Readers of the comic learned that after 20 years, Spider-Man and his wife, Mary Jane, were separated. In number 545, Spider-Man accepted an agreement with the villain Mephisto in order to protect his identity and that of his Aunt May. Spider-Man had to keep his end of the deal and put an end to his relationship with Mary Jane.
Fans of the comic strip were disappointed to read this storyline which was on shelves on December 28.