Alternative versions of Mary Jane Watson

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Alternate versions of Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson (Earth-TRN759 version - circa 2019).jpg
Mary Jane Watson of Earth-TRN759, on a variant cover art of Spider-Man vol. 3 #1 (November 2019). Art by Shannon Maer
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1, #25 (June 1965)
Created by Stan Lee
John Romita, Sr.
Steve Ditko
See also Mary Jane Watson

Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a supporting character originally appearing in Marvel comic book as the best friend, love interest, and wife (as Mary Jane Watson-Parker) of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man. She was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr. She has appeared in multiple spin-offs, alternative realities, and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles.

Contents

The Amazing Spider-Man: The Daily Comic Strip

As a major character in the comic strip version of The Amazing Spider-Man , Mary Jane is currently married to Peter Parker. That "universe" focuses on the Parkers' personal lives and real-world villains rather than the superhero aspect, though several members of the classic "rogues gallery" still appear occasionally. In years past, Mary Jane's character constantly needed saving by Spider-Man. This resulted in a complaint by a reader that saw the strip dropped by the Toronto Star in the late '70s and early '80s. Mary Jane being in constant danger is often because she has risked her life to save Peter by joining in his battles, facing off against Doctor Doom, Morbius, Sabretooth. and Doctor Octopus. Peter and MJ remain happily married despite all of these obstacles. MJ has also covered for Peter by taking photographs of his battles. After taking a photo of Sabretooth, Peter suggested they share the credit for the photo, but MJ refused, insisting she was "just an actress".

Recently, Mary Jane's successful stint with her Broadway play "Picture Perfect", has given her and Peter financial stability, though Peter occasionally displays personal jealousy of MJ making more money, a fact MJ has teased him about whenever he contemplates quitting his regular job as a photographer, forcing him to reconsider to soothe his competitive ego. Despite these hang-ups, Peter continues to supports his wife's job and ambitions unconditionally. The Parkers at one point discussed moving into a new house using the revenue she was earning from the play, but nothing so far has come of those plans. Mary Jane's play was eventually forced to temporarily close due to the theater needing much-needed maintenance. Producers of an old direct-to-video movie MJ starred in called Marvella eventually contacted her and offered her a contract to reprise her role, with a three-month filming schedule in New York. The filming brought her and Peter into conflict with Peter's old foe Mysterio.

During the Spider-Verse event, the pair were visited by Morlun. Despite Morlun being a match for Peter's strength, MJ valiantly stands up to the intruder and encourages her husband. Due to the temporal instability affecting this reality, Morlun quickly realizes it will take weeks to accomplish a simple feat. The Master Weaver of the Inheritors then pulls him out of the reality, and privately elects to rebel against his masters, preserving this universe within a pocket dimension and safe from any further Inheritor attacks. This action also prevents this universe from being affected by the reality-shattering events of Secret Wars, and thus it does not form a part of the patchwork planet Battleworld.

During production of Marvella II, a brainwashed Harry Osborn, in the guise of The Hobgoblin, attacked her and Peter. The Black Widow, Natasha Romanov offered to serve as MJ's bodyguard for the duration of filming, but Mary Jane grew envious of the Black Widow spending time investigating Harry with her husband. Eventually Harry was stopped and Natasha made it clear to Mary Jane she had no interest in Peter romantically.

Following adventures in which she was pursued romantically by Sub-Mariner and Xanadu, Mary Jane learned that Marvella II had been given a theatrical release, and that she was to commence a publicity tour across the nation. She and Peter journeyed to Los Angeles by car, stopping in New Mexico along the way to team with Rocket Raccoon against the likes of Ronan the Accuser and a Kree sentry.

Peter and MJ briefly part ways when Peter decides to attend his Aunt's wedding to the Mole Man, while MJ moves forward with the tour. After an adventure with Mole Man (who calls off the wedding to rule over his people once more), Peter reunites with MJ in Florida where they help Bruce Banner battle The Lizard. MJ resumes her tour while Peter returns to New York. During a battle with The Kingpin, Mary Jane's theatre is destroyed by a helicopter crash. MJ catches wind of this on the news, but is not angry with Peter. She returns home and tells Peter Marvella II was not received well critically and is projected to bomb. She suggests she and Peter spend time in Australia until her play can be moved to a new theatre venue. When Peter was taken over by The Purple Man, Mary Jane teamed up with Luke Cage to free him. Afterwards, Peter and MJ headed off to Australia, at which point the newspaper strip concluded.

