WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Champions #1 by Jim Zub and Steven Cummings, currently available online and in stores.
If there are three words that can drive fear into the heart of any Spider-Fan, they're "one more day." Following the chaotic fallout of Civil War, Spider-Man ultimately made a deal with the Marvel devil himself, Mephisto, to rewrite reality in the "One More Day" arc. This led directly to the "Brand New Day" era of stories, as well as some long-standing displeasure from the fan community. While the last year has seen many of that story's repercussions reversed, it seems that a similar threat might be coming for another Spider-Man.
In the pages of Champions #1, it looks like Miles Morales has made some kind of bargain with Mephisto, and it may concern the fate of an entire generation of new Marvel heroes.
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Deal With The Devil
Mephisto, created by Stan Lee and John Buscema for Silver Surfer #3, has long been one of the most malevolent forces in the Marvel Universe. For example, he served as the (literal) devil whispering into Thanos' ear during the events of the Infinity Gauntlet story. He's a big deal, is what we're getting at.
But perhaps his most infamous moment came during "One More Day." The final story of J. Michael Straczynski's run on Amazing Spider-Man, the story essentially rebooted Peter Parker and his entire life. After having his identity revealed to the world, Aunt May was mortally wounded. Left with the choice to let her die with the knowledge that she was at peace or make a deal with the devil, Spider-Man went with the devil. His identity was made secret again, Aunt May was saved and Mary-Jane Watson (who at the time was married to Peter) was written out of the books as a side effect.
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The "Brand New Day" era of stories led to a number of modern Marvel classics, and even the entire Dan Slott run on the title, but it wasn't exactly a popular decision. The comic was reviled as one of the worst Spider-Man stories of all time. It fundamentally shifted Spider-Man for years, and it's only been recently that some of the longer lasting changes brought on by the status quo shift (like the absence of Mary-Jane) has been reversed. Even for those who enjoy the new stories, having Peter essentially sell his marriage to Mephisto was seen by many as an out-of-character deal-breaker.
NEXT PAGE: The Details of Miles' Deal Might be Downright Devilish
The Devil's In The Details
Life for Miles Morales has been hectic as of late. He just played a major role in Spider-Geddon, forming an unlikely respect for Otto Octavius and even serving as a host to Captain Universe. His uncle Aaron returned as the Iron Spider and assembled a new version of the Sinister Six. He dealt with an active shooter situation at his high school, fought against his fate to kill Hydra Captain America and managed to survive Weirdworld. He's been understandably under a lot of stress, especially for a teenager. Not even Peter Parker had all of that thrown at him so early in his superheroic career.
Mephisto offering him something makes sense for the demon, but what could push Miles to the point where he would consider working with Mephisto? Throughout Champions #1, Miles is just... off. He's clearly lost in thought, not celebrating the success of the team or even speaking with his friends. While his short attitude with Sam Alexander comes off as just sheer stress, his anger with Ms. Marvel feels more furious. He's clearly not upset with her, but he's upset all the same. This supports the theory that he has struck a deal he can't escape. The supposed bargain might even have something to do with the expanding roster and strength of the Champions, which could be what's terrifying Miles so much.
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All of this ties into a single, strange page in the book. The first chunk of the story follows the Champions, split into three teams, dealing with three threats. But during a montage of the heroes uniting around the globe, there's a single page of a dark and violent vision. Miles watches on, his mask damaged, as many of the other founding members of the Champions scream out in pain while surrounded by destruction.
It comes suddenly, and isn't commented on at all in the scene. But with the revelation that Mephisto's involved, there's no way it ends well for the heroes. What kind of deal did Miles make with Mephisto, and what for? Is this "One More Day" act going to be responsible for the return of someone he loved, or something worse? Is he responsible for the spread of the Champions through magical means? And, if so, what will the fallout be? Because if that vision really is of the future, then the future looks extremely dour for the young heroes -- and it might all be Miles' fault for making the same mistake his predecessor made.