Editing Aunt May (section)

==Fictional character biography==
May Parker (née Reilly) was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York on May 5.<ref>The 2007 [[Free Comic Book Day]] edition of ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]''.</ref> After the death of her [[Richard and Mary Parker|brother-in-law and his wife]], May and her husband [[Uncle Ben|Ben Parker]] took in their only nephew, Peter, and raised him at their home at 20 Ingram Street, [[Forest Hills, Queens]].<ref name="barron20230207">A family named Parker lived at the address from 1974 to 2007, and received many letters from children to the superhero. {{Cite news |last=Barron |first=James |date=2023-02-07 |title=Spider-Man, We Know Where You Live |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/nyregion/spider-man-letters-queens.html |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> She remained an important influence in Peter's life even during college as she was the only family he had left. Her continued belief that Peter was still the fragile boy he had been before he gained his powers could be frustrating at times.

In the early years of his superhero career, Peter feared for May's well-being and the fatal shock that he believed would end her life if she ever learned about his dual identity as Spider-Man. Consequently, Peter often felt anguish over dealing with major crises while his aunt needed nearly constant care. This conflict took on an unusual turn when May became sweethearts with his enemy, Otto Octavius (also known as [[Doctor Octopus]]), and Peter struggled to deal with his enemy's schemes while not hurting his aunt.

During a period of convalescence at a nursing home, May met wheelchair user Nathan Lubensky. Gradually, May and Nathan fell in love with each other.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brevoort |first1=Tom |last2=DeFalco |first2=Tom |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=Sanderson |first4=Peter |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |title=Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History |date=2017 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1465455505 |page=198}}</ref> She invited Nathan into her Forest Hills home after converting it into a boarding house, and the couple were briefly engaged. However, May's heart was broken when Nathan suffered a fatal heart attack while protecting her from being taken hostage by Adrian Toomes, the costumed villain known as the [[Vulture (Marvel Comics)|Vulture]].<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #336 (Early August 1990)</ref> Some time thereafter, a guilt-stricken Toomes confronted May, begging her  to forgive him for his role in Nathan's death. (Ironically, Nathan had befriended Toomes when the two briefly resided at the same nursing home). May refused to do so, stating that only God could provide the villain with the redemption he was seeking.<ref>''Spectacular Spider-Man'' #186–188 (March–May 1992)</ref>

As part of a plan by Peter's arch-foe [[Green Goblin|Norman Osborn]], May was replaced by a "genetically altered actress" who impersonated her while May was held captive by villains until the actress died,<ref name="mnyc">{{cite book|last = Sanderson|first = Peter|title = The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City|publisher = [[Pocket Books]]|year = 2007|location = New York City|pages = 49–51|isbn = 978-1-4165-3141-8}}</ref> Osborn returning May to Peter with a device planted inside her that would detonate a series of gene bombs if removed, decimating Earth. [[Mister Fantastic]] was able to disable the device without removing it, saving the world and May, who apparently retained no memory of her time in captivity. May finally learned about her nephew's secret life when she walked into his room after he had sustained a serious beating from the villain [[Morlun]],<ref>''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' vol. 2 #35, #38</ref> the two later talking about May's discovery as May came to accept her nephew's real life.

When Spider-Man joins the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]], Peter, Aunt May, and [[Mary Jane Watson]] move into [[Stark Tower]] after May loses her house to a fire. During the [[Civil War (comics)|Superhero Civil War]], she and Mary Jane convince Peter to unmask himself in front of a press conference.<ref>''Civil War'' #2 (w)[[Mark Millar]] (a)Steve McNiven</ref> Later, she is targeted by the [[Chameleon (character)|Chameleon]], but outwits the villain by feeding him [[Zolpidem|Ambien]]-filled oatmeal-raisin cookies.<ref>''The Sensational Spider-Man'' #31</ref>

When Peter changes his mind about the [[Civil War (comic book)|Superhuman Registration Act]], he moves his family from Stark Tower to a motel. An assassin hired by [[Kingpin (comics)|the Kingpin]] tries to kill Peter, but hits May instead.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #538 (February 2007)</ref> Peter takes May to a hospital<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #539 (March 2007)</ref> where she lapses into a coma and is likely to die. However, Aunt May receives a radioactive blood transfusion from Peter, which he hoped would save her life due to his mutated healing factor.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #541 (May 2007)</ref>

The demon [[Mephisto (comics)|Mephisto]] offers to restore May's health in exchange for erasing Peter's marriage from history, and Peter and Mary Jane agree. May lives, and Spider-Man's identity is once again a secret.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #545 (November 2007)</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-01-09-spider-man-marriage_N.htm?se=yahoorefer|work=USA Today|title=Comic fans fume as Marvel erases Spidey-MJ marriage|first=David|last=Colton|date=July 7, 2009|access-date=April 25, 2010}}</ref>

