Mary Jane Watson/Parker Appreciation 2019

[Kevinroc]

Well, the art looks promising.

Of course it does, it's Pichelli.

[WebLurker]

Of course it does, it's Pichelli.

Yeah, she did do fine on the Miles comics.

[Frontier]

I find it kind of amusing that everyone talking about Zendaya in Far From Home calls her "MJ," like we're trying to pretend her actual character name doesn't exist in favor of the comic nickname .

[millernumber1]

I don't know if I'd say natural interest. It kind of just came about by the end of Bendis' run, but it's definitely more of an Ultimate Mary Jane thing, and I prefer 616.

I just feel like when they use it it takes up too much of Mary Jane's personality by making her this standardized reporter character. I miss her vivaciousness, liveliness, and sass.

It's a losing game trying to steal from Lois Lane. She's, like, the uber reporter of comics .

I get that it can connect Peter to the Bugle again if he's not going to work there, but all the same I'd prefer it if he actually worked there.

I think a writer would be an interesting hobby, and way to connect back to her dad, but I think career-wise MJ would prefer something that got her face out in public and interacting with people.

Post-Crisis Lois had red hair initially.

I still love MJ the reporter. But I love Ultimate MJ from way back.

[Jman27]

Post-Crisis Lois had red hair initially.

That seems so little though and there are other redheads in DC like Jimmy Olsen, Poison Ivy and Barbara Gordon. And in terms for Marvel shouldnt Jean Grey be considered the number one RedHead chick then Mj?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

That seems so little though and there are other redheads in DC like Jimmy Olsen, Poison Ivy and Barbara Gordon. And in terms for Marvel shouldnt Jean Grey be considered the number one RedHead chick then Mj?

Jean Grey was only big for a half-decade or so when Chris Claremont wrote her. She's not been very prominent in adaptations. Especially recently. Before Claremont, and after him. (https://www.cbr.com/who-is-marvels-lois-lane/)

The main thing that defined Lois Lane as a character was that she couldn't accept Clark Kent as Superman, that she was somehow a lesser person because she preferred Superman to Clark Kent, because as we all know superhero comics exist to normalize gaslighting. Mary Jane totally overturned the entire concept of the "Silver-Age girlfriend" and no one's a bigger embodiment of that than Lois, for better and worse. Post-Crisis, they overturned that or went back to some of Lois' characterization in the early Siegel-Shuster stories. and at least part of that has to be credited to the change in audience taste and sensibilities, and MJ's popularity was one of the signs and indications of that change and so on.

[Frontier]

That seems so little though and there are other redheads in DC like Jimmy Olsen, Poison Ivy and Barbara Gordon. And in terms for Marvel shouldnt Jean Grey be considered the number one RedHead chick then Mj?

Jean is probably the most prominent female redhead for heroes, but MJ is probably the most iconic of the female redheads.

[NC_Yankee]

Jean is probably the most prominent female redhead for heroes, but MJ is probably the most iconic of the female redheads.

I admit to not liking the X-Men ( Wolverine excluded), and never did. Why? No idea but the when it comes to comic nooks. X-Men, Dr..Strange and Man-Thing never appealed to me..So of course I am going MJ, but I would also choose Red Sonja over Jean as well. Think about it. MJ and Sonja are iconic redheads like Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth and Ann-Margaret ( the inspiration for MJ) and people think of their red hair. Jean is below Storm as far as a female X-Men in popularity.

[Jman27]

Jean is probably the most prominent female redhead for heroes, but MJ is probably the most iconic of the female redheads.

Yeah that's true but I can't accept that the only worthy thing Lois lane stole from Mj is the hair color. Cause she is more than just the red hair. Doesn't compare to if Mj stole her role as a reporter

[Celgress]

For those interested, Chapter Thirty-Nine of my What If OMD Never Happened? story is posted. Superior Spider-Man Part One. Be warned Superior fans our boy Otto ain't no (true) hero in this one. -

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1281972...-The-Great-Web

If so inclined, enjoy

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Yeah that's true but I can't accept that the only worthy thing Lois lane stole from Mj is the hair color. Cause she is more than just the red hair. Doesn't compare to if Mj stole her role as a reporter

Here's the thing. Spider-Man has always been heavily inspired by Superman. Now of course practically every superhero comic has been inspired by Superman, but in the case of Peter Parker, the whole Daily Bugle thing, Peter wearing glasses in his first issue, and his initial romance with Betty Brant was all falling in a pattern that Superman defined. Jameson is cut from the same cloth as Perry White. Likewise, Peter being a photographer is a reference to Jimmy Olsen and people forget this now, but in the '50s, Jimmy Olsen sold comics on his own name and title and was for a while as prominent a character as any superhero. Peter Parker in some sense is basically Clark Kent + Jimmy Olsen. We also forget that Lois Lane in the '50s sold more comics than Wonder Woman did, and was a top-seller. Superman and his supporting cast were at one point as big and recognizable as many of DC's banner superheroes.

Of course it became apparent that Jameson was a bigger and more interesting character than Perry White and the Daily Bugle as a setting felt more alive than the Daily Planet ever did/does. Mostly because Ditko started to model the office environment of the Bugle on Marvel and Jameson became for Ditko a mixture of Stan Lee and Martin Goodman, with the scene in ASM#33 where Peter asks Jameson for higher pay inspired by Ditko's own tussles with Martin Goodman and Lee to get plotting credit. So I don't know MJ being a reporter is some huge thing. Especially since you do have other reporter love interests who have distinguished themselves, like Vicki Vale who was a Lois-clone but has evolved into her own character in some versions, or you know Iris West.

The point is that no matter what gig she's currently working, Mary Jane will always be Mary Jane. Whereas Lois can never be anything other than a reporter, nor Clark Kent.

[Celgress]

For those interested, Chapter Forty of my What If OMD Never Happened? story is posted. Superior Spider-Man Part Two: First Blood -

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1281972...-The-Great-Web

If so inclined, enjoy

[millernumber1]

Reading through City at War #4 (which I just got today, because I forgot about the mini), I was inspired to go back and read Bandini's sections of the Heist arc. It's really cool how he drew MJ in Amazing Spider-Man to be clearly older, while using basically the same face and hair types for the character. Really appreciate Bandini's art for this mini, and for MJ especially!

[Confuzzled]

For those who have watched Far From Home, what did you think of spoilers:

MJ's Parallel Lives-esque inspired arc of knowing Peter is Spider-Man. I was surprised that they actually touched upon the question of whether or not MJ was interested in Peter because she was aware he was Spider-Man, since they tend to avoid it in the comics. And the initial "lie" that MJ made when confronted about it is something I totally see a Conway/Wolfman era MJ making to protect and hide her true feelings. I saw that Gerry Conway received a special thanks in the credits along with a bunch of other Spider-Man creators. Wonder if he provided his advice on the Peter/MJ relationship and MJ's characterization in the film.

end of spoilers

[Agent Z]

Mary Jane Watson by Stjepan Sejic