Mary Jane Watson is an actress and a major love interest of Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. They have had a long and dramatic on-and-off-again relationship. She's one of the few people who know who he is and still supports him as a close friend and confidante.
Peter + Gwen forever! Mary Jane was just his second choice
I do think this is true, seeing as how in House of M Peter is married to Gwen (since the Green Goblin was never a villain, just his wrestling teammate. Also, before anyone goes "He didn't know MJ was more than she seemed back then! That was his want while being married to MJ, since that event was 2005.), but since there's no chance of her ever coming back, and she shouldn't, I do think eventually Peter and MJ should get back together. I wouldn't mind him and Carol Danvers together for a little bit before peter and MJ get together again.
I have a real soft spot for Gwen. I think it's important to keep Ms. Stacy's context in mind. Before Gwen, most of the girls in Peter's life treated him like a walking plague. Sure, there was Betty Brant but their relationship was a bit casual and awkward. Gwen really swept into the story as the first girl that really saw Peter as desirable for who he was. She was also smart and confident which made her his perfect match. For comic nerds, Gwen really embodied that moment when a girl actually looked past all the social stigmas attached to us and saw something worth working for. That's a really great feeling and every story with Gwen really drums that up. It will always be one of the greatest tragedies in Peter's life that she was killed before he could propose.
Don't get me wrong, I like Mary Jane a lot. But I like the Mary Jane that is wild and a free spirit. One of my favorite Mary Jane quotes kind of sums it up for me: "...I don't want to love (Peter). Can you dig it? I LIKE the guy too much for that kind of scene." (Amazing Spider-Man #131, pg.32). She knew that loving Peter and settling down with him would interrupt both their lives and adventures. And when they got married, what happened? Mary Jane's character was basically reduced to running up to Peter in lingerie and repeating how much she wished he didn't put himself in danger as Spider-Man. At least, that's what I remember about Mary Jane from growing up in the 90's (flip through issues from that era and I'll bet you'll find a scene like that). Their marriage was, mostly, a disaster with a lost child and many periods of estrangement. I think Mary Jane was right about it being a "death sentence." I hated OMD like everyone else but at least we have some of the old, fun-loving Mary Jane back. She works best as his closest friend/occasional romantic partner. If they marry again... let's let it happen a lot further down the line.
I do believe that Gwen was the one for Peter, though. She's the reason there will always be a grudge between Peter and Norman. Some comic analysts even believe her death killed the Silver Age of Comics (which I don't agree with but can see where they're coming from). Mark Waid's Spider-Man House of M gave us a glimpse of what could have been and it was fantastic. Gwen was the one.
Spider-Man BLUE was a very nice examination of Peter and Gwen's relationship. One of the few things by Jeph Loeb I enjoy.
Funny thing about SM:Blue is that even though it fleshes out Gwen's relationship with Peter it ends proving that MJ is made for Pete by that last line: "say hi to her for me"...
Its been stated many times in the comics that Gwen is/was Peter's greatest love. Heck he was even married to her in the House of M...(where you where givin' your hearts desire) and who did Peter choose to be with? Gwen, Not M.J., Gwen.
Except that analogy somewhat fails because not only was that not what House of M was about, but because Peter still had the memories of his HoM life when things were returned to normal, and he was absolutely ashamed with himself, feeling like he'd cheated on the person whom he was in love with (MJ), when it... really wasn't his fault that Scarlett Witch decided to screw with reality. He wasn't sad about the life he had lost, he was disgusted with himself for feeling like he'd traded it for his actual life. Him being with Gwen in House of M was not a conscious choice on his part.
Now sure, if Gwen hadn't died, there is a good possibility she could have ended up with Peter, but House of M really isn't really the same thing, since it depicts a world where everyone Peter failed to save in the regular verse is alive and well, and where Spider-Man is successful and loved by the general public as a whole.
Spider-Man BLUE was a very nice examination of Peter and Gwen's relationship. One of the few things by Jeph Loeb I enjoy.
Funny thing about SM:Blue is that even though it fleshes out Gwen's relationship with Peter it ends proving that MJ is made for Pete by that last line: "say hi to her for me"...
I actually agree with @G-Man on this one.
