Andrew W. Farago wrote: A bad story that includes Peter wondering whether to ask the Black Cat or Deb Whitman out on a date next Saturday isn't inherently better than a bad story with a married Peter Parker.

I disagree.

Naturally.  Bound to happen when you agree that changes to the "core concept" shouldn't occur but can't agree on what said "core concept" is...

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SER: A good sign of trouble is when you make a character less unique.

1960s Spider-Man: Teenage superhero who wasn't an adult hero's sidekick, who lived with his elderly aunt and had money trouble, and who's not beloved by the public at large for his heroic efforts

The current character is flat-out less unique. What made Spider-Man appealing is not just that he's got spider powers. That's only part of it.

QUOTE: An angry, eyeball-eating Spider-Man who wants to kill himself because his long-dead girlfriend had sex with his worst enemy is a lot more alienating than a happy, joke-cracking guy who has a wife waiting for him when he gets home.

I couldn't agree more. I read the Spider-Man story in MCP, there's a room full of his alternates cracking horrible puns. That's the guy they need to write.

Colonel Parker always told Elvis to leave the audience wanting more.  I think it's true.
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Spider-Man's agent told him the same thing in his debut story!

<<WHO was clamoring for them? 
 
 Somebody...because she kept coming up.  Might have been the fanboy writers.>>

What, once every 3 years?  They mention Uncle Ben periodically as well.  Is this because "fanboy writers"
are clamoring for it as well?

Gwen was mentioned because she has a big part in Peter and Spider-Man's history.  Her death is one of the book's signature stories.

<<And clearly I haven't fogotten about her. 
 
That would mean the story failed for you...like I said it did for most.>>

And we agree that if that was the intent that it failed.
Where we disagree is that it was ever the intent.  I see, though, that you've amended your stance on that.  You now think that the goal may have been to knock Gwen off her pedestal.  I also don't agree with that.
I think the goal was to put Peter through the emotional wringer.  In JMS' words,  to throw rocks at him.  Gwen is just the vehicle.  I don't believe JMS' thinking was, Gwen is too flawless, too perfect, I'm going to fix that. 

<<Unlike many on this forum, I like the marriage.  This isn't about my liking Gwen more than MJ, it's about the integrity of the characters. 
 
 
And I think the integrity of the character is having him be single.>>

That's debateable, I'll give you that, but I was speaking more to integrity in the sense of moal credibility.

<<If you can't handle your opinions beng contested then don't post them on a public message forum. 
 
 
Its your inability to get my point that is bugging me.  Twice you have said "it didn't make me forget about her!" when my whole point was that the attempt didn't work.>>

IN ADDITION to you're saying it was the intent when, as several others have pointed out, it pretty clearly wasn't.  You postulated a theory that holds no water
Instead of just conceding that you were wrong or dropping out, you continue to insist that JMS went in thinking that if he could get readers to dislike Gwen that this would result in them eventually forgetting her.

You keep insisting that this was his mindset and I don't agree.  Plus, you then added the, IMO,  ridiculous assertion that Peter's reminiscing occasionally on what a wonderful girl Gwen was somehow keeps him from really  moving on in his lovelife despite all the stories that show he has.

That's why the conversation continues.  Nobody is forcing you to post here.  Do or don't, I don't much care.  However, if you do, somebody might disagree with what you say and tell you why.

BTW, Gwen was not a perfect person.  Anyone who has read the original stories knows this.  I don't see how talking about her character flaws in her periodic mentions was necessary. 

I agree with Andrew's thoughts about the marriage.
I'm with Bruce and Glenn in that I think Amazing 400 was an excellent and touching issue.  Whether it was a good idea to kill Aunt May is another matter. 

Gwen is just the vehicle.  I don't believe JMS' thinking was, Gwen is too flawless, too perfect, I'm going to fix that. 

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I think that may have been a factor, sort of. For many years, fans--and even Lee and Romita and Conway--have said that Gwen was a bland nice girl with no real personality, especially compared to the lively Mary Jane. In recent years, a lot of people have insisted that Gwen "had no character", and that's why she was killed off.

So JMS may have been attempting to give Gwen a "more believable" personality, despite the fact that, y'know, she already had one, even if fans thought that personality was bland.

How many others can anyone think of who were married before the mid-80s period that Brendan just mentioned? The Richards, The Dibnys, The Allens...any others?

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Jan and Hank, Vision and Wanda, Crystal and Pietro readily spring in mind.