Mary Jane Watson wasn't Peter Parker's first love interest, and she wasn't even his most important girlfriend during Stan Lee's run. Despite the other women in Peter's life, Mary Jane rose to such a prominence that she is now considered one of Spider-Man's most important supporting characters ever.
During the Lee/Ditko run back in 1965 Aunt May had hoped to set Mary Jane up with Peter. The niece of Aunt May's friend Anna Watson, MJ's initial appearances had her face hidden, and Peter himself kept missing out on meeting her until her bold introduction in Amazing Spider-Man #42. Since then, Mary Jane was fleshed out as a character and grew in a number of ways.
10 She Stopped Speaking In Slang
The Amazing Spider-Man title was the most youth-oriented comic book of its day. By the time Peter Parker entered college, he was surrounded by hip-sounding friends spouting 60s slang on every page. Mary Jane was the worst offender.
A free spirit through and through, everything that came out of Mary Jane's mouth was made to make her sound like the coolest girl Peter had ever met. As the years went on and the 1960s were left in the past, Mary Jane's way of speaking was significantly toned down.
9 Her Hairstyle Grew With The Times
John Romita Sr. designed Mary Jane, creating her classic long, red hair and bangs look. Mary Jane's clothes would often be the most fashionable, but it's her hair that has changed the most dramatically over the years.
Mary Jane sported a shorter hairstyle soon after her first appearance but would later go back to having long hair. By the time the 1980s rolled around, Mary Jane's hair was curlier and had more volume. MJ's classic hairstyle always made a comeback, but it never stopped her from experimenting with her hair.
8 She Matured As The Years Passed
Peter Parker has always been a serious character, and for every relationship he was in, there was bound to be drama. Mary Jane was introduced as the fun alternative, bringing a lightness and joy to Peter's dating life. Mary Jane's only goal in life was having fun.
Things turned around for Mary Jane after Gwen Stacy's death. Peter called Mary Jane out on her previous tendencies and didn't believe she cared about Gwen. Mary Jane proved him wrong and became his shoulder to cry on. She would even support him during the times Aunt May was in the hospital.
7 She Found Out Peter Parker Was Spider-Man
Even when Peter was dating Mary Jane, he kept his identity as Spider-Man from her. Or so he thought. Mary Jane was visiting Peter's apartment when the Puma attacked. Peter shooed her out of the apartment and fought Puma outside as Spider-Man. When Peter returned, MJ told him she knew he was Spider-Man.
Years prior, Mary Jane had seen Spider-Man leaving Peter's bedroom and had been keeping the fact that she knew his secret to herself. With Peter's secret out, he and Mary Jane entered a new phase in their relationship.
6 She Became An Actress
Mary Jane was always more interested in being an entertainer than in pursuing academic learning. With a background in theater and working as a dancer part-time, Mary Jane had to finish college and deal with familial issues first before becoming a model.
Mary Jane's modeling career lead to her recurring role in the soap opera "Secret Hospital." She would later go on to star as the love interest of the titular Lobster-Man in Lobster-Man: The Movie. Mary Jane's acting career had her frequently traveling between New York and Los Angeles.
5 She Became Mary Jane Watson-Parker
Mary Jane had strong feelings for Peter, but she turned down his initial marriage proposal. After coming to terms with a few things from her personal life, she finally agreed to marry him.
Peter and MJ were married in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21. From then on, Mary Jane would live with Peter and became the most important supporting character in the Spider-Man comics. She and Peter learned how to trust and love each on a deeper level throughout their marriage, which lasted until the "One More Day" story arc.
4 She Became Pregnant
Peter and Mary Jane had a steady marriage, despite his being Spider-Man, until she discovered that she was pregnant at the same time that Peter's clone Ben Reilly entered their lives. Peter and MJ left New York for a new life in Oregon where they could raise their child.
Peter and MJ returned to New York later in time for Mary Jane to have the baby. Unfortunately, Norman Osborn had returned and was plotting against Peter. He had one of his operatives poison Mary Jane, and she lost the baby.
3 She Was No Longer Married To Peter
The biggest change to Mary Jane's life since marrying Peter was having her marriage undone. Mary Jane lived with the Avengers and then was on the run when Peter revealed his secret identity. With their lives in shambles, Mephisto showed with an offer to help save the dying Aunt May.
Mephisto would save Aunt May at the cost of Peter and MJ's marriage. Mary Jane insisted Peter set things back to normal, and through this deal, Mary Jane was in a new reality where she had never been married to Peter and wasn't even dating him.
2 She Became An Entrepreneur
Mary Jane hasn't spent her entire career modeling and acting. In The Amazing Spider-Man #686, she bought a club that was once used by the Vulture as a base of operations and used it to throw a party to show her appreciation for all Peter has done as Spider-Man.
Thus, MJ's was born, a happening nightclub where Mary Jane acted as bartender. It wasn't long until the club was destroyed, as Mary Jane revealed in Invincible Iron Man #4. She then moved to Los Angeles and opened another nightclub called Jackpot.
1 She Moved Past Being A Spider-Man Supporting Character
Mary Jane’s wider appeal grew so much she couldn’t remain just a supporting character for Spider-Man forever. She frequently began appearing in other comic books, such as Avengers and Iron Man, and she even starred in some titles herself.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane was launched in 2005 as a teen drama comic book with Spider-Man and his supporting characters but told through Mary Jane’s perspective. In 2019, Mary Jane starred in The Amazing Mary Jane, where she became an actress in a movie directed by a disguised Mysterio.