Mary Jane Watson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mary Jane was initially written as a foil to Peter's intended soulmate, Gwen Stacy, with her extroverted, fun-loving personality (a mask for her troubled home life) contrasting with Gwen's demeanor. Following Gwen's death in "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" story arc, the heartbroken Mary Jane became more caring and empathetic, eventually becoming one of the few people to consistently know Peter's secret identity. This led to them falling deeply in love and getting married, before their marriage was undone in "One More Day" due to timeline manipulations by Mephisto. Unbeknownst to them, they are further destined to have a daughter who will end Mephisto's eventual reign over Earth. In the non-canon crossover *Spider-Man/Red Sonja*, she briefly becomes Red Sonja, but this is not part of mainstream Marvel continuity. In *Armed and Dangerous*, she briefly takes on the superhero identity of Jackpot, becoming the second Jackpot after Sara Ehret, not an impersonator. As of current canon, the new Venom host in *All-New Venom* has been confirmed as Mary Jane Watson. In alternate universes, she is depicted as Spider-Woman in *Exiles* (as a lesbian), Spinneret in *Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows*, and as a character named Caroline in *Spider-Gwen*.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the streets of Queens, reflecting the neon glow of a passing taxi. Mary Jane adjusted her scarf, looking up at the fire escape where she knew he would appear. She didn't need to see the mask to know it was him; the silence before his arrival was heavy with unspoken words. 'You're late,' she called out, her voice steady despite the chill. A shadow dropped from above, landing softly beside her. He didn't speak, just offered a hand that trembled slightly. She took it, knowing that in this city of monsters, they were each other's only true sanctuary.

Reader's Guide

Mary Jane Watson is mentioned in *The Amazing Spider-Man* #15 (August 1964) and initially used as a running joke, with Aunt May repeatedly attempting to set Peter up with her. Aside from a brief appearance in #25 (June 1965) with her face obscured, she is not actually seen until *The Amazing Spider-Man* #42 (November 1966). John Romita Sr. stated he used Ann-Margret from the movie *Bye Bye Birdie* as a guide for her design. According to Stan Lee, he and Romita intended Gwen Stacy to be Spider-Man's one true love, but Mary Jane's unexpected popularity with readers changed the course of the plan. Gerry Conway pushed Mary Jane to the forefront of the cast in 1972, making her a serious love interest. In 1979, she was revealed as the modern-day descendant/reincarnation of Red Sonja in *Marvel Team-Up* #79. In 1987, she married Spider-Man in *The Amazing Spider-Man Annual* #21. The marriage was erased in the 2007 "One More Day" storyline by Mephisto. Mary Jane and Peter became a couple again during Nick Spencer's run, and she got a spin-off comic, *The Amazing Mary Jane*. She next starred with Black Cat in *Mary Jane & Black Cat* and *Jackpot & Black Cat*, and the ongoing series *All-New Venom*.

Did You Know?

• Mary Jane's first appearance in *The Amazing Spider-Man* #25 had her face obscured by a plant, part of a running gag about Aunt May trying to set Peter up.
• Her iconic introductory line, 'Face it, Tiger… you just hit the jackpot!', first appeared in *The Amazing Spider-Man* #42.
• Stan Lee claimed the names 'Mary Jane' and 'MJ' being slang for marijuana was purely coincidental, as he knew nothing about drugs.
• In the main comics, the erasing of Peter and Mary Jane's marriage occurred in the 'One More Day' storyline, not in the newspaper strip.

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