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Quote1 I said, 'Spider-Man.' I said, 'The great thing about M.J. is when you look in her eyes and she's looking back in yours everything feels not quite normal. Because you feel stronger and weaker at the same time. You feel excited and at the same time terrified. The truth is, you don't know what you feel except you know what kind of man you want to be. It's as if you've reached the unreachable and you weren't ready for it.' Quote2
Peter Parker[src]

History

Early life[]

Mary Jane Watson (Earth-96283) from Spider-Man (2002 film) 0001

Mary Jane is Peter Parker's childhood and high school crush and only sweetheart. At the time, she was dating the high school jock and bully, Flash Thompson. MJ was one of the most beautiful and popular girls at school, having starred in multiple plays. Despite running with a clique of mostly upper-class, talented, arrogant, snobby, and self-absorbed students, MJ was a truly down-to-earth and kindhearted person. She was one of Peter's only classmates who didn't look down on him for his intelligence and even stood up for him whenever possible.

However, Mary Jane's carefree, outgoing, vivacious, and flirtatious attitude masked great inner turmoil brought on by her difficult home life; her father was an alcoholic who took his frustrations out on MJ and her mother, causing her parents to frequently argue. MJ struggled with self-worth issues due to her father's abuse, which she tried to hide from everyone.

Mary Jane has known Peter since grade school because they were next-door neighbors. She was surprised by Peter's improved appearance caused the spider bite but became concerned when he suddenly beat up Flash at school during a fight. Peter later apologized to MJ for his actions and they talked about their plans after high school. She opened up to Peter about her dream of making a name for herself by becoming an actress.

Mary Jane and Flash broke up at their high school graduation ceremony after she rejects his proposal.

Mary Jane began to pursue a career of acting, but she secretly waitressed at a diner, after being rejected at an audition. Parker's friend, Harry Osborn, was her first boyfriend after leaving high school, but she fell in love with Parker and his alter-ego, Spider-Man, who saved her in more than one instance from punks harassing her. She shared a passionate kiss with Spider-Man while he was suspended upside down. Mary Jane began to grow more distant from Harry, denying his advances. Her feelings for Parker grew when he told her what he supposedly told Spider-Man about her. After Harry saw Peter and MJ holding hands in the hospital room of Aunt May, he got angry and broke up with her.

Doctor Octopus[]

Harry's father Norman Osborn (who was also the Green Goblin) knew of Spider-Man's secret identity and found out about his feelings for Mary Jane from his son. He kidnapped her and held her over the Queensboro Bridge, telling Spider-Man that he must choose between her and a group of children of children caught in the Roosevelt Island tram car. Spider-Man managed to save both Mary Jane and the children. Mary Jane told Peter that she loved him and they kissed. She stated that when she was over the bridge, she thought about Peter. Mary Jane realized that he was always there for her. However, Peter shied away from her as he was afraid for her safety, and thus did not want to get involved with her. MJ was heartbroken by his rejection, but realized that her kiss with Peter reminded her of the one she shared with Spider-Man and suspected that he is the hero.[1]

Mary Jane later wanted to start a relationship with Peter Parker. Peter backed away from a relationship with her, even though he wanted one, because he feared for her safety. In her frustration, Mary Jane went on to have a relationship with John Jameson, the astronaut son of Daily bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, whom she told him about at his birthday party. Prior to this, Harry said that she was waiting for him. Much to Peter's delight, he saw her billboard picturing her modeling for a perfume near the pizza place he worked at.

Later, Peter decided that being Spider-Man was not what he wanted and he attempts to start a relationship with her. Mary Jane pushed him away this time because she was getting married to John Jameson. However, she secretly did want a relationship with Peter, although she tried to convince herself otherwise. She was also agitated at Peter because he failed to see her star in the play, The Importance of Being Earnest, which John, Harry, and Aunt May had seen, some of them more than once. Even her drunk verbally abusive father went backstage to ask for money. When Peter did arrive to see it for the first time, a snooty usher, named Waldo[2] stopped him. The second attempt to see it, which is successful, was when he tries to reconnect with her. After Mary Jane kissed John, in a manner that was reminiscent of the upside-down kiss between her and Spider-Man from before, she found that she may have still wanted a relationship with Peter Parker after all.

