- Mark Millar & Steve McNiven, Civil War #2

"Spider-Man Unmasked"
I think some of the most interesting and blessed occurrences in life are those that you've spent years dreading. Because often -- at least in my experience -- when these much-feared events finally do transpire, they're not nearly as awful as you'd thought they'd be. (Which I guess is the opposite of all the crap you eagerly await that turn out to be less than you expected, like season premieres, limited-time only specialty pizzas, and sex.)

A little over a year ago, Marvel's public unmasking of Spider-Man in the pages of Civil War was one of those events for me. I'd spent the previous three years terrified that they were going to do this. They outed Daredevil. They outed Iron Man and Captain America. It just seemed like it was only a matter of time before they rehashed this story idea with their flagship character and totally ruined him for me.

That's about 150 Wednesdays of walking out of the comic book store, wondering whether I was carrying a coronary in my bag.

And then it happened, and not only did I find out that the earth would keep turning, but it kind of set me free. Like Lieutenant Dan's grim showdown with God on a shrimp boat in the midst of Hurricane Camille, I made it through on the other side better for my suffering.

You've done your worst world. What else you got?