Mary Jane's affair

[xdoop.insanejournal.com]

This is from Spectacular Spider-Man #166-169, and #172. It's written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by Sal Buscema.

Our story starts in #166...






#167...








In #168...


Later...




#169...





And finally, #172.

Comments

[box_in_the_box.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought so, but without interviews from Conway at hand, I didn't want to risk mouthing off like a dumbass. :)

And this comment will probably make sound more negative than I want it to, but I guess what I still find problematic about this, in spite of its good intentions, is that it still sort of puts Mary Jane on an OBJECT level - I get the loneliness of a newlywed, but she goes from being attracted in spite of herself to a douche whose douchiness couldn't be more obvious if he was twirling a handlebar moustache, to being all I'M GONNA STAND BY MY MAN. I mean, it makes me uncomfortable, as a left-leaning guy with feminist intentions, because in my own fiction writing, I'VE DONE STUFF LIKE THAT, where the female character I want to show being all awesome and independent still becomes a bit of an appendage to the male hero. That being said, I think it's healthy for any writer to check their own subconscious tropes.

[(Anonymous)]

MJ had an abusive father, which explains her party girl attitude and her dating several jerks before marrying, including Flash Thompson. This would actually work as MJ falling back to her old self-harming attraction to assholes.