The hottest button to push in fandom these days is the subject of Spidey and Mary Jane’s relationship following ONE MORE DAY. G-Man and I were talking about this recently and I'll admit that it does feel kind of weird to see Peter making out with that Carlie girl or pining after Ms. Marvel because he's been married to MJ for about as long as I’ve been alive.  

But I realize that Spidey's been around for a lot longer that.  

Wrapping my head, as a fan, around the recent announcements that Emma Stone's going to be playing Gwen Stacy in the reboot movie, and  that she'll be the only love interest there, got me to step back and look at the situation a little more holistically. Spidey got married in ’87, a full 25 years after he'd been defined as an in-over-his-head bachelor with girl problems. Doing the math, that means he's still only been a married man for less than half of his existence in print. 

Getting back to girls, I figure Spidey's somewhere between Superman and Batman when it comes to his M.O. Supes has been with Lois Lane, in one way or another, since day one; since ACTION COMICS #1. But Batman… he’s almost like Bond. You notice how he's got  a different love interest in every movie? If fans wanted a definitive Batman story, they'd say that the Joker would have been to be the villain and the supporting cast would have to feature Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and the like, but there would be some disagreement about who Bruce should get puppy-eyed over. Would it be Julie Madison?  Maybe Catwoman, instead? Vicki Vale? Talia al Ghul? Silver St. Cloud? What about the movie-only flames like Rachel Dawes, Chase Meridian or the Phantasm?  

Maybe it’s just because Elizabeth Banks is hot, or maybe it’s because UNTOLD TALES made an impression me, but I’ve always been intrigued by the notion of her and Peter being a couple. Simply in story terms,  a teen superhero dating the older secretary of his boss just seems juicier than the classic Archie dilemma of deciding between with his class' good girl or bad girl. I don’t have the original issues, so I don’t know how much of an age difference there was supposed to be between them. She could’ve been 18 or 19 and working at the Bugle instead of going to college. Or maybe it was just the 60s and it just wasn’t considered as weird for a high schooler to be dating a post-grad young adult.

Anyway, my point with all this is that a lot of radical plot developments seem different when looked at in the context of a character's grand scheme. It's sort-of similar to to editorial G-Man did recently about mysteries in comics. Think about Wolverine. Him getting his adamantium ripped out in FATAL ATTRACTIONS was hugely controversial and we got seven years of "bone claws" before the metal got put back in him in THE TWELVE. That felt like a long stretch, at the time, but it seems pretty insignificant, now, when you consider the totality of the character. 

I have also always like the idea of Pete and Betty together. But I'm ok with Pete being with new characters. 

Spider-man's definitive girlfriend is Mary Jane, PERIOD.

The definitive girlfriend is Mary Jane. I remember when he asked her to marry him. I'm not saying she has to be his girlfriend forever just that when you think of Spidey girlfriends she jumps to the top of the list. Gwen Stacy is a close second.

I will give Charlie and Peter a shot, but I'm more used to seeing MJ and Peter together while Black Cat flirts with him (or during BND having benefits) . Because of recent series like Spectacular Spider-man and Ultimate Spider-man, I like seeing Peter being with Gwen and Kitty Pryde as well.

I kinda wish they made a bigger deal about Felicia, aka The Black Cat. I found that relationship way more interesting then him and Mary Jane.

Black Cat.  The best damn woman in Pete's life.

Look, I have been a hardcore Spider-man fan for as long as I can remember. When it comes to relationships Peter Parker will always be associated with Mary Jane. Every other girl that comes into his life will be just another flavor of the month. C'mon, name any other girlfriend with their own catch phrase? 
 

"

Spider-man's definitive girlfriend is Mary Jane, PERIOD.

"

I can't help but find that ...debatable. Mary Jane is the one that's been given the most time, the one most posters are exposed to, no doubt there. But Gwen Stacy has to take the role of top notch to Pete. There's no doubt in my mind that had she lived, Peter and Mary Jane would have never come to be more than friends.Quality over quantity. Gwen had more of an impact on Peter, in life and death, then Mary Jane ever has...which speaks volumes.

