Marvel makes a groundbreaking change to Spider-Man’s secret identity, rejecting one of its biggest mistakes of the past

Contains spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #6!of spider man The secret identity has always been a central part of his character, but the new The last Spiderman is Turning Peter’s struggle on its head by revealing his identity to several characters early on.. It’s a sign of how the priorities of this new book are very different from those of its conventional counterpart and fits perfectly with its characterization of a very different Peter Parker for the modern era.

The Last Spider-Man (2024) #6 – written by Jonathan Hickman, with art by Marco Checchetto – features Peter Parker’s revelation of his secret identity to his family, after failing to find a credible alibi for his superhero injuries.

This married, middle-aged Peter accidentally revealed his identity to his daughter May in issue #2, but decided to keep the secret from his wife Mary Jane and son Richard. However, when he struggles to explain the bruises to his family in this issue, and May practically blurts out his secret, Peter relents and tells his family everything after hiding it for several months.

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Ultimate Spider-Man’s family discovers his secret, a major change from classic Spidey lore

The Last Spider-Man (2024) #6 – Written by Jonathan Hickman, illustrated by Marco Checchetto; Colored by Matthew Wilson; Lyrics by VC’s Cory Petit

It’s funny that Peter Parker’s alibi for being Spider-Man falls apart as soon as he fights his first real supervillain. This is in line with writer Jonathan Hickman’s characterization of Peter in The last Spiderman, starting with issue #2, where Shocker constantly tricked Peter into letting the villain escape. This Peter is not good still being Spider-Man. Being Spidey involves more than just power and responsibility, and superpowers don’t protect the hero from making silly mistakes. What’s different in this incarnation is that Peter can’t just get away with lame excuses.

This series also presents a moral argument about Peter revealing his identity.: in The last Spiderman #4, Harry Osborn argues that Peter should tell Mary Jane, arguing that Peter won’t be able to keep his family safe from the inevitable consequences of becoming a superhero, and they I need to know what they’re getting into. Peter not telling MJ is understandable, but selfish, and represents the easy option for the rookie crime fighter. Telling his secret to his wife shows Peter’s growth and sums up his arc so far, which is a journey of self-realization.

Spider-Man’s ability to keep his secret identity has never been realistic

Hickman The last Spiderman recognizes that

That Peter keeps his identity hidden in mainstream continuity is often less about him being good at deception and more about narrative convenience. The comics rely on Peter’s secret identity as a plot point, so Peter’s identity often finds itself on a knife’s edge. He always struggles to keep the secret from him, but in most of the comics he succeeds. In The last Spiderman #6, Peter slipping up so easily and revealing his superhero secret shows how this comic’s story priorities are different, and it’s a fun little moment that shows what it would really be like to try to hide a secret identity.

The question is whether these mostly comedic moments are just a prelude to a more serious and costly mistake. From this ‘revelation’ to his encounter with Shocker, The last Spiderman has a clear interest in playing with fans’ expectations and making Spidey more “realistic”, at least within the world of still-fantasy fiction. Silly mistakes cost Peter, and he can’t just brag through a comic that’s invested in maintaining his identity. This is a world where Spiderman has more to lose than everand how The last Spiderman continues, it’s hard not to worry that the next mistake could be deadly.

The last Spiderman #6 (2024)
	Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Marco Checchetto Colorist: Matthew Wilson Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit Cover Artist: Marco Checchetto