Spider-Man’s Milestone Issue’s Biggest Problem Is That It Misses One Crucial Character, and Everyone Can Tell

Spider-Man is Marvel’s number one superhero. Ever since he swung onto the scene back in 1962, he’s been inspiring generations and connecting with issues that felt real. He struggles just as much with problems that everyone can see themselves in, from paying bills to juggling interpersonal relationships, as he does with supervillains. Watching Peter grapple with every responsibility he takes onto himself is the core enjoyment of most Spider-Man stories, and that core conflict is something that fans are nowhere near tired of. Case in point, Spider-Man just reached a milestone that almost nobody else could imagine with the release of his one-thousandth issue, and while it’s a celebration of who Spider-Man is, something is clearly missing.

I’m not just talking about the lack of a J. M. Straczynski story, either. This milestone issue had a lot to love, between a stellar team of artists and some heartfelt love letters to all of Spider-Man’s eras, but it truly lacks screen time for Mary Jane Watson, and you can feel how much the comic suffers for it. MJ may not be a prominent figure in Peter’s life right now, but she is vitally important to his legacy, and the choice to practically cut her from the celebration of it leaves a hole that nobody else could fill.

A Woman Present But Ignored

Now, there are some allusions to and appearances of MJ in these stories, but they are few and far between. “Still Standing” showed that Peter and MJ married, featuring their kids and grandkids, though the story focused on Peter’s love for Gwen Stacy. She was present in “Requiem for a Goblin,” but she only said a few lines while Peter brooded, and didn’t feel particularly active. “Of Webs and Six-Guns” featured her at the start and end, but she didn’t play a role in the actual story. Overall, MJ only had a few scant appearances, but none of them actually did anything with her character.

This is a reflection of how Marvel treats MJ on the whole. She’s been an iconic, memorable side character for decades, being teased as the mysterious lady suitor a whole nine hundred seventy-five issues ago. She’s still that popular, being as ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist as Spidey himself, but Marvel has done their level best to bury her since “One More Day.” Yet, the company cannot deny how massive she is, so they keep bringing her back, only for her and Peter to inevitably find their way back to each other, and then be ripped apart again. Even now, MJ’s shadow hangs over Spider-Man’s comics, with Marvel wanting to use her, but constantly needing to shove her aside at the same time.

Nothing the company has tried to keep MJ around with her being with Peter has worked. From Jackpot to Venom, even making MJ into a superhero only helped her understand Peter better, and made fans cry louder for them to get back together. The hole she left in Peter’s life has never been filled by another character for long. This issue falls into the old trap of needing to use her but not being able to or wanting to push farther than required with her, and that’s a darn shame, considering how much she brings to the table.

The Uncertain Future of an Iconic Character

Even though MJ isn’t directly present much in Spider-Man’s stories, her presence is either always felt or missed. Marvel can’t get rid of her and doesn’t seem to want to, but also has no idea what to do with her character if she isn’t in Spider-Man’s orbit. Her brief tenure as one half of Venom only turned fans against her new direction, so her upcoming miniseries is bringing her back to basics in a cool way, letting her direct a movie. She’s sure to run into trouble from some of Spider-Man’s villains along the way, but beyond that, there’s no telling what Marvel’s long-term plan with her is, or if there even is one.

Mary Jane is a Spider-Man character, but having her in his comics dramatically raises the chances of them getting back together, which Marvel editorial clearly does not want right now. There’s a non-zero chance that, after her miniseries is over, Marvel might shelve MJ for a small bit of time. At least until they figure out what to do with her. Of course, there’s always the chance that they could return her to Spider-Man’s main comics. There’s a non-zero chance that Aunt May doesn’t regain her memories, and that would leave Peter more alone than ever. This would be the perfect time to bring Mary Jane back into his life, and help both of them grow in a way they haven’t been allowed to in nearly twenty years.

What would you do with MJ if you had control of her character? Let us know in the comments below!

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