Thread Drift: How famous is Mary Jane?

[Phantom Roxas]

Was it just the JMS run where that happened, or were the others? Was it during other runs, which could prove that the marriage in general was something writers struggled with, or was it at the fault of JMS's writing?

[DT Winslow]

I picked JMS because he has a well liked run and I own all of it. And Mac has mentioned an affinity.

#39 - Almost half the issue is MJ up all night worrying about Peter, watching him fight on TV. She can't sleep shes so worried about him. Fret, not simper, my bad, wrong word. Updated to reflect a better understanding of my own point!

#45 - At the end, the diner scene, she says she ca't be second place. I mean, golly, that can't be clearer. She needs to know where she stands not just with Peter, but as a whole person as well. She can't be a distraction. Shes asking him to choose. But he turns it right around and says, I'll wait for you to come back without changing your mind.

#50 - The whole issue is MJ saying she can't do it anymore. I love you isn't enough she says. But! and its a big but, she never expected to be number one. Well ok. The whole issue is MJ saying I need to be number one. But Peter just says, sure, you are. And tha'ts it. MJ is number one, until shes not, ten seconds later when he has to go talk to Dr. Doom. Here, the plot demands she accept what Peter says because the plot demands it. While fretting. While asking to be put above the safety of everyone else.

#511 - She goes to the closet to look for Pete's costume and finds it gone. She knows hes left, but hopes he hasn't. Then she frets! Getouttahere!

You'll boil this down to interpretation or artistic license, but wevs.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

I picked JMS because he has a well liked run and I own all of it. And Mac has mentioned an affinity.

I own all of it too. It was also how I was able to go and check and confirm that most of what was said was an exaggeration.

#39 - Almost half the issue is MJ up all night worrying about Peter, watching him fight on TV. She can't sleep shes so worried about him. Fret, not simper, my bad, wrong word. Updated to reflect a better understanding of my own point!

This is a lie. MJ is not up all night worrying about Peter. She misses him, which is keeping her awake. This is made clear in the script at the end of the issue as it was the 'Nuff said issue. MJ gets up in the morning, gets ready with the TV on, and goes to watch it when the news story is about Peter, then turns away to finish getting ready once a commercial comes on. This takes about two pages, and it never shows her worrying. The next two pages are done to her daily routine, which finishes up the rest of the day by watching the news, and once again it draws her attention to when Peter is on the news. Again, never is she shown worrying. It's more about the brave face she is putting on, and how unhappy she is when Peter isn't there because she misses him.

The rest of the issue is devoted to Peter.

#45 - At the end, the diner scene, she says she can't be second place. I mean, golly, that can't be clearer. She needs to know where she stands not just with Peter, but as a whole person as well. She can't be a distraction. Shes asking him to choose. But he turns it right around and says, I'll wait for you to come back without changing your mind.

Her exact words from that issue, the diner scene

Peter: I'm should never have come

MJ: Peter

Peter: I'm sorry

MJ: Of course if you hand't come, who knows what would have happened.

MJ: Look, Peter... I don't know what to tell you right now. The truth is, I still need to find out who I am, and where I fit in, not in terms of us, but like you sai in terms of being who I am, being me. Your life, what you do... it's pretty overpowering stuff, Peter. After a while it took over everything I was. All I could do was wait and worry. I lived my life reacting tow hat you did with your life. It was like, everything I did on my own was just a distraction from the important stuff, and I can't be a distraction, I can't be a diversion. I can't be second place, Peter. I just can't. You can understand that, can't you Peter?

Peter: Yeah... I suppose I can. But I'm still in love with you MJ. I always will be. So what do I do about that.

MJ: Wait for me? Let me figure out what I need to figure out? I know that's hard, because I can't make any promises, but...

Peter: I don't need any promises MJ. I'll wait for you as long as you need. Or until the stars turn cold and fall from the sky. Whichever comes first.


Well, she starts off by comforting Peter about his concerns, then explains to him that she felt overwhelmed by his life to the point where she lost focus on who she was. At no point does she fret or worry.

She also never asks him to choose. Peter tells her that he loves her, and she simply asks him to wait for her to figure things out.

#50 - The whole issue is MJ saying she can't do it anymore. I love you isn't enough she says. But! and its a big but, she never expected to be number one. Well ok. The whole issue is MJ saying I need to be number one. But Peter just says, sure, you are. And tha'ts it. MJ is number one, until shes not, ten seconds later when he has to go talk to Dr. Doom. Here, the plot demands she accept what Peter says because the plot demands it. While fretting. While asking to be put above the safety of everyone else.

Again, this is a lie.

She doesn't say "I love you isn't enough." She says "No. No. Too often, 'I love you' is something people say when they want to get something out of you, or to control you, it doesn't have to mean that" then they are interrupted by another attack.

It's Peter who says that line, which is as follows:

Peter: What I want to say... is you're right. It's not enough to say that I love you. You can love more than one person. You can love in more ways than one way. You can love somebody as a friend. It's not that I love you, MJ. I need you.

MJ: You don't need me, Peter. You've got all these powers, you were out there doing all these things.."

