Amazing Spider-Man #700 makes waves; 2nd Printing Cover revealed

True to form and since its release early this week in time for the holidays, Marvel and writer Dan Slott weren't kidding when they said "Things would change" with the release of the final issue of the long-running webslinging series - The Amazing Spider-Man #700. Since the twist was revealed at issue #698, earth-shattering changes were placed and the seeds were planted for the setup of a new series - namely next month's "The Superior Spider-Man #1". Reactions have spilled online from postive to negative, and seen in such comic book news sites as Newsarama and Superherohype.

What exactly went down with Peter Parker and how did it cause the entire fanbase of the Marvel Universe and beyond to be divided? SPOILERS be present below, and note that is you haven't read issue #700, it's pretty much sold out by now...


Peter Parker is dead. Long live... The Superior Spider-Man.

In a plot that's as controversial as it was years in the making, Dan Slott did the unthinkable... He "killed" Peter Parker and remade Spider-Man anew... By swapping the minds of the former Amazing Spider-Man and one of his greatest enemies, Otto "Doctor Octopus" Octavius. Revealed on the pages of ASM #698, Spider-Man's mind was successfully exchanged thanks to a "blueprint" the wall-crawler unwittingly left behind during one of his last encounters with Doc Ock (which took place in issue #600). Stuck in the body of a dying Octavius, a desperate Peter Parker struggles to reclaim his body from Otto, who has the memories and abilities of Peter and successfully restarts his "relationship" with Mary Jane Watson.

Unfortunately, issue #700 doesn't end the way anybody expects. Peter remains stuck and dies in Ock's frail and weak body. Before he passes however, he is able to pass on his memories and values to Doc Ock, which changes the villain's psyche entirely and makes him empathetic for his former enemy. As "Doc Ock" passes on, a renewed "Spider-Man" vows to become even better than his predecessor... A Superior Spider-Man if you will.

So there you have it... The NEW Spider-Man status quo revealed.

And here's the 2nd Printing cover by Humberto Ramos, courtesy of Marvel and Comic Book Resources.

SPOILER ALERT be here while channeling Todd McFarlane's classic Spidey cover. Come January, a bold new direction awaits Spider-Man with The Superior Spider-Man #1. If you have the chance, pick up the issue while you can at your local retail comic book shop.