She met Peter in a coffee shop where she asked for a kiss to confirm her belief that he was Spider-Man. Just before Peter could kiss her, Doctor Octopus kidnapped her and runs away. Doctor Octopus took her to an abandoned pier where Spider-Man confronted him. Spider-Man pulled his mask off in hopes of getting Doctor Octopus to come back to his senses, and Mary Jane saw that Spider-Man and Peter Parker were one and the same. After Peter saved her and Doctor Octopus was killed, Mary Jane prepared to marry John Jameson, but she left him at the altar, went to Peter's apartment, and expressed her love to Peter.[3]

The Black Suit[]

Both Mary Jane and Harry Osborn now knew that Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Peter was intending to ask MJ to marry him. When he reported the good news to his Aunt May, she was delighted and asked Peter to give her engagement ring as a gift to Mary Jane. However, Peter became slightly overconfident due to Spider-Man's success. Meanwhile, Mary Jane's Broadway debut took a turn for the worst when she failed to project her voice, thus gaining bad reviews. Unaware to this incident, Peter accidentally pushed Mary Jane away, thinking he understood her situation.

MJ began a rivalry with Gwen Stacy for Peter's affections. Having been replaced on Broadway by her understudy and then having to work at a jazz club, MJ and Peter's relationship worsened when Spider-Man was unexpectedly kissed by Gwen Stacy in front of a whole crowd of people the same way MJ kissed Spider-Man from before. When Peter attempted to propose to MJ that same night, the appearance of Gwen Stacy at the same restaurant prompted her to become upset and leave.

Mary Jane, feeling alone and despondent, called Harry Osborn, who recently lost his memory and hatred of Spider-Man after being defeated in an aerial battle as the evil New Goblin. They renewed their bond, and in a moment of joy, Mary Jane kissed Harry. Realizing what she was doing, Mary Jane quickly left, the emotional turmoil restored Harry's memories and his mission to destroy Spider-Man as the New Goblin. He confronted MJ in her apartment, and threatened to kill Peter if she did not break up with him. Following Harry's orders, she broke up with Peter. Peter, heartbroken and upset, refused to tolerate these tragedies, and turned to the Symbiote suit, which enhanced his aggression.

One night, Peter decided to go to MJ's jazz club with Gwen Stacy to make MJ jealous. He showed her up on stage by playing the piano, and made a big show of dancing with Gwen. Gwen, realizing that she was being used as a prop to make MJ jealous, apologized and left. MJ was still visibly shaken when Peter decided to confront her at the bar, and he was assaulted by two of the club's bouncers. A fight ensued, and MJ tried to stop Peter. Thinking she was another bouncer, Peter struck her, only to turn around and realize that it was Mary Jane he had just hit. Peter, realizing what the evil Symbiote was trying to do, left the club.

Peter tore the Symbiote off his body at a church bell-tower. During the struggle, it fell on Eddie Brock Jr. standing below and created Venom. At his apartment, Peter feared that even though the Symbiote was responsible for current events, he may not be able to put MJ first, and gave his wedding ring back to Aunt May, who convinced him that, if he tried his best, he could put things right. Meanwhile, Venom recruited an uneasy Sandman, and kidnapped Mary Jane, holding her hostage at a construction site, where a climatic battle took place between the team of Venom and Sandman against Spider-Man and the New Goblin. In the fight, Harry defeated Sandman, but was impaled by Venom with his own glider. After Spider-Man defeated Venom, he went to the wounded Harry, alongside whom Mary Jane was also present. Harry did not survive his injuries and died in the arms of Mary Jane and Spider-Man. After attending the funeral of their mutual friend, Peter and Mary Jane began to repair their relationship,[4] which was still complicated by Peter's duty as Spider-Man. Nevertheless, Peter and Mary Jane found a way to make it work. [5]

Attributes

Abilities

  • She is a skilled actress and singer.

Notes

See Also

Links and References

References

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