What If?

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows

Mary Jane Watson on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows vol.2 #1 (Oct. 2016). Art by Stanley Lau. Mary Jane Watson (Earth-18119).jpg
Mary Jane Watson on the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows vol.2 #1 (Oct. 2016). Art by Stanley Lau.

Following on from the events of Secret Wars, where deadly incursions have laid waste to most of the multiverse, Battleworld, a planet composed of the remains of alternate realities, is created by Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange, with each reality on the world divided into different domains. In this domain called the Regency, Mary Jane is married to Peter and they have a daughter named Annie May Parker. Spider-Man is seemingly the only hero left in the domain after the powerful Regent (Augustus Roman) kills the Avengers and establishes himself as ruler of the domain, with Peter opting to retire as Spider-Man to raise Annie and live up to his vows as a father. Peter didn't fight Regent initially to protect his family from Venom and ends up killing Eddie Brock in the process at Mary Jane's request.

Eight years later, Mary Jane is still struggling as an actress, while her husband is forced to make money off of photos he cannot publish for fear of making The Regent's forces look bad. Mary Jane takes Annie to school and instructs her not to reveal her powers in public even if the situation calls for it. However, they are forced to confront Regent eventually and stand their ground with some of the remaining heroes. After Annie gains a costume and assists her father in combat, Mary Jane obtains armor that acts similarly to Regent's tech which drained the powers of heroes to make him stronger in order to assist her family. She and Peter defeat the tyrant and resume their peaceful family life with Annie.

In the follow-up series, Mary-Jane uses a modified version of the armor she used in the fight against Regent, which now replicates Spider-Man's powers and allows her to assist her family as Spinneret. However, every time she taps into Peter's powers, it weakens him significantly. She now operates her own clothing store in addition to being a mother and superhero.

In an attempt to spare Peter from this, Mary Jane learns of a bio-enhanced suit in the possession of old family friend Liz Allan, and acquires it from her. However, the suit is revealed to be the Venom symbiote, which briefly attempts to take control of Mary Jane and use her against Peter, attempting to gain revenge for Peter killing Eddie Brock. Peter uses the Regent tech to weaken the symbiote, allowing Mary Jane to retaliate and bring the symbiote under her control. The symbiote is eventually destroyed in their final battle with the Green Goblin and she continues raising Annie into her teenage years, designing a new costume for her older daughter in the process.

It's implied that the 616 Peter, Mary Jane, and Regent retain memories of their counterparts from this Battleworld. [5]

The Parker family of this world finally meet the Peter Parker of Earth 616 in the 2018 event Spider-Geddon . Peter suggests they look after the now infant and helpless Inheritors, but the Parkers stress to him that taking care of one kid is enough. [6] The adventure also reveals their daughter Annie is part of the Spider-Scroll prophecy, the "Pattern Maker".

Earth X

In this reality, Mary Jane ended up getting severe disease instead of superhuman abilities when the Terrigen Mists unlocked the Celestial Seed inside of Humanity. She died shortly afterward, but later reappeared as an illusion cast by the Spiders-Man to Peter. She also took care of a younger version of May, who would be bonded with the a symbiote in a few years time.[ volume & issue needed ]

Exiles

In Exiles , Mary Jane is Spider-Woman, a member of the Avengers. Mary Jane is a lesbian who fell in love with the reality-hopping Mariko Yashida, the ill-fated Exiles member Sunfire. The two enjoy a romantic relationship, albeit one interrupted by Sunfire's dimensional jumping responsibilities. The main threat these Avengers face is Phalanx-versions of most of their friends and millions of innocent humans. [7] Sunfire manages to return to Mary-Jane for some time, although none of their friends know how long this will be. They resolve to enjoy whatever time they have left, which ends when dimensional energies snatch Sunfire away again during an almost shared bath. [8]

