Mary Jane Watson-Parker Appreciation 2023

[Jman27]

a seductive apologize pic huh

[Garlador]

So I thought I had imagined it, but I didn't. Maybe someone else already brought it up.

I found one of my favorite Mary Jane moments in Spectacular Spider-man #172, where Peter's been gone a long time, and a handsome man she met on the set of her soap opera is tempting her into an affair, preying on her loneliness and vulnerabilities.

And after the nonsense going in ASM, this feels SO cathartic in comparison.
faithful01.jpg
faithful02.jpg
faithful03.jpg

Sometimes I feel like with the modern comics I'm crazy for having treasured Mary Jane as one of my favorite comic book characters ever. How strong and devoted she was. How proactive and driven she was. How she wasn't Spider-Man's love interest; she was his equal. It wasn't his story. It was THEIR story. She made him better. He made her better. And I'm reminded, yet again, how this marriage gave hope to a young kid like I was whose parents had a broken marriage. Peter and MJ fought so hard for each other, in equal measure.

THIS is the Mary Jane that proved she wasn't "just another rotating girlfriend" for Peter. This is the ONLY woman who could ever be his wife, the only one with the strength of character to be.

[CaptainUniverse]

Seeing Peter, Mary Jane and Mayday together in Across the Spider-Verse is pure healing power, I swear. I need a spin-off of them, it is imperative!

[Majesty]

Seeing Peter, Mary Jane and Mayday together in Across the Spider-Verse is pure healing power, I swear. I need a spin-off of them, it is imperative!

If this movie does well financially at the box office and the third movie also does well at the box office. You may be looking at a future spin-off Mayday movie in a Spider-verse style. We know Sony loves their spin-offs. But they won't happen unless this movie and the third makes money. So we've gotta do all we can to ensure that!

[Venomsaurus]

So I thought I had imagined it, but I didn't. Maybe someone else already brought it up.

I found one of my favorite Mary Jane moments in Spectacular Spider-man #172, where Peter's been gone a long time, and a handsome man she met on the set of her soap opera is tempting her into an affair, preying on her loneliness and vulnerabilities.

And after the nonsense going in ASM, this feels SO cathartic in comparison.
faithful01.jpg
faithful02.jpg
faithful03.jpg

Sometimes I feel like with the modern comics I'm crazy for having treasured Mary Jane as one of my favorite comic book characters ever. How strong and devoted she was. How proactive and driven she was. How she wasn't Spider-Man's love interest; she was his equal. It wasn't his story. It was THEIR story. She made him better. He made her better. And I'm reminded, yet again, how this marriage gave hope to a young kid like I was whose parents had a broken marriage. Peter and MJ fought so hard for each other, in equal measure.

THIS is the Mary Jane that proved she wasn't "just another rotating girlfriend" for Peter. This is the ONLY woman who could ever be his wife, the only one with the strength of character to be.

Thank you for sharing this scene, I've never read it, but it's fantastic. Yet another moment of proof that the current redheaded lady in ASM is not Mary Jane. As of this point, she is and always will be Nega-MJ until I see evidence otherwise. Can't wait for actual MJ to come back. Some day.

[CaptainUniverse]

If this movie does well financially at the box office and the third movie also does well at the box office. You may be looking at a future spin-off Mayday movie in a Spider-verse style. We know Sony loves their spin-offs. But they won't happen unless this movie and the third makes money. So we've gotta do all we can to ensure that!

Well, I'll do my part. I am going to see it again on Tuesday with some friends.

[Majesty]

So I thought I had imagined it, but I didn't. Maybe someone else already brought it up.

I found one of my favorite Mary Jane moments in Spectacular Spider-man #172, where Peter's been gone a long time, and a handsome man she met on the set of her soap opera is tempting her into an affair, preying on her loneliness and vulnerabilities.

And after the nonsense going in ASM, this feels SO cathartic in comparison.
faithful03.jpg

Sometimes I feel like with the modern comics I'm crazy for having treasured Mary Jane as one of my favorite comic book characters ever. How strong and devoted she was. How proactive and driven she was. How she wasn't Spider-Man's love interest; she was his equal. It wasn't his story. It was THEIR story. She made him better. He made her better. And I'm reminded, yet again, how this marriage gave hope to a young kid like I was whose parents had a broken marriage. Peter and MJ fought so hard for each other, in equal measure.

