(Via IGN.com) Peter Parker faced a blast from his past in the first issue of his newest Marvel comic.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1!
This issue added several new characters to Spidey’s supporting cast, including a new love interest in the form of comedian Rebecca London and a potential ally in super-genius Dr. Hophni Mason (the more level-headed brother of Phineas Mason, aka The Tinkerer).
However, the most surprising addition to the cast involves a key character who’s only appeared once before in the Spider-Man books. The issue ends with the unexpected return of Teresa Parker, Peter’s apparent long-lost sister.
Teresa first made her debut in the 2014 graphic novel Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business (from writers Mark Waid and James Robinson and artists Werther Dell’Edera and Gabriele Dell’Otto). That book established Teresa as a CIA agent (following in her parents’ footsteps) and an orphan who only recently discovered that Peter was her brother. The climax of Family Business pitted Peter and Teresa against Kingpin and Mentallo, who revealed that Teresa had merely been brainwashed to believe she was Peter’s sister. However, the ending to that story suggested otherwise, hinting that Richard and Mary Parker did indeed have a second child shortly before their deaths.
No doubt that lingering mystery will come back into play as writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Adam Kubert reintroduce Teresa into Peter’s world. The fact that Teresa is again referring to herself as “Peter’s sister” would seem to indicate that she’s discovered the truth about their relationship.