House of M

The 2005 House of M crossover series version of Mary Jane is a world-famous actress, and she is one of the few humans that the mutant population likes. She has co-starred in movies with Spider-Man, who has led the mutant population to believe that he is a mutant, when in fact he is not. In her latest movie, she plays Spider-Man's real-life wife, Gwen Stacy. [9]

Mangaverse

In the Marvel Mangaverse , Mary Jane Watson is Spider-Woman, a new initiate into the Spider-clan (of ninjas), with her boyfriend (Peter Parker) showing her the ropes. [10] In the 2005-'06 New Mangaverse five part limited series, they join several other heroes in combating a superhero massacre. They are also among the last surviving heroes at the end of the series.[ volume & issue needed ]

Marvel 1602

Marvel 1602 , an eight-issue limited series set in the Elizabethan era, was published in 2003. Its popularity led to the publication of two sequels: 1602: New World and Spider-Man: 1602 . The character of Marion Jane Watsonne is introduced in Spider-Man: 1602 #3. The Watsonne family are a theatrical troupe, originally from the same village in Scotland as Peter Parquagh. Marion, an actress, must pose as a boy in England, because women are not allowed on the stage. In France, where Peter sees her, she is under no such restrictions. Marion encounters Peter when he saves the life of her brother, Graeme. After a brief stint as the troupe's acrobat, Peter is kidnapped by Baron Octavius (this reality's version of Doctor Octopus). When he escapes, he discovers the troupe has been hired by Octavius and moved to Vienna. With her family locked in the dungeon and herself being used as bait to lure Peter into a trap, Marion and Peter are reunited. After a violent battle with several 1602 versions of the Green Goblin, the Lizard, and Bullseye, the two find happiness with each other and presumably wed, but Peter is eventually killed by Morlun. On a final note, a preserved sample of Peter's blood is found 400 years later and becomes the basis for the Super-Soldier formula that would create Captain America.[ volume & issue needed ]

Marvel Zombies and Marvel Zombies Return

In Marvel Zombies , an infected Peter Parker arrives home to save Mary Jane and Aunt May but he loses control and eats them instead. After he has eaten, Peter is consumed by the guilt and grief of what he has done to the last two people who ever loved him, refusing to take off his mask so he won't have to look himself in the eyes again. This guilt is a major plot point. Marvel Zombies Return: Spider-Man reveals that MJ was zombified after Peter ate her. She reappears in an alternative reality and is later seen being eaten by a zombified Sinister Six that the original zombie Spider-Man accidentally created when he succumbed to his hunger while trying to stop his enemies. [11]

MC2 Universe

Mary Jane Watson on the cover of Amazing Spider-Girl #8. Amazing Spider-Girl 8.jpg
Mary Jane Watson on the cover of Amazing Spider-Girl #8.

In the MC2 universe, which depicts an alternative future timeline for the Marvel Universe, Mary Jane remains married to Peter Parker. Peter's original clone Kaine reunited Mary Jane with her baby daughter in this continuity. Kaine had found the child living with agents of Norman Osborn. Mary Jane's daughter became Spider-Girl, alias May "Mayday" Parker. Many years later, after a complicated pregnancy, Mary Jane would give birth to a baby son, Benjamin. She is a respected fashion designer and businesswoman, secretly opening a store selling Spider-Girl related merchandise to pay for May's and Ben's educations. She has recently become a guidance counselor at May's school, where she learns of the anti-mutant group Humanity First. She also becomes a mother figure to April Parker, the unstable symbiotic clone of Mayday for a time.[ volume & issue needed ]

While caring for Baby May, Alison Mongraine became quite attached to the girl. Because of this, she returns years later to make contact with May. May and Mary Jane forgive Alison, who sincerely regrets her crime and loves the girl like her own child.[ volume & issue needed ]

