14 best and worst retcons in comic book history
By Mark Lynch
The Totem or the radiation
Peter Parker getting his powers from a spider bite is one of the most iconic stories in comic books. So much so that people who don’t read comics know about it. Marvel Studios didn’t even show it in any of the MCU Spider-Man movies because it wasn’t needed. However, J. Michael Straczynski’s Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home added a new twist to this story as it created the totem theory for Spider-Man.
Peter meets another person with his powers named Ezekiel, who explained to him that his powers didn’t come from the radiation. The spider bite was intentional. The spider that gave Peter his powers was looking for him. He was chosen to be the Spider in this universe.
Comic book retcon rating: Spectacular
Everything about this made sense. Spider-Man getting powers from a radioactive spider worked in the earlier days of comics, but it was time for an upgrade. This was perfect. The explanation helped Peter understand why his villains are animal themed. It also went on to explain why they hate him so much.
Ezekiel told Peter that he’s the real deal and his animal based villains are just pretenders. It also opened the door for big time villains Morlun and the Inheritors. They’re so good that Marvel Studios should go with them in future Spider-Man films in the MCU.