PETER & MJ: Will They or Won't They?

[MichaelDoran]

<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Am_sm_50.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Marvel/Am_sm_50_t.jpg" width="150" height="227" border="0" alt="AMAZING SPIDER-MAN no. 50" align="right"></a>Amazing Spider-Man’s J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr. are getting ready to address on issue that has been on the minds of die-hard Spidey fans for two years now, what does the future hold for Peter Parker and Mary Jane. Since agreeing to spend time apart, Peter has been teaching school in New York City, while Mary Jane has been pursuing her acting career on the West Coast. Now, according to editor Axel Alonso, all that may change in the pages of February’s Amazing Spider-Man #50.

"You asked for it, you got it," explained Alonso. "This is the story that fans have been demanding ever since MJ walked out of Peter's life more than two years ago."

Newsarama caught up with Alonso for a few minutes to ask a little more about the story.

Asked if the story would provide closure regarding the relationship of Peter and Mary Jane, the editor kept the story details close to his vest.

"Now that would be giving it away, wouldn't it?" he asked rhetorically."'Closure' implies stasis - and Peter and Mary Jane's relationship has never been static."

The editor said the decision to tackle this storyline now was simply a matter of JMS deciding it was time.

"There was never any story conferencing on this," said Alonso. "JMS just said, 'I'm ready now.' And I said, 'Then do it'."

Alonso then addressed the most obvious questions, why have they decided to do this story?

"The goal of JMS's first year was to streamline Peter Parker/Spider-Man down to his essence, then over a period of several months to reintegrate some supporting characters (and the occasional villain, like Doctor Octopus) into the mix," said Alonso.

"First, there was Aunt May, then Jameson, then even Dr. Strange. And bits and pieces of fragmented interaction between Peter and MJ -passing each other like two ships in the night. Now JMS is ready to deal ready to deal with Mary Jane. Where she fits in, IF she fits into Peter's life - and he into hers - is something readers will have to wait and see."

The issue will feature a cover by J. Scott Campbell.

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[tralfaz]

if they split up just for the sake of bringing Spidey back to basics it will be a bad move. Keep them together, afterall, he stays alive because of M.J. and Aunt May

[JAG]

Its about time that they resolved this. I think they should get back together personally.

[ookook]

Spider-Man was always more interesting before Pete and MJ got married...for that matter, it was more interesting when MJ didn't know Pete was Spidey...

dan

[kgleason]

Whatever they are going to do with it, I'm going to want to see it. That creative team has been doing an exceptional job since coming together. Can't wait!

[human_pawn]

After years of reading articles on newsarama I have finally signed up and posted.

And what better news to reply to :D

JMS has been such an inspiration to me (whenever I am writing I just remember Babylon 5....perhaps the greatest storyarc and the fact it was on TV made it even better) and when I learnt of his writing of Amazing Spiderman a few years back I was over the moon.

And it was worth the wait. The first arc was pure brillance.....the second way cool and the the Doc Ock vs phoney Ock.......wow!

And now this!

Its about time! and what better than #50! A milestone indeed (I must say I see them getting back together......a certain movie may have to do with it...plus the return of MJ to the book seeme like its been building up to the getting back together....but then again with JMS you never know!)

Now if only Amazing came out as often as Ultimate Spiderman!!!!!!

[dcj666]

forget mj...
...bring on FELICIA!!!
we need a married superhero/heroine couple, besides the richards and the greys. they don't have the dynamic cat and spidey would have.

[human_pawn]

Oh yeah almost forgot....what a beautiful cover!! Love it :D !

[Warren V. Wind]

From a back to basics approach they should stay apart! Isn't that what Peter's life is about, he's always supposed to have trouble in his personal life. His life as Spiderman is always going to get in his way, when it comes to his personal life.
It's the whole tragedy of doing the right thing no matter how bad doing the right thing screws up his life.

Sure it would great if everything went his way all the time. But that NOT what Spidey is all about!!

[tralfaz]

...unless they kill her. HMMMMM

[Barry]

I don't read any of the Spidey books anymore, just not for me. But I do still like the character and I'm all for what will be the best for him. So while the romantic in me would like to see them back together, I think it's best that they get an official divorce, as I think it makes the character more interesting. However, as MJ is too closely tied to the franchise, especially due to the movie, I have a feeling they'll get back together in some capacity, or at least keep her in the comic as a supporting player.

[Dark Star]

[quote]Originally posted by Barry:
<strong>I don't read any of the Spidey books anymore, just not for me. But I do still like the character and I'm all for what will be the best for him. So while the romantic in me would like to see them back together, I think it's best that they get an official divorce, as I think it makes the character more interesting. However, as MJ is too closely tied to the franchise, especially due to the movie, I have a feeling they'll get back together in some capacity, or at least keep her in the comic as a supporting player.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Same here Barry. While I think they will keep her around, I think it might be quits for MJ and Peter. Also I wonder if Marvel can allow them to get a divorce? I know that such a move is frowned upon, why they are sperated vs divorced is due to this fact alone. But part of me hopes that they do get reunited. Although with Kevin Smith on the horizon we can guess that it's not to be since we've also got the Black Cat back on the scene. So it all falls down to what Smith might have in mind for his arcs, and how they tie into one another.

DS

[pmpknface]

It's about fershluggin' time! Thanks JMS! :D

[Julio Diaz]

[quote]Originally posted by ookook:
<strong>Spider-Man was always more interesting before Pete and MJ got married...for that matter, it was more interesting when MJ didn't know Pete was Spidey...

dan</strong><hr></blockquote>

**geek mode - ON!**

Given that it was established around the time they got married that MJ was aware that Peter was Spider-Man before their memorable first face-to-"face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot" meeting, having observed him coming and going from Aunt May's place, when exactly would that be that it was more interesting? Before the idea of MJ was even introduced to the comic (and remember, she was established as a character months before actually appearing on camera)? ;)

**geek mode -- OFF!**

Call me a hopeless romantic, but I want Pete and MJ back together. He's earned a little hapiness in his life, and shouldn't have to be miserable all the time.

