Summary
- Spider-Boy says that his life was erased from history by the Totem Dagger, which is why no one remembers him as Spider-Man’s sidekick.
- Spider-Boy knows the Marvel Universe, but the heroes and villains of Earth-616 have no memory of him, suggesting he may be from a different timeline in the Multiverse.
- Perhaps an inconsistency in Spider-Boy’s story sets up the revelation that he’s in the wrong universe, which would have devastating consequences for Spider-Man’s new sidekick.
Warning: Spoilers for Spider-Boy #1!
There is existence Spider-Man new sidekick gets even more complicated. The word “new” may have to be used loosely, because when he was introduced, 10-year-old Bailey Briggs said he had become a hero within the Marvel Universe for co- at least three years, serving as Spidey’s sidekick during that time. The reason no one remembers him is because he was, until now, erased from history by the Totem Dagger.
Bailey’s explanation for why no other Marvel heroes remember him – that his life was erased from collective memory – is certainly plausible as far as superhero story levels go; it’s happened before, to established characters.
Spider-boy #1 – written by Dan Slott, with art by Paco Medina, – finds Spider-Man doing his best to believe Bailey’s claims; however, holes in his story may appear in his story, causing Peter Parker to develop suspicions about the new hero and the true nature of their hero.
That’s not to say that Bailey is lying about anything he talks about, as he has expressed too much accurate knowledge about the Marvel Universe around him to be considered a liar. However, there have been signs that even though Spider-Boy may be a hero in his universe, Earth-616 may not be his origin.
Nobody remembers Spider-Boy, or his villains
As has been a running theme with Spider-Boy thus far, no one – not even his own rogues gallery – remembers who Spider-Boy is. However, no one even remembers these villains either. When confronted by Gutterball at the beginning of the issue, it’s clear that Spider-Man has never heard of him or seen him. Meanwhile, Spider-Boy knows all about it, suggesting that it is one of the “the deadliest enemies” But, adding another layer of uncertainty, even Gutterball himself doesn’t remember Spider-Boy.
The simplest explanation for all of this is that Bailey, the new Earth-616 Spider-Boy, is originally from a different timeline in the Multiverse.
Bailey’s explanation for why no other Marvel heroes remember him – that his life was erased from collective memory – is certainly plausible as far as superhero story levels go; it’s happened before, to established characters. The existence, but lack of recognition by Spider-Man of villains like Gutterball and Balloon Man, raises the question of the true nature of these characters. and if that’s the case, heroes like Spider-Man and Squirrel Girl should at least have memories of these villains, even if they’ve been messed with.
Theory: Spider-Boy is back in the Wrong Universe
The simplest explanation for all of this is that Bailey, the new Earth-616 Spider-Boy, is originally from a different timeline in the Multiverse. It is possible that he does not even understand that he is in the “wrong” universe. All these inconsistencies with his story could be setting the stage for reveals that the real Bailey universe is adjacent to Earth-616, but not 616 itself – so why is he so aware of Spider-Man and his amazing friends, but they don’t recognize him. The same can be said of Bailey’s villains. Maybe all these new characters just fell into the wrong universe. If this is true, the truth is going to crush Spider-Man side
Spider-boy #1 on sale now from Marvel.