1:) Mary Jane.  
2:) Gwen Stacy.

"

Spider-man's definitive girlfriend is Mary Jane, PERIOD.

"

Mary Jane no question. There relationship is important enough to fans that it prevented Marvel from writing the effects of OMD into the Spider-Man Sunday comic strip. 
That's got to mean something. 
 
 http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/05/26/spider-man-marriage-restored-in-newspaper-comic-strip/
 

Sorry but no...
As much as I love MJ as Pete's wife and girlfriend, Gwen Stacy is Peter's definitive girlfriend!
 
Although Betty was his first girlfriend Gwen was his first love. Take into consideration that ever since Gwen's death she has been mentioned various times over and over again. She has been the reason for a lot of fights between MJ and Pete because nobody seems to be able to compete with Gwen!

I want it to be Black Cat, but I guess MJ's his real arm candy and she's known by way more people who don't read comics than Gwen.

MJ has to be the one, which is what makes Brand New Day such a pain in the a$$ - if it ain't broke don't fix it!

MJ will be viewed as the quintessential Spider-Man girlfriend for a long time as far as I'm concerned. She was Peter's main love interest in the SMAS as well as the movies and because of that people will remember her as Peter's one and only, regardless of what goes on in the comics

" Take into consideration that ever since Gwen's death she has been mentioned various times over and over again. She has been the reason for a lot of fights between MJ and Pete because nobody seems to be able to compete with Gwen! "

I just don´t want Carlie to be his girlfriend!

It comes down to duration.
 
For every flirt or fling Peter's had, you could put down a year spent in marriage with MJ.  She appeared only three years into his run and has been there ever since.  That duration represents something much more similar to Lois than Bruce's parade of lovers... and Gwen is naught else but Peter's Lana Lang.

" @sora_thekey said:

" Take into consideration that ever since Gwen's death she has been mentioned various times over and over again. She has been the reason for a lot of fights between MJ and Pete because nobody seems to be able to compete with Gwen! "

The death of a friend/loved one will always have an impact long after the fact. You could say the same thing about Uncle Ben could you not? "

rubbish!!!!   anyone who says Mary Jane should read Spider-man: Blue and then see if you don't think that Gwen Stacy is the definitive Spider-man girlfriend

Its easy to say Mary Jane. But i really like Peter/Gwen

Felecia needs more recognition!  She's the only girl that can be with him on and off the field, plus she's way better than the other two scrubs lol

" rubbish!!!!   anyone who says Mary Jane should read Spider-man: Blue and then see if you don't think that Gwen Stacy is the definitive Spider-man girlfriend "

"

Spider-man's definitive girlfriend is Mary Jane, PERIOD.

"

It is mary jane.  Who has been with him through more? 

Gwen 
 
I wasn't alive to be there for the actual story lines.  But losing gwen has had more impact of SM than any other single event besides the death of uncle ben.   
 
That said im glad they got rid of MJ, I dont know why.  But then again the ASM franchise is a bloody jumbled mess that needs a crisis of its own to fix.  

I view MJ as his definitive girlfriend, but part of that has been ruined by the film franchise. MJ in Raimi's films was horribly miswritten and miscast. Glad to see the reboot will be separating itself from the prior trilogy even more by giving Spidey a different girl from his history. I'd still like an accurate MJ in the new films, though. I dig the way she was portrayed in The Spectacular Spider-Man show.
 
PS. I'm really not a purist. I just find Kirsten Dunst's portrayal to be flat and uninspiring. It's not entirely her fault, though; the script had no oomph for her. But regardless, it's made me a bit tired of seeing the two together on screen.

