Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21
The Wedding
It is days before his wedding, Spider-Man is web-slinging across town when he happens upon the police attempting to stop a heist being run by Electro. Spider-Man swings in to lend a hand webbing up one of his men and tying him to a lamp post. During the course of the battle, Electro puts the lives of innocent people at risk, forcing Spider-Man to save them and leaving himself open to attack. However, the wall-crawler ultimately defeats Electro by tossing a manhole cover at a fire hydrant. Upon impact, the fire hydrant breaks open and sprays Electro with water, short-circuiting his powers and knocking the villain out. Although the police attempt to arrest him, Spider-Man slips away and recovers his camera which has been taking photos from afar. He takes a few shots of Electro and his men being taken away by the police. Later across town, Spider-Man prevents a bank heist by flipping over the getaway car and webbing up the doors and windows so the thieves inside cannot escape.
Later, Spider-Man returns to his apartment in Chelsea where he strips off his costume and gets to develop his photos. An hour later, Mary Jane arrives with a bunch of luggage as she is moving into his apartment. After explaining how his automatic camera manages to take photos of him in action as Spider-Man, Peter discovers that they might not have enough room to store all of their belongings together. Mary Jane suggests that Peter throw out the replica of his original costume that he purchased in Berlin recently. Peter decides that this is a concern for another time and that they should call their Aunts and let them know the good news. Mary Jane tells Peter to sell his photos to the Daily Bugle and that she can call them from the limo that is taking her to a modeling shoot. As he watches his bride-to-be leave his apartment, Peter realizes that Mary Jane comes from a very different world, one that requires a great deal of money, something Peter doesn't have a lot of.
When Peter goes to the Daily Bugle to sell his photos, he is happy to find that Joe Robertson is willing to buy all the photos, even though he feels that the paper overexposes the costumed hero. Before Peter can go to get paid, Joe brings him to the Daily Bugle staff lunch room where his co-workers have prepared a surprise party for him. The celebrations become tense when J. Jonah Jameson enters the room. However, he hasn't come to badger his employees back to work, but to congratulate Peter on his upcoming wedding. When Jameson reminds Peter how serious getting married is, Peter suddenly begins to question if he is actually ready to get married. Before Jonah can leave to answer a call from his own wife, Joe Robertson uses the opportunity to guilt Jonah into signing a bonus check for Peter to go to his wedding. After the party, Peter bumps into Betty Brant on the way out. He tells her about his upcoming wedding and Betty tells him that she and her husband Ned will be in attendance. This disturbs Peter as Betty seems to be blocking out the fact that her husband is dead. Running into Betty makes Peter think about how they once had a relationship and that his career as Spider-Man affect him.
At lunchtime the next day, Peter Parker meets up with Mary Jane at her apartment for lunch. There he presents her with a ring which he purchased with the bonus he got from the Daily Bugle. As they sit down to eat, Peter mentions the pep talk that he got from J. Jonah Jameson. This prompts Mary Jane to ask if Peter has had some second thought. He stammers but tells her that he hasn't, and when she is asked as well, she stammers through a response as well. They are saved from any uncomfortable questions when the phone rings. The caller is a man named Bruce, a someone from Hollywood who is trying to talk Mary Jane out of getting married by offering to take her on a trip to Paris. She declines his offer, but when she tells Peter about it, and the possibility of a fashion gig on her wedding day, Peter is once more left to question the type of life he will provide to his future wife. Later, Mary Jane is at the office of a world famous fashion designer, who offers her a job on a shoot in the Bahamas. However, Mary Jane has to turn it down because it is her wedding day. The designer understands and tells MJ that he will have a surprise waiting for her in the next few days. On her way out, she is confronted by a man who gives her an audio recording and tells her to listen to it in a nearby parked car. She recognizes it as Bruce's car and listens to the recording. It's another attempt to convince Mary Jane to reconsider marriage, revealing that there are two tickets to France in the glove compartment. Mary Jane thinks Bruce will never change but considers the idea could be fun.