During the Spider-Verse event, the Parkers come under attack from Daeomos, brother to Morlun, and a member of a powerful dimension-hopping family of parasites called Inheritors, who, like Morlun, feed on the animal totems of the living. As Daemos brings the Parker home crashing down around them, Mary Jane hands over Baby Benjamin to her daughter and instructs her to keep him safe, while she elects to stay behind and assist her husband in delaying the Inheritor. Mary Jane is heard to scream off-panel as Mayday evacuates the house with her brother. Peter is shown to have perished at Daemos' hand. Mayday is saved by other Spider-Men from alternate realitys who have been trying to rescue as many Spiders as possible from the Inheritors, and she vows to kill Daemos and avenge her fallen family. It is later revealed Benjy is the "scion" sought after by the Inheritors who will play a major part in a prophecy that will lead to their defeat. Ultimately, Baby Benjy is rescued and Mayday instead shows mercy to the Inheritors when she is presented with an opportunity to slay that family's own father, Solus.

When Mayday returns to her home dimension, she discovers Mary Jane and her boyfriend Wes are alive, MJ having managed to pull Wes out of the house before it collapsed. MJ confirms to Mayday that her husband is dead but that he would be glad to know his family are safe and sound. MJ suggests Mayday wear her father's costume in his honor. Mayday decides to retire from being Spider-Girl and becomes Spider-Woman.

In Spider-Verse Team-Up#3, while in hiding on a radiation-ravaged Earth inhabited by an alternate version of Peter's Uncle Ben, a grieving Mayday confesses to this Ben that she hopes that there is a version of her and her brother out there in the multiverse that will wake up to loving and thriving parents. This was intended as an attempt by the original Spider-Girl creative team to assure readers of the character that there exists the possibility of the Parker family they followed for Spider-Girl's twelve years in publication remaining alive and untouched by the events that have befallen this version of Mayday.[ citation needed ]

In Spider-Geddon, in reaction to witnessing a romantic kiss between the Peter and Mary Jane of the Renew Your Vows reality, Mayday makes mention that her mother desires nothing more than to kiss her husband one last time. It is revealed at the conclusion of the story that the mystical Spider-Totem known as The Other has resurrected the fallen Peter. [12]

Spider-Island

In the Secret Wars Battleworld version of Spider-Island , Mary Jane, Carlie Cooper, Betty Brant, and Sharon Carter were mutated into spider monsters by the Spider Queen and were used as bait for the resistance, as they also had bombs and tracking devices implanted in them. Spider-Man, Agent Venom, and Iron Goblin manage to subdue them and use Curt Connors' Lizard formula to mutate them into reptilian humanoids which freed them from the Spider Queen's control while the Vision removed the bombs from them just before they exploded.

Spider-Man: Reign

In the alternative future seen in Spider-Man: Reign , Mary Jane died of terminal disease due to prolonged exposure to Peter's radioactive body fluids, her last words being "Go..." as he leaped out of a window to respond to sirens. It is believed that Mary Jane was trying to say "Go get 'em, Tiger". After her death, Peter buried his red and blue costume with her, wearing a black suit until his retirement. However, with the coming of the Sinner Six (and thanks to some encouragement from the tentacles of the now-deceased Doctor Octopus), Peter reclaims his original suit from Mary Jane's coffin and returns to his life as Spider-Man. [13] After the Six are defeated and the WEBB surrounding New York is destroyed, Peter visits Mary Jane's grave, assuring her that he'll be with her again some day, but, for now, he still has his responsibility. [14]

Spectacular Spider-Man magazine

In the UK based Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine, which is aimed at considerably younger readers, Mary Jane is Peter's love interest, but possesses no existing knowledge of his dual identity. A look into the future revealed she eventually marries Peter and has a daughter with him, Mayday, who is active as Spider-Girl. This is the third official continuity to incorporate Spider-Girl into the mythology (besides Earth X and the Spider-Girl title).

Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham

Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham , Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong's anthropomorphic parody of Spider-Man, features Mary Jane as a water buffalo called "Mary Jane Waterbuffalo". [15]

Marvel Universe vs The Punisher

After her husband becomes the first infected in an exposure of a chemical that turns humans into cannibalistic brutes, Mary Jane and Aunt May try to take refuge at a safe haven offered by a priest, though she is kidnapped by Stilt-Man. Through unknown means she is eventually returned to the side of Spider-Man (now dubbed 'Patient Zero') and joins his tribe, despite not being infected. After a few years she becomes pregnant with Patient Zero's child; late in her pregnancy she is abducted by the Kingpin and taken hostage. Patient Zero sends the Punisher to rescue her, but he is captured and tortured for the location of Patient Zero. Mary Jane threatens to kill herself so that she will not reveal Patient Zero's location, but the Kingpin calls her bluff. Eventually Deadpool creates a distraction that allows her to free Punisher, who annihilates all of the cannibals and kills Kingpin. Mary Jane is reunited with Patient Zero, but is left distraught when Punisher kills him. Grieving, she is sent away from Manhattan by Punisher. [16]

Age of X

When the Anti-Mutant group known as the Human Coalition decided to also target the Mutates, Peter send his pregnant wife Mary Jane away to France in order to ensure her safety. [17]

Spider-Gwen

In Edge of Spider-Verse #2 and the ongoing Spider-Gwen series, Mary Jane of Earth 65 is shown to be the leader of a band called the Mary Janes, of which Gwen is a member. [18] The band becomes a national sensation via downloads, though due to Gwen's double-life as Spider-Woman, inner-turmoil strikes the band. After a failed search for a new drummer to replace Gwen, Mary Jane and fellow band member Glory beg her to come back. [19] Eventually, she starts to suspect that Gwen is Spider-Woman, but her bandmates dismiss her claims. Her theory is proven correct when Gwen reveals her identity to them.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane

In Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane , Mary Jane is still a teenager and the book is primarily a teen drama rather than a superhero comic book[ citation needed ], although it takes place in a superhero universe with Spider-Man playing a prominent role. In this continuity, Mary Jane is the most popular girl at Midtown high (her high school in Queens, NY) and even has the title of homecoming queen. She is briefly infatuated with Spider-Man and the two go on a date. After their date, she realizes that she would much rather be with Peter Parker. The ongoing series was preceded by two four-issue limited series, Mary Jane and Mary Jane: Homecoming , intended to appeal to female manga readers and the fans of the Mary Jane novels.[ volume & issue needed ]

Spider-Man: Fairy Tales

Issue #1 of Spider-Man: Fairy Tales mimics the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. In this version of the fairy tale, Mary Jane's character mimics that of Little Red Riding Hood, and Peter is one of the woodsmen. Peter is not very strong but he is fast, agile, and "can climb better than most anyone." Working together, Peter and Mary Jane manage to kill the evil wolf. The two later become engaged.[ volume & issue needed ]

In issue #4, a gender-reversed version of Cinderella, Mary Jane is a servant girl in the house of Sir Osborn, and is in love with Peter Parker. Peter, in the Cinderella role, does not realize this and disguises himself as the "Prince of Arachne" to win the hand of Princess Gwendolyn. Mary Jane discovers Peter's secret identity and aids him.[ volume & issue needed ]

Spider-Man: Clone Saga

In this alternate take on the Clone Saga, Mary Jane and Aunt May are infected by virus from the Jackal, but thankfully are cured by Peter and Ben Reily when near death. Mary Jane later gives birth to their daughter May, but Alison Mongrain kidnaps the baby. Luckily the baby is returned to them. [20]

Spider-Man: Life Story

Spider-Man: Life Story features an alternate continuity where the characters naturally age after Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man in 1962. In 1977, Mary Jane is Harry Osborn's fiancée and runs a discothèque called "Studio 54." When Peter attends one night to support her, she drunkenly lashes out at him for not taking action in his personal life after he questions her relationship with Harry, revealing that she knew Peter was Spider-Man in the process. A year later, Harry breaks up with her and leaves her with a massive fortune after he accidentally killed Peter's wife, Gwen Stacy. After Peter and Gwen's clones leave New York to begin a new life, she comforts Peter in his apartment.