That's exactly why it was such a great interpretation of their relationship. It didn't pretend that MJ wasn't a part of Peter's life. In fact it used MJ's relationship with Peter to strengthen Gwen's relationship with him.
I don't know...I was always FAR more excited by this coupling of Peter's. I know, it wasn't nearly so great as the connection between Peter and MJ but still, it was neat. Who's with me?
@RedheadedAtrocitus:I like the Black Cat/Spider-Man relationship. I enjoyed their relationship in Spectacular Spider-Man comics in the 80s and was hoping more would be done with them after OMD. Instead we got Carlie.
Its been stated many times in the comics that Gwen is/was Peter's greatest love. Heck he was even married to her in the House of M...(where you where givin' your hearts desire) and who did Peter choose to be with? Gwen, Not M.J., Gwen.
Maybe Gwen is he's greatest "What if?" He never really had the chance to be in an honest relationship with her.
@Clifftothemax: See I took House of M completely different than you. As I understood it, Peters true desire was to be with Gwen, but he felt guilty because in real life he was married to MJ. And his feeling bad afterward was him mourning the life he could have had with his true love, Gwen Stacy.
I agree that these two belong together. I have not cared for Black Cat since I found out she doesn't like his normal persona Peter Parker and will only make out with him if his face is covered. lol
This article has gotten me to think about things I really didn't want to consider. I've always preferred Gwen over MJ as Peter's great love, but on the other hand I really did enjoy the marriage, so much that I quit reading any Spider books in protest after OMD and haven't looked back.
No matter whether people think MJ is The One, now I'm beginning to think dissolving the marriage was an editorially sound move (though undoubtedly critically flawed in its execution). It prevents fans and writers alike from falling into this rut of thinking that some relationships are inviolate and can/should never be broken. That's not how it works in life and I don't like it in my comics either. Sometimes things just don't work out in the end no matter how hard we try, and I believed Marvel is the one company that "gets" it
The whole concept of "soulmates 4evr" is ridiculous and stupid to me, I hated when DC played that card with their couples like Clark & Lois, and was excited when they finally broke them up, but when it was MJ & Pete I felt wronged...
@dru_zod2501: Dude, you act as if the marriages in comics have been perfect when that's far from the truth. Its not as if the superhero marries the girl and then ride off into the sunset. They face the same problems and questions that everyday couples do and in some instances are faced with sever tragedy. Take Barry Allen and Iris West for example. Iris was murdered by Professor Zoom and Barry had to deal with the pain of losing her. Eventually he got her back, but that example shows just how a spouse for the hero opens up possibilities for new stories instead of limiting the characters as many writers would like to think. Another good example is Buddy and Ellen Baker who have to worry about juggling their family life with Buddy's role as a superhero. Another is Ray Palmer and his ex-wife Jean Loring. I don't need to get into how screwed up that relationship turned out to be. Anyway, getting off track here.
But since when is it bad to have a soulmate anyway. Like I said before, comic book marriages are rarely portrayed as the perfect romances you think. In the end though, its nice to see a character that we care about have a lasting and loving relationship. That doesn't seem odd or out-of-touch to me because in fact most people in real life do get married and love their spouses.
I think both articles on Pete's love interest supports both sides of the coin, you just have decide what side you stand on... The possibilities are endless if Gwen had never died.
@Clifftothemax: See I took House of M completely different than you. As I understood it, Peters true desire was to be with Gwen, but he felt guilty because in real life he was married to MJ. And his feeling bad afterward was him mourning the life he could have had with his true love, Gwen Stacy.
In which case I think you're completely misinterpreting the way the events are portrayed for what seem like shipping reasons. Peter's desire was not to be with Gwen instead of MJ. Again, it was a world where all of the people Spider-Man failed to save are alive and well. Uncle Ben, Gwen, George Stacy etc. None of them had died because of Peter, or his personally conceived inability to save them. In such a world, it is indeed possible that the outcome could have been that he married Gwen. Him being with Gwen instead of MJ WAS NOT his desire. That would mean you'd have to ignore everyone else in his life, as well as the general stability of his life (which, compared with his actual life, was... well, much more stable) during HoM. Him being with Gwen was a consequence of that, it was the reason for it.
That and well, he wouldn't feel ashamed and like he'd cheated on MJ (which is expressed, and technically he hadn't) when things were returned to normal if that was his true desire.
