The closest thing the DC Universe has to Deadpool is calling out one of the biggest Spider-Man issues, and he’s absolutely right. Now I know Wade Wilson is infamous for the way he addresses readers with jokes and snide comments about the state of the comic book world. But Deadpool is far from the only hero who’s hated by the majority of his universe, who also happens to know the truth about the reality he’s in. While DC has plenty of characters that don’t mind wrecking the fourth wall, the only one who’s literally done so is Superboy-Prime.
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For those who haven’t been keeping up with the current Superman title, Superboy-Prime came back late last year to assist Superman as Darkseid began his assault on the DCU. While Superman competed in DC K.O.’s Omega Tournament, Prime worked alongside Lois Lane to deliver an important message to the Man of Steel. Now, Clark is missing, and Metropolis is without a dedicated Kryptonian to protect it. Fortunately, Superboy-Prime has decided to stick around his favorite fictional world and help out. He’s even gotten a job at a comic store, and yes, he’s handling exactly as you’d expect.
Superboy-Prime Stans Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s Marriage
In Superman #37 by Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, and Ariana Maher, Superboy-Prime has been keeping busy. He recounts everything he’s done since getting into the hero game to Martha and Jonathan Kent, from fighting godlike beings to checking out all the places he used to read about when he was younger. Unfortunately, a lot is on Prime’s mind. Namely, the gaggle of Justice League members hovering about the Kent Farm just waiting for Prime to screw up. It’s taking a heavy toll on Prime, and Martha asks him to unload anything else on his mind.
Prime begins by taking the Kents (and the readers) back to the previous Wednesday. Prime is at his new job, and he’s actually doing really well at it. There’s even one customer who’s particularly interested in Prime, but he’s far too distracted with his work and superhero life to even notice. Unfortunately, not all is well in the universe, and Prime’s boss wants to have a talk with him. Despite all the great work he’s been doing, Prime is chewed out for his continued lateness, not to mention how argumentative he can be with certain customers.
We only get a glimpse of how intense Prime can be with customers, but it’s positively gold as a flashback shows Prime getting insanely defensive and screaming “They should be married!” at a comic shop patron. We’re not directly told who Prime is talking about, but anyone with even a faint familiarity with Marvel history knows that he’s talking about Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s marriage that was erased close to 20 years ago. Plus, artist Dan Mora did respond to a fan’s question about who Prime was talking about with emojis of a spider and a red-haired woman.
Meta Characters Like Deadpool and Superboy-Prime Speak the Truth
I always find it so funny that while there’s not much that creative teams can do about big, controversial decisions that are out of their hands, they can use characters who possess some kind of meta-awareness as microphones. Now I don’t know if Prime’s stance on the Spidey/MJ situation reflects Williamson and Mora’s opinions, but it is nice to see a character who was designed to be the ultimate fanboy make this kind of stance. I mean, I don’t know who’s arguing in favor of “One More Day”, but it’s nice to see Prime prefer the classic dynamic.
Sure, at the end of the day, this is just a goofy jab at the competition. It’s not the first time DC has poked fun at Marvel, and it won’t be the last. But it is funny to see Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s marriage erasure still being such a huge thing despite happening almost 20 years ago. While Marvel keeps baiting readers with the ‘will they, won’t they’, the majority of readers just want to see them together again. Maybe not as passionately as Superboy-Prime does, but still, there’s a real desire among fans.
I doubt a call-out by Superboy-Prime is going to move the needle in any direction. But I love little moments like this. Meta characters getting to voice the displeasures of comic book fans is always good for a laugh, and if this kind of stuff is what we can expect from Prime sticking around, I’m all for it. Who knows? Maybe Prime’s next comic argument will see him expressing some very strong words about the untimely ending of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe.
What do you think about Superboy-Prime calling out Marvel over its Spider-Man and Mary Jane problem? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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