Mary Jane Watson

Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. The character made her first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #25. Since then she has gone on to become Spider-Man's main love interest and later his wife. Mary Jane is the most famous and prominent love interest of Peter Parker due to their long history, as she is also represented in most Spider-Man media and adaptations.

Although she made a brief first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #25 with a plant obscuring her exterior, Mary Jane's first official face reveal was in The Amazing Spider-Man #42. Designed and drawn by John Romita Sr., her entrance is regarded as one of the most iconic introductions in comic history, owing it to its build-up, her hyper-vibrant red hair and her most famous line, "Face it, Tiger... you just hit the jackpot!" Since then, 'Tiger' has been her most recognizable nickname for Peter Parker, spanning comics and media adaptations.

Initially set up by Aunt May as a blind date, redheaded party girl Mary Jane "MJ" Watson was depicted in her early appearances as Gwen Stacy's competition. Though Peter dated her briefly before Gwen, both of them broke it off as Peter saw her flamboyance, flakiness and 'life of the party' personality as shallow and MJ was not ready to be tied down by one man. She eventually became Peter's main love interest after Gwen's death at the hands of the Green Goblin. The pair formed a bond through the grief of losing Gwen, as Mary Jane grew to become a more mature and open-hearted person. She and Peter got closer, fell deeply in love, had an on-off relationship for years and eventually married. Despite their marriage being undone due to the timeline manipulations by the villain Mephisto, Mary Jane and Peter retained a close friendship and have since temporarily resumed their romantic relationship.

Starting from her memorable debut, Mary Jane Watson has earned a place in comic polls over the years—making her the most popular "non-powered" character in the Marvel universe and one of the best known female love interests in superhero pop culture.

The character has been portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in the first installment in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. The character was voiced by Zoë Kravitz in the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Superhero alteregos
Despite usually presented as a "non-powered" character, Mary Jane has also adopted some superhero identities in Marvel media.

Canon media

 * Iron Spider
 * Spider-Woman (Exiles, Marvel Mangaverse and the 2012-2017 Ultimate Spider-Man animated series)
 * Spinneret (Renew Your Vows)

Fanon media (exclusively for Idea Wiki)

 * Phoenix Princess
 * Tigra
 * Songbird
 * Scarlet Witch
 * Red Falcon

Comics

 * Mary Jane appears in Comic Con Incorporated. She is a roomer in the titular fictional hotel, next to Peter Parker / Spider-Man. She is shown to have friendly encounters with Lois Lane in certain issues.
 * A version of Mary Jane appears as a main character in The Amazing Avengers. In the comic book series, Mary Jane is the youngest of the four children of Mar-Vell. After witnessing her father's death by the hands of Crimson Spider, Mary Jane had her Kree powers awakened by the energies transferred from her father to his children (with Mary Jane manifesting the powers of increased strength, speed and stamina, energy projection and flight). After being given with high tech resources with the Kree scientists who were loyal to Mar-Vell, Mary Jane took on the moniker of Captain Marvel and went on a journey to protect the galaxy while she sensed that her other siblings (Phyla-Vell Neramani / Quasar, Dorrek VIII / Theodore "Teddy" Altman / Hulkling, and Kevin Quill / Star-Lord) were looking for her. Later, after battling crime alongside Captain America (whom she recognized as Peter Parker, who likewise recognized her identity), Mary Jane also married him and had four children with him for the next eight years later. She also became the second-in command of the Avengers.
 * A version of Mary Jane Watson appears as one of the core protagonists in Ultimate Marvel: Earth-2. In the franchise, she is a human/alien hybrid and daughter of the Titanian Tiger tribe chief Soto, and the series' version of Tigra.