[mauer]

I would have to say I would be really disappointed if they ended up having Peter and MJ breaking things off. The thing that bugs me is that I've read in articles that they can't have them married, because "Everyone knows they're not married in the movie," but they can't have them get divorced "because everyone knows they're in love because of the movie." In no way should the movie be dictating what happens in the books. That's ridiculous. So once the daredevil movie comes out, whenever the Kingpin returns (and you know he will) he'll be black? Why should our comics be dictated by hollywood movies? It was the same thing w/ Wolverines origin, why did they do it? Because Hollywood would first. I like the movies, but they're just that...movies, not continuity. Anyway, that's my rant for the day. :)

m.

Oh yeah, one more thing, isn't this what we could use the ultimate line for? A more movie friendly book for them to mess around with while leaving the current continuity the way it is for those of us who have been reading the books for years? ok now THAT is the end of my rant...(for now).

[Dan20]

Nice cover.

As for MJ, I hope they get back together. JMS, Jenkins and Smith are all very talented writers, and any fear of how the characters would be written as a married couple should go out the window if they keep up their usually solid work.
MJ is a great character, and having them get back together would certainly be more interesting that (yet again) seeing Pete go on dates, and either run out or stand the girl up to go save the world. Plus, the Ultimate book can explore all that. And hell, MJ's in the movies, so keeping her in the books works that way too.

All that said...I think they'll stay split up. Smith likes writing about sex, so Peter jumping around with different girls would probably appear to him. And Quesada and Jemas seem to want to cancel out any old continuity.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, though.

[Reloaded]

Didn't dig on Rising Stars, but JMS has been a godsend on Amazing, a book I used to buy just for the art. That said, he's written the Pete and MJ thing incredibly well, and while I have to HOPE HOPE HOPE that they stay together [if I want a teenage single Spidey, I'd read Ultimate S [[which I do]]], I'm sure JMS will treat things with far more maturity than past writers have.

[manosx]

Unfortunatly if we want Marvel to be high profile and comics in general to be accepted as mainstream media we will have to deal with movies and TV affecting our medium. If Sony is willing to give Marvel 25 million dollars to keep MJ and Peter apart than Marvel is going to do it. If you don't like it just read small press or Creator owned books.
(I'm in a sour mood) :(

[Kevin T. Brown]

They should stay married and together. Period. It's not confusing in the least if you're going to compare the book to the movie.

If anyone wants Spidey to be more like the movie, they should read Ultimate Spider-man.

:)

[TheAuthority]

Kevin Smith has repeatedly said that it was going to be his job to deal with the Peter/MJ issue, even though he didn't want it. So did he get his wish or is this going to be a non-event in issue #50 by JMS?

[brett]

I reregistered just so I can put my two cents into the mix regarding the will they or won't they get back together question and I've got to say, I most definately hope they do get back.

Like many other people who have posted, I believe Mary Jane brings out another facet in Parker that just adds color to this comic character. And he does deserve a little happiness in his life. And for all those naysayers who claim that once you bring a married couple into the mix, the stories get boring, well, that only means to me that they haven't hired a creative team talented enough to tell interesting stories about a married couple. For decades while Barry Allen was married to Iris, the comic was very interesting (one of my favorites) and one of my favorites. It wasn't until they killed her off that the title tanked.

Either way, I dropped the title when Marvel decided to separate them after Peter went through all that trouble to find her after thinking she was dead. It was the biggest crock of bull I ever read. Get them back together and I'll start buying the book again.

[Aaron Weisbrod]

I think you're right on the money, Mr. Kevin. ;)

Personally, I think it's wonderful that Peter and M.J. are married in the comic book. After all, this shows the people who saw the movie that they DO INDEED eventually end-up together... especially after the movie's somewhat bleak (albeit extremely powerful and heartfelt) ending.

A closet romantic,
Aaron Weisbrod

[SpaceDog]

I'd like to see them get back together. Regardless of the outcome, I'm sure JMS will put in a great story. The wait'll kill me.

[MattFreakinLittle]

I TOTALLY hope this ends with MJ saying she wants to be with Peter again, then the last page of the issue is either the real MJ showing up to reveal that the other one is a clone, or or MJ pulling off the mask to reveal herself as Aunt May, then Peter throws up web fluid for like, a day.

[MattBrady]

glad to see you changed your sig line Matt...


MattB
who grew up in Ellwood City...

[Hap Collins]

SPOILER: If you haven't been reading JMS's run on Amazing Spider-Man, skip this post!!! I just hope that JMS actually follows through and resolves the situation rather than the c-tease that was in the Doc Ock storyline. Way to bring the character back to the book and do absolutely nothing with her! I've read the book so far since JMS took over and have only enjoyed the Peter and Aunt May interaction. That's it. I thought that it was waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of character for Peter to allow Morlun's killer to go free. Yes, Morlun was trying to kill Peter, but the last time that Peter let a guy go free it didn't turn out so well. Not to mention the spectral Spider-Man reaching out to Mary Jane on the plane. Or the heavy handed 9-11 issue. Or the Lobster-Man bit--how clever! Also the issue that hits stores on Wednesday features a retread of his first stroyline. Without going into it, it has the exact same premise as the first story by JMS. I think JMS is OK and has had some decent moments, but for the most part he is a naked emperor and I can't wait 'til he leaves the book.

[amorphis]

Doesn't anyone else out there think that this would be a perfect opportunity for JMS to intoduce a NEW love interest for Peter? Who better than Joe to create a character better than MJ or Felicia? I hope this is the case--it opens up more possibilities for Peter's character.

[Leocast]

[quote]Originally posted by SpaceDog:
<strong>I'd like to see them get back together. Regardless of the outcome, I'm sure JMS will put in a great story. The wait'll kill me.</strong><hr></blockquote>


And based on the posts above, regardless of the outcome, someone will hate, hate, HATE it.

