Peter and MJ out of character since BND?

[Zeitgeist]

Peter and MJ should be much more upset and miserable over the fact that they are not together, not getting on with life and having it be this thing that kinda just happened as BND and Slott’s run have depicted them as.

This just in: you're never allowed to get over your exes and move on in life. You have to be miserable FOREVER.

[Mister Mets]

I disagree with the OOC thing. Peter and MJ had made their peace about ending their relationship in ASM v2 #49. Had fate not bought them together at the airport, they probably would have broken up. There's no guarantee that their next meeting after that would be a reconciliation.

The worst is OMIT, and its rationale for why Peter and MJ broke up. Some punk threatened MJ and her family?

That makes no sense.

How long did Norman Osborn know the secret? How did that work out for Peter's ex, and MJ's friend, Gwen? And yet she didn't cower in fear like that when Norman came back into their lives to terrorize Spider-Man. But some goon hired by the Kingpin sends her packing?

OMIT seems to have been a fairly rare development, with someone trying to kill one of Mary Jane's relatives and promising to kill more of her relatives. That's different from someone just threatening her.

And it's an event that could go differently if she and Peter were married or single. If they were married, she'd always be his ex-wife, and always be a prominent target.

[Phantom Roxas]

I think the perception that they've been out of character is the result of two things that led to a bit of a culture clash.

The sliding time scale meant that Peter and MJ weren't much older in comics published in 2008 than they were in comics published in 1987. In that time, there were changes in terms of what's acceptable to depict in Spider-Man comics, especially when it comes to consenting unmarried adults.

There's also the odd coincidence that between Stan Lee's run and Brand New Day, writers from a particular generation had an outsized influence on the 616 Spider-Man. So writers born between 1948 and 1960 dominated from 1972 to 2007: Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Peter David, Howard Mackie, JMS, David Michelinie, JM Dematteis, Tom Defalco, etc. There was an inevitable stylistic shift when a younger generation took over most of the stories (even though Slott, Kelly, Wells, and Waid were industry veterans.)

And yet, hasn't the biggest criticism of the "younger generation" of creators being that the relate to the audience less? It's like those people who try to be "hip with the kids", but completely miss the point.

[Vworp Vworp]

Of course they've been OOC. They aren't the same people. The Pete and MJ who people have been reading about since OMD lived different lives to the real Pete and MJ. It's only natural that those changes would result in very different attitudes and personality traits over the X amount of years they've existed in Biffisto's Pleasure Palace.

Now whether they've intentionally been written OOC in that time is another question. But the Timey-Wimey'ness of Mephito's plan does give the writers a legitimate reason/excuse why that's the case.

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

A lot of characters have been written out of character since the BND soft reboot. It's basically an entirely different universe, and it shows.

[mtalisker18]

A lot of characters have been written out of character since the BND soft reboot. It's basically an entirely different universe, and it shows.

The differences between pre-OMD and Post OMD are pretty stark.

[Phantom Roxas]

Of course they've been OOC. They aren't the same people. The Pete and MJ who people have been reading about since OMD lived different lives to the real Pete and MJ. It's only natural that those changes would result in very different attitudes and personality traits over the X amount of years they've existed in Biffisto's Pleasure Palace.

Now whether they've intentionally been written OOC in that time is another question. But the Timey-Wimey'ness of Mephito's plan does give the writers a legitimate reason/excuse why that's the case.

Or it could just be bad writing that, the moment an "excuse" is offered to avoid having to admit as such, will be lauded as some "brilliant" twist.

[Punisher007]

Their portrayals have been terrible post-OMD, but IDK if it's necessarily OOC giving the new status quo.

[Kevinroc]

OMIT seems to have been a fairly rare development, with someone trying to kill one of Mary Jane's relatives and promising to kill more of her relatives. That's different from someone just threatening her.

And it's an event that could go differently if she and Peter were married or single. If they were married, she'd always be his ex-wife, and always be a prominent target.

It doesn't sit well because it completely ignores that Mary Jane has seen people threaten people close to her before because of Spider-Man. Or even the first time a member of MJ's family has been threatened. (MJ's Aunt Anna was placed in danger by Alistar Smythe during his first appearance in Amazing Annual #19).

And, of course, MJ's (admittedly fluctuating) level of fame also places a target around her and those close to her.

But the larger point remains. Norman Osborn knew and she didn't run for the hills. But some punk sends her packing.

[Tuck]

OMD tells the reader that Pete and MJ's bond is so special that is can only be broken by magic. So the story creates its own logic problem. No reason except magic can now make sense. But since Peter and Mary Jane don't remember the deal, their reasons for breaking up are a window dressing that can't make sense by the rules the story that broke them up set up.

It really is a "comic books, you have to go with it" situation. But those require the reader to want to go with it.

[AJpyro]

It doesn't sit well because it completely ignores that Mary Jane has seen people threaten people close to her before because of Spider-Man. Or even the first time a member of MJ's family has been threatened. (MJ's Aunt Anna was placed in danger by Alistar Smythe during his first appearance in Amazing Annual #19).

And, of course, MJ's (admittedly fluctuating) level of fame also places a target around her and those close to her.

But the larger point remains. Norman Osborn knew and she didn't run for the hills. But some punk sends her packing.

It also follows that annoying plot hole of Raimi's Spiderman 3. You know: where Harry, after getting his memory back and threatens MJ to break up with Peter, the guy who is Spiderman, or he'll kill him. And what does MJ do?

She breaks up with him. Didn't even think to tell him that the crazy best friend is evil again and that Pete should do something about that. Nope. Just breaks it off with no explanation.

[Tuck]

Did Norman know now though?

The mind wipe seems pretty vague. Black Cat acted like she knows she used to know. Jessica Jones and Carlie acted like it was brand new information. Did Norman ever mention having once known since OMD?

[Vworp Vworp]

OMD tells the reader that Pete and MJ's bond is so special that is can only be broken by magic. So the story creates its own logic problem. No reason except magic can now make sense. But since Peter and Mary Jane don't remember the deal, their reasons for breaking up are a window dressing that can't make sense by the rules the story that broke them up set up.

This.

Quesada himself even contradicted the entire premise of OMD in an interview given on this very site....

First and foremost, I think Peter getting divorced to me says that they gave up on their love, that their life in love together was so awful, so stressful, so unfulfilling that they had to raise a red flag and walk away from it. They quit on their marriage and even more tragic, they quit on each other. In other words, Peter would rather be alone and single than to spend another moment with MJ. Plain and simple, that's just a Spider-Man story I don't want to tell and it's not something that I would like to have associated with Peter Parker and MJ. You guys may feel differently, but I just think it's the wrong thing to do with the character and the wrong message to send.

Seriously, how is that not exactly what happened after OMD (and later, OMIT)?

[Tuck]

To be fair, they didn't quit, she did. It all got palmed off on MJ, with a bonus that she is too weak.

They might have been better off not giving a in-the-new-timeline explanation.

But comic fans really want those details, so they were in a Catch-22.

[Vworp Vworp]

To be fair, they didn't quit, she did. It all got palmed off on MJ, with a bonus that she is too weak.

Very true, Quesada did put it all on MJ (naturally) when it came to OMIT (ugh). But even taking that into account, ultimately Pete still walked away, he still 'gave up' on MJ. And there's nothing more OOC for Peter Parker than that.