One of Marvel’s best couples is also one of the comic publisher’s most strained and difficult relationships. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson are currently going through a devastating separation in Zeb Wells and John Romita, Jr.’s Amazing Spider-Man. However, it’s not the first time the fan-favorite couple has split up over the years.
Spider-Man and MJ’s romantic relationship has recovered from quite a few mistakes that left traumatic stars. Those scars caused lasting damage and created recurring issues. Some of these mistakes have continued to haunt Spider-Man and MJ’s relationship and threatened to end them, though their love for each other almost always persevered.
10 Peter Parker's Constant Failed Attempts To See Her Off At The Airport Caused Problems
It was a kiss at an airport that really kicked off Spider-Man and MJ’s marriage. However, Peter Parker has also missed quite a few important sendoffs as well. Mary Jane traveled a lot for her work or to visit family, and it often came at a time when they were struggling with various issues. This more often than not led to a separation that sometimes ended in tragedy.
One of the worst things that happened to Mary Jane came after she learned that Peter had broken yet another promise to her. Her plane took off and it exploded in mid-air while her husband watched her apparent death. A stalker had actually taken her prisoner until Spider-Man later rescued her. He also recently missed a chance to propose when she left New York to shoot a film.
9 His Relationship With Black Cat Was A Sore Spot With Mary Jane For Many Years
Spider-Man has had a few girlfriends over the years, but only a couple have impacted his relationship with MJ. His lost love Gwen Stacy has haunted their relationship but it often served to bring them closer together. Black Cat might have been a better match for Spider-Man than MJ. However, when thier intense romantic relationship ended, it continued to create issues with Peter and MJ.
Black Cat spent some time away before deciding she wanted to get back together with Spider-Man. When she learned that he was with MJ, she struck out and attacked his new girlfriend. They had a few tense moments before Black Cat was able to move on. MJ and Felicia eventually became close friends, but it was a deep scratch that didn’t heal for years.
8 MJ's Desire For Peter To Quit Being Spider-Man Put Pressure On Their Relationship
It’s never easy being in a relationship with a superhero, as Mary Jane quickly found out when she finally got together with Peter Parker. It was hard for MJ to worry about the man she loved every night, and she briefly started smoking from the stress. Mary Jane struggled with being the second most important thing in his life and has occasionally asked him to quit for her.
She’s given him ultimatums before that forced him to choose between his love for her and his responsibility as Spider-Man. She’s even asked him to temporarily take a break for his mental health after the death of Harry Osborn. However, he’s never been able to look the other way when he saw someone who needed help, and the broken promises began to put a strain on their marriage.
7 Venom's Traumatic Attack Left MJ Terrified Of Spider-Man When He’s In The Black Suit
Mary Jane took on a number of risks when she agreed to marry Peter Parker knowing that he was Spider-Man. A certain set of dangers come with dating a superhero, and she has found herself targeted by his enemies on more than one occasion. One of the worst attacks came from Eddie Brock in his earliest moments as Venom, which traumatized Mary Jane.
Brock bonded with Spider-Man’s former symbiote to become Venom, which gave his black suit a horrifying edge. Mary Jane felt retraumatized every time she saw Peter Parker wearing the cloth version of his black suit. He decided to retire the costume to help MJ get past the trauma. Peter’s mishandling of the alien symbiote negatively affected MJ, but they moved past it together.
6 Peter Parker Abandoned His Life And Relationship When He Became The Spider
Spider-Man’s enemies put him through the wringer during the’90s. One of The Chameleon's most evil deeds mentally broke the hero. He created robotic doppelgangers of Peter Parker’s deceased parents. They managed to work their way into Peter Parker’s life, though they eventually turned on him and he lost his parents all over again.
The deteriorating condition of his Aunt May then caused Peter Parker to retreat from his humanity. He embraced The Spider to avoid his feelings, which put a serious strain on his relationship with MJ. She left after discovering Spider-Man had webbed himself up into a "transformative" cocoon. MJ eventually returned after reconnecting with her family to help bring Peter out of the darkness.
5 He Accidentally Hit MJ In A Fit Of Rage During The Controversial Clone Saga
Peter Parker reached one of his lowest depths in the ‘90s during the controversial Clone Saga. One of the worst things the Jackal ever did to Spider-Man made him doubt his own existence. The introduction of his clone Ben Reilly and a series of manipulations left Peter Parker reeling.
A mental timebomb left in his head by The Jackal caused him to try and hunt down and kill MJ. She was able to snap him out of it and break the programming. After an altered test revealed that Peter Parker was really the clone, he lashed out at Reilly. Peter hit his pregnant wife in a fit of rage. She almost instantly forgave him, but he didn’t forgive himself for hitting her.
4 The Decision To Move Back To New York City Ultimately Cost Them Their Only Child
After they came to terms with the (faked) revelation that Parker was the clone, Peter and MJ decided that the best thing they could do for their new family was to move away from New York City. He gave the Spider-Man costume to Ben Reilly and decided to move to Portland where he got a job as a scientist. He even lost his powers while there, setting them up for a peaceful new life.
Unfortunately, they missed their life in New York City and eventually moved back to the city before their baby was born. Norman Osborn was the mastermind of the Clone Saga, and he had MJ poisoned. She believed their baby was stillborn, but really Osborn had their child either killed or taken. If they had just stayed in Portland, it’s possible they might have had their happily ever after.
3 They Erased Their Marriage During One More Day in Order To Save Aunt May's Life
One of the biggest mistakes that Peter Parker and Mary Jane ever made cost them their entire marriage. Aunt May was fatally shot after Peter revealed his secret identity during the Civil War event. He exhausted every possible option in a failed attempt to save her life. Finally, the demon Mephisto agreed to save the life of Aunt May in the controversial "One More Day" arc.
His price was Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage, which would erase years of their relationship. It was a hard and tortured decision that they made together, but it had serious consequences. Mephisto taunted them with the ghost of the daughter they would never have after he erased their marriage. Peter and MJ spent years apart, though they eventually developed a close friendship.
2 His Dedication To His Life As Spider-Man Drove Her Away And Into Tony Stark’s Arms
Spider-Man and MJ’s relationship almost developed into a romance a couple of times after Mephisto erased their marriage from reality. Unfortunately, he drove her away from him on more than one occasion. Otto Octavius ruined their new romance when he was in control of Peter Parker’s body during his time as Superior Spider-Man. However, Peter did it by losing focus on her.
He devoted himself to his life as Spider-Man and his newfound role as the CEO of his own tech company. MJ found a new job working with Tony Stark, and their paths eventually crossed at a party. Peter finally realized that he had lost the best chance he had with the women he loved because of his devotion to Spider-Man. He told Tony not to lose her and decided to win her back.
1 Spider-Man's Failure To Stop A Catastrophic Event Drove The Reunited Couple Apart
Peter Parker and Mary Jane finally got back together in a meaningful way while they dealt with one of Spider-Man's most dangerous villains, Kindred. Their shared history and trauma once again brought them back into each other’s arms, and it seemed like the duo was once again heading towards the wedding altar.
Unfortunately, Spider-Man was responsible for a tragic incident that caused him to withdraw once again. His Aunt May abandoned him and the Avengers cut their ties with Spider-Man. MJ even entered a new family dynamic by dating a single father. Peter Parker threw away their relationship after the catastrophe, which might be the biggest mistake he’s made in their relationship yet.