Tricky territory for JMS here.


Leo

[imx]

I personally feel that anything other than these two getting togeter is a travisty (sp?). In my mind, Peter Parker is a luckless loser in life with two exceptions.

1) Aunt May, his only biological family and surrogate mother/grandmother

2) Mary Jane, his wife and soul mate (in my opinion).

These two are the rocks on which Peter stands, and really the only thing that has every stayed right in his life. He loses jobs, and loved ones, flubs relationships and will lose the occasional fight, everyone may hate Spider Man and he may get beat to a pulp, but he always has these two to come back to.

[Knightmare10880]

I really hope they let MJ and Peter get back together, I mean aren't they supposed to be a couple in the new MTV cartoon.

[OM]

[quote]Originally posted by human_pawn:
<strong>JMS has been such an inspiration to me </strong><hr></blockquote>

...Ditto, but he's still been unable to get me to pick up one issue of Spider-Wimp save for the 9/11 issue. And if JMS can't do it, nobody can.

...Still, I see some scary parallels here:

Peter: Human as a lead character, has special abilities that set him apart from the rest of the cast.

MJ: Formerly a wife, now transformed into a Hollyweed starlet, which is basically a human-alien hybrid.

Doc Ock: Has appendages stuck to his rib cage and is very erratic at best.

Aunt May: The governing force in Peter's life, and has come back from the dead.

...All we need now is for the Lizard and Doc Ock to have a major feud between them, and Aunt May turn out to be a Vorlon, and it'll be obvious where JMS is going with his run on the book.

"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here? Where are you going to squirt that web?"

[Mark Thorson]

[Looney As A Toon]

You're all supposing that MJ lead the life of a cloistered nun out on the West Coast instead of a Hollywood actress....

MARYJANE: Peter, I will always love and adore you... you were my first knight in shining armor.... but it's more complicated now, Peter. I can't come back."

PETER: Why, MJ.... why can't things be the same if we love and care for one another?

MARYJANE: The fact of the matter is, tiger, is that I have met someone... and it's serious. VERY SERIOUS. Please don't say anything other than that you'll always keep a special place in your heart for me...goodbye, Peter?

Now tell me, wouldn't that blow Peter's mind to think he has a rival for MJ... or he's finally unloaded the ol' ball-n-chain? :confused: :) :rolleyes: ;)

[dollman]

[quote]Originally posted by Warren V. Wind:
<strong>From a back to basics approach they should stay apart! Isn't that what Peter's life is about, he's always supposed to have trouble in his personal life. His life as Spiderman is always going to get in his way, when it comes to his personal life.
It's the whole tragedy of doing the right thing no matter how bad doing the right thing screws up his life.

Sure it would great if everything went his way all the time. But that NOT what Spidey is all about!!</strong><hr></blockquote>

But it would be a BIG step backward if all Peter Parker had in his life is misery. It's like when Marvel decided they didn't like Peter David's intelligent Hulk, and reverted him back to the "HULK SMASH" version that had persisted for his first 30 years. Well guess what, it's been done! I quit reading the Hulk when they decided to ditch David's more interesting intellectual version.

When Marvel decided to allow Peter and MJ to marry 10+ years ago, I applauded them for willing to shake up the status quo. It showed that were willing to allow their characters to grow and not stay in the same patterns that most readers were used to. Similarly, I applaud Marvel for allowing Aunt May to finally discovering Peter's secret, and for the Richards to have another child. Life happens for the rest of us, why not for the comic characters we follow?

Comic series unlike TV shows, don't necessarily "jump the shark" when the two romantic interests get it on. I think having Peter and MJ splitting up is the obvious path. I think it would be more challenging for a writer to create interesting stories if the two got back together. Perhaps even give them kids. Just my 2 cents worth.

[sorry about dresden]

have peter and mj divorce...then resurrect gwen stacy from the dead!!!...damn, i should be writing AMAZING.

[choclitthunder]

kill her. just drop a piano on her or something. i think the spider titles still reek of that last crappy decade and if getting rid of her helps streamline spiderman, then off with her head.

her character is so mangled and screwed up anyway, i doubt some people even know which mary jane they're talking about anymore, they just know she's hot and has red hair and used to be cool.

none of peter's problems seem to matter and his image isn't that of a down-on-his-luck-guy when he comes home to a supermodel actress.

maybe barry allen was cool married, maybe superman works married, but some characters are conductive to marriage and some aren't. and i don't think spidey is.

you can divorce them and have her reappear erratically as the symbol of what peter can never have because of his responsibilities: a steady woman.

everyone have a good day.

[Sean Walsh]

First off, what a BEAUTIFUL cover. :)

Secondly, I got this news via an email mailing list a little while after reading it here at Newsarama......and it was apparently sent by Bill Rosemann. Did they use his email account (and sig file) to send this out or something, or has he not quite left Marvel yet?

Thirdly, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL COVER. (I like it, can ya tell?)

Sean
:)

[Beyerstein]

Are JMS and JR Jr. still leaving to another title or are they staying on Amazing or what? Is #50 their last issue?

[William Coate]

I dropped Spiderman along time ago when that had too many titles to follow and second guessing what they decided on. I have considered following it again IF and only IF Mary Jane was there. It was the only thing that ever made sense.

They kill Aunt May and bring her back. What a joke. Mary Jane filled the void. Then they kill Mary Jane and bring Aunt May back. I believe that was the most crucial mistake. Half the time Marvel does something important then takes it back! What a joke.

Anyhow Peter and Mary Jane belong together. Stop messing with something that made sense a long time ago. Aunt May should be dead and buried. Mary Jane should be on her second kid by now. That's right! There should be children involved. Afterall that is an aspect of marriage that the Fantastic Four is finally delving into.

A few years ago I would have not imagined following any Marvel books but they are finally doing some things right. Let's hope they finally move forward and accept some of the decisions they made a long time ago.

