It has been 24 years since the most important character in Spider-Man’s life learned his greatest secret. When Spider-Man got his powers, he was a teenager who lived with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and he decided to use his powers for fame and fortune instead of heroism. However, this led to his Uncle Ben’s death, and Peter realized that being a hero was more important, and he needed to keep his identity secret to protect his loved ones. This remained intact for 40 years (with some retcons along the way), but in February 2002, a comic book came out that changed everything.

### Aunt May & Peter Parker Finally Reveal the Truth to Each Other

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #38 came out on February 6, 2002. Aunt May learned that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, and the two had an important talk that completely altered their relationship.

Two months before this memorable issue, in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #36, Spider-Man took a beating from Morlun before winning the battle and returning home. Beaten, bloodied, and bruised, Spider-Man took off his costume and went to bed to sleep it off. However, the end of that issue saw Aunt May show up and find him in bed with the tattered Spider-Man costume at his feet. Fans had to wait to see what would happen because the next issue was a tribute to 9/11, with Spider-Man teaming with other heroes to help the first responders at the Twin Towers.

After the tribute issue, the actual Spider-Man storyline continued the next month when Aunt May demanded to speak with Peter. This was a huge moment, since he had no idea what was happening until he saw she was carrying his tattered costume. He tried to make excuses, but she wasn’t going to let him keep lying to her, and they talked things out. Aunt May learned that Peter Parker was Spider-Man.

However, this issue had a lot more to it than having Aunt May learn he was Spider-Man. While Peter explained he wanted to protect her, she refused to accept that. Then he said he was the reason Uncle Ben died, and he knew she would hate him for it. She reversed it on him by saying she blamed herself since they had a fight before Ben took a walk and ended up dying. Both Aunt May and Peter Parker felt they were to blame for Uncle Ben’s death, and they had kept it inside for years. This issue allowed them to finally get it off their chest.

### Spider-Man Was Right In Hiding His Secret Identity

While Aunt May only knew that Peter Parker was Spider-Man for four years, it changed everything in the comics because the two were on the same page for the first time. She still worried about him tremendously, but he had a weight lifted off his shoulders. Peter didn’t need to lie to her anymore. It was a great turning point, and while short-lived, it created some of the best Aunt May storylines in Spider-Man comics in years.

This marked a turning point for Spider-Man, but it was four years later when Peter proved that he was right about his identity being a danger to his loved ones. That was when Iron Man had Spider-Man unmask for the world to show his loyalty to the Superhero Registration Act. This led, unsurprisingly, to Aunt May getting shot by mercenaries working for Wilson Fisk, which caused Spider-Man to make a deal with Mephisto to erase his identity from the world and save Aunt May’s life. This means that Aunt May survived but lost her memories of Peter’s secret again.

The idea of Spider-Man giving up his marriage to Mary Jane Watson and hiding his identity from his loved ones again by making a deal with the Devil was controversial. One More Day remains one of Spider-Man’s most hated storylines because of the deal with Mephisto and undoing his marriage to Mary Jane. However, it also undid all the work that Peter and Aunt May completed in their relationship.

Much of the recent Spider-Man comics had the hero off Earth for an extended period of time. Aunt May began to worry, but Ben Reilly (who was impersonating Peter as his clone) blew her off, and it caused a lot of tension. This was disappointing because it causes a lot more melodrama than the series needs, and it is all because Aunt May is still clueless about Peter’s secret identity, even though people like J. Jonah Jameson and Norman Osborn know who he is. The comics reveal that May feels neglected by Peter, and Marvel showed how to fix that problem 24 years ago.

This pivotal moment in Spider-Man’s history not only shed light on the relationship between Peter Parker and Aunt May but also showed the importance of trust and honesty in maintaining strong bonds. It’s a reminder that sometimes, secrets can do more harm than good, even with the best intentions.