" @DMC said:

" @sora_thekey said:

" Take into consideration that ever since Gwen's death she has been mentioned various times over and over again. She has been the reason for a lot of fights between MJ and Pete because nobody seems to be able to compete with Gwen! "

The death of a friend/loved one will always have an impact long after the fact. You could say the same thing about Uncle Ben could you not? "

Exactly... in other words; the impact that Gwen has left on Peter is far greater than any other girlfriend he's ever had. "

" @danhimself said:

" rubbish!!!!   anyone who says Mary Jane should read Spider-man: Blue and then see if you don't think that Gwen Stacy is the definitive Spider-man girlfriend "

I read and enjoyed Blue, but I think it illustrates love lost.  Gwen's the definitive ex-girlfriend, the girl of your past not of your dreams.  "

@Demas

" It comes down to duration.  For every flirt or fling Peter's had, you could put down a year spent in marriage with MJ.  She appeared only three years into his run and has been there ever since.  That duration represents something much more similar to Lois than Bruce's parade of lovers... and Gwen is naught else but Peter's Lana Lang. "

" @Mainline said: 

I read and enjoyed Blue, but I think it illustrates love lost.  Gwen's the definitive ex-girlfriend, the girl of your past not of your dreams.  "

I think there's a great sweeping difference between ex as in broken up and ex as in murdered...life goes on either way, but one is a choice to end. 

" Gwen is the definitive Girlfriend, she was his first love. during House of M everybody got what they wanted in life, Peter and Gwen were married and they had a child, thats what Peter wants; to. be. with. Gwen. "

Betty was only a couple years older than Peter, I always figured her to be 18.  
 
Anyway, MJ is totally Peter's definitive love interest, it would be weird for him to get serious with someone else nowadays. But recently I've realized that Mary Jane's not really a good match for him. Maybe he'd be better off with someone nerdier, a bit more like him.

I have always loved Gwen Stacy and her death was the perfect tragedy. It sucks, but the best way to develop a character is to kill that which he loves most and see how he reacts.

Id have to say Mary Jane. Shes been with Peter for a lifetime (mine at least). Gwen was DEAD long before i even knew of her and Black Cat may be a little too much for Pete to handle...

" rubbish!!!!   anyone who says Mary Jane should read Spider-man: Blue and then see if you don't think that Gwen Stacy is the definitive Spider-man girlfriend "

Didn't Gwen have babies with Osborn?

" It is mary jane.  Who has been with him through more?  "

" @mr.obvious said:

"

Spider-man's definitive girlfriend is Mary Jane, PERIOD.

"

Great power and responsibility are actually Spider-Mans ever demanding and wanty soul mistress.
He can never be there fully in physical nor emotion for anyone, which is why theres rocks and gaps
in his relationships bringing up the question in the first place.

i think it was a mistake undoing the mj-peter marriage.  THAT SAID, i think now that its done it would be cool for him to be dating and eventually marrying someone else.  i think the sad thing is that while people have accepted the new villains, characterizations, and story arcs of brand new day, they havent been terribly welcoming to the new girls.  Norah, Carlie, and that Gonzalez girl are really interesting characters, and id love to see them catch on and him marry them.  i think its unfair that people expect him to be with mj even though thats been undone. 
of course what i really hope they do is go back to something like how the clone saga originally ended.  i really liked that and i think retconning it was marvel's worst mistake.  of course they did it because it meant one generation of readers would learn they werent following the character they meant to, but that generation has had years more reading and it wouldnt be as big a deal if they went back to that original story line and retconn away the later half of the clone saga. 

I bought the whole reboot of spider-man and MJ thing. It is done, maybe his best girlfriend/wife but it is in the past and there is potential with Peter and Charlie which I think is pretty cute. Do I think this will be it for him? Nope. Thing is we havn't had a real single Spider-Man to play the field with super powered women. In the end of it all, MJ knew that she and her family would always be in harms way because of their relationship and was something she couldn't deal with. Can She-Hulk? Ms. Marvel? Spider-Woman? Yes they can and more. I actually enjoyed the flirty nature of Peter and Ms. Marvel. If they ended it with Charlie, I think it would be an interesting notion considering in the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man is almost considered a joke and lower leveled hero at times. Ms. Marvel is put on a pedestal and wants to be the best. I could imagine one night they both end up married in Vegas and have to deal with it all.

 Spiderman's definitive girlfriend is   Black Cat, Duh

The Betty Brant/ Peter Parker relationship wasn't bad in the 60's, but I don't think there was that much of an age difference between them.