Spider-Man’s most disgusting story is getting a sequel and fans are in shock

Spider-Man’s had a lot of good stories and a lot of bad stories. Now, the mini-series many fans hail as the most infamous – Spider-Man: Reign – is being teased for a sequel.

Spider-Man is an everyman character renowned for his ups and downs. For every soaring high, like the marriage to Mary Jane or the success of Parker Industries, there’s an equally devastating low point, like the Clone Saga or Doc Ock possessing his body for years. Eventually, Spidey always perseveres, but he definitely hits a low point first. 

Even knowing that, though, things are rough for fans right now. From an ongoing love triangle with Mary Jane and her new beau, Paul, to the death of Ms. Marvel, the current Amazing Spider-Man run has a lot of detractors at the moment. 

Now it looks like Marvel may be doubling down on Spider-Man interpretations fans don’t like. A recent teaser hints at a return to the most notorious Spider-Man story ever told, and fans are convinced it’s a sequel to the infamous Spider-Man Reign. 

Notorious comic book Spider-Man: Reign is getting a sequel

Originally reported by AIPT, Marvel released a teaser image of Spider-Man swinging through the sky with a red-haired spectral figure clinging to him. The copy reads “The most notorious Spider-Man story ever told…” with a dim pink 2 at the bottom. 

The art style and imagery – of a ghostly MJ clinging to Peter – immediately evoked images of Spider-Man: Reign, a 2006 mini-series that has become infamous among comic fans.

Set 30 years in the future, an old Peter Parker reassumes the mantle of Spider-Man to fight the oppressive Reign. 

Reign drew comparisons to The Dark Knight Returns when it was first teased, but the final product was anything but. Reign was dark and edgy, but the last straw for readers was the cause of Mary Jane Watson’s death.

In Reign, Watson died of cancer, revealed to be caused by repeated exposure to Spider-Man’s radioactive bodily fluids over the years. 

It was a dark twist on a character who, at the time of publication, had endured several storylines about difficulty starting a family and had already lost one child. It left a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of fans, and the implied announcement of a Reign sequel has already stirred the hornet’s nest. 

Fans are, to no surprise, shocked. While not everyone has immediately struck down the appeal of a sequel, many take issue with the idea of revisiting Reign’s bleak take on the character. Fans have longed for an era of stories where Spider-Man can find some semblance of happiness, but recent years have made it worse.

Reign stands out because of what it represents. While it was reviewed somewhat favorably at the time, it’s gained a reputation as being the story that puts Spider-Man at his absolute lowest but does little to mitigate it. What semblance of a happy ending there is in Reign’s final panels, where the elderly Peter Parker accepts his losses and seemingly moves forward, is at risk of being undone by a sequel.

Marvel teased more info to be revealed at a later date. If you’re looking for some Spider-Man stories that aren’t controversial or depressing, Across the Spider-Verse is available on home video and digital now.

Spider-Man: Reign 2 Update

Marvel has confirmed the release of Spider-Man: Reign 2, giving it a 2024 release date. A teaser is available in Amazing Spider-Man #31, which is on shelves now.