Reasons To Keep Peter Parker Single

[Mister Mets]

Whatever your opinion on the direction Marvel should take the Spider-Man comics, we should be able to agree that there will be reasons for differing courses of action. There are reasons to bring back the Spider-Man marriage, and there are reasons not to do so.

There is another discussion about reasons to bring back the Spider-marriage. Let's focus on the advantages of Peter Parker single, even if you don't believe these particular gains are worthwhile.

The main argument is that there are more stories that Marvel can tell with a single Peter Parker than one who is married to Mary Jane. The majority of stories you can do with a married Peter Parker and Mary Jane can also be done with an unmarried Peter Parker and Mary Jane in a stable relationship. The exception is the stories that explicitly require the two to be married, which are quite rare. But with a single Spider-Man, writers have access to other material including but by no means limited to the stories you can only do when Peter Parker is in a stable relationship with someone else (e.g. Black Cat, Sabra, Norah Winters, an entirely new character, etc.), the stories Marvel can only do when Peter Parker is in a unstable relationship with someone else (e.g. Black Cat, Sabra, Norah Winters, an entirely new character, etc.), the stories Marvel can only do when Peter Parker doesn’t have the love of a beautiful, supportive and good woman, the stories Marvel can only do when Mary Jane is in a stable relationship with someone else, etc.

Marriage removed tension from the series, because readers knew that the relationship will survive conflicts. It also produced stability, as it was difficult to repeatedly convince readers that Peter may not have a loving supportive wife to go home to. Even if a particular story ended with Peter and MJ apart, as long as they were married, it was pretty that they would eventually get back together.

[KurtW95]

Because Peter and Mary Jane are not compatible.

[THE DANGER965]

Peter parker is better single as he's more relatable and human and More stories can be told. I hated OMD as much as the next person, but I only hated it because Spiderman pretty much made a deal with the devil. But it did restore Spiderman's relatable character again.

[Vanguard-01]

If Marvel EVER wants me to buy another Spider-Man comic, they'll bring back the marriage. Full-stop. Non-negotiable.

Excuses be damned. Explanations of how destroying my favorite part about Spider-Man somehow improves him as a character be damned.

[Alan2099]

Because Peter and Mary Jane are not compatible.

She really doesn't even fit into his world. She's an actress/ model. Nothing she does really connects with Peter and what he does.

Then of course there's the countless scenes of her telling him not to be Spider-man, let somebody else handle it, and then sitting there feeling bad because he's out risking his life. (She may or may not be by a window while doing this.)

Basically though, she used to actually be a fun character, but they had to slowly strip all that away and make her insecure and hiding secrets in order for her and Peter being together to fit. In the process they ruined the most interesting parts about her.

[THE DANGER965]

She really doesn't even fit into his world. She's an actress/ model. Nothing she does really connects with Peter and what he does.

Then of course there's the countless scenes of her telling him not to be Spider-man, let somebody else handle it, and then sitting there feeling bad because he's out risking his life. (She may or may not be by a window while doing this.)

Basically though, she used to actually be a fun character, but they had to slowly strip all that away and make her insecure and hiding secrets in order for her and Peter being together to fit. In the process they ruined the most interesting parts about her.

I actually liked her character being slightly insecure as it made her much more interesting. Finding out about her past and family made her character much more fleshed out afterwards.

But yeah, I agree she's changed not for the better though. I love John romita's MJ. Her original character was fun with a great wild personality. They should have kept her that way for sure.

[Vortex85]

She really doesn't even fit into his world. She's an actress/ model. Nothing she does really connects with Peter and what he does.

Then of course there's the countless scenes of her telling him not to be Spider-man, let somebody else handle it, and then sitting there feeling bad because he's out risking his life. (She may or may not be by a window while doing this.)

Basically though, she used to actually be a fun character, but they had to slowly strip all that away and make her insecure and hiding secrets in order for her and Peter being together to fit. In the process they ruined the most interesting parts about her.

I really disagree with this. I've read all of Spider-man comics but I like the characters to have problems and work through issues. Married Peter was my favorite. He had progressed and truly changed through the years. He now had higher stakes due to being commited to his wife and the bond they had between the two of them raised tension. Here was Peter with more responsibility than ever. Not just as Spider-man, but to his wife as Peter Parker.

