OOC: Info on Spidey's secret ID and (reverse) permissions.
What is the Mephisto Mindwipe?
After the events of Civil War/Back in Black, when Aunt May was dying from a sniper's bullet, the demon Mephisto went to Peter and Mary Jane Parker and offered to save May's life in exchange for their marriage. Because they were being written to editorial agenda very desperate, they agreed. Mephisto altered reality so that Peter and Mary Jane had never been married, and Peter was mysteriously able to cure Aunt May's wound with the power of love. Or something. Yeah, I'm not even trying to explain that one. Dr. Strange, Reed Richards, and Tony Stark had an astral plane meeting. Out of concern for Peter (and in Tony's case, guilt for manipulating him into revealing his secret identity and putting him and his family at risk), the three whipped up a techno-spell that erased all knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity from everyone in the world, including themselves, and protected him from further discovery. The only people exempt from the spell were Peter and MJ. Why exactly Mephisto was nice enough to make this happen remains unexplained. Mmm, editorial mandate.
Technically this is the Stark/Richards/Strange Mindwipe, but "Mephisto Mindwipe" sounds so much better, doesn't it?
How does the Mephisto Mindwipe work?
Peter refers to the Mephisto Mindwipe as a "psychic blindspot." Not only has it erased everyone's memories of Spider-Man's secret identity, it actively prevents people from working it out. If someone finds evidence that could point towards Peter Parker being Spider-Man, they’ll draw an entirely different conclusion. Someone with super-senses, f'r instance, wouldn't notice that Spidey and Peter have the same scent. (They might, however, be aware that there's something about Spider-Man which prevents them from detecting that sort of thing.) Someone who notices Peter and Spidey are never in the same place at the same time will theorize that Spidey has a way of forewarning Peter so he can get himself in a position to take photos.
People who used to know that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are the same person will just gloss over those memories. (For a canonical example, Felicia Hardy remembers that she dated Flash Thompson, and she even remembers that while dating Flash she met both Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, but she doesn't remember that she dated Flash specifically to get back at Peter.) However, if their attention is drawn to the memory gap in some way - someone asking them if they know who Spider-Man is, for example - they may realize that they've forgotten Spidey's secret identity, but will still be unable to recall it.
Thus far, there are no known workarounds - enhanced senses, psychic abilities, gadgetry, magic and logical deduction are all unable to determine Spidey's true identity. The only way around the blindspot is for Peter to be unmasked, willingly or unwillingly. At that point, the unmasker will regain any prior memories they have of knowing Spidey as Peter Parker.
So now, who knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker in canon (Marvel 616)?
According to Amazing Spider-Man #648, here's the complete list:
- Mary Jane Watson (has never not known, confirmed in ASM #601-604 and #638-641)
- The Dark Reign era New Avengers, specifically Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Ms. Marvel, Captain America (Bucky), Mockingbird, Hawkeye (Clint Barton) (New Avengers#51)
- The Fantastic Four (ASM 590-591)
- Any omniscient characters, e.g. Uatu the Watcher.
That's it. The mindwipe occurred in Amazing Spider-Man #645 (cover date December 2007), so if your character is from a canon point after that, then they don't remember Spidey's ID unless they're on the list above or have learned it in game.
What about in Cape and Cowl?
In the interests of not gratuitiously godmoding people, I'm going to say that if your character has learned Peter's secret ID in game, then they still know provided that you fill out this here nifty form. Please also fill it out if your character knows for some other reason (they know in canon, they're from an alternate universe, etc) just so's I can keep track. :D
Hey, look, a form!
Character Name: Hopefully straightforward.
How they know who Spidey is: From canon, in-game activity, etc.
Friend or foe? Does Spidey have a friend he can't remember, or a foe who might blindside him?
Anything else I should know?
Well, keep in mind that Peter's in an entirely different universe now. The Mephisto Mindwipe seems to be working for the moment, but who knows what might happen?