Peter (well the pre-OMD Peter) is not selfish. He'd never be the type of guy to trade in one life for another and feel good about it (especially if said life is his *real* life, as opposed to knowing that it was an altered reality).
At first glance I wouldn't have thought anything about Mary Jane when I first saw her. But I agree many people don't give MJ enough credit. She's one of the few redhead characters that stand out to me in Marvel comics. And its not just because she was Peter's girlfriend and then wife. She stood out by her background and how she connected to Peter even now with them writing out their marriage.
Mary Jane still knows how to stand out as an individual. I would love to seem them back together someday. Or even just have a quick lunch date. But ah well, one can dream.
I absolutely agree about MJ not getting enough credit for being the tough girl she is. She was kind of annoying in the films but something about her is very likable. Gwen was long dead before I was even born but its clear she was a big part of Peter. However her time has passed. He should be with MJ.
I'm with Babs (: altough Mephisto did want to destroy there marriage (which must mean it was special) I remember an issue where Spiderman dies, and he's going into the afterlife, and as his soul leaves his body he cant stop thinking about how he loves Gwen more.
I have no doubt that if Gwen had lived they would have married, but tragedy struck and he married MJ instead.
Not that I don't like MJ because I do, but Peter always loved Gwen more.
Its been stated many times in the comics that Gwen is/was Peter's greatest love. Heck he was even married to her in the House of M...(where you where givin' your hearts desire) and who did Peter choose to be with? Gwen, Not M.J., Gwen.
Except that analogy somewhat fails because not only was that not what House of M was about, but because Peter still had the memories of his HoM life when things were returned to normal, and he was absolutely ashamed with himself, feeling like he'd cheated on the person whom he was in love with (MJ), when it... really wasn't his fault that Scarlett Witch decided to screw with reality. He wasn't sad about the life he had lost, he was disgusted with himself for feeling like he'd traded it for his actual life. Him being with Gwen in House of M was not a conscious choice on his part.
Now sure, if Gwen hadn't died, there is a good possibility she could have ended up with Peter, but House of M really isn't really the same thing, since it depicts a world where everyone Peter failed to save in the regular verse is alive and well, and where Spider-Man is successful and loved by the general public as a whole.
Actually it seemed to me that he was more upset at the fact that his memories were restored towards the end of House of M and had to make the conscious decision to "rekill" Gwen and "kill" his child.
While I disagree that MJ was a better love interest than Gwen (which is sort of the point of the Death of Gwen Stacy: Gwen was essentially meant to be with Peter, which is why the story worked so well), but I do agree that MJ, both as a character and a love interest for Peter, was fantastic, and I basically stopped buying Spider-man comics with OMD, and will only buy another one when OMD is reversed.
i so agree. Still i'm glad they broke them up in a way since it means the characters can evolve for the new generations and come back together in a blaze of glory years later. Just like i was so glad with DC breaking up superman and lois.
Let peter (not doc oc) be with some one else outside his comfort zone i.e silver sable, captain marvel or i wouldn't mind him going back to black cat (but that was done already).
It's good to see that so many people still realize that One More Day was the most contemptible thing Marvel has ever done. (Superior Spider-Man being #2) Here's to hoping it all gets undone.
@eclipse_32 I don't think there's going to be all that many people that'll stand up for OMD. The whole thing was idiotic and riddled with plot holes.
Now on to the Article I have to side with the MJ/Peter camp. MJ loved both sides of Peter While Gwen was only ever given one to know. IMO if she found out without Peter telling her than she'd freak out and dump him. Let's remember that she blamed her father's death on Spider-Man.
i so agree. Still i'm glad they broke them up in a way since it means the characters can evolve for the new generations and come back together in a blaze of glory years later. Just like i was so glad with DC breaking up superman and lois.
Let peter (not doc oc) be with some one else outside his comfort zone i.e silver sable, captain marvel or i wouldn't mind him going back to black cat (but that was done already).
Still i agree MJ and Peter Soul mates forever
As a Black Cat and Spidey fan I'm going to have to disagree with you here.
I have the view that Mary Jane is Peter Parker's greatest love.
