Spider-Man and Mary Jane are one of the most famous couples in all of comic book history. The only relationship that might be more well-known than theirs is Superman and Lois Lane. When Sam Raimi released Spider-Man (2002), he decided to rewrite Spider-Man's history to make Mary Jane the girl next door, who Peter had a crush on since childhood. In the comics, he didn't meet her until much later, and they didn't seriously start dating until years had ed. However, they eventually got married, and as far as everyone was concerned, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson were Marvel's best couple.
Of course, behind the scenes, things were never that simple. Mary Jane was originally introduced just to be a foil for Gwen Stacy, Peter's love interest during the time period. Decades later, when Peter and Mary Jane got married, not everyone at Marvel was thrilled. Many writers and editors tried to break the couple up, but could never do so without angering fans. When they eventually did, it was one of the most controversial stories ever. The result is that the two have had a very weird, strained relationship over the years. While they're depicted as happy and in love, there are a lot of details that don't make sense.
Updated on December 21st, 2021 by George Chrysostomou: MJ and Peter Parker's relationship continues to be one of the most iconic stories in Marvel's comics, as the duo not only go through the ups and downs of their partnership but also carries on growing on the big screen. Despite their many appearances, there's still a number of things that don't actually make sense about this couple though.
Everything About "One More Day"
One of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever has to be One More Day (2007) by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada. Aunt May is nearing her end after being shot by one of the Kingpin's assassins. Mephisto offers to heal her, but only in exchange for wiping out Peter and MJ's marriage because he hates true love.
Peter is reluctant, but MJ agrees. The result was one of the most confusing retcons ever. History was changed so that they never got married, but they still had a years-long relationship. This left a lot of gaps in continuity that Marvel decided to just ignore and move on from.
They Have Nothing In Common
It's possible for two people to love each other and not have much in common. At some point, however, a couple needs to have something to build a relationship on. Peter Parker and Mary Jane couldn't be further apart from each other in almost every single way. He's a science geek with a weird sense of humor and no social skills.
Meanwhile, MJ is an aspiring model/actress, except for when she's a super successful model/actress. In recent years, she's shown a more entrepreneurial side, but that still involved opening a nightclub, the sort of place where Peter doesn't fit in at all. They say opposites attract, but there comes a point where that just becomes nonsensical.
They Got Together Way Too Soon After Gwen's Demise
Time in comic books is a funny thing. The Marvel Universe has a sliding timescale, meaning that it's hard to peg down when stories took place in relation to each other. The time that es in the real world means nothing. That being said, Peter and MJ started dating way too soon after Gwen Stacy's demise.
She lost her life in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973) by Gerry Conway and Gil Kane. By the end of the next issue, the seeds were being planted for them to get together. They didn't immediately start dating, but Peter seemed to get over his "one, true love" suspiciously fast. Granted, MJ was aware that Gwen cheated on Peter with Norman Osborn, but that's another story entirely.
She Flip-Flops On Pete's Life As Spider-Man
Look, dating a superhero must be hard. Nobody can blame someone for not wanting to deal with it, or trying to convince a loved one not to risk their life. Also, it can make having a social life impossible. It's understandably frustrating, but at some point, enough is enough.
It seems like Mary Jane can't make up her mind about Peter's life as Spider-Man. Sometimes she's fully ive, while other times she wants him to quit. Considering that she knew Peter was Spider-Man before she even met him, it's time for her to figure out her feelings and make a decision. They both know he's not going to give up being a hero, so it's time to be grown-ups.
Their Engagement Was Super Quick
In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) by David Michelinie, Jim Shooter, and Paul Ryan, Peter Parker married Mary Jane. Behind the scenes, this occurred because Stan Lee wanted Spider-Man to get married in the newspaper comic strip that he was writing at the time. Marvel liked the idea and decided to have them get married in the comics as well.
The problem was that they were broken up at the time. So, the writers had to quickly bring her back, rekindle the romance, have Peter propose, and then get married. This all happened within the span of a few issues. Anyone that's ever planned a real wedding knows how unrealistic this whole timeline was.
Do They Have A Baby Or Not?
The second Clone Saga that ran during the mid-'90s had one of the most confusing endings ever written. Basically, the writers needed to finish Ben Reilly's storyline while also tying up all of Peter's loose ends to make it possible for Peter to become Spider-Man again. One of these plot threads was the fact that Mary Jane was pregnant.
The editors felt that Spider-Man being a dad would age him, so they suggested that Mary Jane not have the baby, after all. However, it was also heavily implied at the time that Norman Osborn had the baby taken away. This storyline was teased for a few years, before ultimately being forgotten about.
Why Does Peter Still Use The Black Suit?
In Amazing Spider-Man #299 (1988) by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, the Symbiote Venom made his frightening first appearance. Mary Jane thought she saw Peter wearing his black costume until a mouth formed and turned into a horrific smile. Venom didn't hurt Mary Jane, but the experience was still pretty traumatic for her.
After Spidey defeated the villain, Mary Jane asked him to stop wearing the black costume. This made sense, and Peter happily obliged. Except, he keeps bringing the costume back from time to time. Sometimes there's a specific reason, other times he just seems to feel like wearing it. He knows it scares his wife, but apparently, Peter likes the way it looks too much to care.
How Successful Is Her Career?
Not everyone is a fan of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship. While many fans love her, some feel that it's weird for Peter Parker to be married to a supermodel. That can be a valid complaint, but the problem is that Mary Jane has had one of the most inconsistent careers ever.
She's constantly moving between being a struggling model, a highly sought-after model, a soap opera actress, and even giving up on show business completely multiple times. It's understandable for careers to have ups and downs, but it seems like the writers can't even decide if she's famous or not.
They've Both Dealt With Too Many Stalkers
In the late '90s, Marvel's first attempt to undo Spider-Man's marriage resulted in Mary Jane getting on a plane which then exploded mid-flight. For the next year or so, everyone believed she had ed away. Instead, she had been snatched away by a deranged stalker, who caused the explosion so that no one would look for her.
Before that, Mary Jane had to deal with Jonathan Ceaser, who attempted to take her away several times in the early '90s. Even Peter had to deal with other love interests like his ex-girlfriend, Felicia Hardy, dating Flash Thompson just so she could be near him during that same time period. People really need to give these two their privacy.
They Break Up Constantly
Comic books can't just rely on action, they also need to have drama. One of the most common places writers create drama is in the hero's relationships. It's probably very hard to date a superhero, and it's understandable that not everyone would want to sign up for that ride. At some point, however, enough is enough.
It's hard to feel bad for them when Peter and Mary Jane break up because they do it all the time. He's always focusing on saving people, she's constantly moving to another part of the country to work on her career. When Mephisto forced them to break up, he could've just waited a few months and gotten the same result.