I am a big Spider-Man fan, but I hate what Marvel is doing to him after One More Day. I'm sick and tired of Marvel messing things up, especially with Zeb Well's run, in the misguided belief that this is what true Spider-Man fans want.
As such, I decided that if they're not going to do anything, I shouldn't give people what they want. I'm not saying my story will be any better, but I will try to do better.
Peter was making his way down the streets and back to his apartment. It had been a long few days, but the Gang War had finally ended—though not with the most ideal ending: Tombstone now ran things in the underworld.
As he was walking back, he couldn't help but think that his life was a complete mess. He supposed it all went downhill after he missed his wedding with MJ, and when it seemed as if they were finally going to get back together, they suddenly got separated, and now she was seeing someone else.
He opened the door to his apartment and went inside, but instead of finding himself in his living room, he found himself in a library.
"This is not my apartment," he said.
"No, it's not," said a familiar chuckle.
Peter turned and found that standing there was none other than Doctor Strange, the sorcerer supreme.
"Doctor Strange?" Peter frowned. "Any particular reason why you abducted me?"
"I needed to speak to you," he said.
"You could have just called."
"True, but I needed to speak to you immediately."
"What about?" Peter asked.
"I brought you here to get back what was stolen from you," said Doctor Strange.
"What was stolen from me?"
"Your happiness, for one."
"What are you talking about?" Peter asked.
"I'll explain in on good time, but we're still waiting on the arrival of one other," he said. "And she should be here right about…" Then suddenly materialising out of nowhere was MJ, "now."
"MJ?" Peter gasped.
"Peter? What am I doing here?" MJ asked, confused. "I just got back home and…" She then noticed Doctor Strange. "What's going on?"
"Apparently, we've been abducted by the Sorcerer Supreme, and he has yet to give an explanation," said Peter.
"Well, maybe you would like to explain it now?" MJ asked.
"I am here to give you back your lives and to restore your marriage," he said.
Peter and MJ immediately looked at one another, confused by the wording.
"What do you mean restore our marriage?" Peter asked. "We never got married."
"Because you left me at the aisle," MJ reminded him.
"I said I was sorry," said Peter.
"Actually, Mephisto altered things that prevented you from getting married," said Doctor Strange.
"Come again?" Peter frowned.
"Are you sure you're not the one who needs a doctor?" MJ asked.
"I know it sounds absurd, but reality has been altered, and I am here to restore it," said Doctor Strange. "About a year ago, do you remember your encounter with the Stacy twins?"
"How can we forget?" said Peter. "They were trying to traumatise me."
"But that was caused by Mephisto, who desperately attempted to separate the two of you when you started dating again," Doctor Strange explained.
MJ grasped her head as if she had a headache. "So you're saying that an all-powerful demon has been messing up with our lives and is preventing us from hooking up?"
"Not since your encounter with the Stacy twins," said Strange. "However, I do suspect that he is still meddling indirectly. It is entirely possible that he was the reason behind your recent troubles."
"Why does he care about us?" Peter asked in disbelief.
"I don't fully know, but I suspect that he fears something from the two of you," said Strange honestly, "or possibly what you could create together."
"Wait, you're saying that he's scared that we might produce a child and that our child might threaten him in some unknown way?" MJ asked.
"Believe it or not, he wasn't exactly forthcoming, but I can make an educated guess," said Strange. "I first became aware of his machinations when I scanned your soul, Peter. I then played a little game with Mephisto to free your soul from his grasp."
"Uh, thanks," said Peter, unsure whether he believed this.
"I would have informed you of this sooner, but I want to know the extent of his machinations," Strange continued. "I also needed to devise a way of restoring your marriage, which is not an easy feat if I do say so myself. Trying to break an ancient pack with a power-hungry demon is not the easiest thing I've ever done."
"And you found this solution?" Peter asked.
"In a sense, I cannot directly alter things the way that Mephisto did, but using an incredible amount of power, I can send someone into the past to make the alterations themselves. There is only one snag; it has to be someone close to the two of you, but at the same time, they didn't exist during that precious moment in time."
"Sorry, but that sounds impossible," said Peter.
"Not if we use someone already dead," said Strange.
"Are you suggesting that we bring someone back from the dead so that they can get us married?" MJ frowned.
"In a nutshell."
"MJ's right, you need a doctor," said Peter.
"I assure you I am quite serious," Strange assured that.
"Okay, let's say we agree to this. Who do you plan on sending it back to?" MJ asked, folding her arms.
Then, suddenly appearing out of nowhere was a woman wearing an outfit similar to Strange's except in purple. Peter had to assume that this was his wife, Clea.
"Were you able to locate her, my dear?" Strange asked.
"I was," said Clea.
She stepped to one side, and Peter's eyes widened in shock. His old girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, stood directly behind him. She looked exactly like she had on the day she died, still wearing the same green coat.
"G-Gwen," Peter stared.
She gave him a small smile. "Hey, Pete." She then turned her eyes to MJ. "Hey, Mary Jane."
MJ looked just as shocked as him and was unable to speak.
"How is this possible?" Peter asked.
"With some great difficulty, I was able to retrieve her soul from Limbo," said Clea. "Fortunately for us, she was unable to move on."
"B-But why?" Peter asked.
"Because I couldn't accept that you were Spider-Man," said Gwen.
