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Mary Jane Watson has been making waves ever since Marvel Comics dropped the bombshell that she’s the new host for the Venom symbiote, and many readers aren’t thrilled about this direction for Spider-Man’s love interest. While MJ being Venom does mark a major shift for her, this is far from the only time that she’s taken on a superhero – or, in some cases, anti-hero – identity within Marvel’s lore.
While MJ being Venom does mark a major shift for her, this is far from the only time that she’s taken on a superhero – or, in some cases, anti-hero – identity within Marvel’s lore.
This list will be breaking down the identities that Mary Jane has used throughout the Marvel Universe, prior to her current stint as Venom’s host in All-New Venom by Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez. These include variants of MJ from alternate timelines, and some might come as a shock to even the most hardcore Spider-Man fans. Without further ado, here are 10 shocking Mary Jane alter egos that precede her Venom transformation.
7
Spider-Woman (Earth-2301)
Debuted in New Mangaverse #1 by C.B. Cebulski and Tommy Ohtsuka
In the 2000s, Marvel attempted to catch up with the popularity of the manga industry by creating its own inventive line of “Marvel Mangaverse” comics, with various classic characters being re-imagined to fit within Japanese manga tropes. Mary Jane can be found among these characters, as she becomes Spider-Woman within the Mangaverse.
MJ becomes Spider-Woman after joining the Spider-clan, which is made up of ninjas in the Mangaverse’s remixed continuity, and Spider-Man helps her learn to fight. Her design differs from that of the standard Spider-Women of Earth-616, drawing from manga influences, and this alter ego turns Spider-Man’s girlfriend into a superhero who can join him on the battlefield.
6
Spinneret
Debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 by Gerry Conway and Ryan Stegman
The infamous One More Day story shattered the marriage of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, but in Renew Your Vows, their relationship is as strong as ever despite the main continuity’s controversial direction. Furthermore, in addition to Peter and MJ still being married in this alternate timeline, they’ve also become a crime-fighting duo as Spider-Man and Spinneret.
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Mary Jane’s lack of superpowers doesn’t stop her from taking action, as Peter reverse-engineers an Empire Unlimited Test Suit that can replicate his powers for her and allow her to perform the same feats that he can. Together, alongside their daughter Annie, Spider-Man and Spinneret swing into action as the ultimate power couple.
5
Black Cat
Debuted in Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1 by Jed MacKay and Carlos Fabian Villa
Felicia Hardy may be widely known as the Black Cat in the Marvel Universe, but believe it or not, Mary Jane has enjoyed a brief tenure with that name as well. In Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1, MJ teams up with Felicia to pull off a heist, and their alliance involves both of them suiting up as the Black Cat vigilante.
MJ’s role in their joint mission is to scale a building as Black Cat and create a distraction so that Felicia can carry out the theft unnoticed. While Mary Jane’s time as the Black Cat is fleeting, it’s still interesting to see her use the same alter ego as another Spider-Man love interest.
4
Iron Spider
Debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 by Dan Slott and Giuseppe Gamuncoli
Although the iconic Iron Spider armor is typically attributed to Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson has also taken it for a spin before. When Spider-Man and Iron Man both struggle in the fight against the villainous Regent, MJ decides to take the armor for a spin and jump into action as Marvel’s newest Iron Spider.
Even without Peter Parker’s powers, Mary Jane is able to pack a punch against Regent thanks to the suit’s features. The robotic spider legs make up for her being an ordinary human, giving her a much-needed tactical advantage. Spider-Man has rocked this armor before, but Mary Jane using it to level the playing field makes much more sense.
3
Spider-Woman (Earth-8545)
Debuted in Exiles #20 by Judd Winick and Jim Calafiore
There have been plenty of Spider-Women throughout Marvel’s history, with Jessica Drew being among the most notable heroes to inherit the mantle, but Mary Jane Watson has also used the name in various continuities. In Earth-8545, the majority of Marvel’s heroes have been overtaken by the Legacy Virus targeting mutants, so she joins the Resistance in an effort to make up for this loss.
Mary Jane’s design as Spider-Woman bears a resemblance to Peter Parker’s Spider-Man costume. She also possesses all of his usual superpowers, including enhanced strength and the ability to crawl on walls. Spider-Woman is one of Mary Jane’s most powerful variants, granting her a deeper connection to the hero community.
2
Carnage
Debuted in King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1 by Seanan McGuire and Flaviano Armentaro
Mary Jane may be making headlines as the latest Venom host in Marvel’s main continuity, but in a different universe, she’s become the host to the deadly Carnage symbiote. Formerly a bandmate of Gwen Stacy, this variant of MJ gets taken over by Knull and turned into the new Carnage of Spider-Gwen’s Earth-65.
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MJ boasts a terrifying redesign as the new Carnage, drawing from the classic Cletus Kasady version of the symbiote. Red overtakes her body in addition to her fiery red hair as she becomes Carnage. Mary Jane being a symbiote host seems unprecedented, but this transformation proves that she has experience with creatures like Carnage and Venom.
1
Jackpot
Debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 by Celeste Bronfman and Alba Glez
Mary Jane’s current superhero alter ego originated recently, when she was trapped in an alternate world with Paul Rabin. They developed a Power Slots device that enables the wearer to obtain a random power via a slot machine, and with this gadget in tow, MJ has become the vigilante known as Jackpot.
Jackpot has tapped into various impressive abilities thanks to the device, though Paul has installed a limiter that keeps her from rolling three skulls, which would result in her death. Although this prevents her from tapping into powers on par with Marvel’s strongest heroes, Mary Jane’s heroic identity still packs a punch when her luck kicks in.
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“}]] MJ has used many alter egos before becoming Venom. Read More