Episode 106: Waking Up From The Illusion of Change

That time when Satan annulled Spider-Man’s marriage to Mary Jane. We’ve all been there.

Nothing is ever permanent in pop culture: people die and come back to life all the time, huge changes get retconned, and Spider-Man is always a young guy who's just starting out. Why are we stuck with the "illusion of change," and what happens when this goes on for several decades? And how do we find a way to move forward?

Citations, links, & etc.!

Stan Lee famously said, “Fans don’t want change. They want the illusion of change.” (At least, this quote is usually attributed to Stan Lee. Attributions vary.)

Years later, in 1983, comics writer Alan Moore called this notion “specious.” Another comics writer, Peter David, said that illusory change leads to a jaded audience that believes nothing matters.

Still, comics are full of huge changes that get undone. Batman’s spine was shattered and he was replaced with a French warrior monk who was half ape. Superman died. Spider-Man got married. Etc. etc. None of these changes was permanent.

Spider-Man’s marriage was retconned out of existence in the (in)famous “One More Day” storyline, leading to a new ongoing status quo called “Brand New Day.” In the first volume of the Brand New Day collected editions, editor Tom Brevoort wrote the Brevoort Manifesto, in which he argued that Spider-Man had gotten too far from his roots, and needed to get back to basics. The Brevoort Manifesto reads like a response to Moore and David’s criticisms.

Doctor Who head writer Chris Chibnall recently said that he expects his predecessor/successor, Russell T. Davies, to ignore all the huge changes he’s made to the Who mythos, when Davies returns next year.

Some changes remain permanent, though, if they’re popular enough. Batman has a son, and this seems to be sticking. Green Lanterns now are accompanied by Pink Lanterns and Mauve Lanterns and Teal Lanterns. Superman was no longer Superboy when he was a kid. Some retcons stick.

Captain Kirk admits in The Wrath of Khan that he’s getting old — but now Kirk is a young guy again.