My 0.02 on the Gwen/MJ debate

[Aruran.]

There was a lot of work put into her character, compared to the rest of the cast. Would it have been better, for Stan to have her all mapped out from the beginning? Sure, but unless you're talking about simple characters like MJ, he wasn't "The Man" for that job.

Your two previous points, have already been discussed.

Honestly, yes.
If he did then Peter never would've left highschool. He could made it that Gwen and Harry transferred to Midtown the next year, and had the same thing set-up with how it was in college.
Or he even could've had Peter break-up with Gwen and actually make Peter date someone else while Gwen was around.

Stan did an Amazing job, but it wasn't perfect.

[Kevinroc]

Honestly, yes.
If he did then Peter never would've left highschool. He could made it that Gwen and Harry transferred to Midtown the next year, and had the same thing set-up with how it was in college.
Or he even could've had Peter break-up with Gwen and actually make Peter date someone else while Gwen was around.

Stan did an Amazing job, but it wasn't perfect.

Gerry Conway said that Stan had a penchant for blonds. And that characters like Sue Storm and Gwen Stacy were stand-ins for Stan's own wife.

http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/10/03...ook-on-marvel/

“She was a nonentity, a pretty face. She brought nothing to the mix. It made no sense to me that Peter Parker would end up with a babe like that who had no problems," Conway is quoted as saying in the book.

"Only a damaged person would end up with a damaged guy like Peter Parker. And Gwen Stacy was perfect! It was basically Stan fulfilling Stan’s own fantasy. Stan married a woman who was pretty much a babe," Conway continued. "Joan Lee was a very attractive blond who was obviously Stan’s ideal female. And I think Gwen was simply Stan replicating his wife, just like Sue Storm was a replication of his wife. And that’s where his blind spot was. The amazing thing was that he created a character like Mary Jane Watson, who was probably the most interesting female character in comics, and he never used her to the extent that he could have. Instead of Peter Parker’s girlfriend, he made her Peter Parker’s best friend’s girlfriend. Which is so wrong, and so stupid, and such a waste. So killing Gwen was a totally logical if not inevitable choice.”

[Aruran.]

Gerry Conway said that Stan had a penchant for blonds. And that characters like Sue Storm and Gwen Stacy were stand-ins for Stan's own wife.

http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/10/03...ook-on-marvel/

So does that mean those characters are Mary Sues?

But it makes sense though that Stan would make the main character's love interest a version of his wife.

[Pako]

I find Conway's opinion on Stan Lee's motivations for Gwen ironic given Stan is the one writing the only version of Mary Jane that her fans cling to right now.

[Kevinroc]

I find Conway's opinion on Stan Lee's motivations for Gwen ironic given Stan is the one writing the only version of Mary Jane that her fans cling to right now.

Would you have felt better if One More Day were used to split up Peter and Gwen?

[Pako]

Would you have felt better if One More Day were used to split up Peter and Gwen?

If it was Gwen, I highly doubt OMD would have existed.

With all the flaws and problems people pin on Gwen (To say she's a terrible love interest), one would think it far easier to split up a Gwen and Peter than the over idealized world of MJ and Peter.

[Kevinroc]

If it was Gwen, I highly doubt OMD would have existed.

With all the flaws and problems people pin on Gwen (To say she's a terrible love interest), one would think it far easier to split up a Gwen and Peter than the over idealized world of MJ and Peter.

Peter and Gwen haven't been in a romantic relationship in the comics for over 40 years. I'd say they successfully split them up.

[Steeler53]

There was a lot of work put into her character, compared to the rest of the cast. Would it have been better, for Stan to have her all mapped out from the beginning? Sure, but unless you're talking about simple characters like MJ, he wasn't "The Man" for that job.

Your two previous points, have already been discussed.

MJ is not nor ever was a simple character, in my opinion, she always beat Gwen or anyone else. In fact, I would be willing to wager that the only person who can handle BOTH sides of the complete person that is Peter Parker and Spider-Man is MJ. We know Felicia Hardy cannot handle the Peter part, and I really doubt that Gwen could handle the Spider-Man part (such as blaming him for the death of her father).
To be honest, I do not like the Post-OMD MJ version but I strongly suspect that there is something going on with MJ, that we do not know about yet (including what was said between her and Mephisto) , but one day we will.
One more point, Marvel has to be aware of the fact, that for all of the "love" of Emma Watson as Gwen (Compared to say, Kirsten Dunst (who was a bit too sweet as MJ)), ASM 3 did not do the projected numbers, which I am sure played a role in delaying the next ASM movie. What does it likely mean? MJ coming back in the next movie, and probably someone who is like the MJ, many of us (me included) love. Not sweet like Dunst, and especially not like the 2013-2014 Dan Slott Version. If I am correct, that is when the answers to the conversation will be revealed, and 616 OMD will be reversed.

