Comics Would you rather Spidey be married or single?

[Spider-Gnome]

I said it before, I'll say it again, the problem wasn't Pete married a super model. The problem was they turned MJ into a super model. They should have left her a struggling actress.

 

[farmernudie]

>double post<

 

[farmernudie]

MJ's job (model) is just about pointless, now, anyway. A moot point, since her role currently is a jaded girlfriend who was happily married and not a girlfirend at all, but doesn't remember she is married, unless THAT is what she whispered to the devil.

Her job shouldn't matter, imo. When you love someone, who cares if Pete is a store clerk and she is an astronaut?? I mean really. Pete can't marry certain girls if their job is too good?

And what is the measure of a job too good for Pete's gal?

They should make her a check-out girl, so they prep her for when the reunite them, as they will eventually remember they are married, it is only a matter of time, and then when she is a cashier, no one will have a problem with them being married.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

I made the comment, because people were saying it was out of character for Pete to marry a super model. I don't think they really started that stuff until after the wedding.

And I agree with those who complained about her characterization once married. But I feel that's more the fault of the writers. I think they needed to go back to the 60's and 70's issues to get the feel of the character. We got an explanation to her party girl personae. That shouldn't have meant she should be now be reduced to a wet blanket.

 

[farmernudie]

Oh, no, Spider-Gnome, i wasn't writing in regards to you at all....just i noticed that some people feel THAT is one of the reasons, theyshouldn't be married, is because MJ is a "supermodel".

 

[Spider-Gnome]

Oh, no, Spider-Gnome, i wasn't writing in regards to you at all....just i noticed that some people feel THAT is one of the reasons, theyshouldn't be married, is because MJ is a "supermodel".

No, problem. I know we're definitely on the same side of things when it comes to Spidey! Unfortunately, due to no will power, I still collect. It has gotten better, with the odd exception of drunken hook-ups.

Maybe Mickey Mouse can come in a restore the marriage! Makes about as much sense as Mephisto removing it.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Heh, Micky with the Wizard hat and dancing brooms. I'd buy that

 

[Spider-Gnome]

Heh, Micky with the Wizard hat and dancing brooms. I'd buy that

lol Yeah, the Sorcerer's Apprentice!

 

[imdaly]

lol Yeah, the Sorcerer Supreme's Apprentice!

Fix'd.

 

[Meehaul]

Actually, one can argue that one's "dream job" tells us quite a bit about the person's character. MJ was the consummate, bubble-headed "party girl, which made her the perfect candidate for becoming a "model actress." It wasn't so much the JOB, but what that job represented about who MJ was/is. Also, the whole "living in the lap of luxury" thing, didn't fit with Pete. Betty Brant was a secretary-that worked. Gwen started out sort of *****y, but when the powers that be decided Gwen would be "the one", her personality toned down turning her into an "angel" and she became, like Pete, a science student-with the intention of going into teaching. The characters and their chosen professions were inextricably linked. So, it wasn't the job, it was what the job represented about the character (shallow, not very smart, partier) and what it brought (wealth, nice apartment, etc.). The issue with all this, however, is that the nature of these characters has changed so many times, it's hard to keep track. But MJ, at least the way she was originally written, was never much of a "fit" for Pete. And, the way she's been written, just like Gwen, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

I made the comment, because people were saying it was out of character for Pete to marry a super model. I don't think they really started that stuff until after the wedding.

And I agree with those who complained about her characterization once married. But I feel that's more the fault of the writers. I think they needed to go back to the 60's and 70's issues to get the feel of the character. We got an explanation to her party girl personae. That shouldn't have meant she should be now be reduced to a wet blanket.

I agree about it mostly being the fault of the writers and not the situation--you can write a compelling story with married characters in a good, loving relationship. If you don't believe me, look at Hickman's run so far with F4. If you don't see it after that, keep reading until it sinks in.

And I can see where the model/actress could be a little detremental to the character (I liked how MJ slowly went from that to going into state theater, those scenes being one of the few good ones in Sins Past). But, without that, we wouldn't have gotten gems like this!

Maybe Mickey Mouse can come in a restore the marriage! Makes about as much sense as Mephisto removing it.

...Yes. YES. That would be way too awesome. t:

 

[iloveclones]

Oh, no, Spider-Gnome, i wasn't writing in regards to you at all....just i noticed that some people feel THAT is one of the reasons, theyshouldn't be married, is because MJ is a "supermodel".