By 1984, she is now married to Peter and gave birth to two twins named Benjamin and Claire. She grows intolerable of Peter's absences as Spider-Man as she takes care of the twins and the elderly May around the time where Peter acquires the black suit. After Peter nearly lets the symbiote take over him while attacking Kraven, she leaves him and takes the twins with her. For the next 11 years, she raises the twins as a single mother in Portland while Peter continues to be CEO of Parker Industries and Spider-Man in New York. After he allows his clone Ben Reilly to take over his life in 1995, he returns to her and the children.

In 2006, Peter returns to New York shortly after Morlun kills Ben to draw the vampire out to him and prevent Tony Stark from taking over his company. As Iron Man forces Peter to participate in the Civil War, Morlun arrives at the Parker residence in Portland and attacks the Parker family. After Benjamin deduces that Morlun is vulnerable when feeding off life force, he allows Morlun to briefly feed of him to protect his mother and allow Claire the chance to impale the vampire on a tree. While he survived the encounter, Morlun's attack cripples him for life. In 2019, Mary Jane and their children say goodbye to Peter for the last time before he goes into space and sacrifices himself to save the world from Doctor Doom's reign. During his final moments, he imagines Mary Jane telling him everything will turn out fine. Shortly after Peter's funeral, Mary Jane meets with the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and gives him Peter's original suit to give the hero a "fresh start" after Otto Octavius took control of his body. [21]

Spider-Verse

Infinity Wars

During Infinity Wars, when the universe was folded in half, Mary Jane is fused with Marlene Alraune. She is the assistant of Peter Spector (Arachknight), who is the CEO of his company. Sometimes she aids him in some occasions, since she knows his secret identity. [24]

Incredible Hercules

In alternate universe where the Amazonia conquered the world and the females became the dominant gender, Mary Jane was a female version of Spider-Man wearing an identical costume to Spider-Girl and was part of the Avengers, which consisted of Spider-Woman (Mary Jane), Ms. Fantastic (Sue Storm), White Phoenix (Jean Grey) and Wolverine (Laura Kinney). [25]

Ultimate Marvel

Mary Jane Watson of Earth-1610 (Ultimate Marvel). Art by Mark Bagley. Ultimate Mary Jane.png
Mary Jane Watson of Earth-1610 (Ultimate Marvel). Art by Mark Bagley.

This version of Mary Jane, first appearing in Ultimate Spider-Man #1, attends Midtown High School with Peter Parker and Liz Allan. Originally known as "Mary" to her friends, she later picks up the "MJ" nickname. Unlike the original MJ, Ultimate Mary Jane is a brilliant student and expresses her true feelings instead of masquerading as a party girl. She has an eruptive temper and has even physically attacked some of the bullies at her school, resulting in a detention. At one time, MJ had expressed her wish to become an actress, then a "teacher who cares". She now has an interest in journalism. She and Peter begin dating in Ultimate Spider-Man #13. In that issue she becomes the second person to learn of Peter's secret identity and the first Peter reveals it to. She mends Peter's spare Spider-Man costumes, once calling herself the Betsy Ross of superheroes. Although Peter and MJ love each other very much, Peter's Spider-Man identity places a strain on their relationship. The relationship is further complicated when Gwen Stacy enters their lives.[ volume & issue needed ]

Later, Peter began to fear for Mary Jane's safety more than ever when the Green Goblin kidnaps her and flings her off the Queensboro Bridge in a twisted attempt to gain Peter's allegiance. MJ survives, but the experience leaves her traumatized. She later grows angry and jealous when she believes that a new girl, Gwen Stacy, has feelings for Peter. MJ ends their relationship in issue #32, although the pair soon reconciles in issue #41. When MJ's father reads her diary and finds her referring to something as the "bridge incident", he tells MJ that she is not allowed to see Peter anymore. Furious, she runs away to an old factory but Peter finds her. MJ's parents separate soon after.[ volume & issue needed ]

