Editing Aunt May (section)

==Other versions==

===Original appearance===
Lee and Ditko introduced a character named "Aunt May" alongside "Uncle Ben" in the June 1962 issue of ''[[Strange Tales]]'' #97, four months before her ''Amazing Fantasy'' debut. In the story "Goodbye to Linda Brown", the characters are given no surname. They care for a young woman named Linda Brown who develops a sleepwalking habit, just like May and Ben used to have. When Linda sleepwalks to the sea in her wheelchair, she becomes a mermaid.<ref name="Strange Tales">{{Cite web |last=Seifert |first=Mark |date=2021-11-29 |title=Aunt May, Uncle Ben and the Prototypical Story of Strange Tales #97 |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/aunt-may-uncle-ben-and-the-prototypical-story-of-strange-tales-97/ |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Bleeding Cool}}</ref><ref name="Goodbye to Linda Brown">{{Cite comic |Artist=Steve Ditko |Writer=Stan Lee |Story=Goodbye to Linda Brown |url=https://read.marvel.com/#/book/52770 |Title=Stange Tales |Volume=1 |Issue=97 |Publisher=Marvel |date=May 1962 |accessdate=2022-07-21}}</ref> These characters have never been established in-universe to be the same May and Ben that appear in ''Spider-Man'' <ref>{{Cite web |last=Cronin | first=Brian |date=2022-01-16 |title=Is Spider-Man Related to ... a Mermaid? |url=https://www.cbr.com/spider-man-mermaid-cousin-aunt-may-uncle-ben-ditko-prototypes/ |access-date=2024-01-13 | website= Comic Book Resources}}</ref>

===Golden Oldie===
May Parker was transformed by [[Galactus]] into the cosmically powered being '''Golden Oldie''' to serve as his [[Herald of Galactus|herald]]. Rather than lead him to populated worlds, Oldie discovered an extraterrestrial baker who bakes planet-sized [[Twinkies|snack cakes]] that sate Galactus's hunger. May's transformation is ultimately revealed as a dream. The issue, a parody of an old [[Hostess (brand)|Hostess]] snack cake advertising campaign, was part of Marvel's "Assistant Editors Month" series of humorous issues.<ref>''[[Marvel Team-Up]]'' #137</ref>

May also appeared as "Golden Oldie" (this time an Iron Man parody) as well as "The Astonishing Aunt Ant" and "Auntie Freeze" in an issue of ''What If?''.<ref>''What If?'' #34</ref>

===MC2===
In the alternate timeline known as [[Marvel Comics 2|MC2]], May Parker's death in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #400 was valid. It was May who died in this continuum, rather than an actress.<ref>Letter page response from ''Spider-Girl'' #47</ref> Peter's daughter, May "Mayday" Parker, was named for her. Mayday became the super-heroine [[Mayday Parker|Spider-Girl]] and met the original May when she found herself displaced in time, although Mayday makes no attempt to explain who she really was.<ref>''Spider-Girl'' #10–11</ref>

When Spider-Girl was trapped in an illusion by her enemy, Misery, she was given encouragement from a familiar spirit. She recognised the spirit as being Aunt May.<ref>''Spider-Girl'' #90</ref>

In the final arc of ''Amazing Spider-Girl'', Aunt May acts a spiritual advisor to May to help her grandniece reclaim her identity and save Peter from Norman Osborn. In this form, she initially appears as a younger version of herself, which prevents May from recognizing her. However, May finally figures it out when she sees Aunt May through her father's eyes.<ref>''Amazing Spider-Girl'' #30</ref>

===''Spider-Man: Life Story''===
In this continuity, the characters age naturally after Peter Parker became Spider-Man in 1962. Sometime before 1977, May married Otto Octavius, but she later divorced him due to his anger management problems. In the 1980s, Mary Jane struggles to take care of May as she shows early signs of dementia around the time Mary Jane and Peter's twins are born. It puts a further rift in Peter and Mary Jane's marriage as Peter refuses to put her in a senior's home while Mary Jane is sick of being the sole caretaker of May and their children. Mary Jane later leaves Peter and takes the twins with her as Peter looks after May. May later dies sometime before 1995. When Otto attempts to destroy Peter's mind in 2019, Peter uses a memory of May to convince Otto to stop fighting Spider-Man and accept his life's limitations. The conjured memory version of May has one final talk with Peter before he saves the world from Doctor Doom's reign at the cost of his life.<ref>''Spider-Man: Life Story'' #2-6</ref>

===''Spider-Verse''===
During the "''[[Spider-Verse]]''" storyline, there are different versions of Aunt May that are featured:

