One thing that Marvel Comics really focuses on is the personal lives of the heroes, and someone like Peter Parker is just as important as Spider-Man in his books. When it comes to Peter Parker, he has been very unlucky in love over the years, with his girlfriends either dying, ending up traumatized, or in some cases, finding the relationship ending thanks to Peter’s role as Spider-Man, whether they know it or not. That said, Peter has had some great loves in his life, women who made him a better person and a better hero as a result, even if these relationships didn’t last.
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From his most beloved girlfriend to women who betrayed him and others who remain there for him when he needs it to this day, here are Spider-Man’s best girlfriends in Marvel Comics.
10) Debra Whitman
Debra Whitman was one of the worst Peter Parker romantic relationships in Spider-Man comics. First, she worked as a secretary at Empire State University, and she began dating Peter while he was a student there. Debra also has a mental disorder where she idealizes people and inverts her values on them. As a result, she began to believe Peter was Spider-Man, and when her psychiatrist asked Peter to wear a Spider-Man costume in front of her to snap her out of it, he did so to help her snap out of it, and it worked, making her finally leave New York and get her life in order. The issue where this happened almost made her mental disorder a joke, and it was one of Marvel Comics’ worst depictions of mental illness. Debra returned later and had written a book about how Spider-Man “ruined her life.”
9) Jill Stacy
Jill Stacy was another romantic relationship that Peter Parker should have avoided. This is because Jill is the cousin of Peter’s first true love, Gwen Stacy, who died during a Spider-Man battle with Green Goblin. However, for some reason, Peter decided to date Jill anyway after believing that his wife, Mary Jane Watson, had died. Their relationship didn’t end in tragedy, but it was short, and Jill backed off when they realized Mary Jane was still alive.
8) Lian Tang
Lian Tang was Peter Parker’s girlfriend when he was running Parker Industries after regaining his body from Doctor Octopus. There was one major issue with this relationship, as Lian worked for Peter. He also never told her he was Spider-Man, putting her in a tough spot without even knowing it. Marvel eventually ended their relationship by having Lian try to kill Spider-Man when a criminal organization promised to help her cancer-ridden mother in exchange. Luckily, Peter was the bigger man, and he didn’t turn her in for the murder attempt and offered to help pay for her mother’s treatment. However, it ended their relationship.
7) Carol Danvers
Spider-Man dated a couple of major superheroes, including both Mockingbird and Carol Danvers. The big thing is that both relationships ended with the heroes on good terms. The bigger of the two was with Carol, which was a shocking turn of events since Peter was mostly dating over his head, but this was a huge leap for the Wall-Crawler. In Ms. Marvel #47, Peter Parker and Carol Danvers go on a date, and while it was interrupted by villains, it was a great date. Even later, in Siege, Carol was taken over by Venom, and when it released her, it revealed she still had feelings for Peter, which she said was complicated.
6) Betty Brant
A lot of people forget about Peter Parker and Betty Brant, but she was the first person to show a romantic interest in Peter in Marvel Comics. This was another problematic relationship since Betty worked as J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary and Peter was a high school student. It was Betty (and Aunt May) that Spider-Man had to rescue in the first Amazing Spider-Man Annual, and while Betty and Peter dated for a short time, they broke up shortly after her brother died, and she blamed Spider-Man. She even started dating Ned Leeds to make Peter jealous, and they ended up getting married.
5) Carlie Cooper
Carlie Cooper got a raw deal from fans because she was Peter Parker’s girlfriend in Brand New Day, one of Spider-Man’s most hated retcons. This came after Peter and Mary Jane made a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May’s life by giving up their marriage and any history of it. Peter woke up, and everything had changed; he and MJ were never married. Instead, he was dating Carlie Cooper, a forensic police scientist. While fans rallied against Peter and Carlie, she was a great girlfriend who helped not only Peter but also was there for Harry Osborn when he relapsed into alcoholism. Carly ended up breaking up with Peter when she learned he was Spider-Man.
4) Shay Marken
Shay Marken is a nurse at Ravencroft and helps oversee patients and works for their rehabilitation. She made her debut in Marvel Comics in 2024, and she is Peter’s most recent girlfriend. However, the two had several problems that arose in past relationships, as she felt he neglected her when he would leave unexplained to head out and be Spider-Man. This became even more awkward for readers when she and Peter went on a double date with Mary Jane and Paul Rabin. Shay seems worried about Peter as a psychologist, but she has at least tried, including asking Aunt May about their relationship problems.
3) Gwen Stacy
While he dated Betty Brant first, Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker’s first true love. She was also the greatest tragedy of his life. Peter met Gwen when she was friends with Harry Osborn. While Harry was dating Mary Jane, Peter began dating Gwen, and the two couples became inseparable. There were problems, since Gwen’s father was a police captain who had it in for Spider-Man, but the two ended up becoming a great romantic partnership. However, it all ended in tragedy when Green Goblin threw Gwen from a bridge, and when Spider-Man tried to catch her, she snapped her neck and died. Next to Uncle Ben’s murder, this death haunted Spider-Man more than any other.
2) Black Cat
While fans have never been happy with Spider-Man dating anyone but Mary Jane Watson, there is one exception. Black Cat remains one of Spider-Man’s most popular romantic partners, and she might care about him more than any other woman he has ever dated. She has dated Spider-Man more than once, and she has always been involved in some of Spidey’s most fun storylines. She even teamed up with Mary Jane recently to save Spider-Man from The Hood, and it proved that these were Peter’s two greatest romantic partners. Black Cat is Spider-Man’s greatest lover, but when it comes to Peter Parker, it is a different answer.
1) Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson is the woman who is meant to be with Peter Parker. There is really no other person, not even Black Cat, whom fans want Peter to be with other than MJ. It is why readers often reject people like Carlie and Shay. Peter Parker and Mary Jane got married in one of Marvel Comics’ greatest weddings. They had a strong relationship, and even their moments of strife seemed normal for a married couple. Marvel ended their marriage at the end of One More Day, making it one of the company’s most hated storylines. Even now, with Mary Jane and Peter being separated for years, fans still want them back together, and Marvel will keep hearing complaints as long as they remain apart.
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