William Coate

[Scott Wherle]

It was made quite public some time ago that Kevin Smith "called" any instance of Peter and MJ getting back together (If I remember right, I even read about it here on Newsarama). Meaning, if it happens, he wants to be the one to write it. His wishes were supposedly adhered to by Joe Q and JMS was put on a leash regarding Pete and MJ. Now, unless JMS's leash has been loosened, the deal with Kevin Smith is off or I'm just remembering something that never happened, Pete and MJ ain't gettin' back together in this story.

[hiphophead]

Forget about MJ and Parker, they need to get rid of the so-called original Green Goblin. He died in issue #123? and should have stayed dead. That needs closure. If they brought him back just to plug him in the movie and he died in the movie, then it is time to ice him...again.

As for MJ/Spidey, why can't they have a successful marriage and careers? You can only have bad luck for so long. What Pete needs is a new job that allows for the webslinging: House-Husband She is the meal ticket, who we fooling?

[Rubber Sled]

Peter and MJ's separation has been a slap in the face for me...Whoever thinks married life is boring and without romantic tension is obviously not married...

It's been forty years. Time for Peter's luck to change...

[jdkern]

[quote]Originally posted by Scott Wherle:
<strong>It was made quite public some time ago that Kevin Smith "called" any instance of Peter and MJ getting back together </strong><hr></blockquote>

Hey Scott,
Smith has since said (I think it was in this month's Wizard among other places) he never wanted to be the one to write it, just that Joe Q said he should do it because he's written that sort of thing in the past (I suppose he was thinking of Chasing Amy). So maybe they decided to let JMS do it after all.

I really like the idea of them being married, I always felt Peter's story was about growing up and taking responisibility. I enjoyed going through Peter's milestones with him - grad, college, and eventually marriage. It enforced his "everyman" image.

On the other hand, divorce is pretty common these days, so it may enforce it even more to have them split.

But really, if they wanted them split, I thought they should have killed her and had her stay dead. I mean, usually, being Spider-Man ends up hurting/killing everyone important to Peter at some point, right? Uncle Ben, Gwen, Harry Osborn, etc. It would have made perfect sense for Peter Parker to have the love of his life to die because of Spider-Man.

Josh

[HulkSmashNow]

I hope that Peter and M.J. will get back together...they belong together, and deep down, know that they need each other.

Amazing Spider-Man #50 is supposed to be a milestone issue, and I just don't think it'll have a downer ending with the Parkers getting a divorce. But, I may be wrong.

Nonetheless, I think these two need to get back together (especially after watching the movie on DVD three times in three days).

[amorphis]

I repeat...Doesn't any one out there think that Peter should meet somebody new? I'm not saying MJ should be killed or out of the picture, but it's always exiting to see a new romantic development. Remember when Peter and Felicia met? It was exciting as a reader getting to know her, and eventually fans began to fall in love with her. Is everyone really so opposed to this?
This whole MJ or nothing attitude is close-minded and more of a sentimental reaction than anything else. JMS has the skill to bring new romance into Peter Parker's life.

[Moudry]

I'm all for Peter and MJ getting back together and staying together. Of course, having Peter married to a super-model/actress sort of flies in the face of the Spider-Man premise: average schlep escapes his crappy life when he puts on his super-hero costume and fights crime, which inevitably complicates his crappy life and makes it even crappier. Still, a good writer can make the situation work; an average or worse writer would throw the marriage out the window to make his/her mark on the character.

[blind3rdeye]

Man, I'm torn!
Two years ago, I thought it was a STUPID move ditching MJ.
Now, I don't know if I want her back! The latest issue of Spidey was a great one, and I liked the way it ended with Peter telling MJ how long he'd wait for her. (sue me I'm a romantic) :D
Either way, I've been really enjoying the current run, and I'll continue until JMS leaves.

[gOgIver]

I prefer ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN.

[Slangword]

<strong>"The goal of JMS's first year was to streamline Peter Parker/Spider-Man down to his essence, then over a period of several months to reintegrate some supporting characters (and the occasional villain, like Doctor Octopus) into the mix," said Alonso. </strong>

I picked up the first two JMS issues based on the assumption that JMS was going to streamline things. What I saw was a storyline that said there were other Spider-people and they were being stalked by a mysterious killer we'd never seen before. That didn't seem like streamlining to me -- in fact it sounded an awful lot like the worst parts of the clone saga.* I decided my money was better spent on Fabian Nicieza's run on Thunderbolts.

*Actually, in general I enjoyed the clone stories, although when the decision was made not to keep Ben as Spider-Man, it should have been done quickly. I recommend "The Life of Reilly" articles on the grayhaven site for anyone interested in the clone saga specifically or a peak behind the scenes in general. Fascinating stuff

Finally, the cover does look nice, but the only info it gives me is that Spider-Man is in the book. I'd think putting both Spidey and Mary Jane on the cover would be better.

--Scott

[Taylor Porter]

I seem to be in the minority, but I think that this cover is just as disgusting as every other picture Campbell has done of Spidey. He draws just about the worst Spider-Man I've ever seen.

I also think it might be neat so see Peter with a new girlfriend. He's had so many interesting ones in the past, and it's been a long time since he's been involved with somebody new. I'm just not too nuts about MJ's (inconcistent) character, nor do I much like the idea of Peter being married. That said, I think bringing back MJ might be alright, if the story is good. If JMS does it well, then it might be worthwile.

I'd also like to point out that having Aunt May find out about Peter's secret was the best thing they've done to Spider-Man in decades. A truly brilliant move that was long overdue.

[Dan20]

[quote]Originally posted by amorphis:
<strong>I repeat...Doesn't any one out there think that Peter should meet somebody new? </strong><hr></blockquote>

No....because it'll be the exact same thing. They'll fall for each other, date, Peter will stand her up to fight a bad-guy, then he'll run out on her a few times to fight a bad guy, then they'll make up, and she'll learn his secret identity.
That's all well and good, but we've had 30+ years of that, and Bendis can probably do it perfectly fine in the Ultimate book. Let's see some intelligent writing of a married couple. JMS, Smith and Jenkins would certainly be capable.

