10 Biggest Mistakes Peter Parker Ever Made With MJ, Ranked

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Mary Jane Watson tops nearly every list about Spider-Man‘s best partner, superhero or otherwise. MJ has stuck by Peter through thick and thin, and their love has endured so many hardships as one of Spider-Man’s longest relationships in the comics. But for every good moment, a dozen bad ones followed, and Peter made some pretty massive mistakes with MJ.

Would Mary Jane’s life have been better without Peter in it? That’s a complicated question, but mostly because Spider-Man is a big elephant in every room––a force that dominates their life and only adds complexities. Through Clone Sagas, fallouts with the Green Goblin and deals with Marvel’s devil, Peter has made many mistakes while in and out of relationships with Mary Jane.

10

Peter Parker Endangered MJ By Dating Her

Amazing Spider-Man #143 by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, Frank Giacoia, Dave Hunt & Janice Cohen

Aunt May helped set Peter Parker on a blind date with Mary Jane Watson. At the time, Peter, Gwen and MJ formed a love triangle, perhaps trying to capture the appeal of Archie comics with Betty and Veronica. However, Peter chose Gwen Stacy, which ultimately ended in tragedy when the Green Goblin killed her.

Years later, after the return of a cloned Gwen Stacy, Peter and MJ shared their first kiss and began officially dating soon after. Considering Peter’s recent traumatic experience with Gwen’s death, one would think he should stay away from close relationships, but a cautious Spider-Man wouldn’t exactly be fair to Peter Parker. Still, that decision unofficially placed Mary Jane in the crossfire.

9

Spider-Man’s Relationship With Black Cat Created a Rift

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #75-125 by Bill Mantlo, Al Milgrom, Jim Mooney, Bob Sharen & more

Life isn’t easy dating Spider-Man. Peter Parker is constantly running off to help save the world. Newer comics like Invincible have addressed these dilemmas incredibly well, and Mary Jane was a very sympathetic character in the ’70s and ’80s. No wonder she and Peter broke up several times.

During one of their breaks, Spider-Man began dating the Black Cat in the Spectacular Spider-Man comic series. While that relationship came with its own complications, it helped create a rift between Peter and MJ at the time. Spider-Man had so much in common with Black Cat, sharing his superheroic life with her. Their compatible relationship likely impacted MJ for years after.

8

Peter Parker’s Marriage to Mary Jane Watson Was Unfair

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 by David Michelinie, James Shooter, Paul Ryan, Vince Colletta & Bob Sharen

This mistake may seem redundant, given all the good things that came out of Peter and Mary Jane’s long-running relationship. However, Peter should have abandoned his relationship with Mary Jane long ago, if only to protect her.

Even in the moments leading up to their wedding day, Peter and Mary Jane each expressed their own doubts about the relationship. Spider-Man’s enemies could take advantage of his close connection to MJ. Years later, Mary Jane suffered through attacks from Venom, the Jackal and a dozen other villains.

7

Peter Parker Embraced The Spider

“The Mark of Kaine” by Terry Kavanagh, Steven Butler, Randy Emberlin, Kevin Tinsley & more

At the height of the Clone Saga, the Jackal had completely disrupted both Peter Parker and Ben Reilly’s lives. Peter abandoned his public persona and put the superhero side of his life first, ditching the “man” and becoming only the “Spider.”

As the Spider, Spider-Man was more brutal and unforgiving. He wasn’t Punisher or Wolverine-levels of violent, but he was certainly not as friendly as the Friendly Neighborhood title would suggest. This was ultimately a huge mistake. Mary Jane was Spider-Man’s lightning rod, grounding him in a world of chaos. During the chaos of the Clone Saga, he needed her close, not distant.

6

Peter & MJ’s Many Breakups Defined Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis, Bill Jemas, Mark Bagley, Art Thibert & Steve Buccellato

In the original Ultimate Universe, Mary Jane Watson was unquestionably Peter Parker’s biggest supporter. She was also aware of his identity as Spider-Man from the very beginning. Peter made many mistakes with MJ in the Ultimate Universe, which made sense. They were only teenagers after all.

