How does Marvel feel about the character of MJ?

[Frontier]

As a separate character she's reasonably interesting but not exceptional or irreplaceable. It's all about the writing. I think the "Love of MJ" is more a function of her relationship with Peter rather than her as a person.

Personally I love MJ for who she is as a person and character on-top of her relationship with Peter, but that's just me .

[Agent Z]

As a separate character she's reasonably interesting but not exceptional or irreplaceable. It's all about the writing. I think the "Love of MJ" is more a function of her relationship with Peter rather than her as a person.

The recent attempts to replace her say otherwise.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

As a separate character she's reasonably interesting but not exceptional or irreplaceable. It's all about the writing. I think the "Love of MJ" is more a function of her relationship with Peter rather than her as a person.

Mary Jane Watson is a fictional character in a story, so of course readers love her as a fictional character than as a person. As for "function of her relationship with Peter"...well duh! She's a supporting character of significance in the story and valuable as such.

[PCN24454]

The recent attempts to replace her say otherwise.

Considering how I was ok with those replacements, I would have to disagree.

MJ isn’t essential.

[TheCape]

Not all those remplacement were bad but considering how they writers either did a poor job or didn't bother to develop then, i doubt how anyone would be ok with those.

[Frontier]

The only thing I can say about the replacements is that they seemed better received the less they were treated as love interests.

[TheCape]

The only thing I can say about the replacements is that they seemed better received the less they were treated as love interests.

And probably better written. I think that only Carlie falls in that category (also fun fact, she exist in the MC2) and Silk, maybe Norah, is she popular?, i'm not even sure if she counts as Peter love interest, i remember her being more into Randy.

[WebLurker]

And probably better written. I think that only Carlie falls in that category (also fun fact, she exist in the MC2) and Silk, maybe Norah, is she popular?, i'm not even sure if she counts as Peter love interest, i remember her being more into Randy.

Where?

10char

[Frontier]

And probably better written. I think that only Carlie falls in that category (also fun fact, she exist in the MC2) and Silk, maybe Norah, is she popular?, i'm not even sure if she counts as Peter love interest, i remember her being more into Randy.

It feels like when she was initially introduced it was considered she might be.

[TheCape]

Where?

10char

Is a story in an anthology book around 2008 written by DeFalco, callef Mr and Mrs Spider-Man (i think that the book was called Amazin Spider-Man Family but i'm not sure).

[Spider-Tiger]

Personally I love MJ for who she is as a person and character on-top of her relationship with Peter, but that's just me .

Agreed. I actually love MJ as her own character in addition to her dynamic with Peter. She's one of the few love interests/supporting characters who isn't entirely enmeshed in the world of the protagonist. She has a life of her own, which I think makes her a great character in her own right.

[Vortex85]

Considering how I was ok with those replacements, I would have to disagree.

MJ isn’t essential.

Depends on what you mean by “essential”. If literally, the only person you need to tell a Spider-man story is Spider-Man. You dont need JJJ, Aunt May, or Mary Jane. So as far as what characters are “essential”, I feel the only truly essential charcter is Spider-man. Now when it comes down to who the top supporting cast members are in history, JJJ, Aunt May, and Mary Jane are all top characters. Regardless of anyone’s opinion that is objective fact based on number of appearances and closness to the protagonist. I think Mary Jane may actually be the highest appearing supporting cast member In number of appearances last time those numbers were stated on these forums within a year ago. So that means she is a top tier supporting cast member objectively speaking regardless of anyones subjective feelings about her as a character and what she means to that particular person/fan.

[PCN24454]

Is a story in an anthology book around 2008 written by DeFalco, callef Mr and Mrs Spider-Man (i think that the book was called Amazin Spider-Man Family but i'm not sure).

Oh yeah, I remember that comic. She gave Peter a business card in case she ever wanted to work for the NYPD. It serves as the explanation as to why MC2 Peter worked in the NYPD Crime Lab.

[WebLurker]

Is a story in an anthology book around 2008 written by DeFalco, callef Mr and Mrs Spider-Man (i think that the book was called Amazin Spider-Man Family but i'm not sure).

Heard of that. Hope it get packaged with the Spider-Girl complete collections when they get there.

(Kinda reminds of how in the original RYV miniseries, a replacement boyfriend character for MJ had a cameo; gathered some readers were mad about being reminded of it, I found it funny.)

[Lukmendes]

Yeah they did. Zack Snyder is a real "no homo" kind of guy, at least aesthetically if not politically (he's for Biden in fact).

That's good then.

Malcolm was a stuffy middle-class psychologist who wanted to review Walter because he thought it might increase his profile. And meeting Rorschach and hearing his story and his reaction to that, made him realize what real humanity was all about. Moore said that in his view, Malcolm when he intervened in the fight and said, "In this weird helping one another is what counts" (or words to that effect), he had become a truer hero than any supe. That point doesn't come across in the movie where the non-powered side characters get shuffled out of sight and de-emphasized.

