Current Spider-Man Sales

[Tuck]

What is unlikeable about Paul?

He exists.

[TinkerSpider]

What is unlikeable about Paul?

This might have been a rhetorical question, but in the world of the story:

Lied to Peter and Mary Jane about why he was on the planet and his relationship to Rabin when he met them

Knew about the time dilation but never told Mary Jane

Told Peter he had “already lost” and didn’t use his math magic or his guns to help Peter against Wayep

Spent all his time working on the jackpot device and not another transportation device like the one he built that sent Peter home to send MJ home

Knew the kids weren’t real as all life on the planet was dead but played along when MJ wondered what happened to their parents. He did suggest they leave the kids and when MJ objected, pretended that wasn’t what he meant and he “would never.” Even though he just did

Kept his association with Rabin a secret from Mary Jane for apparently years even though she was being targeted for murder by Rabin

Somehow knew Rabin knew they killed Wayep and that Rabin knew where he and MJ lived even though Rabin didn’t show up until months later, so apparently was in some form of communication with Rabin

Knew the jackpot device could kill MJ but lets her use it freely for a long period of time without telling her three skulls mean death.

Doesn’t appear to have any form of job or means of making money so is mooching off MJ in 616, giving over a thousand dollars of her money to the debt collector without asking her. Isn’t offering to share his Mayan math magic that could do a lot of good for the world (as apparently he could create electricity, running water, build sleek modern glass and wood structures, and create weapons Cable would be jealous of, all on a world destroyed by an apocalypse, just with his magic) but instead is now apparently also a criminal-level hacker who spied on Felicia’s phone without permission

Cowers with the kids and sends MJ out to fight in Dark Web and when Rabin returns in ASM 26 without him, even though Dead Language depicts him as a skilled fighter as well. He’s in a safe house in ASM 26 with Norman sending people to protect the kids - even though he’s the only one who has supposedly defeated Rabin twice, and he knows how to fight the deadly Mayan monster Rabin creates. And he also knows MJ is being targeted for death and if Rabin kills her, Rabin will become a god and destroy 616. But nope, hides instead

And that’s not mentioning the whole “I was just following daddy’s orders when a planetary omnicide broke out” Nuremberg excuse.

[Sr. Bungle]

I presume that meant 'Please draw him as an ordinary good guy, rather than as sinister or threatening or as a guilt-ridden inadvertent genocide-causer,' only in three words.

Lazy writing IMHO. Leaving the job of making Paul likeable to the artist.

[WebLurker]

This might have been a rhetorical question, but in the world of the story:

Lied to Peter and Mary Jane about why he was on the planet and his relationship to Rabin when he met them

Knew about the time dilation but never told Mary Jane

Told Peter he had “already lost” and didn’t use his math magic or his guns to help Peter against Wayep

Spent all his time working on the jackpot device and not another transportation device like the one he built that sent Peter home to send MJ home

Knew the kids weren’t real as all life on the planet was dead but played along when MJ wondered what happened to their parents. He did suggest they leave the kids and when MJ objected, pretended that wasn’t what he meant and he “would never.” Even though he just did

Kept his association with Rabin a secret from Mary Jane for apparently years even though she was being targeted for murder by Rabin

Somehow knew Rabin knew they killed Wayep and that Rabin knew where he and MJ lived even though Rabin didn’t show up until months later, so apparently was in some form of communication with Rabin

Knew the jackpot device could kill MJ but lets her use it freely for a long period of time without telling her three skulls mean death.

Doesn’t appear to have any form of job or means of making money so is mooching off MJ in 616, giving over a thousand dollars of her money to the debt collector without asking her. Isn’t offering to share his Mayan math magic that could do a lot of good for the world (as apparently he could create electricity, running water, build sleek modern glass and wood structures, and create weapons Cable would be jealous of, all on a world destroyed by an apocalypse, just with his magic) but instead is now apparently also a criminal-level hacker who spied on Felicia’s phone without permission

Cowers with the kids and sends MJ out to fight in Dark Web and when Rabin returns in ASM 26 without him, even though Dead Language depicts him as a skilled fighter as well. He’s in a safe house in ASM 26 with Norman sending people to protect the kids - even though he’s the only one who has supposedly defeated Rabin twice, and he knows how to fight the deadly Mayan monster Rabin creates. And he also knows MJ is being targeted for death and if Rabin kills her, Rabin will become a god and destroy 616. But nope, hides instead

And that’s not mentioning the whole “I was just following daddy’s orders when a planetary omnicide broke out” Nuremberg excuse.