THIS is the Mary Jane that proved she wasn't "just another rotating girlfriend" for Peter. This is the ONLY woman who could ever be his wife, the only one with the strength of character to be.

Mary Jane should ALWAYS shut down someone like this. The "crazy lady in the current 616" would do the exact same thing to someone so egotistic and trying to manipulate her into something like an affair.

That was a great moment. But as far as the "modern comics" argument, I also don't compare the morals and how women in comics were written in the 60s-80s and the societal expectation of them in stories such as this with the current crop. Those societal expectations were enforced in comics, particularly by the main character's love interests. Those that did anything that was considered outside of the "norm" in terms of relationship dynamics was also deemed and portrayed as a villain or someone non-virtuous. Comics was not immune to this. Sometimes you understand that about the time.

So the reason I don't hold many comic characters to this standard is because I would drive myself crazy if Sue Storm in 2023 was written the way she was in the 60s-70s-80s and everything she put up with from Reed while always remaining "dutiful" while being constantly taken for granted and not really being allowed to put her foot down as hard as she should have.. and WOULD if the same comics were being written today with that in mind. I think characters are allowed to evolve with time as well as priorities and relationship dynamics.

But one thing that will always be great, is Mary Jane shutting down an idiot that feels entitled to her with the okey doke.

Mary Jane should ALWAYS shut down an idiot like this. However, her current situation in the 616 isn't comparable.

Mary Jane has always had an adverse reaction to people like this which has remained consistent, even in the Iron-Man comic when she thinks Tony is hitting on her she goes off about being tired of people constantly doing that.

[CaptainUniverse]

For those wondering, Melissa Sturm was the voice of E-616 Mary Jane.

[Garlador]

Mary Jane should ALWAYS shut down someone like this. The "crazy lady in the current 616" would do the exact same thing to someone so egotistic and trying to manipulate her into something like an affair.

That was a great moment. But as far as the "modern comics" argument, I also don't compare the morals and how women in comics were written in the 60s-80s and the societal expectation of them in stories such as this with the current crop. Those societal expectations were enforced in comics, particularly by the main character's love interests. Those that did anything that was considered outside of the "norm" in terms of relationship dynamics was also deemed and portrayed as a villain or someone non-virtuous. Comics was not immune to this. Sometimes you understand that about the time.

I don't know why you have to come into a Mary Jane Appreciation thread and be a total buzzkill (and you're off by a whole decade. This story was from the 90s). No, seriously. I'm telling you about a story that helped me through a dark time in my life, something that influenced how I fight for my marriage even today, and you pipe in to go "um, well, actually, Mary Jane suffered from outdated writing in the 60s-80s because women were expected to fall in line and be extensions of their husband and it's not comparable to the 616 stuff right now and..."

Oh, come off it. Mary Jane is not just a product of the last few years. She's one of the most established characters in the Spider-Man mythology. The moments that made me stand up and cheer decades ago are absolutely worth celebrating today.

I found a story that meant something important to me to remind me of how happy I was reading the book at that time. How strong Mary Jane's love for Peter was in the face of temptation and adversity. Something that I returned to in my anger and sadness over the current run.

And you just told me that story actually isn't that special, it doesn't matter because MJ wouldn't tolerate creeps (the post was about her love for PETER, not just her rejecting a creep), and current Mary Jane isn't like that anymore.

That's such a rotten thing to do and such a rotten feeling.

I promised I'd never end a post here without a post with love and positivity. So...

[Venomsaurus]

Mary Jane should ALWAYS shut down someone like this. The "crazy lady in the current 616" would do the exact same thing to someone so egotistic and trying to manipulate her into something like an affair.

That was a great moment. But as far as the "modern comics" argument, I also don't compare the morals and how women in comics were written in the 60s-80s and the societal expectation of them in stories such as this with the current crop. Those societal expectations were enforced in comics, particularly by the main character's love interests. Those that did anything that was considered outside of the "norm" in terms of relationship dynamics was also deemed and portrayed as a villain or someone non-virtuous. Comics was not immune to this. Sometimes you understand that about the time.

So the reason I don't hold many comic characters to this standard is because I would drive myself crazy if Sue Storm in 2023 was written the way she was in the 60s-70s-80s and everything she put up with from Reed while always remaining "dutiful" while being constantly taken for granted and not really being allowed to put her foot down as hard as she should have.. and WOULD if the same comics were being written today with that in mind. I think characters are allowed to evolve with time as well as priorities and relationship dynamics.