At the beginning of ''[[Brand New Day (comics)|Brand New Day]]'', May is doing volunteer work for a homeless shelter, run by Martin Li, the supervillain crime boss [[Mister Negative]].<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #552 (March 2008)</ref> At this point, her knowledge of Peter being Spider-Man was erased. During her work at the shelter, she met John Jonah "Jay" Jameson (the father of [[J. Jonah Jameson]]) and started a relationship with him.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #591 (April 2009)</ref> The following issue, Peter caught the two of them in bed.<ref name="Amazing Spider-Man' 2009">''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #592 (April 2009)</ref> However, he approved of this relationship, mainly because Jay supports Spider-Man, who had previously saved his life,<ref name="Amazing Spider-Man' 2009"/> and saw through Norman Osborn as a thug who holds nothing but contempt for the people.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #595 (June 2009)</ref>

Jay walked with May in Central Park and asked her to marry him, and May accepted.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #597</ref> Despite Doctor Octopus' subconscious efforts to halt his former fiancé's wedding plans, May and Jay were reluctantly wedded by New York Mayor J. Jonah Jameson, who expressed displeasure at Peter calling them stepbrothers (due to May being his adoptive mother).<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #600 (July 2009)</ref>

Aunt May has several blood relatives that are still alive, including a sister named Jan. May's first cousins Sam and Julia are the children of her uncle Bill and his wife Claudia. Peter was attracted to Julia's daughter Alexa.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #36</ref> The Reilly family is currently staying in May's house.

Upon her return from her honeymoon, she stops by the FEAST offices, only to accidentally walk in on Martin Li, along with [[Hammerhead (comics)|Hammerhead]] torturing one of Mr. Negative's Inner Demons. Trying to escape, Li touches her with his corrupting touch. She then returns to meet her husband and Peter. When Jay suggests going somewhere nice for dinner, Aunt May sarcastically proceeds to insult Peter over his fluctuating jobs and his dependence on them, culminating with calling her nephew "One damn big disappointment". A heartbroken Peter runs off.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #618</ref> Peter returns, after a physically and mentally exhausting battle against the [[Lizard (character)|Lizard]], tries talking to Aunt May, looking for someone to help give him hope after seeing the death of Curt Connors' humanity. She still continues to act like a bad-tempered teenager and at first, rebuffs him. However, after seeing Peter clearly suffering mentally, she feels guilty and undergoes an intense mind battle, breaking the corruption, and is shown simply sitting next to Peter.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #633</ref>

Prior to the events of ''[[Spider-Island]]'', after Martin Li's secret identity is exposed to the public, May and Jay formally announce their intention to leave New York for good, for their own safety, and move to Boston. Jay explains this was the result of all the recent major incidents towards them and their friends and family. They put May's old house up for sale and leave once the moving van is packed.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #665</ref> After spending their last night in New York at Jay's apartment, the following day she and Jay head to an airport in New Jersey with Peter and Carlie and they say their goodbyes before flying off.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #666–667</ref> Following the ''[[Ends of the Earth (Marvel Comics)|Ends of the Earth]]'' storyline, when May and Jay are returning home to New York on their private jet, but the irresponsible superhero [[Alpha (Marvel Comics)|Alpha]] uses his powers without care in his battle with [[Terminus (comics)|Terminus]] causes many aircraft to shut down. The [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]] rescue everybody and Spider-Man saves his May and Jay from Jameson's malfunctioning private jet just before it crashes. Later Peter arrives at the hospital to see that his Aunt May and Jay are okay, although she has sustained minor nerve damage to her leg that will require the use of a cane for the rest of her life.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #694</ref> In ''[[The Superior Spider-Man]]'' storyline, Aunt May's leg is fully healed from operation and completion surgery with gratitude of [[Cardiac (comics)|Doctor Wirtham]].<ref>''The Superior Spider-Man'' #24</ref>

As part of the ''[[All-New, All-Different Marvel]]'', May and Jay became part of the [[Parker Industries]]'s foundation, a charity focused on providing help for the less fortunate and raise the quality of life wherever it could be possible.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' vol. 4 #4</ref> However, her husband Jay had coughed up blood and collapsed.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' vol. 4 #15</ref> Aunt May is heartbroken after her husband Jay had later died in the hospital.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' vol. 4 #19</ref> Aunt May, Peter and J. Jonah Jameson held a moment of silence.<ref>''The Clone Conspiracy'' #1</ref>

After Peter Parker had his doctorate revoked for [[Dying Wish|"copying" Doctor Octopus']] thesis and getting fired from the Daily Bugle, May confronted her nephew about his actions. While stating that he should take responsibility for his actions, May leaves stating that Uncle Ben should have raised him better.<ref>{{Cite comic|writer = Nick Spencer|penciller = Ryan Ottley|inker = Cliff Rathburn|colorist = Laura Martin|letterer = Joe Caramagna|editor = Nick Lowe and Kathleen Wisneski|title = Amazing Spider-Man|volume = 5|issue = #1|date = July 11, 2018|publisher = Marvel Comics|location = United States}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with cancer and does not tell Peter to avoid overwhelming him.<ref>''Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'' #1</ref>