Peter remembered that she blamed Spider-Man for the death of her father, but he had no idea that she knew he was Spider-Man.
"When did you find out?" Peter asked.
"When you were trying to rescue me from the Green Goblin, I regained consciousness and heard you talking. I was so shocked to discover you were Spider-Man that I fell unconscious."
Peter began to break into tears. "I'm so sorry; it was my fault."
Gwen approached him and attempted to touch his cheek, but her hand went right through him. "It wasn't your fault; you tried to save me. And it was wrong for me to blame you for my father's death because that's the reason why you never told me you were."
"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to lose you, and I ended up losing you anyway."
"Then you able to find someone new," Gwen smiled and looked at MJ. "And I'm happy that it was you, MJ."
"Shame it didn't work out," said MJ, finally able to regain the ability to speak.
"But it can work if we set things right," said Gwen.
"We can send Mrs Stacy here into the past and bring her back to life," Strange explained. "She can then set about making sure that you don't miss your wedding."
Peter was still trying to get his head around this. "How? How is she supposed to—"
"By giving her your powers," said Strange. "The spell will not only give her a new body, but it will also give her power similar to yours, Peter."
"But for it to work, you and MJ must accept it," said Gwen.
"And we'll only get one shot," said Clea. "It won't be long until Mephisto realises what we're attempting to do, so you must make this decision quickly."
"But I already am happy," said MJ. "I'm with Paul now; I can't just leave him."
"And yet you're more than willing to abandon Peter?" said Gwen.
"No, it's not like that."
"Then what is it? Has been with Paul truly made you happy? Last I checked, you were still grieving over those fake children of yours."
"They weren't fake?" MJ cried.
"They were never real, just illusions, and you only stayed with them out of a sense of responsibility, but that responsibility is now gone. We're offering you the chance to be happy and have real children with Peter."
"So you're saying I should just abandon Paul?"
"Tell me honestly, MJ, do you have feelings for Paul."
"Of course I do!"
"But are they the same ones you had for Peter? Do you truly have the same connection with Paul as with Peter? I think you're denying yourself because you're ashamed."
"Ashamed of what?"
"That you, for Peter had abandoned you. You gave up on him and shipped those feelings onto Paul because he gave you the one thing you needed at that time… companionship. However, when Peter returned and discovered the truth, you felt ashamed and guilty that he had given up on you. You felt that he deserved better, so you tried to distance yourself from him."
Peter looked at MJ, stunned. "Is this true?"
MJ's eyes began to flow with tears. "Okay, it's true. I felt abandoned, and Paul made me feel better. I was also responsible for the children and couldn't leave them. However, I also knew that you didn't waste a single second trying to get me back, and I ended up hurting you. It was then that I decided that you didn't deserve me."
"I think I have the right to determine whether I deserve you or not," said Peter, grasping her hand. "When I was with Felicia, I didn't feel the same connection I had with you, and I tried as I might, but I just couldn't give up on you. Felicia realised this, and that's why we broke up. I don't think I can be happy with anyone like you." He then quickly turned to Gwen. "No offence."
"None taken," Gwen smiled. "I didn't expect you to pine for me after I died; in fact, I hoped that you moved on. However, seeing you now, I can see how much you've suffered, and you deserve some happiness."
Peter looked to the floor. "I'm not even sure I deserve it. Whenever something goes right for me, it suddenly gets flipped. I lost MJ, I can barely hold a job, I lost my company, and no matter who I go out with, I end up being alone. And now I'm working with one of my former enemies."
MJ looked at Peter. "I guess my sister was always right about me; I am selfish."
"No, you're not," said Peter.
"I am," said MJ. "All the troubles I have are nothing compared to yours. You lost your parents, your uncle, Gwen, and I kept on pushing you away because I couldn't cope. Never once did I even consider how you felt. If we had been together when Octavius switched bodies with you, I would have noticed a lot sooner, and maybe if I had supported you, you might still have your company."
"That's a lot of what ifs," said Peter.
Gwen looked at Peter. "You still haven't told her about your other variants or how you met your children."
MJ looked up, shocked. "What?"
"I had a few misadventures across the multi-verse," Peter admitted. "In some of those universes, we were married and had kids, and they seemed pretty happy, all things considered."
"Why didn't you ever tell me this?" MJ asked.
"Because I didn't want to lose you," he said. "You said you would only stay with me if I never proposed or discussed having children with you."
MJ's eyes began to water more. "Maybe if we had had children, we would have been far happier."
Peter then looked at Gwen. "But are you okay with this? You'll have to watch both me and MJ get together."
"I would like nothing more than to be in MJ's shoes, but this is what it was meant to be," said Gwen. "So long as you're happy, that's good enough for me, and I'll find my own happiness."
"I never did, and I can't have you go through the same thing as I did."
Gwen smiled. "For once in your life, Peter Parker, try to be selfish. You have been through more hardships than any other hero; if anyone deserves a happy ending, it's you, and I'm going to give you one."
"So it agreed?" Strange asked.
Peter looked at MJ and nodded.
"We'll do it," said Peter.
Doctor Strange and Clea begin to conjure up a magic circle around them, and the threads attach themselves from Peter and MJ to Gwen. As the threads connected to Gwen, she began to see the memories of both Peter and MJ, the times they were together, the times they broke apart, and every single one of the hardships they faced.
However, this remained the same. In fact, she was even more determined to ensure that they had a happy ending.