But one thing that will always be great, is Mary Jane shutting down an idiot that feels entitled to her with the okey doke.

Mary Jane should ALWAYS shut down an idiot like this. However, her current situation in the 616 isn't comparable.

Mary Jane has always had an adverse reaction to people like this which has remained consistent, even in the Iron-Man comic when she thinks Tony is hitting on her she goes off about being tired of people constantly doing that.

I would argue that the scene posted and MJ's current situation are absolutely comparable. Both show MJ in a situation of being separated from Peter, at a point when they are together romantically, and tempted by another. Now obviously certain parameters are not the same. Paul seems like a decent dude, they raise kids together, but the notion is still the same. Seperation. Temptation. But both handle how MJ reacts wildly different, to the point it feels like two opposite characters. Yes, I agree characters are allowed to grow and change. This doesn't feel like growth, it feels like ignoring the character's entire history. And this isn't just MJ getting another boyfriend when her and Peter are split. In both these instances they were romantically together. Sure, they weren't married at the end of Beyond but MJ was all-but proposing the way she asked Peter to live with her. So the fact is that MJ was WITH Peter when she went into that hellscape, and then less than a year moves on from him, is out of character.

You mention Sue Storm from the 60's and 70's as if it's in any way comparable. For one, you're talking about a character with a much more problematic history than MJ has ever had. Two, you're specifically cherry-picking her earlier days. Mary Jane Watson has been consistenly portrayed over a few decades now to not be the type of character she is portrayed as in current ASM. It's not just her early years, it's how the character has GROWN and developed, into a strong, brilliant woman who stands by Peter Parker through thick and thin. Who, yes, as unrealistic as it may seem, would wait years for him. Becuse that's who she is, and that's how much she loves Peter Parker. End of story.

[Garlador]

I would argue that the scene posted and MJ's current situation are absolutely comparable. Both show MJ in a situation of being separated from Peter, at a point when they are together romantically, and tempted by another. Now obviously certain parameters are not the same. Paul seems like a decent dude, they raise kids together, but the notion is still the same. Seperation. Temptation. But both handle how MJ reacts wildly different, to the point it feels like two opposite characters. Yes, I agree characters are allowed to grow and change. This doesn't feel like growth, it feels like ignoring the character's entire history. And this isn't just MJ getting another boyfriend when her and Peter are split. In both these instances they were romantically together. Sure, they weren't married at the end of Beyond but MJ was all-but proposing the way she asked Peter to live with her. So the fact is that MJ was WITH Peter when she went into that hellscape, and then less than a year moves on from him, is out of character.

You mention Sue Storm from the 60's and 70's as if it's in any way comparable. For one, you're talking about a character with a much more problematic history than MJ has ever had. Two, you're specifically cherry-picking her earlier days. Mary Jane Watson has been consistenly portrayed over a few decades now to not be the type of character she is portrayed as in current ASM. It's not just her early years, it's how the character has GROWN and developed, into a strong, brilliant woman who stands by Peter Parker through thick and thin. Who, yes, as unrealistic as it may seem, would wait years for him. Becuse that's who she is, and that's how much she loves Peter Parker. End of story.

Thank you. You said this more succinctly than I did, probably.

[Venomsaurus]

Also for anyone complaining it's not realistic to wait years for someone.

It's not very realistic for an irradiated spider to give you spider-powers, either.

[CaptainUniverse]

Also for anyone complaining it's not realistic to wait years for someone.

It's not very realistic for an irradiated spider to give you spider-powers, either.

Nothing about Dead Language was realistic. It was all forced, rushed nonsense designed to break Peter and Mary Jane up in the most convoluted manner imaginable and shoehorn in Wells' OCs that no one cares about. That's it.

[Garlador]

Nothing about Dead Language was realistic. It was all forced, rushed nonsense designed to break Peter and Mary Jane up in the most convoluted manner imaginable.

Less doom and gloom. More Mary Jane appreciation.

[Venomsaurus]

Love that moment. Somehow JRJR gets to draw some of the best and some of the worst Peter/MJ moments. It's uncanny. I never realized he drew the issue where Peter proposed, that was a real treat to see such earlier artwork of his. Back when he was trying to stick closer to his old man's style.