SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for "Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" #4 by Gerry Conway and Ryan Stegman, on sale now.
"Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" #4 sees the end of the series' first arc by Gerry Conway and Ryan Stegman, and sets up the status quo for future ones. The family dynamic between Peter, Mary Jane, and Annie is finally established, or more likely consented to by Annie May's reluctant dad, as she finally gets the role she had long wanted, and her own moniker, to boot. The Parker clan's face-off with The Mole Man also sets the stage for some future developments with other characters, as well, and with a potentially villainous one in particular.
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Annie May Parker Officially Becomes . . . Spiderling
As Spider-Man, Spinneret (Mary Jane), and Annie flee from The Mole Man, who's armed with Regent's deadly power-sapping technology, Peter and MJ discover that trying to keep Annie safe is a potential liability for all of them. Having momentarily gotten away, Peter argues with MJ in favor of protecting Annie while MJ makes a case for allowing her to use her powers. As her parents argue over her potential role as a superhero, Annie takes the opportunity to sneak away and confronts The Mole Man directly, turning his weapon on the Moloids and enabling Peter and MJ arrive in time to finish him off.
After Annie's critical role in the successful battle, Peter relents and officially allows Annie to become a superhero just like her parents, and welcomes her to the superhero family by giving her the codename of Spiderling. Prior to the launch of the series, Peter was the only member of the Spider-Family to even have an official superhero identity, but with MJ formally adopting her moniker at the end of issue #2, Annie's christening gives the entire family their own unique names – definitely a convenience for all of the likely pending Daily Bugle features. The Peter of this alternate world clearly has no knowledge of the term "spiderling" as it was used in the mainline Marvel Universe – Otto Octavius named his henchmen "Spiderlings" when he had assumed the identity of Peter in "Superior Spider-Man." Gone is Annie's former handle AMP, replaced with one a little more representative of her spider-powers.
Annie May Takes Notice Of Normie Osborn, And Vice Versa
It doesn't take any newspaper headlines for one person to take interest in Annie; young Normie Osborn, child CEO of Osborn Industries, discovers Peter's camera drone Buzzbee in the wreckage left in the wake of The Mole Man's attack, creepily stating that he finds her "fascinating." Peter's camera doesn't appear to be attached, but as the drone hadn't been seen since The Mole Man first attacked in issue #1, it's likely that his camera is likely somewhere amidst the debris. Normie's disquieting comment doesn't necessarily indicate that any he's seen any of the photos from Pete's camera, including any insight as to its contents, but the moment portends that Normie just might know more about the Parkers than any of them intended.
Similarly, Normie has likewise caught the eye of Annie, albeit in a far more innocent and typical manner, with Annie calling him "cute" despite MJ's decidedly less favorable impression. Annie's naïve infatuation potentially bodes ill for whatever their future relationship holds in store; the Osborn family hasn't always been portrayed in the most favorable light in any reality, and Normie here isn't exactly being groomed as a Boy Scout. Annie and Normie's future friendship could begin innocently enough, like that of their fathers did on Earth 616, but the specters that shadow the legacy of both men, and their children, loom large.
Of course, such a relationship depends on Normie even knowing the connection between Annie and Spiderling. Normie's fascination with technology – first Regent's, and now Spider-Man's – points towards Normie having less than an altruistic interest in Spiderling, but any reason to suspect a connection would drive him to foster a friendship with Annie for reasons other than just wanting to hold hands. One can imagine Peter and MJ gnashing their teeth when Annie sneaks away to be with Normie, more so than when she did sneaking off to face The Mole Man.
How Will Regent's Tech Impact The Spider-Family?
Repurposing Regent's power-stealing technology is what's allowed the otherwise-powerless Mary Jane to go into battle as Spinneret, by tapping into Peter's powers. The same tech conceivably could also be used to augment Annie's own developing powers, and in fact could help MJ even further when Annie's own powers fully develop. However, sharing powers is a potentially dangerous idea, especially to Peter, or Annie, whose powers would be the ones being temporarily drained.
Compounding this would be Normie's possible discovery that Regent's tech is responsible for giving MJ, and hypothetically Annie, increased powers; seizing this tech would diminish their capacity, and potentially that of Peter's if it were repurposed back to its original intent. The discovery would give Normie even more impetus to become close to the Spider-family; seizing it would allow him to replace in part the technology that was confiscated from Osborn Industries by the government after the Mole Man's defeat. Regaining this science would in fact put Normie in a far greater position of power than any Osborn ever has been; even with The Green Goblin's comparatively tame scientific gadgets.
The first mission of the officially-formed Spider-Family will take place in "Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" #5, on sale March 22.