I do get that any attempt break up Peter and MJ is going to be a no-go from day one and rejected by the fans, but, even if it was a doomed idea, what the heck was Marvel thinking in executing it like this?

[Kaitou D. Kid]

I do get that any attempt break up Peter and MJ is going to be a no-go from day one and rejected by the fans, but, even if it was a doomed idea, what the heck was Marvel thinking in executing it like this?

I don't understand the need to fixate on Paul this much.

I mean, it's a mini (and before it was a one-shot). You can get away with using him sparingly and just say he's at home watching Netflix or something.

That alone would have increased the hype for Jackpot, even if just a bit.

The decision will always be mind-boggling.

[Lifetap]

I feel like Paul didn't even need to exist as a character really beyond him having tech to send only Peter home. If in theory Paul died in the explosion that sent Peter back to 616 they could hit a lot of the same notes with no real loss.

MJ finds some tech Paul built and learns to use it to survive in order to later become Jackpot
MJ Finds the kids and she decides to pick them up
MJ and Peter break up when she returns as is going through serious PTSD from being trapped in another dimension on her own struggling to survive with the two kids.
Which just gets magnified when the kids are killed and finally is what drives her to to become Jackpot

The only thing missing is the Guy in the chair aspect which a lot of heroes don't have so they could have made Jackpot work without it.

[Morgoth]

I don't understand the need to fixate on Paul this much.

Because he's being hated so much, that it turned into a meme. I guess they believe, that they can monetize on that.
Basically, the more fans hate Paul, the more Marvel thinks that this hate can also be used to attract attention.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

Because he's being hated so much, that it turned into a meme. I guess they believe, that they can monetize on that.

I guess. "An enraged fan is an engaged fan", as Brevoort would say.

[Celgress]

I feel like Paul didn't even need to exist as a character really beyond him having tech to send only Peter home. If in theory Paul died in the explosion that sent Peter back to 616 they could hit a lot of the same notes with no real loss....

I couldn't agree with you more. Paul isn't so much a fully realized character as he is an impediment to MJ X Peter occurring again. That is his sole reason for existing thus why the majority of fans and critics dislike him. Everyone knows the score.

[DanMad1977]

Paul is hated, for the obvious reasons, but MJ is the real disappointment here.

[wleakr]

Paul is hated, for the obvious reasons, but MJ is the real disappointment here.

MJ saving lives as a superhero is a disappointment?

[DanMad1977]

MJ saving lives as a superhero is a disappointment?

No, that's just stupid. Not every character needs to be a superhero or villain. Just my opinion, if you like her that way, go for it.

I am disappointed that she didnt believe Peter would rescue her, or come looking for her when she was gone. And got into Paul. She is way more smarter than this. And now, she is again showing some feelings for Peter again in one of the latest Amazing Spider-Man issues. The MJ we know would have believed in Peter every second, she knows him in and out.

[wleakr]

I am disappointed that she didnt believe Peter would rescue her, or come looking for her when she was gone. And got into Paul. She is way more smarter than this. And now, she is again showing some feelings for Peter again in one of the latest Amazing Spider-Man issues. The MJ we know would have believed in Peter every second, she knows him in and out.

4 years is a long time to wait to be rescued.

[DanMad1977]

4 years is a long time to wait to be rescued.

As far as I remember she gave up way before that. But I have to look that up again.

[Kevinroc]

4 years is a long time to wait to be rescued.

Usually when we have stories of someone separated from their partner, like when we had stories of Superman and Wonder Woman trapped in a magical realm for 1000 years, Clark doesn't get with Diana because his memory of Lois is so strong that he could never. He believes Lois is dead, but he still can't bring himself to be with someone else. That is how strong and pure his love is. That is the way these stories usually go.

And if we got that story from the other side, if Peter had been separated from MJ for four years and the only other person was another woman, he would have waited for MJ.

It may not be the intention, but the story is saying "women don't love their partners as much as men do."