* {{anchor|Earth-14512}}An alternate Aunt May from Earth-14512 appears in a flashback along with her version of Uncle Ben. They are depicted as scientists and the ones who informed [[Peni Parker]] that she was the only person able to carry on the SP//dr project after her father, the original pilot, died in battle. Peni accepted the responsibility, allowing the radioactive spider that formed the other half of SP//dr's CPU to bite her.<ref>''Edge of Spider-Verse'' #5 (2014)</ref> When Addy Brock lost control of the [[Alternative versions of Venom#Spider-Geddon|VEN#m]], May flew in to the mech to manually shut it down, only to be consumed by it. After SP//dr defeats VEN#m, she finds Addy and May gone.<ref>''Edge of Spider-Geddon'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref>
* In an unknown reality, Aunt May and Uncle Ben are with their nephew Peter at the hospital after he suffers an allergic reaction to the radioactive spider bite, leaving him in a coma. Because of this, they are out of their house when it is [[Burglar (comics)|burgled by the thief]] that killed Ben in the 616 universe. Peter transforms into Man-Spider and attacks May and Ben, but gets stopped by [[Marvel Noir#Spider-Man Noir|Spider-Man Noir]]. [[The Six Arms Saga|Six-Armed Spider-Man]] creates a cure for this Peter, allowing him to live a normal life with May and Ben.<ref>''Spider-Verse Team-Up'' #1 (2014)</ref>
* {{anchor|Earth-803}}On Earth-803, May Reilly is a young woman living in a 19th-century steampunk-inspired New York. Her father studied animals, and one day when she let a spider out of its cage to get it comfort and to pet it, she got bit and learned that it was important not to let anyone cage her. After her father died, she used spare parts to create a suit with four mechanical arms that allowed her to climb walls as well as web shooters. While attending a ball, the mayor was kidnapped by the [[Sinister Six|Six Men of Sinestry]], so she stepped in to stop them; making her debut as '''the [[Alternative versions of Spider-Man#Lady Spider (Earth-803)|Lady Spider]]'''. Though the villains manage to get the mayor's plans, she defeats them and forces them to retreat.<ref name="sv1">''Spider-Verse'' #1 (2014)</ref> Following this, she is recruited into the Spider-Army. The Inheritors attacked them, separating her from the rest, though she accompanied [[Spider-Man 2099]] to his dimension to fend off the Inheritor Daemos. They then traveled to Earth-13 before going back to her dimension to fix the [[Spider-Man (Takuya Yamashiro)|Japanese Spider-Man's]] Leopardon before they piloted it into battle against the Inheritors in Loomworld.
* {{anchor|Earth-11}}Earth-11's May Parker is the aunt of Penelope Parker, who told her about the spider bite she received during an accident at Osborn Labs, how she developed spider-like abilities, and how she wanted to hide her powers so people would think she was normal. However, Aunt May convinced her niece being normal was overrated and that she should embrace what happened to her to help people.<ref name="sv1"/>
* {{anchor|Earth-3123}}On Earth-3123, Aunt May is known as '''Spider-Ma'am'''. She ended up getting bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter as she showed up to the science demonstration to give Peter his lunch. After revealing her identity to Ben and Peter, Peter develops web shooters and the two help May with her heroic activities on the sidelines.<ref>''What If'' #23</ref> During the events of ''Spider-Verse'', she and her family were confronted by [[Karn (comics)|Karn]] of the Inheritors. Sensing that he was too strong for her, she proposed to offer her life for the sake of her family, causing Karn to temporarily hesitate as she reminded him of his mother. He nearly killed her, but several multiversal Spider-Men intervened and convinced him to join them.<ref>''Spider-Verse Team-Up'' #3</ref> During the "[[Spider-Geddon]]" storyline, Spider-Ma'am joined the fight against the Inheritors. When the villains are defeated, Superior Spider-Man cloned them as babies. After talking with her husband, Spider-Ma'am agreed to take them in as foster children.<ref>''Spider-Geddon'' #5. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===''Spider-Geddon''===
During the "''[[Spider-Geddon]]''" storyline, an unidentified Earth has a Hispanic version of May who is unaware that her husband and nephew have spider powers after a blood transfusion saved Uncle Ben's life.<ref>''Edge of Spider-Geddon'' #3. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===''Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows''===
In this [[Secret Wars (2015 comic book)|''Secret Wars'']] Warzone, when Peter is captured by Regent and his life is flashing before his eyes, one of his memories was him standing in front of Aunt May's open casket at her funeral, confirming that she died sometime before the events of the comic.

