Mary Jane Watson-Parker Appreciation 2022

[Tabs]

Given the sheer number of iconic love interests in Marvel who no longer support their soul mates, neither can they.

Pre-OMD MJ was the MVP

BND MJ is kinda a terrible person

Character detraction is a feature of why I would never want to date a superhero. Should it strike a writer/editor's fancy, wo/men will find their personalities swiftly derailed. She's not "perfect", but I think fans are overly critical of OMD Mary Jane's personality. They have that right, and criticizing how writers use the fictional character is valid. Her personality has been mishandled, and she often doesn't feel like herself. The individual herself is trivialized, flanderized, and made out to be an idiot to serve the plot. The writing treats her as less than deserving of Peter, frequently for unjustified reasons. But it doesn't seem "fair" to me? I think plenty of her misgivings are natural. If I were a woman, I wouldn't have associated with Spider-man if I had to date Slott's Peter Parker. Why would a grown woman want to be saddled with a manchild?
He matured, she let him back into her life again, and unspecified hell followed. Now she's going to be fed to a character assassinated Scottish cyborg. The woman deserves some kudos for sympathy, if nothing else.

[Matt Rat]

But it doesn't seem "fair" to me? I think plenty of her misgivings are natural

Nothing about a universe brought about by a devil deal is 'natural', you can't trust how she reacts at all anymore in light of OMD.MJ always had unshakable faith in Peter prior to it, and now it can be shattered more easily than previously at any time for the flimsiest of reasons.

[Lucky99]

What is she up to now? Last I checked she was in a Iron Man book...is she alone or is she just a side character?

[Kevinroc]

What is she up to now? Last I checked she was in a Iron Man book...is she alone or is she just a side character?

Iron Man and Spider-Man had some creative team shuffles, so she went back to Spider-Man and she and Peter got back together. He was even planning to propose.

Then that went nowhere.

ASM got a new rotating creative team after that, and a terrible story about Ben Reilly coming back and going evil. Then the main writer of the Ben goes evil arc took over full time, did a time skip, and now everyone hates Peter/Spider-Man and he and MJ are broken up yet again.

Aren't comics fun?

Oh, and Moira MacTaggert from X-Men turned out to be a mutant, and then she was de-powered and made a cyborg and attacked MJ, maybe taking over her body (fans are already using the nickname "Moira Jane") and maybe this happened in between the time skip and the new break-up or maybe it didn't.

[Lucky99]

Iron Man and Spider-Man had some creative team shuffles, so she went back to Spider-Man and she and Peter got back together. He was even planning to propose.

Then that went nowhere.

ASM got a new rotating creative team after that, and a terrible story about Ben Reilly coming back and going evil. Then the main writer of the Ben goes evil arc took over full time, did a time skip, and now everyone hates Peter/Spider-Man and he and MJ are broken up yet again.

Aren't comics fun?

Oh, and Moira MacTaggert from X-Men turned out to be a mutant, and then she was de-powered and made a cyborg and attacked MJ, maybe taking over her body (fans are already using the nickname "Moira Jane") and maybe this happened in between the time skip and the new break-up or maybe it didn't.

Sounds like a gimmick elseworlds story. Sad.

[Spiderfan001]

Character detraction is a feature of why I would never want to date a superhero. Should it strike a writer/editor's fancy, wo/men will find their personalities swiftly derailed. She's not "perfect", but I think fans are overly critical of OMD Mary Jane's personality. They have that right, and criticizing how writers use the fictional character is valid. Her personality has been mishandled, and she often doesn't feel like herself. The individual herself is trivialized, flanderized, and made out to be an idiot to serve the plot. The writing treats her as less than deserving of Peter, frequently for unjustified reasons. But it doesn't seem "fair" to me? I think plenty of her misgivings are natural. If I were a woman, I wouldn't have associated with Spider-man if I had to date Slott's Peter Parker. Why would a grown woman want to be saddled with a manchild?
He matured, she let him back into her life again, and unspecified hell followed. Now she's going to be fed to a character assassinated Scottish cyborg. The woman deserves some kudos for sympathy, if nothing else.

I disagree, I think fans are fairly critical of her specially compared to Pre-OMD MJ

OMD MJ has consistently never been able to make her mind up, switches on Peter constantly, berates him even when he's already at his lows(superior, ANAD,OMIT), etc.

Spencer's MJ was much better, still no Pre-OMD MJ but actually a compassionate human being.