Having the old happy go lucky MJ all the time would get old. It's nice to see characters go through up and downs. Yes, it wasn't at its best for a while in the early 90s when she was always at home worried, but it was not always like this, it didn't last long that way, nor does it have to ever go back to that. They had worked past that during JMS's run leading up to OMD. I think the relationship was at it's best and then was taken away. The drama in Peter's marriage was more interesting and more real then anything after OMD. It was one of my favorite aspects Spider-man and OMD made me stop buying comics altogether afterwards.

[Randumbz]

If Marvel EVER wants me to buy another Spider-Man comic, they'll bring back the marriage. Full-stop. Non-negotiable.

Excuses be damned. Explanations of how destroying my favorite part about Spider-Man somehow improves him as a character be damned.

You've missed out on a lot of awesome stuff.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

She really doesn't even fit into his world. She's an actress/ model. Nothing she does really connects with Peter and what he does.

Model/ actresses can't date scientists? I was unaware of this rule.

Then of course there's the countless scenes of her telling him not to be Spider-man, let somebody else handle it, and then sitting there feeling bad because he's out risking his life. (She may or may not be by a window while doing this.)

Name one story where she does this.

Basically though, she used to actually be a fun character, but they had to slowly strip all that away and make her insecure and hiding secrets in order for her and Peter being together to fit. In the process they ruined the most interesting parts about her.

What exactly did they strip away? What fun parts are you referring to? What was so interesting and compelling about her before her character that was taken away?

It would help if you provided specifics, rather than vague generalities without evidence to back it up.

[Vanguard-01]

You've missed out on a lot of awesome stuff.

Like Doctor Octopus crapping all over Peter's good name?

I'll pass, thanks.

[Randumbz]

Like Doctor Octopus crapping all over Peter's good name?

I'll pass, thanks.

Like spider-island, big time and ends of the earth. Even though a lot of people didn't like doc ok as spider-man, I thought that it was interesting because it made me realize that Peter never live up to his true potential. If he did everything that Doc Ock did (except for the murder, brutal beatings and ignoring some people in need), he could be even better at his job.

[Vanguard-01]

Like spider-island, big time and ends of the earth. Even though a lot of people didn't like doc ok as spider-man, I thought that it was interesting because it made me realize that Peter never live up to his true potential. If he did everything that Doc Ock did (except for the murder, brutal beatings and ignoring some people in need), he could be even better at his job.

Read summaries of all the events you just mentioned. I probably wouldn't have liked them even IF the marriage remained intact.

Doctor Octopus sullied Spider-Man's good name and elevated a villain to an undeserved heroic status. Add the fact that Ock FURTHER destroyed any chance of Peter and MJ getting back together any time soon? Well, you see where I'm going with this.

[Alan2099]

Name one story where she does this.

Maximum Carnage and Revenge of the Sinister Six come to mind.

Also in the clone saga and right after gathering of five when he'd supposedly "retired" and she didn't want to go back into the tights.

... I've been reading a bunch of 90s issues lately. Can you tell?

They had worked past that during JMS's run leading up to OMD. I think the relationship was at it's best and then was taken away.

Funny that you liked JMS's run, because I felt that was when Peter and MJ were at their most boring, especially Peter, who suddenly felt ten years older.

What exactly did they strip away? What fun parts are you referring to? What was so interesting and compelling about her before her character that was taken away?

Much of her fun, wild loving party self was revealed to just be a front she put up. Instead of having a high opinion and being very sure of herself it was revealed that deep down she was emotionally troubled and sad.

[Randumbz]

Read summaries of all the events you just mentioned. I probably wouldn't have liked them even IF the marriage remained intact.

Doctor Octopus sullied Spider-Man's good name and elevated a villain to an undeserved heroic status. Add the fact that Ock FURTHER destroyed any chance of Peter and MJ getting back together any time soon? Well, you see where I'm going with this.

Peter's name has been sullied too many times to count. New Yorkers almost always hate him. But I can see why you don't like the direction it's been going in.

[Agent Z]

Peter parker is better single as he's more relatable and human and More stories can be told. I hated OMD as much as the next person, but I only hated it because Spiderman pretty much made a deal with the devil. But it did restore Spiderman's relatable character again.

Because people don't actually grow old and get married.