In the Hobgoblin arc (#72-78), it was revealed that Harry and Mary Jane engaged in a brief romance around the same time Peter was bitten. Then, long after his father is gunned down as the Green Goblin, Harry tells her that Peter "killed his father." After realizing his life as a superhero will always endanger MJ, Peter ends their relationship in issue #77. Shortly thereafter, Mary Jane goes out with a character named Mark Raxton. After one date, however, she changes her mind, resolving instead to prove herself to Peter and to get him back. When Raxton asks what MJ finds so special about Parker, she simply replies "Everything." She has since shown difficulty in moving on from Peter and in dealing with the state of their friendship, especially after Peter has dated Kitty Pryde. However, Peter has shown an interest in reconciling their differences, and becoming friends again.[ volume & issue needed ]

As part of the Clone Saga arc, MJ is kidnapped from her bedroom by a facially disfigured clone of Peter Parker who is determined to give her powers so that she is no longer in danger from his enemies. He pumps in her bloodstream an unquantified amount of OZ. Upon learning this, she becomes very angry and transforms into a huge, red, goblin-type creature (referred to by Bendis as Ultimate Demogoblin [26] ). However, when the real Peter Parker and Spider-Woman show up, she calms down and resumes her original form, just in time for Peter to render his clone unconscious. MJ is taken to the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building and when she wakes up, she is afraid and angry, causing another transformation. However, when she spots the Peter clone who is in the building, she calms down once again and reverts to her normal self. She is then given what is believed to be a cure for the effects of the OZ formula.[ volume & issue needed ]

During the epilogue of the Clone Saga arc, Peter and MJ rekindle their romance, much to Kitty's dismay. Although MJ seems physically cured, [27] her ordeal has left her badly traumatized, and she suffers from panic attacks and is haunted by the scarred visage of Peter's disfigured clone. Sue Storm suggests that Peter keep a close eye on MJ and seek a psychiatrist to help her. In issue #107, MJ sees Peter talking to Kitty and it angers her. Her hand starts to tremble and her fingernails briefly become claws but she calms down, indicating that her cure might not be permanent or complete, but was never explored further. In issue #112, it is seen that Mary Jane daydreams a scene where she fights against Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four in her mutated form.[ volume & issue needed ]

Mary Jane decides to actively pursue a career in broadcast journalism, and she begins a series of on-location webcast reports in New York with Peter as her cameraman. She constantly messes up her surname, causing her to lose her temper, much to Peter's amusement. She eventually helps Kitty Pryde track down Peter when he is captured and unmasked by The Shocker.[ volume & issue needed ]

In Death of a Goblin, when Spider-Man asks why they can't cure Harry and Norman, one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tells Peter that the cure for OZ does not work.[ volume & issue needed ] Later we do see Mary-Jane's hand start to transform, though she controls it.

Bendis announced on his official message boards that the third Ultimate Spider-Man Annual had been approved following a long period of consideration, as the story deals with what is described as a "heavily controversial topic". Fans have speculated that this will prove to be Peter and MJ exploring a sexual relationship despite their young age; thus far, the only hints of sexual intercourse have been brief encounters interrupted by changes in circumstance (e.g., Aunt May bursting into the room before they can kiss) and an attempt by Wolverine to make some sort of advance to her when he was briefly trapped in Peter's body. However, by the end of the story, Peter, despite knowing that he and MJ love each other, knew that they aren't ready to go to the next level of their relationship, so the idea is postponed. That issue shows that Mary Jane has a knack as a detective, as she figured out that a police officer was on the take from someone, whom the NYPD has dubbed "Mysterio", and has the crooked cop set up surveillance equipment at the police department after Peter informed MJ of the police chase. Mysterio later escapes, but not before vowing to get even with Spider-Man.[ volume & issue needed ]

In the six months since the events of Ultimatum, Peter and Mary Jane have once again broken up and become estranged. Mary Jane especially has become withdrawn and consumed in her work for the school webcast. Although Peter was now in a relationship with Gwen Stacy, he and MJ started to repair their friendship. Gwen eventually broke up with Peter, realizing he loved MJ more. Her appearance has also drastically changed as she now has much shorter hair and wears glasses. She would gradually ditch this look as she and Peter reunited as a couple. Peter would later seemingly perish in battle with Norman Osborn and the Sinister Six while saving his Aunt May's life. Mary Jane contemplated writing a tell-all exposé on how Fury had failed Peter after his death, but abandoned the idea when she saw Fury's genuine remorse at how he had failed to protect Peter.[ volume & issue needed ]