[OM]

[quote]Originally posted by choclitthunder:
<strong>kill her. just drop a piano on her or something. </strong><hr></blockquote>

...Just let Ron Marz guestwrite for one issue, and he can stuff her in a fridge!

[jeflep]

I seem to be in the minority here but I think its time for Peter and Mary Jane to get divorced. Peter has been extremely understanding and has always been true to himself or at least tried to. MJ has known now for a long time who Peter is and what drives him. She has run away from him before and I think she will again. She has always projected this cocky attitude that was a front for deeper insecurites,but she is selfish and they would both be better off to be apart for good or at least a while. There is alot more story opportunites in a divorce (and for Jemas, Media coverage) in Spiderman's divorce than in a continued marriage.

[Jer-el]

First Post!!

I've loved everything JMS has tossed at Spidey, I know that this will be good too. I can't wait!!! :D

[Jeff from Texas]

I say keep them together. To be honest, I find the dynamic of the wife working to help get the husband away from friends/family/co-workers to fight "evil" to be enjoyable.

Peter, as a super hero and a person, has grown over the past 30 years, let him move away from the "dating scene" and live with the love of his life. Yes, there could be some funny bits with dating, but we've been there and done that already, lets grown these characters some more.

jeff

[KingStalin]

I'd love to see them together. But realisticly it wouldn't work. Peter's life as spider-man take sup too much time and MJ needs more and can't take the worries. I expect the final scene to be mj full of tears giving peter back her wedding ring.

[Graeme McMillan]

[quote]Originally posted by KingStalin:
<strong>I'd love to see them together. But realisticly it wouldn't work.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yeah, because everything else in Spider-Man comics is so realistic. Getting them back together and keeping them together could be fun.

[KingStalin]

[quote]Originally posted by Grim:
<strong>

Yeah, because everything else in Spider-Man comics is so realistic. Getting them back together and keeping them together could be fun.</strong><hr></blockquote>

ok smart guy let me explain. CImagine what it must feel for MJ and peter. For MJ she never knows when he'll come home if ever. She doesn't have stability and she knows that the city will always come before her. For Peter he constantly worries what if The villians come after his wife like the goblin, chameleon, venom and etc have done before. I'd love for the marriage to work but I'd rather have a spidey who lost his two great loves because of who he is. He wouldn't be upset or go crazy because of it. The worst thing they did was make MJ a supermodel/actress.

[OCM]

I remember when I used to care about Spidey. It must be JMS his stories are starting to bore me again. Ah well that's his writing in a nutshell. With Rising Stars the first act was brilliant, the second act the worst in comics, and the third is ok. Spidey has been similar. Started great, was ok with the Aunt May issues, and now starting this week we get a rehashed plotline as someone mentioned. (Complete with Dr. Strange in a cameo again.)

Still, if MJ and Peter get together again, if they have the balls to do the right thing, and JMS can prove that he can write interesting stories with the challenge of having a married couple, then I'm back on-board instead of skimming the issues in the stores.

[choclitthunder]

so at what point should spiderman have kids, then? at what point should he start losing his hair and get a gut?
we can't let sentimental attatchment to a supporting character bog down the title character.
we can't get selfish and expect peter to age along with us. we should leave him at his young dorky prime. we should leave him for the next generation of readers who deserve to have a clean shot. sure, he's going to have some continuity behind him, but changing the basic essence of the character is a bad idea when it's the biggest character marvel has.
if you can't handle peter's character not completing his life cycle or whatever you want, if you can't take the character for what it is without screwing with it, then it might be time to move on to another character or some adult comics.
my 2 cents.
everyone have a good day.

[Michael C Lorah]

I would prefer to see Peter and MJ together. I also strongly disagree with the general concensus that Peter's money/girl/family problems are what makes him so great.

I used to find Spider-Man very appealing because he GREW. He graduated high school, went to college, fell in love, moved on, fell in love again, got married. He mapped the route for me as a kid. I wanted to be like him, because he may have struggled, but he triumphed and made something of his life. Take away those accomplishments, there's nothing even remotely special about Spider-Man.

imo, any hero who can't manage to hold a job and maintain a successful relationship isn't much of a hero. Even with all the dangers of his life, Police deal with similar situations (and so do their wives, for those who think MJ can't deal with Peter possibly never coming home) every single day.

If Peter aged like Bart Simpson, I wouldn't care. He wouldn't grow, he'd simply exist. However, he does age, he does grow, and for him to stop now is for the character to fail.

As for when Peter should have kids and start to lose his hair, y'know, ironically, I've also been wishing that would happen too. If the world adapted to my perfect ideal vision, Amazing Spider-Man would've been a thiry-year limited series that ended with a 45-year old Peter retiring.

[choclitthunder]

yeah, but you see, that's not spiderman. spiderman's character is based upon relatability and responsibility. relatability dictates that to hook youngish readers, you need the problems of a youngish person, which excludes marriage to supermodel actresses. and responsibility dictates that spiderman cannot have a family, because his first priority would be to his family, and he'd have to quit being spiderman. and yes, cops have families, but when a cop arrests you, you don't throw his girlfriend off a bridge. you got busted by 'the cops' not officer whomever.
so my hope is that they clued aunt may in to the identity thing because they can now use her as a confidant and get rid of mj. mj can go away and make apprearances as the steady relationship peter can't have.

[Taylor Porter]

[quote]Originally posted by Michael C Lorah:
<strong>
If Peter aged like Bart Simpson, I wouldn't care. He wouldn't grow, he'd simply exist. However, he does age, he does grow, and for him to stop now is for the character to fail.

