[B5JMS] Amazing Spider-Man #510 (SPOILER SPACE--BIG REVELATION)

[b5jms at cs.columbia.edu]

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From: arromdee at green.rahul.net (Ken Arromdee)
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 06:07:08 +0000 (UTC)
Lines: 32

In article <41182ba1.9632493 at news.paradise.net.nz>,
Matthew Vincent <mbvincent at paradise.net.nz> wrote:
>(2) Whilst there is actually quite a large variation in expected
>lifespan between different subspecies of spider, it is very rare for
>spiders to live more than 20 years...
>
>(3) Spidey seems to have some children who seem to have aged faster
>than would be typical for an ordinary human child with two ordinary
>human parents. 
>
>(4) Add to this the fact that Spidey has recently been having
>interactions with a magical dimension of some sort where time doesn't
>work quite the same as it does in the physical world. 
>
>But of course, it's totally beyond reason to imagine that there could
>be any explanation for this set of circumstances except for it being a
>continuity glitch. ;) 

First, JMS said it's not a "cheat", and he seemed to be defining "cheat" to
mean weird Marvel science, including fast-time dimensions and rapid spider
child aging.

Second, these explanations, while *possible* in the MU, aren't the first
choice.  If Peter knows the ages don't add up, he has a choice between a
prosaic explanation (fake or misleading letter) or a weird explanation
(Marvel science).  Wouldn't you pick the prosaic one even in the MU?
-- 
       Ken Arromdee / arromdee_AT_rahul.net / http://www.rahul.net/arromdee

"One day, I shall come back.  Yes, I shall come back! Until that day, there
must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties.  Just go forward in all your
beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine..."

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Lines: 20
From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 15 Aug 2004 06:07:44 GMT

> If Peter knows the ages don't add up, he has a choice between a
>prosaic explanation (fake or misleading letter) or a weird explanation
>(Marvel science).  Wouldn't you pick the prosaic one even in the MU?

Actually, being the good scientist he is, he wouldn't jump automatically to
either *one* of those...he'd do some more investigation first to gather more
information before reaching a conclusion.  It's just good, old fashioned
Scientific Method 101.

And that is *exactly* what he does in the very next issue.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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