Later that day, Peter pays a visit to his Aunt May at her home in Forest Hills. While she attends to a pie, Peter looks through an old family album. Coming across a picture of himself with his Aunt May and his Uncle Ben get Peter to think about the events that turned him into Spider-Man. How a moment of selfishness led to a crook to get away, a crook who later shot his Uncle Ben. Peter then finds a photo of his old girlfriend Gwen Stacy. He thinks about how his career as Spider-Man led to her death at the hands of the Green Goblin. That's when Aunt May startles him from behind, and he questions if he should keep his loved ones at arms length. May tells him that is a foolish thing to do and goes back to the kitchen to attend to her pie. While she is busy, Peter slips the photo of Gwen Stacy into his shirt pocket. Moments later, Mary Jane and her Aunt Anna arrive. With everyone present, Peter and Mary Jane announce that they are getting married. The two aunts congratulate the young couple on the announcement. Having a private conversation with Aunt May, Peter admits that the idea of getting married is scary. Aunt May reminds him that he's a Parker and he loves Mary Jane and will do what's right for both of them. Outside, Mary Jane tells Peter that she is meeting someone and is picked up by Bruce, making Peter feel jealous and suspicious over what's going on.
Peter spends most of the evening pacing his apartment wondering where Mary Jane could have gone and with who. Suddenly she arrives at his apartment at 1 in the morning. She tells Peter that she had spent the last few hours thinking. She then asks him to take her where he goes when he wants to be alone to think. Peter then changes into Spider-Man and takes up to the very top of the Empire State Building. Peter says he goes up here to think and look at the sites. When Mary Jane notices he can also see the Brooklyn Bridge, the place where Gwen Stacy died, Peter assures her that he has moved beyond that part of his life. When Peter drops Mary Jane home she reminds him that they have to pick up their marriage license the next day. Peter then returns home where he spends the rest of the early hours of the morning looking at the photo of Gwen. Peter is roused by a phone call at 9 am from Mary Jane who is excited to tell him about the beautiful wedding gown that was gifted to her by the fashion designer. She is excited for their upcoming wedding, but Peter is reluctant to share in her excitement.
The following day, Peter and Mary Jane go to the Department of Licenses and Registration to get their marriage license. When Mary Jane says their marriage will be forever, this instills more doubt in Peter. Still, they fill out the required paperwork and agree to meet up for dinner. Peter then pays a visit to Flash Thompson who is about to be released from the hospital. Peter asks Flash to be his best man, and Thompson is honored to accept the offer but notices that Peter is a little nervous. However, Peter brushes it off as nothing. Later when he is sitting down for dinner with Mary Jane, Peter tries to call off the wedding, but she interrupts him to show a picture of her wedding dress. When she asks Peter what he wanted to talk about, she loses his nerve and tells her that Flash wants to throw a bachelor party for him. Mary Jane is happy to hear it because her friends are throwing a party for her as well. Peter's bachelor party is a tame affair at the Coffee Bean drinking champaign with Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson. Peter takes this opportunity to express his doubts about getting married, but when Thompson asks if Parker loves Mary Jane, he says he does. Thompson says the issue is settled and proposes a toast.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane and her friends are throwing a party at an upscale club. The whole time the men in attendance are trying to talk Mary Jane out of getting married. Later, Peter and his friends are leaving the Coffee Bean, and he thanks them for their advice before heading home for the night. While at the nightclub, Mary Jane gets a message from Bruce giving her a final chance to rush off with him to France at 4 am that morning. Mary Jane finds herself conflicted and decides to party the night away. That night, Peter has a nightmare about the wedding. In it, he is dressed in his Spider-Man costume while standing at the altar. In attendance are his Uncle Ben, as well as a bunch of Spider-Man's allies and greatest foes. When the priest asks for the ring, Flash Thompson can't find it. That's when Gwen Stacy approaches Peter with the ring. She gives Peter the ring and kisses him on the cheek. When Gwen says goodbye, she vanishes and Spider-Man begs for her to come back. When the priest asks if there are any objections to the wedding, the villains have just tied up all the other heroes and attack. Peter tells Mary Jane to run for it, but she refuses to go. When the villains rush at her, Peter Parker wakes up from his dream screaming. It's 3 am when Mary Jane leaves the club and finds Bruce waiting for her outside in his car. He once more asks her to accompany him to France. She decides to get in, but only because she has to make a decision once and for all. Meanwhile, Peter is atop of the Brooklyn Bridge where he is torn by his old feelings for Gwen Stacy and wonders what he should do.