TV Series
Mary Jane appears in several of Iago PUC's Marvel animated ideas. In most of them, she is voiced by Ashley Johnson.
 * In Marvel's Spider-Man: Webbed Champion, she appears as a main character and supporting heroine. Like her Ultimate Marvel: Earth-2 counterpart, Mary Jane is the half-human, half-alien daughter of chief Soto of the Titanian Tiger tribe, and the show's version of Tigra. Additionally, Mary Jane is also a skilled master archer, and is equipped with a tribal bow and Vibranium arrow set. She is revealed to have known of Peter's secret life as Spider-Man since he was bitten by a radioactive spider (a flashback reveals she was the only one other than Peter himself at the Oscorp field trip who noticed the spider biting him) and has been in love with him after his first heroic success. She first made a non-speaking cameo in Season 1 episode "Venom", where she was the Football team mascot of Midtown High. She later made her full appearance in "On the Tiger's Claws", on which she is shown to have dropped out of Midtown High to enroll at Horizon High. It is later explained in "City of Heroes, Part 3: American Cats" that she dropped out of Midtown High after overhearing Flash Thompson having a heated argument with Jason Macendale (whom he kicked out of the school's Football team for dressing as a clown in a children's hospital) and indirectly insulted Mary Jane by referring to costumed party entertainers as "useless clowns", also leading to an upset and offended Mary Jane to end her friendship with Flash (who was soon left brokenhearted and felt guilty over his mistake), although she would still remain friends with Liz Allan and Randy Robertson as well as Flash's mutually estranged younger brothers Marcus (who secretly operates as the superhero Lion King) and Jack (whom Mary Jane later became babysitter of). Currently acting as one of Spider-Man's comrades, Mary Jane / Tigra also assisted him in recent battles, such as the ones orchestrated by Doctor Octopus as the "Master Planner" via the Living Brain. She and the female heroines (Gwen Stacy / Ghost-Spider, Anya Corazon / Spider-Girl, Liz / Firestar and Michelle Jones / Wave) were also the main focus of episode "What Girls Are Made Of" (the only episode where Spider-Man himself did not appear in). Mary Jane also played a major supporting in the "Family Business" arc, on which she and the rest of Peter's friends helped him finish the projects his parents and expose the criminals (Norman Osborn and Red Skull) behind their deaths. Successful, Tigra and the rest of the young heroes formed the Champions, while Mary Jane and the rest of Peter's friends started a new friendship with his long lost younger sister Teresa Parker. Later in the multipart crossover finale "Legendary Universes", Mary Jane joined Spider-Man's journey across the universes from where his parents earned their scientific projects and sought to destroy the Oscorp protocols which were discarded in there. Mary Jane / Tigra was among the Champions who accompanied Spider-Man in "Part 3: Unlimited Speed", where they teamed up with Sonic the Hedgehog and the Mobian Freedom Fighters to destroy a discarded prototype of Doctor Octopus' tentacle harness in EggRobo's possession. During the episode, Mary Jane started a genuine friendship and bond with her partner and Sonic's girlfriend Sally Acorn; the two viewed each other as "dedicated princesses" (with Mary Jane acknowledging Sally as a princess in Mobius' Acorn Empire, and Sally acknowledging Mary Jane as the daughter of a village chief) and supported each other's romance with their leaders.
 * Mary Jane plays a supporting role in A Marvel Christmas Carol. She is first seen as Tigra along with the Champions helping the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy repel the Frost Giants led by Ymir. Later, when Cassie Lang suggests inviting Vincent Dawson and his family for a Christmas party at the main F.E.A.S.T. Shelter, Mary Jane replies that Vincent might be unable to because of his abusive boss Franklin Todd, leading to Peter, Cassie, Groot, Cloak and Dagger to formulate a plan to reform Todd from his greedy ways. Mary Jane is later shown with the rest of the Champions discussing about what can be done for Vincent and his family while Peter and the others execute their plan with help from Doctor Strange. In a vision of the alternate future (which would occur had Todd not reformed), Mary Jane is shown among the teenagers watching as Hulk and Rocket carrying Todd's coffin, while voicing relief that Todd died by saying: "I don't know how it happened, but I do know that he deserved that. Like my boyfriend said before: Good riddance.". Mary Jane is later shown in the end of the film celebrating Christmas with her friends while also pleased to know that Peter, Cassie, Groot, Cloak and Dagger successfully reformed Todd. During a dance, she and Peter are put under a mistletoe by Groot (as discreetly suggested by Teresa), getting the couple to share a kiss.
 * The Mary Jane Watson incarnation of Tigra is a main character in Marvel: All New, All Different Chronicles. Sharing similar details and origins of her Ultimate Marvel: Earth-2 counterpart, Mary Jane is also a top student in Baxter Institute, and a key member of the New Champions.

Video Game

 * Mary Jane is a playable character in Marvel's The Avenging Spider-Man (a sequel to the 2018 Spider-Man video game), voiced by Laura Bailey. Following the events of the previous game, Mary Jane had reaffirmed her romantic relationship with Peter Parker, and is revealed to be raising Anya Corazon as her own surrogate sister. Later, after Spider-Man's first mission with the Avengers, Mary Jane is soon revealed to be an Inhuman descendant after she is affected by the Terrigen Mist, which awakens her Inhuman powers of flight and Pyrokinesis. Despite terrified of her changes, Mary Jane soon embraces her powers and adopts the moniker of Firestar, while under the supervision of Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel.

Comics

 * A version of Mary Jane appears in All New, All Ultimate Marvel. A member of the superhero team New Warriors and Spider-Man's love interest, this version owns a flight nanosuit made out of Adamantium and crafted by Stark technology with the capabilities to communicate with birds (both pets and wild birds) and perform sonic wave attacks, and goes by the identity of Songbird. She has a telepathic link with her pet Barn Owl Athena. Orphaned at the age of 6, she was raised by Natasha Romanoff as her own surrogate daughter.
 * A version of Mary Jane serves as the primary protagonist in Marvel's Red Falcon, on which she goes by the identity of the titular superheroine.

TV Series

 * Mary Jane appears in the second season of Coolot's version of Marvel's Spider-Man, voiced by Felicia Day.

Video games

 * Mary Jane is the main protagonist in Marvel Zombies: The Video Game, voiced by Danica McKellar.

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 * Mary Jane appears as Spider-Woman in Captured, voiced by Tara Strong.

Joint ideas

 * Mary Jane appears in Spider-Man: Web of Intrigue, voiced by Ashley Johnson.
 * Mary Jane appears in The Spiderverse, voiced by Olivia Olson. Also appearing are alternate versions of the character:
 * The Noir incarnation, voiced by Vanessa Marshall.
 * The Spider-Gwen incarnation, voiced by Jessie Flower.
 * The Mangaverse incarnation of Spider-Woman, voiced by Tara Platt.
 * The MC2 incarnation, voiced by Jennifer Hale.