Any other questions, just ask!
After the events of Civil War/Back in Black, when Aunt May was dying from a sniper's bullet, the demon Mephisto went to Peter and Mary Jane Parker and offered to save May's life in exchange for their marriage. Because they were being written to editorial agenda very desperate, they agreed. Mephisto altered reality so that Peter and Mary Jane had never been married, and Peter was mysteriously able to cure Aunt May's wound with the power of love. Or something. Yeah, I'm not even trying to explain that one. Dr. Strange, Reed Richards, and Tony Stark had an astral plane meeting. Out of concern for Peter (and in Tony's case, guilt for manipulating him into revealing his secret identity and putting him and his family at risk), the three whipped up a techno-spell that erased all knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity from everyone in the world, including themselves, and protected him from further discovery. The only people exempt from the spell were Peter and MJ. Why exactly Mephisto was nice enough to make this happen remains unexplained. Mmm, editorial mandate.
Technically this is the Stark/Richards/Strange Mindwipe, but "Mephisto Mindwipe" sounds so much better, doesn't it?
How does the Mephisto Mindwipe work?
Peter refers to the Mephisto Mindwipe as a "psychic blindspot." Not only has it erased everyone's memories of Spider-Man's secret identity, it actively prevents people from working it out. If someone finds evidence that could point towards Peter Parker being Spider-Man, they’ll draw an entirely different conclusion. Someone with super-senses, f'r instance, wouldn't notice that Spidey and Peter have the same scent. (They might, however, be aware that there's something about Spider-Man which prevents them from detecting that sort of thing.) Someone who notices Peter and Spidey are never in the same place at the same time will theorize that Spidey has a way of forewarning Peter so he can get himself in a position to take photos.
People who used to know that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are the same person will just gloss over those memories. (For a canonical example, Felicia Hardy remembers that she dated Flash Thompson, and she even remembers that while dating Flash she met both Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, but she doesn't remember that she dated Flash specifically to get back at Peter.) However, if their attention is drawn to the memory gap in some way - someone asking them if they know who Spider-Man is, for example - they may realize that they've forgotten Spidey's secret identity, but will still be unable to recall it.
Thus far, there are no known workarounds - enhanced senses, psychic abilities, gadgetry, magic and logical deduction are all unable to determine Spidey's true identity. The only way around the blindspot is for Peter to be unmasked, willingly or unwillingly. At that point, the unmasker will regain any prior memories they have of knowing Spidey as Peter Parker.
So now, who knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker in canon (Marvel 616)?
According to Amazing Spider-Man #648, here's the complete list:
- Mary Jane Watson (has never not known, confirmed in ASM #601-604 and #638-641)
- The Dark Reign era New Avengers, specifically Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Ms. Marvel, Captain America (Bucky), Mockingbird, Hawkeye (Clint Barton) (New Avengers#51)
- The Fantastic Four (ASM 590-591)
- Any omniscient characters, e.g. Uatu the Watcher.
That's it. The mindwipe occurred in Amazing Spider-Man #645 (cover date December 2007), so if your character is from a canon point after that, then they don't remember Spidey's ID unless they're on the list above or have learned it in game.
What about in Cape and Cowl?
In the interests of not gratuitiously godmoding people, I'm going to say that if your character has learned Peter's secret ID in game, then they still know provided that you fill out this here nifty form. Please also fill it out if your character knows for some other reason (they know in canon, they're from an alternate universe, etc) just so's I can keep track. :D
Hey, look, a form!
Character Name: Hopefully straightforward.
How they know who Spidey is: From canon, in-game activity, etc.
Friend or foe? Does Spidey have a friend he can't remember, or a foe who might blindside him?
Anything else I should know?
Well, keep in mind that Peter's in an entirely different universe now. The Mephisto Mindwipe seems to be working for the moment, but who knows what might happen?
Any other questions, just ask!