As for when Peter should have kids and start to lose his hair, y'know, ironically, I've also been wishing that would happen too. If the world adapted to my perfect ideal vision, Amazing Spider-Man would've been a thiry-year limited series that ended with a 45-year old Peter retiring.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I think this discussion makes clear the problems with serialized characters that last generations.
As you say, if Peter is the same age forever, then he's just a super-powered Archie, and would be hard to care about. But I don't think he can age indefinitely either. If they do decide to let him age to 45 years (or whatever), some people still will not want him to retire. What happens when he's 70 years old? It's a tricky situation, and not one with an easy answer.

With characters like Batman and Superman (who don't really grow so much as just change) it's easier to keep going for decades. But most of Marvel's characters are different. The Ultimate line is an interesting alternative, but eventually those characters will also grow old.

So what are we to do? Never let him age? Let him age until he's 90? Reboot him every few decades? Cancel him and just keep his best stories continually in print?

Call me sacriligious, but I wouldn't mind that last option one bit. I think I might be ready to see the idea of new stories in Marvel's original continuity be retired. As long as I can re-read those stories, I'll be fine.

[danzo]

[quote]Originally posted by Michael C Lorah:
I would prefer to see Peter and MJ together. I also strongly disagree with the general concensus that Peter's money/girl/family problems are what makes him so great.
<hr></blockquote>
i love this post,great stuff. especially the bit above, but the whole thing's great.
but then i suppose it's far more realistic to have them divorce, so much more creative that way. and hey, Spidey could use some more clones, too. that would be really, really creative.
to quote the esteemed Mr. Grimm "whatta revoltin' developement"
"hark, do i hear bells tolling"
"aye"
"what toll they for?"
"why, have you not heard?"
"nay"
"tis Creativity; that fair Lady has died"

[Demosthenes]

Why do we love our heroes to suffer so much? Because we're all sick! It's not enough to be beaten half to death by a super villian every month but also let him girlfriend give him crabs because she's been sleeping with his ex-girlfriend who found out his secret love for spandex got jealous and now plans to reavel his secret to his old knock knock knockin on heavens door aunt who hates the alter-ego and this will surely kill her. Oh yeah rents late boss fired him and worst of all he's got crabs. I know what's coming next "it makes them human" you say "Stan Lee started it making them more relatable" The theory is we identify with heroes every day problems, but it doesn't stop EVER! Don't believe me read an issue of x-men lately better yet read it ten years ago and now, sure they had there problems but the also had basketball games nights out drinking and girlfriend (and human or non-super hero girlfriends not the Friends like every one gets a turn girlfriend) The Thing from the FF is another example every one else in the FF can enjoy a nice human like apperance when desired, but not for him recently he gained contol over his powers so he could turn human. He was a happy thing. No wait we don't like happy heroes. He was changed back to the Thing permanently. And lets not forget the whole Peter Parker Maried to a super model and having a sucessful carrer we hated that. So the trend is to make the suffering in the private life grow and grow it makes us happy. Every once in a while you get a good writer who can do a great job writing a hero without the peronal life misery that we all love so much. A good example would be the Mark Waid Flash run. He would save the world a couple of times before lunch and stop and have lunch with linda park. At least there was a calm in the chaos. Something to cling to. We hate that as well "oh no he's happy we cry we can't relate to happy!" The question is what kink of sadistic bastard is happy about misery? Well the answer is all of us.

In all honesty i think whatever JMS does, he will do well. He is a great writer let's just hope what ever the outcome he gives Peter 5 minutes to just relax and enjoy a sunset or a pizza before he goes and saves the world. After all how can a hero fight for life if he forgets that life is worth fighting for?


Demosthenes

[Wade @ Sighnub.com]

I have to say that I am thrilled about this. Personally though, I feel a little confusion, because I am not sure whether I am happy at the prospect of them getting back together or just happy that the whole damned issue will (hopefully) be resolved.

I personally enjoyed them more when they were a couple, because the relationship was just another nail of responsibility in Peter. Much more so than the damsel in distress, secret identity kind of stories we got before they hooked up.

That being said, now that Aunt May knows his secret too, there really isn't anyone super-important left in his personal life that he has to hide from. So, in a nutshell I really have no indication one way or the other how JMS is going to go on this issue. But I can say with certainty that I will be a long for the ride.

[BoyWonder]

I can't see MJ being killed in the comic, just because of the character in the film. I personally don't want to see Peter and MJ together. Spidey is supposed to be a hard luck hero, it sits better if he has an estranged wife.

Really I wish they'd never gotten married. It was one of the worst decisions ever made creatively about any Marvel character.

Also, I agree with other posters who feel a new love interest would make stories more interesting. JMS has done a great job so far, I'm sure (I hope) he won't let us down.

[Chris Hunter]

If they are married, then they should be together. If they are divorced, then they should be apart. Period.

It's a bunch of crap to have kept this dangling as long as it has. Show some respect to the character and show some respect to the sanctity of marriage! This has been an area of editorial stupidity and I'm glad that they are going to address it. This stinking brain fart of an idea has done nothing to make Spiderman a better character, nor has it done anything to contribute to better stories! Of course, I won't know until the story comes out whether or not I'll like it, but #50 on my list.

[Chris Hunter]

[quote]Originally posted by OM:
<strong>

...Just let Ron Marz guest write for one issue, and he can stuff her in a fridge!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, that's one way to end a loose story thread!

[Michael C Lorah]

[quote]relatability dictates that to hook youngish readers, you need the problems of a youngish person, which excludes marriage to supermodel actresses.<hr></blockquote>

i guess maybe part of my argument was not clear.
when I was a kid growing up, worshipping Spider-Man as any of my friends will tell you I totally did, what made Peter relatable (to me, at any rate) is that he'd grown up. He started out like me, with all my troubles and problems, but he had already laid down the map to having a successful life. If Peter could get the girl, so could I. If Peter could carve out a reasonably successful career (which I always assumed he'd done, since Webs or whatever the title of his book of Spidey photos was was published), so could I.
If Peter could juggle a career, marriage and super-heroing, then certainly I could manage to handle at least two of those things.