Oh yeah, it was definitely interesting that he decided to still do good despite how badly the cynism fucked him over mentally, I just find it silly someone like Rorschach did that much, makes him look like an amateur who didn't even do normal psychology lol.

Well in the final issues, MJ does help Peter take down Carnage-Goblin at the tower,

I mean, even when she rejected him she said she loves him, but can't put up with the Spider-Man side, plus fighting Red Goblin there was partially self defense, not for romantic reasons.

and when Peter warns everyone close to him she does huff when Peter doesn't entirely put her at #1. Slott always wrote women as Tsundere types, that was his basic default. Granted those issues don't register as memorably as that rejection but that goes to show how Slott's dishy moments tend to stick far more than the moments that swing up...it's why the stuff that sticks out in Superior Ock and what geared that ongoing is everything coming Otto's way and not his comeuppance. Slott always puts more energy in the humiliation and degradation than in the reverse, which is part of the insincerity and cynicism in his run.

I mean, a properly written tsudere (as rare as that is), has more redeeming traits when dealing with the romantic side, and MJ being annoyed at not being in first place, despite how badly she treated Peter, makes her look like one of those abusive people who string someone along, who reject that person when they ask to go out, but not wanting them to stop being interested.

Of course, not Slott's intention, but intention and what it looks like are two different things, his Cindy was definetely not meant to be a molester and potential rapist.

Those first issues of BND are a good case of people failing to read the room and it just confirmed the Middle-Aged Biker Gang nostalgia behind the entire entreprise. Tom Brevoort and others compared the backlash to OMD to The Night Gwen Stacy Died. In their minds that story is controversial and so good, and not good and controversial which shows the problem there. Conway didn't like Gwen Stacy as a character but he still was respectful. However he felt behind the scenes, he didn't go from Gwen's death to Peter and MJ making out on the funeral (for an example of how that might have worked, look up Grant Morrison's final issue of New X-Men). Gwen died and he spent many issues dealing with Peter's grief and slowly cheering the character up from a down moment. So Conway acknowledged how readers felt and wrote stories according to that.

It's honestly why Gwen is a less bad case of fridging, even though Conway didn't give a **** about her, he was respectful enough of her character to have people sad, and properly wrote Peter, 'cause like it or not, Peter did love Gwen in some way, and he's an emotional character, so he would have to be sad for a while.

Emma under Morrison had weird ****, her raping Cyclops, and then Jean brainwashing Scott to be with her because for some reason that'll make the future better... Think that last one was editorial being weird, but still lol.

The only thing I can say about the replacements is that they seemed better received the less they were treated as love interests.

To be fair, when the new love interests are character like Michelle, who has no redeeming traits, and Carlie, who's Gwen without the nostalgia, there's basically no way they can compete with MJ, or even Felicia.

And probably better written. I think that only Carlie falls in that category (also fun fact, she exist in the MC2) and Silk, maybe Norah, is she popular?, i'm not even sure if she counts as Peter love interest, i remember her being more into Randy.

Norah wasn't even really a romantic interest for Peter, think she only showed a mild crush, but then she dated Randy.

Also, didn't know that Carlie exists in MC2, wiki lists her, but doesn't have an article.

Depends on what you mean by “essential”. If literally, the only person you need to tell a Spider-man story is Spider-Man. You dont need JJJ, Aunt May, or Mary Jane. So as far as what characters are “essential”, I feel the only truly essential charcter is Spider-man. Now when it comes down to who the top supporting cast members are in history, JJJ, Aunt May, and Mary Jane are all top characters. Regardless of anyone’s opinion that is objective fact based on number of appearances and closness to the protagonist. I think Mary Jane may actually be the highest appearing supporting cast member In number of appearances last time those numbers were stated on these forums within a year ago. So that means she is a top tier supporting cast member objectively speaking regardless of anyones subjective feelings about her as a character and what she means to that particular person/fan.

If we really push it for what's "essential" for a Spider-Man story, you don't even need Peter too, he could've stayed as "The Spider" from the 90's and all, what's "essential" wouldn't be lost, but he would lost of what makes him stand out, because what makes Spider-Man special isn't just Spider-Man, it's a collection of a bunch of elements from his world, and MJ is definitely one of the bigger elements from it.

Oh yeah, I remember that comic. She gave Peter a business card in case she ever wanted to work for the NYPD. It serves as the explanation as to why MC2 Peter worked in the NYPD Crime Lab.

That's cool, wonder if a continued MC2 would eventually retcon her more in the background, they kinda did that with Anya.

(Kinda reminds of how in the original RYV miniseries, a replacement boyfriend character for MJ had a cameo; gathered some readers were mad about being reminded of it, I found it funny.)

How brief was that? Don't remember that at all, much less anyone talking about it lol.