In If Her Hair Was Still Red, I take a look at all of Mary Jane Watson's comic book appearances in chronological order (by date of publication). Mary Jane's progression as a character fascinates me.

When last we saw our star-crossed lovers, they had just begun dating in earnest...just in time for Harry Osborn to try to kill them both in an explosion that destroyed the apartment that Peter shared with Harry. Mary Jane was badly injured and had to have a long hospital stay. So Mary Jane was out of the book for a few issues. During this time, Peter also actually surprisingly stayed with Flash Thompson for a night and he and Flash sort of bonded with each other. Peter then got his own apartment and met his neighbor, Glory Grant. Peter also began to fight against the Jackal for real (instead of the Jackal attacking Spidey through intermediaries).

That brings us to Amazing Spider-Man #141 (by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, Dave Hunt and Frank Giacoia), where Mary Jane finally returns from the hospital and goes right back to some heavy duty flirting with Peter...

Since the Clone Saga is coming up, you can tell that this Peter is the "real" Peter because he is over-thinking every part of this experience with Mary Jane, as they hold hands and he is all, "But what about my dead girlfriend?"

Later, Peter encounters Mysterio and he is left with hallucinations. He is at his new apartment and Mary Jane comes over and he hallucinates the Kingpin...

Nice little bit of jealousy here by Mary Jane, right?

Later, at the Daily Bugle, we learn that Betty Brant and Ned Leeds have set a date for their wedding and I love how happy Mary Jane is for a couple that she really doesn't know that well. She does, though, relate back to the notable Christmas party where she revealed that she has serious feelings for Peter...

During all of this, though, Peter hallucinates seeing Gwen Stacy...or IS it a hallucination?

Despite ending things in that issue with Mary Jane on an odd note, the next issue changes things forever!

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Discover why Mary Jane calls Peter Tiger!']

Peter and Robbie Robertson have to head to Paris to help J. Jonah Jameson, who is in trouble there. Mary Jane comes to the airport to say goodbye and wow, look at the master class of sequential storytelling by Ross Andru here, as Peter asks Mary Jane why she calls him "Tiger" and she basically says it is because he is so timid and then they kiss and she has to re-evaluate her feelings about Peter in a very good way...

That's just stunning. One of the all-time greatest moments between Peter and Mary Jane. Wow, this little stint here by Conway and Andru sure was outstanding, in terms of Peter and Mary Jane developing a relationship.

I'll skip the second part of this story for now, because it really kicks off the Clone Saga in earnest, and I think that should wait for its own entry (and then a separate entry for the "click" heard 'round the world).

Reader Jordan C. wrote in to share his awesome Mary Jane tattoo (I somehow forgot to actually post the photos last time. My bad!)!

That's some dedication!

If you have any thoughts about Mary Jane's comic book history (or stuff like Jordan's tattoo) or any of the issues that are coming up (we're up to Amazing Spider-Man #144 now), feel free to drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com, I'll be sure to include your thoughts in my next column...well, "be sure" is a stretch. It depends on what your thoughts are! Your thoughts might be stupid. I don't know you!