Mary Jane is not only the most iconic love interest of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. She's also one of the most iconic love interests in comics. I agree with the person that said Mary Jane Watson to Peter Parker/Spider-Man is like Lois Lane to Clark Kent/Superman.
Peter and Mary Jane have been married for 20 years in the comics real time, and it took a ultra controversial storyline of demonic pact to undo the marriage. They are currently in a 30 year marriage in Stan Lee's Spider-Man newspaper strip.
They have been married with children in two alternate universes:
In the Spider-Girl comic universe, they are parents to May and Benjamin.
In the Renew Your Vows comic universe, they are parents to Anna
The Beautiful Origin of Mary Jane and Peter Parker's Relationship
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Stan Lee cracked me up.
in this youtube video
He is talking about the creation of Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy.
Stan tells
He and other writers created a girl, Gwen Stacy who Stan thought will eventually become the future wife of Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
Just for fun, they introduced another Mary Jane Watson
Even though they were fictitious girls,
once they started writing them and their dialog,
Mary Jane suddenly had all the personality and Gwen was just a nice girl.
Mary Jane was the one with the fiery personality and she was hip and everything, and they couldn't control that.
They couldn't make Gwen exciting and personable as Mary Jane even though they tried.
It was like they were living creatures and they couldn't control them.
Maybe he shouldn't told that because maybe that showed they were lousy writers and artists.
After they killed off Gwen Stacy's father, Captain Stacy, Stan came back from a 2 week London trip and found out that Stan's fellow writer Jerry Conway killed off Gwen Stacy.
Stan Lee pointed out something that he wished had been done in the Spider-Man movies that had Mary Jane but wasn't done:
Peter Parker's Aunt May always wanted Peter to meet a girl next door that was a very nice girl,
Most boys would run a mile if their mothers tell them that they want them to meet a nice girl.
Most teenage boys don't want to meet a nice girl.
They want to meet a sexy, fun girl.
Peter kept avoiding.
He tried to do everything that he could do avoid meeting Mary Jane until May made him stay when she knew that Mary Jane was coming.
well...he hit the jackpot. heh
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May was constantly trying to set up Peter with Mary Jane.
After dinner, May and her next door neighbor and friend, Anna are observing and happily commenting on the interactions between Peter and Mary Jane.
I want to show few more examples of how deep and strong Peter and Mary Jane's love had been.
The following are from The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #53
They are about Peter and Mary Jane making love for the first time since their separation after Peter rescued her from a mutant that held Mary Jane prisoner for months after making people think that she was dead when she blew up a plane that she was supposed to on.
Mary Jane speaking to Peter:
"I came back for you, Peter. I love you. For everything you are, for everything you think you're not. Distracted or not, tired or not, you're my lover. My husband. And the dearest thing in the world to me. "
"Let me prove it."
Peter's thinking about Mary Jane while she is sleeping after making love:
I can bench press a car.
I can climb up the side of a wall. Fight twenty guys to a standstill. Swing across chasms thirty stories deep. Feel a bullet coming my way and move fast enough to get clear.
But something in her makes me gentle. Makes me shy. Makes me strong. Makes me happy to be alive.
And maybe that's it. Maybe that's what it really comes down to.
She makes me. Makes me whole.
She completes me.
So here's the thing, God...I know I complain a lot, and I know that you and me, we've got issues, but right now, just for tonight...
Gwen was no way close to being popular as Mary Jane before she got killed off in the comics.
It didn't matter how interesting she was made to the fans, Mary Jane was liked much better. The fans wanted Mary Jane to be the girlfriend instead of Gwen which was Stan Lee's original choice for Peter's future wife.
Stan Lee even mentioned this, and he created both characters.
He made the development of their characters out to be something that was out of their hands even though they were writing and drawing them.
It was like fate led Mary Jane to be Peter's ultimate love interest.
I do think that killing off Gwen without his knowledge was messed up.
Gwen only got popular from being dead, the Amazing Spider-Man movies, and the alternative universe Gwen comics.
House of M is reality where Peter becomes the Green Goblin.
I really don't get the big deal about House of M.
I want to reiterate that Sins Past is screwed up story line that was unnecessary and crappy to make Gwen look bad.
One Moment In Time was an editorial agenda-driven story line to make Mary Jane look weak.
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