[brett]

Again, I can't help but agree with the consensus.
Yeah the original premise was that Peter Parker was a hard luck hero but letting him stay married doesn't mean he has to have all this wonderful, great luck. It just means that the door is now opened for new avenues to explore.

Besides, growing and changing is what life is all about and it'd be nice to see something good happen in the character's life. If he was always this down and out hero, that would get tired and boring fast. Who wants to read about someone who is always going to end up losing? I want to read stories about hope and getting them back together is just the ingredient the title needs.

[atc]

All I can say is that if they don't get back
together in this issue I'm done reading any Marvel
comics.

[choclitthunder]

[quote]Originally posted by Michael C Lorah:
<strong>

If Peter could juggle a career, marriage and super-heroing, then certainly I could manage to handle at least two of those things.</strong><hr></blockquote>

spiderman is marvel's best shot at new readers. and kids coming in can't relate to marriage. especially not to a supermodel. peter can deal with issues of responsibility without permanently altering his character essence in a way that marriage does.

[choclitthunder]

[quote]Originally posted by brett:
<strong>If he was always this down and out hero, that would get tired and boring fast. Who wants to read about someone who is always going to end up losing? I want to read stories about hope and getting them back together is just the ingredient the title needs.</strong><hr></blockquote>

it seems a lot of people think he should move on from being the hard luck hero, but that's who he is. if you don't want to read about a hard luck hero, then don't change the book so no one else gets the real spiderman, go find a book about whatever it is you're looking for.

[PopCultureKid]

The relationship between Peter & MJ has been on an upward arc since their meeting way back when. I, for one, would hate to see it begin a downward descent.

[atc]

That "kids can't relate to marriage" bit is BS. I was kid back in the 80's when they got married
and it never bothered me, I was just happy that
Peter finally got even some happiness. Those who can't relate to that can go read Ultimate or Donald Duck.

[MichaelCoughlin]

[quote]Originally posted by MattFreakinLittle:
<strong>I TOTALLY hope this ends with MJ saying she wants to be with Peter again, then the last page of the issue is either the real MJ showing up to reveal that the other one is a clone, or or MJ pulling off the mask to reveal herself as Aunt May, then Peter throws up web fluid for like, a day.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I wonder if they would be allowed to have a charecter in a spider-man book even SAY the word "clone" nowadays?

[Kevin T. Brown]

Everyone here basically has 1 of 3 opinions about this: Keep them married; let them divorce; kill off MJ.

Here's a fourth: Marvel is going to invalidate the marriage. In other words, the person who performed the ceremony years ago wasn't legally able to do so then. Hence, no legal marrige, no need for a divorce. Clean and simple.

That would make the most sense, assuming Marvel wants to do away with the marriage and not have to deal with the ramifications of a separation or divorce.

[Michael C Lorah]

i also agree that saying kids can't relate to a married character is bs.
i was 12 or 13 when they got married and i didn't change a thing about how i viewed Peter. In fact, I thought it was great.

But again, as I said, as a kid, I viewed Spider-Man from a historical perspective. I saw Spider-Man as having once been like me, and seeing what he was able to become proved to me that any dorky little kid could make it. :)

[choclitthunder]

okay, maybe i should have been more specific. while anyone CAN relate to marriage, it is easier for the young unmarried people to relate to similar characters. i think that if you want to marry some character like hawkeye or another lesser known, then have fun, but spiderman is the flagship character, the one most representative of the 'this is you with superpowers.'


oh yeah, and marriage is one thing, and marriage to a supermodel actress is another. trust me, i would know. okay, maybe i wouldn't know. but i'm guessing.

[brett]

I also think its ridiculous that kids can't relate to marriage. When I was 8 years old, my favorite comic was the Flash and he was married to Iris West. Back then, I thought it was great and brought the 3 dimensional character down to earth.

And speaking of kids, barely any of them read comics anymore anyway. In a recent survey done by Silver Bullet Comics of retailers across the country, most comic readers fall into the white, male 35-40 years old catagory.

So, if we're going to base comic characters on the readership base, maybe Peter Parker shouldn't be married but rather a 38 year old comic geek.

Then again, most comic readers today either already are married or are in a long term relationship so stating no one can relate is ridiculous.

[dollman]

[quote]Originally posted by choclitthunder:
<strong>we should leave him at his young dorky prime. we should leave him for the next generation of readers who deserve to have a clean shot. </strong><hr></blockquote>

That's why Ultimate Spidey exists. As mentioned by other posters, this is the dilemmia of serialized characters. I often wondered how DC is going to handle JSA references to WWII, as we get closer and closer to the 100th anniversary.

I think Marvel has began to address this with its Ultimate line. Which makes me think that should take more chances with their "real" universe titles and let them age, marry, have kids, whatever.

[jsl26]

I always felt the seperation of Peter and MJ to be forced. Marvel should bring them back together and tell great stories about a married spider-man. To me a single spider-man dating again is not interesting. It has been done and we can all read Ultimate Spiderman. There are so many different directions the writers can go with MJ and Peter. For example,what exactly is MJ's role in Peter's life? This is something she should eplore with him and not by herself in California. The potential is there, it just has to be written.

[littlewolvie]

I personally hope they will finally bring Peter and M.J. back together. Their separation was a mistake from the start, as far I'm concerned.

What has made Spider-Man as a character unique to me is the fact that he evolved over the years. Unlike other mainstraim characters in the comic world, you could see Peter/Spider-Man evolve, from the geeky high school boy, to college student, to young adult to married man. Keeping him eternally young and turning back time on him would just take this particular facet of the character's charm away. It's already bad enough that they got rid of the baby in a ridiculous way (actually, that story was never really solved... like so many others). I don't want the regular Spider-Man turning back the Ultimate way. That part of his life is over. It was nice and offered good stories, but it's over. The character grew beyond that. Besides, if that's what you're looking for, there's still Ultimate Spidey out there (don't get me wrong. I love the Ultimate version and I enjoy the stories).