Peter: You're wrong. I can do "all these things" because you believe in me. Because you give me the strength and the will to get them done. Everything's easier when you're there and harder when you're not. Without you, nothing works the way it should. But when I know you're there, in my life, I feel like I can do anything, MJ. Anything. MJ?

MJ: When I left.... when I went away...I was afraid you didn't need me anymore.

Peter: I do. I love you MJ. I need you. I'm nothing without you. Come home. Come home to me.

#511 - She goes to the closet to look for Pete's costume and finds it gone. She knows hes left, but hopes he hasn't. Then she frets! Getouttahere!

Peter wakes her up in the middle of the night when she was sleeping, so she wasn't fretting. He offers to cook her breakfast in bed, which she knows to be the prelude for him not coming back. He tells her not to be concerned, but she's unconvinced.

Again, MJ's words from that very scene.

MJ: He always tries to protect me. He doesn't understand. It's not that I don't want to be protected, because sometimes I do. But sometimes I want to protect him, and I can't do that when he's too busy protecting me, when he's keeping secrets. But I have to respect his secrets. Because that's what I do. I keep people's secrets. But what if I'm not sure I should keep them anymore?

You'll boil this down to interpretation or artistic license, but wevs.

I prefer to actually going by what's in the story rather than altering it due to said artistic license to warp the events to one's pre-determined narrative, but that's just me.

[Marty McFlay]

For me, it doesn't matter how famous MJ is or isn't. I've always thought she and Peter made a great couple. How famous is she? She's been shown to be somewhat famous at different points in the series, but it's not all that consistent. I'd say that her career fluctuates. To the public, I'd maybe liken her to an actress who pops up in a movie and makes you say, "Oh yeah! That's the chick from ____ movie!" Then you waste half the night reading her wikipedia page and clicking on all the links to see what else she's done. Either way, she's more famous than I am.

[just another user]

As an educated guess, in universe, she's as famous as Dr Doom or somebody like that. More famous than Thanos.

[Alan2099]

As an educated guess, in universe, she's as famous as Dr Doom or somebody like that. More famous than Thanos.

I don't know. I'd think Dr. Doom would be pretty famous. Not many people attend United Nations meetings in cloaks and armor.

[Aruran.]

As an educated guess, in universe, she's as famous as Dr Doom or somebody like that. More famous than Thanos.

She would be as famous as Kate Upton in real life.

[just another user]

I don't know. I'd think Dr. Doom would be pretty famous. Not many people attend United Nations meetings in cloaks and armor.

Yes, I agree Dr Doom is famous. I think she would be equally famous. She would have Buzzfeed articles about her and so forth.

[Mister Mets]

She would be as famous as Kate Upton in real life.

Maybe slightly below that. Kate Upton's probably the best known supermodel right now.

Yes, I agree Dr Doom is famous. I think she would be equally famous. She would have Buzzfeed articles about her and so forth.

Doom seems like the equivalent of a major dictator. He might be better known than the Mary Jane, just as how Kim Jong Un is probably better known than Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

[Aruran.]

Maybe slightly below that. Kate Upton's probably the best known supermodel right now.

Really, I think Gisele Bundchen would be the best known supermodel in real life. I don't even think Kate Upton is consider an actual supermodel either.
Besides, considering MJ owns the most popular club in New York City, along with appearing in a lot of movies as "The Girl", pretty sure she is the best known supermodel in the MU.

[Confuzzled]

You think wrong. People that don't care about the series wouldn't care that he married a supermodel.

Haters do. There are people who don't follow the series who will remark saying how unbelievable it is that the nerd/geek got the supermodel. And pass it as one of the arguments as to why they are not into Spidey. I have seen everyone do it, from prominent people outside the comics industry to even people working IN the industry. They barely know anything about Peter and Mary Jane but HAVE to bash.

[Confuzzled]

Really, I think Gisele Bundchen would be the best known supermodel in real life. I don't even think Kate Upton is consider an actual supermodel either.
Besides, considering MJ owns the most popular club in New York City, along with appearing in a lot of movies as "The Girl", pretty sure she is the best known supermodel in the MU.

"Supermodel" is a dying breed now. Actually it pretty much was a 80's/90's fad. Should have just made MJ an actress right in the 70's. That's an evergreen profession and allows for a LOT more drama and story potential.

[RD!]

In universe, I'd say she's about as famous as some of the young women who have short stints on The Bold and the Beautiful, or maybe as famous as model Ashley Graham.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

"Supermodel" is a dying breed now. Actually it pretty much was a 80's/90's fad. Should have just made MJ an actress right in the 70's. That's an evergreen profession and allows for a LOT more drama and story potential.

MJ was an actress back in the 70's. That's even how she describes herself on her first date with Peter- that she's an actress, it's just that she hasn't hit the big time yet. She took modeling jobs to pay the bills, but she really wanted to act.

[Aruran.]

"Supermodel" is a dying breed now. Actually it pretty much was a 80's/90's fad. Should have just made MJ an actress right in the 70's. That's an evergreen profession and allows for a LOT more drama and story potential.

Agreed.
Honestly there was just a mishandling with MJ's career early on that it just makes everything difficult even now.