===Ultimate Marvel===
In the [[Ultimate Marvel]] universe Aunt May is based on writer Brian Michael Bendis' mother.<ref name=ComicBookResources9.30.11>Richards, Dave (September 30, 2011). [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=34654 "COMMENTARY TRACK: Bendis on "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" #2"]. [[Comic Book Resources]].</ref> This version of the character is a strong and independent woman in her late forties or early fifties, significantly younger than her original Marvel Universe counterpart. She is the biological sister of Mary Parker, and wife to Ben Parker.<ref>Bendis, Brian Michael (w); Bagley, Mark (p). ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #45. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Peter reveals his secret identity to May after he finds Gwen Stacy's clone at her old house, resulting in May evicting Peter from her home, as she despises Spider-Man. This coincides with the appearance of a man who appears to be Richard Parker, Peter's father.<ref>''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #99</ref> Peter learns that May had known this man, actually an artificially-aged clone of Peter, and she kept this secret from Peter to "protect him".<ref>''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #100</ref> After a long talk between Peter and his "father", [[Nick Fury]] and a team of [[Spider Slayers]] surround the Parker home, which triggers a transformation in Gwen, turning her into [[Carnage (comics)|Carnage]]. May then suffers a heart attack. She is rescued from dying by [[Invisible Woman|Sue Storm]] of the [[Fantastic Four]],<ref>''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #101</ref> reconciles with Peter and accepts his life as Spider-Man, though she is not at all fond of his costume.<ref>''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #105</ref> Peter later explains to May why he became Spider-Man, and May tells him that Ben would be proud of him for doing so.<ref>''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #111</ref> Aunt May is by Peter's side when he dies following a battle with the Green Goblin.<ref>Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Bagley, Mark (p). ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #160, Marvel Comics.</ref>

Although angry at the Ultimates for belittling Peter's accomplishments in life when attending her nephew's funeral, May is nevertheless comforted when she met some of the people that Peter had saved during his career as Spider-Man, one little girl even offering her a comforting hug as thanks for raising the man who saved her. After the funeral, May and Gwen decide to take up Tony Stark's offer to set themselves up for a new life in France.<ref>''Ultimate Fallout'' #6</ref>

However, following the emergence of [[Spider-Man (Miles Morales)|a new Spider-Man]], May and Gwen return to New York. Though Captain America threatens to arrest Miles' parents and expose his secret to them unless he retires the Spider-Man identity, May and Gwen are more supportive of Miles, and May gives him Peter's old web-shooters, along with the formula for the web-fluid, encouraging him to carry on Peter's legacy.<ref>Bendis, Brian Michael (w), David Marquez (a). "Divided We Fall Part Two" ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' v2, #14 (November 2012), Marvel Comics</ref>

During the ''[[Spider-Men]]'' miniseries, May and Gwen are back in the United States, presumably to oversee the selling of the Parker Residence and to finish Gwen's term at Midtown High. They encounter someone wearing a red-and-blue Spider-Man costume and believe he is a lunatic who is disrespecting Peter's memory. They become angry and threaten to call the police. When the person unmasks himself, they are stunned beyond belief to see the older, more mature Peter Parker, from the Marvel 616 universe.<ref>''Spider-Men'' #3</ref> She initially is unconvinced that this Peter is who he says he is, but both she and Gwen later realize he is being truthful when he knows Uncle Ben's admonishment about power and responsibility. May is greatly moved at realizing that she has now been given the chance for closure that she had missed when her Peter died, and concludes that she had made the right choices concerning her nephew, before the adult Peter is returned to his universe.<ref>Bendis, Brian Michael (w), Pichelli, Sara (p). ''Spider-Men'' #4, Marvel Comics.</ref>

When Green Goblin escapes custody after S.H.I.E.L.D. was shut down, he arrives at the front yard of Aunt May's house and confronts Miles.<ref>''Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man'' #3</ref> Aunt May and Gwen are inside watching the television where the battle of Miles and Green Goblin was being broadcast. Soon, a very much alive Peter emerges to aid Miles in the fight, to the surprise of Aunt May and Gwen. Green Goblin flees at his arrival and the two Spider-Men depart. Gwen is unsure of the identity of the original Spider-Man, but Aunt May assures her that his motives show that it is him.<ref>''Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man'' #4</ref> Later, Aunt May and Gwen walk over to Mary Jane's house and overhear Peter's unknown resurrection. Aunt May sprints over and joyfully reunites with her nephew.<ref>''Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man'' #6</ref> After the two Spider-Men defeat Green Goblin, Peter tells Aunt May that he intends to go on a quest to find out the truth of his mystery resurrection.<ref>''Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man'' #7</ref>