[Kevinroc]

I disagree, I think fans are fairly critical of her specially compared to Pre-OMD MJ

OMD MJ has consistently never been able to make her mind up, switches on Peter constantly, berates him even when he's already at his lows(superior, ANAD,OMIT), etc.

Spencer's MJ was much better, still no Pre-OMD MJ but actually a compassionate human being.

MJ's not a real person. She can't do anything the writers and editors don't want her to do. And that they're going in this direction again shows they don't have much in the way of actual creativity in how to handle these characters.

[Spiderfan001]

MJ's not a real person. She can't do anything the writers and editors don't want her to do. And that they're going in this direction again shows they don't have much in the way of actual creativity in how to handle these characters.

That goes for everything fictional

I'm saying the post-OMD MJ character has been bad

[Matt Rat]

Reading recent Doctor Who spoilers got me thinking about Peter and MJ

spoilers:

Basically, Russel T. Davies, who was in charge of the programme from 2005-2010, has returned as head writer and he's undoing the memory mindwipe he imposed before he left that erased Donna Noble's knowledge of her friendship with The Doctor. For many, Doctor Ten and Donna were the modern show's definitive iconic partnership, so it's a bit like the equivalent of restoring the marriage (even though Doctor and Donna were always platonic towards one another, their chemistry and relationship was so good it might as well have been a marriage)

end of spoilers

[Kevinroc]

That goes for everything fictional

I'm saying the post-OMD MJ character has been bad

I think the problem is Marvel has essentially encased Peter in amber.

It's so funny that Marvel Editorial will claim OMD was done to open up new story possibilities, and all they have done is written the same status quo again and again and again of Peter being sad and alone.

The problem isn't MJ. The problem is Marvel Editorial is so bereft of ideas that they once again have Peter and MJ break-up and are once again doing a story of Peter being sad about Gwen. (The Night Gwen Stacy Died was published in 1973. I wouldn't be surprised if they did another Peter is sad about Gwen story next year as well.)

[Tabs]

I’ve quit Spider-man comics a few times since OMD. If I couldn’t accept the changes to the books, I’m not going to blame the disrespected love interest for dropping him either. She’d have the same personality whether the deal happened or they got a divorce because that’s the type of writer Dan Slott was. Plot bullet points first, characterization last. The writer should have worked harder to make the personality fit his writing if he wasn’t willing to go with the reverse, but that was his failing. I’m not saying Mary Jane is the person she was before BND or that she’s an unrecognized saint. “Terrible person” is an exaggeration. BND MJ is a Neutral Good to Pre OMD Mary Jane’s Chaotic Good. We want them to spend time together, but female characters are not obligated to make a space in their life for Peter Parker. The writing is often contradictory, but many of her choices were “natural” for the same name OC written in her place. She’s not a bad person. She’s a bad Mary Jane Watson. There is a difference.

[Matt Rat]

She’d have the same personality whether the deal happened or they got a divorce because that’s the type of writer Dan Slott was.

The likes of MC2 and RYV MJ laugh in your face.

Also, editorial would never allow Peter and MJ to divorce if they hadn't gone through with this, Peter's a role model, a hero, they overcome their difficulties, they teach us to be better and to cherish the people we love, and not to take our partners for granted. JMS wrote the most powerful marriage story Marvel ever put out to demonstrate that, as did Fraction. These two would never divorce. It had to have been something greater than conventional means, or nothing at all.

BND MJ is a Neutral Good to Pre OMD Mary Jane’s Chaotic Good. We want them to spend time together, but female characters are not obligated to make a space in their life for Peter Parker

Most female characters aren't Mary Jane Watson.

[Matt Rat]

ZEB WELLS (W) • PATRICK GLEASON (A) • COVER BY JOHN ROMITA JR.

HELLFIRE GALA TIE-IN!

• Something happens at the Hellfire Gala that sends Spider-Man and WOLVERINE on a dangerous mission all over creation!

• That’s right — the best duo in comics is back, but who are they fighting, and what (or who) are they fighting for? NO SPOILERS HERE!

https://graphicpolicy.com/2022/05/18...-spider-man-9/

[Sr. Bungle]

https://graphicpolicy.com/2022/05/18...-spider-man-9/

I hate that suit

[Frontier]

https://graphicpolicy.com/2022/05/18...-spider-man-9/

Trying to find MJ?

I hate that suit

Hard same.