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May Reilly (Earth-616)

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This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.

See also Aunt May for a complete list of references to distinguish between these closely named or closely related articles.

Character Template Help
Real Name
May Reilly Parker
Current Alias

Aliases
May, May Parker, Golden Oldie, May Morgan

Identity

Alignment

Relatives
Peter Parker (nephew), Ben Parker (husband; deceased), Richard Parker (brother-in-law; deceased), Mary Parker (sister-in-law; deceased), Horace Reilly (uncle; deceased), Mary Jane Watson-Parker (niece-in-law), Ben Reilly (nephew)

Universe

Base Of Operations
Sleazy Motel;Formerly Avengers Mansion, Manhattan, New York; Formerly Forest Hills, Queens, New York

Characteristics
Gender

Height


Eyes

Hair

Status
Citizenship

Marital Status

Origin
Origin


First appearance

History


May and Ben Parker took in their nephew Peter after the death of his parents and raised him. Ben immediately took to the role of the boy's father but May was at first reluctant. She still remembered her parents blaming her own birth for the destruction of their marriage, and she was afraid that Peter might signal the end of her own marriage. In time, however, she warmed up to Peter, who unexpectedly strengthened the couple's marriage. After Ben's death, life became a struggle with money problems and Peter did his best to help.

Contents


After Ben Parker died she joined grey power. Over the years she dated numerous different men including Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius), Nathan Lubensky, and Willie Lumpkin.Thought to have died in Amazing Spider-Man #400. Actually turned out to be an actor playing the role of Aunt May. Recently found out Spider-Man's real identity before he revealed it to the world and dated the Avengers' Butler Edwin Jarvis. Most recently she was shot by a sniper who was hired by Wilson Fisk and is now in hospital. Peter's secret life as Spider-Man endlessly complicates both his and his aunt's lives. Aunt May lives in constant fear for her "frail" (but now unaccountably secretive) nephew who insists on a job as a freelance photographer. Parker is determined to capture Spider-Man in action, frequently submitting pictures of him to the Daily Bugle; Spider-Man is a vigilante whom Aunt May fears because of her unquestioning acceptance of the Daily Bugle's smearing.

Meanwhile, Peter fears for his aunt's well-being and the fatal shock that could result if she ever learns about his career as Spider-Man. This problem served as an easy crutch for dramatic tension in the comics for years, with Peter being torn between dealing with major crises while his aunt needs nearly constant care. This conflict took on a bizarre turn when Aunt May had his enemy, Doctor Otto Octavius (also known as Doctor Octopus) as an apparent sweetheart; Peter struggled to deal with his enemy's game while not hurting his Aunt.

Aunt May has "died" several times. In her most recent "death", the "Aunt May" who died was, in a widely-derided plot twist, revealed to be a "genetically-altered actress" who impersonated her while May was held captive by villains. Later writers, like J. Michael Straczynski, of Babylon 5 fame, returned to portrayals of Aunt May's strength and character nuance. For instance, Straczynski controversially had May finally learn about her nephew's secret life once and for all (in Amazing Spider-Man (volume 2) #35, #38). That resulted in a heartfelt discussion in which Aunt and Nephew confess their darkest secrets and each learned that the other was far stronger than they imagined.

After their house was destroyed, Peter, Aunt May, and Mary Jane Watson moved into Stark Towers (as Spider-Man has recently joined the Avengers). Aunt May seems to be developing a romantic relationship with the Avengers' butler, Jarvis. May is quite the strong-willed woman and even the hard-nosed Wolverine found it impossible to argue with her. During the Civil War storyline, she and Mary Jane had convinced Peter to reveal himself in front of a press conference, and May had even made Peter a hand-stitched copy of his original costume.


Soon, Kingpin, one of Spider-Man's frequent enemies, ordered a "hit" on the now public-identity Peter Parker. At the motel the Parker's were staying in, a sniper kept watch, to eliminate Peter. However, when the sniper fired, Peter dodged, grabbing MJ out of the way, as well. Unfortunately, Aunt May was hit by the bullet--the bullet intended for Peter.


Powers and Abilities

Powers

None known.

Abilities

None known.

Strength level

May Parker possesses the normal human strength for a female her age, height, and build who engages in minimal regular exercise.

Weaknesses

None known.


Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.


Notes

  • The character maintained a subtle undertone of inner strength until the departure from the title by co-creator Steve Ditko, after which her characterization leaned closer to stereotypical senility.


Trivia

Appearances in Other Media

Aunt May in the films

In the Spider-Man films, Aunt May is played by Rosemary Harris.

In the 2002 film Spider-Man , Aunt May and Uncle Ben take care of their nephew, Peter Parker. Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) is shot and killed by a carjacker. Peter and May share their grief for Uncle Ben. Later, when Peter has moved into an apartment with his friend Harry Osborn, Aunt May visits them on Thanksgiving. She is not shy about reprimanding Harry's father Norman for his rude and boorish behavior. Shortly thereafter, when Norman (who has become the villainous Green Goblin), learns Spider-Man's identity, he attacks May at home while she is saying her prayers. May is terrified by the Goblin's demonic appearance, and is hospitalized after the Goblin injures her. (The Green Goblin then makes a failed attempt to kill Mary Jane Watson, whom he believes is Spider-Man's girlfriend, before he is killed.)

In the sequel, Spider-Man 2 (2004), Aunt May continues to look after Peter, and has had financial difficulties since the death of her husband. She believes Spider-Man to be a bad person, claiming "the less we see of him, the better." However, when May's visit to the bank with Peter is interrupted by a robbery perpetrated by Otto Octavius, Octavius takes her hostage and climbs the side of a skyscraper with her. She is in turn, rescued by Spider-Man, and from that point believes that he is good. Later in the film, Peter's powers begin to wane because of a subconscious desire to live a normal life, and he decides to give up his costumed persona; Aunt May makes a speech which encourages him to resume his heroic activities. Whether she has deduced his secret identity or not is not made explicit; however, the bank robbery scene, in which she takes notice of Peter fleeing and where May reacts suspiciously after Spider-Man tells her, "We sure showed him [Doctor Octopus]," and May's later speech to Peter about the need for Spider-Man to return, suggest that she may in fact know of her nephew's alter ego. Also in the film, she expresses that she feels she caused Uncle Ben's death ("You wanted to take the subway, and he wanted to drive you. And if I had stopped him, we'd all be having tea together"), prompting Peter to admit that he caused the death by not stopping the killer. May is understandably off-put, but later thanks Peter and tells him that admitting the truth to her was a brave thing to do.

Aunt May returns in the third film.

Cartoon

Aunt May notably appeared in the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, in which her character was that she hated Spider-Man deeply, but loved his alter ego, her nephew, Peter Parker. Ironically, she doesn't know who her nephew is. She also had many encounters with villains Spider-Man fought like Venom (as Eddie Brock), the Hobgoblin, Dr. Octopus, the Chameleon (who was immitating Anna Watson), Tombstone, the Green Goblin, the Scorpion and the Shocker. She has a past with Keane Marlow as friends and also, Keane was May's late husband, Ben's friend as well (and unbeknownst to her, he was also a member in the 1940s superhero team called the Six Forgotten Warriors being named the Destroyer). In the Scarlet Spider's reality, Aunt May had died and like in the comics, May had died several times, but surely, her death in this reality was certainly real. Her death was also the beginning of how Spider-Carnage became insane. In the Armour Spider-Man's reality, Uncle Ben was alive but it is unknown if Aunt May was, but it is likely she was still living then.



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