[Donnie Darko]

Doesn't it just SUCK how Joe Q gives everything to Kevin Smith on a silver platter? Like, Bendis does the absolute best story arc on DD (Underboss) and had an eye out to finish the whole "DD"s identity revealed" with a final showdown between Bullseye and Murdock. What happens? Kevin Smith comes in, reminds Joe Q of a ages-old promise that he will pen the next DD vs Bulseye showdown. Joe Q defers, and Bendis rewrites his story without including Bullseye in the mix.

Kevin Smith doesn't even write DD on a regular basis and he's calling the shots? Great way to run a company. (And no, the first DD arc doesn't count)

Now Spiderman comes along and JMS is doing his best to revitalize the character. Heck, I wasn't even reading Spiderman for the longest time until JMS came along, and now Kevin Smith has the final word on MJ and Peter's relationship?

It's times like these when I know the "new" Marvel looks suspiciously like the old.

[Wade @ Sighnub.com]

[quote]Originally posted by Donnie Darko:
<strong>Now Spiderman comes along and JMS is doing his best to revitalize the character. Heck, I wasn't even reading Spiderman for the longest time until JMS came along, and now Kevin Smith has the final word on MJ and Peter's relationship?

It's times like these when I know the "new" Marvel looks suspiciously like the old.</strong><hr></blockquote>


I have to admit to being a little confused by your post as the ENTIRE ARTICLE is about JMS actually being the person who will deal with the Peter and MJ issue.

[brett]

That is pretty shitty about Kevin Smith. Even though Bendis doesn't write the regular title, I'd much rather see him script the resolution. I love the way he dialogues a character.

And btw, I don't know what all the hoo-ha is about Kevin Smith's writing. I, for one, don't think it's anything to brag about. I find him to be way too verbose for a comic book and highly overrated. I found his Green Arrow to be quite boring and even stopped reading when he brought back that ridiculous Stanley and his Monster crap.

[John Osen]

Amazing has been amazing ever since JMS & JRJR started. :D

[Elayne Riggs]

[quote]Originally posted by TaylorPorter:
<strong>I think this discussion makes clear the problems with serialized characters that last generations... So what are we to do? Never let him age? Let him age until he's 90? Reboot him every few decades? Cancel him and just keep his best stories continually in print?</strong><hr></blockquote>

How about move on to other stories and let new generations keep rediscovering him? These characters were never meant to be aimed at long-term readers. Count me as being in favor of an every-generation turnover and "reboot."

- Elayne

[brett]

Sadly though Elayne, 95% of the people who buy comics are long term readers.

Not that I disagree with your point though. I thought the best thing DC did was reboot Superman and Wonder Woman in the late 80's. And the Ultimate Spiderman reboot is probably one of my favorite comics today.

[Raven]

MJ and Peter ending their marriage would be a terrible idea. One major complaint that I've heard in the past is that marriage has not allowed Spidey to be young and carefree like in his early days. Hello? Does a divorced Spidey sound any better that married Spidey? Not only would a divorce scar Spidey emotionally and physically, what would it say about marriage? Spidey is a role model, and needs to show kids he can work through his problems. That's his whole character. Spidey is a normal guy with great power and real problems. Plus, this whole mess would cost one of the great female leads in comics. You could never use MJ again. Might as well just save the marriage and kill her off, if you really want Peter to be single again.

[arthur pendragon]

I think Marvel will reunite Peter and MJ although I wish they wouldn't. I liked the book much more when she was the hip happy honey and Peter was the hard luck hero. We're going to get older but comic book characters don't have to.

If you champion change then how do you feel about the fact that Marvel will probably have Peter in high school in the Ultimate book as far as issue #100?

[Random dude 22]

Mj's probably become my least favorite character in the Spidey universe now; all there ever is around her character (for the most part) is negativity between fans, other fans, and Marvel. Can't even trust some website reviewers to give honest friggin reviews on the books because they easily let their own personal biasness on a particular scene that has to do with the "touchy subject" dictate how they review the rest of the book for us; and its almost always this particular subject.

There was one in particular, not too long ago, when a brillant one shot story was given barely an "ok" review because that reviewer thought it was about time they went back to the "mj" situation and didnt care how good a story this one shot had been. Fortunatley, they made an alternate review in which the very touching story was fully explored and given the review it deserved i just wished they'd have gotten rid of the former one as he/she was just disregarding great stories because the redhead didnt get the spotlight. That got me irratated.

Anyway, on this subject...
I think Joe Q generally doesnt want Peter Parker married (and we all have our own opinions on that), and KSmith said that the real intent in his run on Amazing was to just make the book something he and other people would love to sit down and read.

He's also always been talking about how he would rather not be the one who has to have his book be the book that portrays them as "no longer married" but "not divorced". Of course i dont know whether they'll be "together" in that sense, but Mary Jane is more than likely coming back to NewYork and she will be having some kind of relationship with Peter Parker. Kevin's been saying that repeatedly over the past few months, and it really hasnt happened yet... BUT he always said that whole "not mentioning" thing would be happening in his "run". Well, his run starts early next year and this jms book comes out early next year as well so... whether they'll be living together, apart, whatever... i think thats what Smith's been saying he'll be handling, #50 will probably just lead into that.

[OM]

...Heh, heh, heh, I can just see it now:

Peter: You're leaving me, MJ? Why?

MJ: Peter, while I was in Hollywood, I met someone new.

Peter: You're leaving me for another guy?

MJ: Not exactly..

[Cut to: Peter David's Captain Marvel Adventures]

Rick: Marlo, you're leaving me? Why?

Marlo: Well, while I was out in Hollywood last summer, I met someone new.

Rick: You're leaving me for another guy?

Marlo: Not exactly...

[Cut to: Alias]

Jessica: Normally I don't get into threesomes, but this one was too good to turn down...