[Ozymandias]

MJ is not nor ever was a simple character, in my opinion, she always beat Gwen or anyone else. In fact, I would be willing to wager that the only person who can handle BOTH sides of the complete person that is Peter Parker and Spider-Man is MJ.

She was quite simple up to Conway, who added some basic human traits to her character. As for your wager, you'd lose, because writers can, and actually do, make fictional characters handle, whatever they feel like handling.

[Vegeta]

MJ is not nor ever was a simple character, in my opinion, she always beat Gwen or anyone else. In fact, I would be willing to wager that the only person who can handle BOTH sides of the complete person that is Peter Parker and Spider-Man is MJ. We know Felicia Hardy cannot handle the Peter part, and I really doubt that Gwen could handle the Spider-Man part (such as blaming him for the death of her father).

Not true, Felicia confessed that she had fallen for the Peter Parker side in "The Evil That Men Do." Granted, all that character growth and maturity was jettisoned during BND. By the same token, Slott and JoeyQ have gone out of their way to show us that MJ CANNOT handle the "Spider-Man" side of things (OMIT and the recent ASM following Superior) despite handling it quite well during the 90's and JMS's run.

One more point, Marvel has to be aware of the fact, that for all of the "love" of Emma Watson as Gwen (Compared to say, Kirsten Dunst (who was a bit too sweet as MJ)),

Emma STONE, Emma Watson is the girl from the Harry Potter films you apparently have a crush on.

[Aruran.]

If it was Gwen, I highly doubt OMD would have existed.

Yeah, they would've made Peter a widower instead.

With all the flaws and problems people pin on Gwen (To say she's a terrible love interest), one would think it far easier to split up a Gwen and Peter than the over idealized world of MJ and Peter.

It was easier to split both of them up. The problem was that Stan Lee never stuck to having Peter and Gwen be apart for a long period of time. With MJ when they got married it solidified her in the media as Spider-Man's Lois Lane.

[MASTER-OF-SUPRISE]

MJ is not nor ever was a simple character, in my opinion, she always beat Gwen or anyone else. In fact, I would be willing to wager that the only person who can handle BOTH sides of the complete person that is Peter Parker and Spider-Man is MJ. We know Felicia Hardy cannot handle the Peter part, and I really doubt that Gwen could handle the Spider-Man part (such as blaming him for the death of her father).
To be honest, I do not like the Post-OMD MJ version but I strongly suspect that there is something going on with MJ, that we do not know about yet (including what was said between her and Mephisto) , but one day we will.
One more point, Marvel has to be aware of the fact, that for all of the "love" of Emma Watson as Gwen (Compared to say, Kirsten Dunst (who was a bit too sweet as MJ)), ASM 3 did not do the projected numbers, which I am sure played a role in delaying the next ASM movie. What does it likely mean? MJ coming back in the next movie, and probably someone who is like the MJ, many of us (me included) love. Not sweet like Dunst, and especially not like the 2013-2014 Dan Slott Version. If I am correct, that is when the answers to the conversation will be revealed, and 616 OMD will be reversed.

As much as I would love for OMD too be reversed. I have really big doubts Marvel realizes how badly they messed up with OMD. That being said I agree that Gwen wouldn't have been able to handle the idea of Peter being Spider-Man. Honestly I think she would've freaked out and dumped him if she knew.

Not true, Felicia confessed that she had fallen for the Peter Parker side in "The Evil That Men Do." Granted, all that character growth and maturity was jettisoned during BND. By the same token, Slott and JoeyQ have gone out of their way to show us that MJ CANNOT handle the "Spider-Man" side of things (OMIT and the recent ASM following Superior) despite handling it quite well during the 90's and JMS's run.

I believe nearly everyone has called BS on OMIT. That being said I do think it's a shame that Felicia's character was regressed.


Emma STONE, Emma Watson is the girl from the Harry Potter films you apparently have a crush on.

Ah who hasn't had a celebrity crush before.

[Ozymandias]

I find Conway's opinion on Stan Lee's motivations for Gwen ironic given Stan is the one writing the only version of Mary Jane that her fans cling to right now.

I find it ironic because he promoted his own "dream girl". And I find it problematic, because he killed the character, in order to avoid a creative blockade.

[Thinker4730]

To be honest, I do not like the Post-OMD MJ version but I strongly suspect that there is something going on with MJ, that we do not know about yet (including what was said between her and Mephisto) , but one day we will.

But, we do know what was said between Mary Jane and Mephisto.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/01/...y-to-mephisto/

Although the article states that something else was stated, but didn't see print in the actual reveal so unfortunately it's only what was actually revealed in the comic that matters.

[masciajames]

Hey, the way I see it, why can't we just have both?

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