Actually, this whole topic came up because you inferred that Pete is now living the life of some swinging batchelor billionaire. I thought, and still do, that it's fair to point out that "married to a Supermodel" is very billionaire-batchelor-ish.

MJ suffered from what a lot of characters suffer (not just in comics) that when they reach a certain level of importance, they can't just be "normal" anymore. They have to be the best in their profession. In other words, why did MJ ever have to become famous? Couldn't she have been, more realistically, a struggling actress doing off-off-off-off Broadway plays drawing crowds of 10-15? (And by off-off-off-off Broadway, I mean Pittsburgh). THAT would have been realistic. But she was made a Supermodel, basically, to be Pete's "equal."


I never wanted them to get rid of MJ because I hated her career. I wanted them to get rid of her (divorce, devil, made no difference to me) because she was boring (well, they made some stride in the last years, anyway). And I don't think "Supermodel" ever helped. Other than the story where she's kidnapped (this is way back in McFarland's run), I can't think of any story that I enjoyed that hinged on her being famous.

Her job, her real job, is to introduce storylines into Pete's life. Same as JJJ, same as Harry, same as Flash; with a moonlighting job of giving atmosphere and being used as other literary devices(POV, etc). When they were married, she dumped her primary job, and focused on her part-time one, almost exclusively being used for "atmosphere."

From the glimpses I've seen, I'm already liking MJ going back to her real "job."

 

[SpideyInATree]

And the only other piece of story that I liked her character in was when Peter was trying to get her to stop smoking. I can't remember the characters name but he was a reporter at the Bugle and he died of lung cancer, it inspired MJ to quit smoking.

Besides that story and the recent JMS run. MJ was a boring one dimensional character. All she did was sit in the apartment in Soho going, "Oh my God, I hope that Peter comes home ok tonight."

I've wanted a single Spider-Man since I came back to the books back in 2002. Because that was the time where MJ was to have "thought to have been dead". Though it turned out she was OK and her and Pete were just "taking a break". I was actually hoping that they were going to get a divorce around that time period but, of course, they didn't.

Thought that One More Day wasn't a good story. It was on par with Sins Past but the outcome, a single Peter Parker, was what made me happy. And I will continue to be happy about this current direction because I'm getting fun Spider-Man stories each and every week.

 

[JewishHobbit]

And the only other piece of story that I liked her character in was when Peter was trying to get her to stop smoking. I can't remember the characters name but he was a reporter at the Bugle and he died of lung cancer, it inspired MJ to quit smoking.

See, good stories can be told with MJ being married to Peter just fine. It's lazy and uncreative writing that stops it... not the marriage itself.

And the reporter's name was Nick Katsenburg (not sure if i spelled that right). I remember him most due to the "Name of the Rose" storyarc in Web of Spider-Man 84-89.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Yeah, of course good stories can be told with her.

Good stories could have been told with him married to Betty Brant. Married to Glory Grant. Married to Deb Whitman.

I just think Spider-Man is more fun and exciting when he's single. I finally got my wish and I'm enjoying it.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

MJ suffered from what a lot of characters suffer (not just in comics) that when they reach a certain level of importance, they can't just be "normal" anymore. They have to be the best in their profession. In other words, why did MJ ever have to become famous? Couldn't she have been, more realistically, a struggling actress doing off-off-off-off Broadway plays drawing crowds of 10-15? (And by off-off-off-off Broadway, I mean Pittsburgh). THAT would have been realistic. But she was made a Supermodel, basically, to be Pete's "equal."

That's what I always thought. You don't have to go as far as Pittsburgh. There are plenty of off-off-Broadway shows in Manhattan that MJ could have gotten roles in. Maybe some local commercials. The "super model" thing I never liked. And I'm a huge supporter of the marriage.

 

[ragingdemon155]

Married Spider-man. It's the version that I grew up with. I've always felt that Peter and MJ had the perfect dynamic for a relationship. It just clicked. Don't get me wrong, I also liked the single Spider-man from back in the day, but it just doesn't compare to having Peter and MJ married to me. Now granted when Marvel was going down the road of having the marriage "erased" and throwing hint after hint that the marriage was holding them down...I actually started to think "Ok, now we are going to get some amazing stories". I mean the marriage is gone now. There are no more excuses for lack luster writing. Yet, here we are over a year into this whole "BND" era and there hasn't been one story that couldn't have been told with a married Peter.

Whatever....Married Peter is the way to go.