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One of the stranger conversations I have had in this business was with a writer, lo these many years ago, who was planning a two-part story (remember them?) in which it would be "revealed" that the hero was actually trapped in a delusion created by one of his rogue's gallery -- AND ALWAYS HAD BEEN.

The guy sat there telling me this story, genuinely convinced, it seemed, that people would believe that all the stories published in decades past were "delusions" and at last the TRUTH was being revealed.

I tried to point out that the only way something like that could even begin to work would be if it was spread over many more than two issues -- perhaps a year -- and even then, when things reverted to normal (as they must), there would be a great cry of "Oh, we knew it all along!" in fandom. Even from those who had most loudly and staunchly defended the "new reality".

But writers are often very good at kidding themselves, convincing themselves that no one will see thru their brilliant story -- and there are just enough fans who will, in fact, go along with it. (When I killed Doctor Doom, in FF, there was a cascade of mail berating me for getting rid of Marvel's greatest villain. What Was I Thinking??) After all, you CAN fool some of the people all of the time.

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It's been several decades now since fan-think began to take over the editorial/creative side of the business. That was, after all, how CRISIS happened -- a small number of vocal fans, some of whom had become writers and editors at DC, declaring the Multiverse was "too confusing." A patronizing attitude, too, just to make matters worse.

This is the kind of thinking that gets perfectly usable characters killed, because someone has decided they are of no further value. This is how characters get written badly, because some writer thinks they are bad characters. Etc, etc.

So, fans were "taking for granted" poor ol' Peter Parker. And the "solution" was a complex storyline that would have either blocked access for new readers (who might have "appreciated" the character), or enticed readers who might like the changed status quo only to have to changed again!