The following afternoon, the guests are arriving at the church waiting for the bride and groom. That's when Bruce's red sports car pulls up. Mary Jane comes out in her wedding dress and discovers that Peter hasn't arrived yet. For a brief moment worries that Peter has gotten cold feet.Peter then arrives just seconds later, apologizing for running late, Mary Jane is relieved to see that he has arrived. Soon everyone gathers inside the church for the service. After the couple exchange vows and rings, the priest pronounces them husband and wife, and the newlywed couple kiss. Soon after, a reception is held in honor to the newlywed Peter and Mary Jane Parker. As usual, J. Jonah Jameson takes the opportunity to take credit for the Bugle picking up the tab and giving a long-winded speech. Even though he just got married, Peter is sulking a little because he can't afford to take Mary Jane on a honeymoon. That's when Mary Jane produces the plane tickets given to her by Bruce. He had given them to her as a wedding gift when he realized that she wouldn't reconsider getting married to Peter. Two weeks later, Peter and Mary Jane return to their apartment in Chelsea after an adventurous time in France. Peter asks Mary Jane what they should do after such a romantic getaway and have to return to a dump like his apartment. Mary Jane assures him that no matter where they are they will always be doing the same thing: Living happily ever after.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, Betty Brant, Electro, Wendy Thorton, Ben Urich, Glory Grant, Liz Osborn, Anna Watson, Marla Madison, Thomas Hepburn
Continuity Notes
Years later, in order to save the life of Aunt May, Peter and Mary Jane made a deal with Mephisto. In exchange for saving Aunt May, Mephisto erased all existence of their marriage. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #545. Unlike most changes in reality, it did not create an alternate reality but rewrote the history of Earth-616. The changes made will be detailed below.
Spider-Man's red and blue costume was destroyed beyond repair in Web of Spider-Man #18. When in Berlin on assignment without a costume, Peter took a store bought an imitation of his red and blue uniform in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1. Mary Jane says Peter was in "East Berlin", this should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, particularly since east and west Berlin was reunified in 1989.
Betty's husband, Ned Leeds, was murdered in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1. It was later revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #289 that Ned was murdered by assassins under the employ of the Foreigner
Peter started dating Betty in Amazing Spider-Man #9; their romance lasted until Amazing Spider-Man #18.
The fashion designer is depicted as Willi Smith. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Smith had passed away a few months prior to the publication of this issue.
The recording is depicted as being on cassette tape and Mary Jane plays it in a car tape deck. These technological anachronisms should also be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Likewise should the fact that the tickets are for TWA airlines, which went out of business in 2001.
Peter's origin and death of Uncle Ben were both depicted in Amazing Fantasy #15
Gwen Stacy was killed during a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
One of the sites that Peter mentions is the Pan Am Building. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 as 200 Park Avenue ceased being called the Pan Am Building in 1992.
Flash was injured helping Spider-Man in his battle against the Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #289.
One of the men Mary Jane is dancing with tells her about a place in London that was personally recommended to him by Princess Dianna. This should also be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Particularly since the princess was killed in a car accident in 1997.
The events of Peter and Mary Jane’s honeymoon are depicted in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7.
Continuity Changes
In Mephisto's altered timeline, the crook who Spider-Man webbed up to the lamp post manages to get free thanks to a red bird (likely Mephisto in disguise) flying into the squad car and unlocking the door so he can escape. This sets into motion the events that prevent Peter and Mary Jane from getting married. This was depicted in Amazing Spider-Man #638.
Amazing Spider-Man #638 depicts a scene following Peter's departure where Flash and Harry worry about Peter being nervous about getting married. Also, there is a scene where Mary Jane tries to convince herself that marriage is the right thing because it means no more lonely nights, she says this as she sees Peter web-slinging across the city as Spider-Man.
In Amazing Spider-Man #638, Peter spends some time worrying about what might happen to Mary Jane if they get married before going to the Brooklyn Bridge. That's when he hears gunshots and rushes to their source. There he gets knocked out trying to stop the crook who escaped arrest during the Electro heist.
In the changes depicted in Amazing Spider-Man #638, Peter never shows up for his wedding because he is still unconscious after being knocked out and so the wedding never happens.
In the altered timeline, Peter returns home and tells Mary Jane what happened. She is upset with him and refuses to ever marry him unless he gives up being Spider-Man, because she wants to have children and can't raise a child if Peter continues his costumed career. The two decide to continue their relationship, unwed, and take the trip to France with Bruce's tickets. This was detailed in Amazing Spider-Man #639.
As depicted in Amazing Spider-Man #639, in the altered timeline, Peter and Mary Jane still go to France, but it's a vacation as opposed to a honeymoon.