Ultimate Spider-Man was only the Web-Head for about two years before he met his end against the Ultimate Green Goblin. He thought he had his whole life ahead of him, frequently breaking up with MJ to date Gwen Stacy or Kitty Pryde. The biggest mistake Ultimate Spider-Man made is that he could’ve spent even more time with MJ––without realizing how little time he had.

5

Peter Parker Actually Hit Mary Jane In The Clone Saga

Spectacular Spider-Man #226 by Tom DeFalco, Sal Buscema & Bill Sienkiewicz

The Jackal really pierced Peter’s mind with his claws and never let go. The Clone Saga was one of the most traumatic, unnerving periods in Spider-Man’s life. Every other week, both in-universe and for comic readers, Marvel would unveil some new revelation about Peter and Ben’s identities. “Who was the real Spider-Man?” they asked. The pressure ultimately got to Peter.

After the realization that Peter may, in fact, be the clone, while Ben Reilly was possibly the original, Peter snapped and sunk into a deep rage. He trashed the Jackal’s lab, and when MJ moved to comfort him, Peter reflexively swung his fist backwards, knocking her across the room.

4

Peter & MJ Made a Dark Deal With Mephisto

Amazing Spider-Man #545 “One More Day” by J. Michael Straczynski, Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove & Dean White

Anyone reading Spider-Man comics for the last 10-plus years has likely heard of the infamous “One More Day” story arc. The arc launched the Brand New Day era, widely celebrated among Spider-Man fans. But the foundations were rocky and divisive. Peter and MJ sold their marriage to Mephisto to save Aunt May’s life.

This mistake would unknowingly haunt Spider-Man for the rest of his life. Even to this day, Marvel has refused to let Peter and MJ rekindle their marriage (on Earth-616, at least). While this mistake wasn’t Peter’s alone (Marvel’s offices had a huge hand in it), it creates an interesting question: what if Peter and MJ never made that deal?

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (Vol. 2) by Gerry Conway, Ryan Stegman & Sonia Oback

For any fan who felt robbed by Peter and MJ’s deal with Mephisto, Marvel gave them Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows. The Secret Wars tie-in series introduced a new universe where Peter and MJ stayed married and had a daughter named Annie Parker, who inherited Spider-Man’s powers and became Spiderling.

It all sounds pretty great, and Renew Your Vows remains one of the best Spider-Man comics of the 21st century. The biggest mistake this Peter made was letting MJ join him as his superhero partner. Spiderling makes sense. She has spider-powers. But Mary Jane has to use a Regent-style suit to siphon Peter’s powers, just to let her zip around with him. Seems unnecessarily dangerous.

2

Spider-Man Didn’t Fully Reunite With MJ

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5) by Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Laura Martin & more

Nick Spencer’s run on Amazing Spider-Man was full of bandages used to repair past mistakes. Spencer retconned the events of “Sins Past” and gave new purpose to the Stacy twins. He also added new context to Mephisto’s deal with Peter and MJ.

Additionally, Spencer came extremely close to fully reuniting Peter and Mary Jane. The pair resumed their relationship throughout most of this volume, and the comic even teased a new proposal. Peter had the engagement ring and everything, but, alas, Peter never asked MJ to marry him again in one of the cahracter’s greatest mistakes.

1

Spider-Man Left MJ In Emissary’s Alternate World

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 6) by Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz & more

Spider-Man’s greatest modern foe isn’t Red Goblin, or Doctor Octopus or Kindred — It’s Paul. All kidding aside, Paul was the unfortunate instrument used to drive a further wedge between Peter and Mary Jane, making Marvel’s backend publication moves more and more blatant in the story’s text.

While MJ’s adventure in Paul’s alternate reality wasn’t entirely Peter’s fault, Spider-Man should have found a way to save her or find her sooner. The whole first arc of Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) felt like a way to separate Peter and MJ once again. Peter’s biggest mistake was letting Marvel’s editorial win.

“}]] Spider-Man fans may be wishing to see Peter Parker and MJ reunite in the comics and movies, but he’s made some pretty bad decisions over the years.  Read More