization, with their US agent ID cards sealed behind them. At the end of the story he is swinging off elated, sure he can clear his parents' names. I think in the course of the story he also foils some nasty plot or other by the remnants of the group. I don't recall ever hearing about this again. I will admit that having to track down an old ID is not the best way to clear someone's name--why not ask Nick Fury, director of SHIELD* to help? Still, it might make an interesting springboard for a followup story. Incidentally, story was by Stan Lee, art by Romita, maybe? (this is all from memory, you understnad...). Mike Ciaraldi seismo!rochester!ciaraldi *Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division