31 Days of Spider-Man #28: Aunt May
(I swear, the closer I get to finishing this project, the more stuff gets in the way)
If the foundation of Spider-Man’s motivation to do the right thing is based upon his perpetual guilt, then Aunt May is Peter’s constant reminder of why he still dons the uniform and lets himself get battered on a regular basis.
Uncle Ben’s death shook Peter to his very core, changing him forever, but May’s presence is the symbol of the innocence he lost because he chose to tell someone “It’s not my problem”. Every now and then a Spider-Man story will feature Peter reflecting on this moment and feeling guilty that his actions left Aunt May alone, and yet he continues his crusade, living a life that results in him having to lie to the woman that raised him.
Aunt May is one character who has evolved well over five decades. Originally a naive old woman who doesn’t know how to handle all the strange events that she encounters, despite being a resident of the Marvel Universe, she has taken other forms. Before and after learning of Peter’s dual life as Spider-Man she showed a strong strength of will and sense of morality, not afraid to lecture him when he needed to be chewed out by a parent figure. (Sally Field nailed this aspect of the character in The Amazing Spider-Man film, her performance is not given enough credit because she didn’t “look” the part) During the time she was she was thought to be dying (and even when she does pass away) through her words, or simply her presence, she gives Peter affirmation that his life is his own to live, he just needs to make the most of it.
To once again bring up stories in the JMS run, Back in Black is a great example of Aunt May unintentionally being the driving force behind Peter’s actions as Spider-Man. Back in Black begins as Aunt May has been shot by a bullet intended for Peter after his identity is revealed. As soon as May is brought to the hospital, Peter begins the task of finding the parties responsible, ultimately confronting the Kingpin, but instead of killing him, he merely proves that he can be beaten, turning to the crowd of the onlookers and letting them know that if they have any issue with Spider-Man, they take it up with Spider-Man. They go after the people he cares about, they can expect a much worse fate.
Ultimately, Aunt May is a character many readers can relate to. We all have that person who we want to do right by, even if we can never tell them of the things we do simply because of their inspiration. We have parent figures whose scoldings sting because we do care about them and have trouble admitting that they are right.