I Examined Spider-Man’s Top 3 Love Interests to Prove Who the Best One Is

Spider-Man has been Marvel’s number one hero since he swung onto the scene. A huge part of his draw is that he regularly deals with the types of problems that the average person can relate to. Sure, we might not know what it’s like to have to fight supervillains, but we’ve all struggled with money or overcommitted to too many responsibilities. Spider-Man is at his best when he’s dealing with world-ending threats at the same time as trying to balance his hectic personal life. This soap-opera-style story has been at the heart of all of Spider-Man’s best stories for decades, and it’s no surprise that romance is a major part of that.

Spidey has been in more than his fair share of relationships, and fans incessantly debate over who Peter’s best partner is. There are plenty of options, but there are really only three characters worth considering for the top spot: Gwen Stacy, Black Cat, and Mary Jane Watson. These three are the girls that Peter always comes back to, and the only ones who can truly be called the loves of his life. Of course, the real question is which one is best for him. We’re going to be answering just that today by examining each of the lucky ladies and exploring how both they and Peter faired in the relationship. With all that said, let’s swing right into it.

3) Gwen Stacy

Gwen was Peter’s college love, and his first relationship after breaking things off with Betty Brant. Nowadays, Gwen is seen as Peter’s biggest love and his biggest loss. He was fully committed to her, likely gearing up to ask her to marry him before her tragic death. Her death left a massive impact on him, taking him to the darkest place he’s ever been, and driving Peter to become a better hero than ever. Whenever Gwen reappears, either through resurrection, clones, ghostly apparitions, or what have you, it always tests Peter’s will. He’s forced to make the choice to be selfless again and again, choosing to live in honor of Gwen’s memory.

Of course, that’s the thing with Gwen, isn’t it? She only became an interesting character after she died. When she was alive and actually dating Peter, she was just used to create drama. Either she was a damsel in distress or talking about how much she hated Spider-Man to give Peter an excuse to brood. Heck, during the majority of her time as a love interest, she was literally redrawn to look more like MJ and inherited more of her traits. The modern portrayals of Gwen are very interesting, digging into her true personality and quirks, but she never offered much as an actual love interest, and she’s far more interesting as the one who died.

2) Mary Jane

Let’s stick to chronological order and talk about MJ, who has definitely been Peter’s most enduring love interest. She was introduced before either Gwen or Felicia, and is still one of Spider-Man’s most important characters. She started as a wild and free party gal, but Gwen’s death forced her to grow up, accepting people into her heart and being there for the bad times instead of just the good. She went on a long, painful, rocky journey to maturity, with Peter walking alongside her. 

Peter and MJ haven’t always been together, but whenever they are, they bring out the best in each other. MJ is the balancing agent that anchors Peter and reminds him how to focus on what matters. Peter, meanwhile, helps MJ open up and keeps her on the hopeful path, counteracting her natural cynicism. Their relationship was far from perfect, but the only way to break them apart was a literal deal with the devil, so that speaks volumes about their loyalty. Peter and MJ have always made the other want to be better, which is the hallmark of any incredible relationship.

3) Black Cat

Felicia was introduced to be Spider-Man’s answer to Catwoman. She started as a femme fatale that dated Spider-Man long before she dated Peter Parker. She was attracted to the danger and thrill of dating a sueprhero, especially since she was much closer to a villain. When she found out that Spider-Man was just a normal man, she initially rejected him, but she’s grown a lot since that. She came to love Peter for who he is, beyond the excitement. They always come together and break apart again, but these two always have the other’s back. Spider-Man and Black Cat, regardless of their complicated relationship status, are amazing friends.

By far, the worst part of their dynamic is how they can’t seem to decide if they want to be together or not. They’ve broken up and gotten together so many times that it’s gotten annoying. Felicia has become a sort of default, low-stakes relationship that Marvel shoves Peter into between arcs, and that’s degrading to both of them. Beyond that, while Felicia has definitely grown a ton thanks to Spider-Man, the reverse isn’t true. Peter has always been a positive influence on her, but she’s never moved the needle for him. If anything, Black Cat is a constant temptation for him to break some of his codes, which is never great.

The Winner Is… MJ

All of Peter’s love interests have a unique dynamic and interesting character to back them up, but at the end of the day, there can only be one definitive true love, and that is MJ. Even with Marvel having spent the past twenty years destroying every part of their relationship, fans still demand they get back together for a reason. MJ is the only love interest who has grown alongside Peter, instead of a lopsided version. With Gwen, it’s Peter who grows the most in response to her death. With Black Cat, it’s Felicia who grows. With MJ, it’s both in equal measure.

MJ is Peter’s perfect counterbalance. When he’s brooding because of responsibility, she can drag him back to having fun. When she’s lashing out or brooding herself, Peter’s lightheartedness can make her laugh. They each make the other person better whenever they’re around each other, and both convince the other to strive for something better than they could do before. Watching both of them mature and grow together was and continues to be incredible, and we can always use more of the best relationship in comics.

To me, MJ will always be Spider-Man’s one true love, and the comics seem to back me up. But who’s your favorite love interest for the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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