I’m always vexed when comics readers actually advocate for the Illusion of Change. It’s a narrative style designed to trick children into thinking something has happened and characters are growing when in fact nothing has happened and they aren’t growing, and everything will be the same when they come back next time.

Why would a reader who is intelligent enough to be aware of this style actually desire it?

In this case, what change would you prefer Marvel create an illusion of?

What long running comic series are you reading where you don't think that's happening?

The X-men have yet to make humans and mutants equal.

Batman can save the world, but he still can't save gotham.

Superman's still superman, no matter what they've done to him.

I'm shocked that you can be aware of the theory of 'illusion of change' and think that it isn't happening in nearly every superhero comic from the big two.

And as for me desiring it? Yeah, sure. I only read books that have creators I'm interested in, so I don't get too bored with characters.
If everything I read had it, nah, maybe not, but I like Spiderman being in roughly the same spot he was in last time I read him for when the next writer comes along.
I mean, since I've started reading comics, 12 years ago, he really hasn't gone through that many changes (last year excepted - and that all seemed weird to me).
Sure there have been minor cast changes, setting changes, but nothing too major has happened.
That's the illusion of change.

And the catalyst? Well, over at Millarworld, there's one guy who suggests that Spidey makes a deal with Mephisto to save his Aunt May but it ends up losing Mary Jane as a result, or at least has the marriage wipe-out of existence. Course he's also suggesting Gwen Stacy makes a reapparence.

Mary Jane isn't going to die. She's going to kill Aunt May. (Probably with Uncle Ben's frozen corpse.) Then she'll turn into the New Venom or something.

See? It's all so obvious!

(I tried to work some rape in their somewhere, but I couldn't think of a way to do it. This is what separates amateurs like me from professional comic writers like Brad Metzler.)

That's not the definition for illusion of change, but of status quo - as already pointed out by the Fragmented In Defense article.

Everything I like, everything you like has a status quo. We each see value in certain types of stories and want to see them continue, as long as they're of quality.

The "illusion of change" comment above was likely an acknowledgement that apparently **some** people apparently need to see Spider-Man get older, get grey hair. Probably just because it's happening to them.

I think that's crazy. And egomaniacal. Spider-Man existed before most of us were born. Same as Superman, or Batman. They're going to outlive us...not age like a "real" person.

And MJ will not be married to Spider-Man forever...because that's simply not according-to-Hoyle Spidey. It's just not his identity. Therefore - it's only a matter of time before someone at Marvel has the marbles to act accordingly.

But I'm still kinda doubtful that it's going to be Quesada.