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Spider-Man: Brand New Day may take its title from a specific era of Spidey comics, but the first trailer for the fourth film in the MCU franchise heavily points to an adaptation of a very different story, The Other, one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever told.
The Other marks a dramatic turn for Peter Parker and his life as Spider-Man, evolving his powers, tying him to new aspects of the Marvel Universe, and, unfortunately, even killing him off entirely (at least temporarily).
It's a story that is almost as complex as it is polarizing, with fans split over whether The Other did more harm than good to Spider-Man and his world. Read on as we break down everything you need to know about The Other, including all the references to the story in the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
What is The Other in comics?
The Other is one of the most controversial Spider-Man comic stories because it marks a significant shift away from the classic concept of Spidey as a sci-fi hero whose powers are based in comic book science. The Other adds a magical element to Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man, changing his powers and pulling him into a totally different area of the Marvel Universe.
In The Other, which ran across three different comics in 2005/06 – Amazing Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Marvel Knights Spider-Man – focuses on Peter being hunted by a kind of multiversal vampire named Morlun who hunts so-called "Spider-Totems," people with Spider-powers. Though the Spider-Verse doesn't come into play in The Other, Morlun is one of the main villains of that story.
Morlun's pursuit of Spider-Man results in a series of brutal confrontations in which Morlun beats Spider-Man to a bloody pulp, breaking his bones, damaging his internal organs, and even taking out one of his eyes. Though Peter eventually fends Morlun off, he dies of his injuries in the arms of his wife Mary Jane Watson.
Peter's death is only temporary though, as he finds himself confined in a cocoon under the Brooklyn Bridge, where he has a vision of the divine spider that connects all Spider-people to the same metaphysical web, putting a new, magical spin on his origins. It tells Peter to embrace his spidery nature, giving him new powers that he learns to control once he finally breaks free of the cocoon, fully revived.
Using his new powers, which include venom spikes that come out of his wrists, fangs, an even more sensitive version of his spider-sense, a direct connection to the spiders around him, and of course, organic web-shooters, Peter finally manages to fully defeat Morlun, who turns to dust (though, like the best villains, he does eventually return).
Oddly enough, the changes to Peter's powers wouldn't last long, as The Other moves directly into the story Civil War, in which Peter reveals his identity to the world, leading to Mephisto forcing his breakup with Mary Jane and to Peter consulting with Doctor Strange to make his identity secret again – important plot points in the previous film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. That comic story leads into the Brand New Day era, which lends the new film its title.
How will The Other connect to Spider-Man 4?
There are some very specific references to The Other in the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day that indicate a fairly close adaptation of the comic story, though there are some elements we're expecting the movie to leave out.
First and foremost, there's the scene in the trailer where Peter dramatically breaks out of his cocoon, seemingly having developed organic webshooters. That alone is a dramatic enough evolution of his abilities, but we also see a flash of Peter's eyes going black, seemingly tying into Peter's semi-feral nature in The Other, using his fangs and stingers as weapons.
There's also the scene where Peter consults Bruce Banner about his changing DNA, another element taken directly from The Other in comics, in which Peter also consults other scientists including Tony Stark and Reed Richards in order to stop the changes – but to no avail.
Interestingly enough, even Keith David's monologue in the trailer relates back to The Other, which includes thematic narration about the life-cycle of spiders – and a part about "rebirth," which could mean that Peter Parker will indeed die and be resurrected in the Brand New Day film.
All of that said, it seems unlikely that Marvel will bring in Morlun and the Spider-Totem concept. It's one thing to give Peter upgraded new abilities, especially since he's no longer got advanced Stark tech to rely on in the MCU, but bringing in a whole new magical twist on his sci-fi origins is likely a bridge too far in a movie that already looks jam-packed.
We'll find out exactly how The Other ties into Spider-Man: Brand New Day when it hits theaters on July 31. For more, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order.