When the Peter Parker of Earth-616 briefly crossed into the Ultimate universe, Gwen called Mary Jane to inform her about his presence, but even after seeing the older Peter leave the house, MJ was unable to bring herself to talk to him, running away when Peter noticed her. [28]

It is eventually revealed that Peter somehow survived his fateful ordeal, waking up in an abandoned lab in San Francisco. Peter made his way back to New York and reunited with Mary Jane. The two dug up his grave to find no body in the casket. After reuniting with Aunt May and Gwen, and meeting up with Miles Morales, Peter helped his successor confront Norman Osborn, who indicated his OZ formula had effectively granted any infused with it immortality, himself and Peter included. Upon defeating Osborn, Peter elects to leave New York, with Mary Jane deciding to travel with him, and the two depart the city in her family car.

During the Secret Wars (2015) event and the tie-in "Ultimate End", the Ultimate Universe was destroyed by a reality-breaking Incursion and formed part of the patchwork planet Battleworld. Despite appearances from Miles, 616 Peter, Ganke, Gwen and Aunt May, both Ultimate Peter and Mary Jane are absent from the story.

At the conclusion of the 2017 event Spider-Men II, it is revealed that the Ultimate Universe had been restored to the multiverse and that Peter has returned to New York with Mary Jane and had now fully reestablished himself as Spider-Man (Miles Morales having been integrated into Earth 616 history following the events of Secret Wars), Mary Jane makes a brief appearance contacting Peter to let him know he is late for a party.

Marvel Gamerverse

Mary Jane Watson of Earth-1048, the parallel universe setting of the 2018 video game Spider-Man. Mary Jane Watson (Earth-1048 version).png
Mary Jane Watson of Earth-1048, the parallel universe setting of the 2018 video game Spider-Man .

On Earth-1048, Mary Jane is an investigative journalist for The Daily Bugle. She and Peter are just friends after a breakup. She aids Spider-Man by granting him helpful information throughout his missions. While sneaking in Norman's penthouse she discovers that their childhood friend Harry Osborn is suffering from the same disease that killed Harry's mother and that Norman Osborn was trying to find a cure for his son's disease, which resulted in Martin Li getting his powers and the creation of Devil's breath. She also finds out that Norman and Otto Octavius were friends in the past and had created Oscorp together, but due to Norman's experiments Otto quit his job. Then Mary Jane unknowingly brings a genetically altered spider to FEAST which bites Miles Morales. After the battle against Doc Ock, the death of Aunt May, and her receiving a job promotion, she and Peter decide to rekindle their relationship. When Mary Jane discovers the state of Silver Sable's country, she decides to go to Symkaria to report on the war there. [29]

King-Sized Spider-Man Summer Special

Mary-Jane plays a starring role in Un-Enchanted Evening, a 23-page out-of-continuity short story in the King-Sized Spider-Man Summer Special. In the tale, MJ and her friends Millie the Model and Patsy Walker accidentally end up in the middle of a plot by Enchantress to kidnap and brainwash Clea, She-Hulk, Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch, and Patsy, turning them into her personal army. In the final confrontation between the heroines and Enchantress, MJ and Millie save the day when they distract her long enough for Clea to magically bind and gag her, effectively neutralizing her spell-casting abilities.[ volume & issue needed ]

New Fantastic Four

One of the Ages of Apocalypse created when Apocalypse warped the main universe, on this universe where the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers and Doctor Doom were almost killed, Mary Jane is married to Peter, who is a member of the New Fantastic Four along with Wolverine, Hulk, Ghost Rider. Her and Peter also have a daughter named May. [30]

Silver Surfer: Requiem

In the reality where Silver Surfer died due to coating breaking down, Mary Jane is seen where she is still married to Peter. [31]

Spider-Man never existed

In a world where Peter Parker had never existed, everyone who had known him in the main universe appears more successful, with Mary Jane becoming a successful actress and starring in the blockbuster film Rescue. [32]

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