WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for She-Hulk #1, available now from Marvel.
Jennifer Walters has gone through more difficult changes in the past year than she could have ever expected. Thankfully, She-Hulk has managed to overcome all of them and get back to the life she knows best. Returning to her work in the legal sector might seem like a dream come true, but one of Jennifer's oldest adversaries has just stepped back into her life to shake it all up.
She-Hulk #1 by Rainbow Rowell, Roge Antonio, Rico Renzi, and VC's Joe Caramagna begins with a stressful walk to work for Jennifer Walters. As Jennifer keeps her head down and contemplates how off track her life has gotten, she is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Mary MacPherran (AKA Titania). Jennifer's longtime rival wastes no time in challenging her to a fight. Titania quickly proves no match for She-Hulk. But there's a very specific reason she keeps trying to defeat her long-time rival. Titania explains that battling She-Hulk is the only time she really gets to let loose. Even if it costs her another stint in prison, the rush of unbridled combat is more than worth it. Surprisingly, She-Hulk agrees wholeheartedly, though she isn't a big fan of tearing each other up in the street when she and Mary could be fighting in the ring.
Ever since her first appearance back in 1984's Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #3, Mary MacPherran has been desperately trying to take hold of the reins of her own life. Mary was already in hot water with her peers for pretending to be Spider-Woman when she was ripped away to Battleworld. There she found Doctor Doom, who offered her the powers she would come to be so well known for. The transformation may have given Mary the strength she was looking for, but even that would leave her with an even greater need to prove herself. The chance to fight She-Hulk on Battleworld seemed to be just that, until Titania lost their bout in what would be the start of their decades long rivalry.
Since then, Titania has rarely gotten the best of She-Hulk despite countless attempts to fell her foe. Mary has managed to amass an impressive list of victories over the years, most notably as a hero alongside her similarly semi-reformed husband Carl Creel as part of Gamma Flight. As astounding as saving the world from an army of unwitting Gamma zombies may have been, Mary is still unfulfilled now that the dust has settled. From their latest confrontation, it's clear that Mary's desire to fight Jennifer isn't rooted in any real animosity no matter how much Titania would like to pretend it is. It isn't just that they are taking their fights off the street but the genuine concern that the two show for one another during their fight.
Now that She-Hulk has offered to take on the role of regular sparring partner, it looks like the two are on track to become Marvel's next great team-up, maybe even outside of the comics. She-Hulk starring Tatiana Maslany as the titular hero is already slated to release on Disney+ later this year. Not only will the series be Jennifer Walter's introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is slated to introduce Titania as well. Portrayed by Jameela Jamil, it's hard to imagine that Titania's relationship with She-Hulk won't be antagonistic from the outset, but that doesn't mean the two won't find some common ground later on.
Assuming nothing comes between the two, Titania could very well be just the friend that She-Hulk needs, and vice versa. Jennifer Walters is obviously dealing with more stress than she knows what to do with, while Titania is floundering between the two ends of the superpowered spectrum that she has never really felt at home in. Here's hoping these two can bring out the best in each other without knocking any buildings down in the process.