Singles Day: What if the Amazing Spider-man hadn't married Mary Jane?

[ozaline]

In the first part of What If's first ever two-parter we discover what would happen if our favourite wallcrawler had not joined Mary Jane in wedded bliss.















Tragic... luckily it's just a What If! *phew*

Comments

[starwolf_oakley]

I still prefer the idea that Peter thinks "I can't be with Mary Jane or Felcia or Gwen or anyone because someone is always going to need Spider-Man to save them."

It should be that Peter simply doesn't have the time to be a husband or boyfriend because Spider-Man has so much to do.

[crimsonmoonmist]

Agreed.
I'd rather have Peter actually hold up the "Great responsibility" part and make a choice between the man and the mask. Not that he hasn't tried both ways before, but it never sticks because the struggle between his identities is such a core aspect of the character in pop-culture by now.

[ozaline]

I'd rather they just be married, but yeah Peter's inability to ever let things go, and chill for a moment would be the best reason for it not happening.

[jlbarnett]

but Peter Parker is not Bruce Wayne. His resources are limited. He needs a life to be able to be Spider-man

[ozaline]

Yes but that was part of what Superior Spider-man showed... Otto was able to focus on his life, cause he didn't have to help with every problem that came up ever.

Where Pete just can't let things go, and his work and personal life suffers for it. It's not healthy, perhaps, but it is absolutely who he is. There was one story posted here where Pete goes out of his way to return a lost cellphone, web slinging across the entire town to the airport.

Nerdsync has a great video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB7uF2jIixA

[yvonmukluk]

There was an Annual of Sensational Spider-Man right before OMD where Peter explains 'Uncle Ben's memory is what gets me up in the morning. But Mary Jane is what allows me to stop at night'.

Peter literally can't be Spider-Man 24/7. He needs companionship like any other human being. MJ provides that emotional support.

[liliaeth]

And I personally despise the idea that a hero can't have a family. Especially one like Peter, who isn't his world's, or even his city's only hero. You can't tell me that in a city like New York, that's full of superheroes, that he can't have some time for himself to spend with his wife, or care for his children.

that's like saying firemen or policemen, or doctors can't have children, because they have a responsibility to their job.

[starwolf_oakley]

that's like saying firemen or policemen, or doctors can't have children, because they have a responsibility to their job.

The biggest difference is that firemen, policemen and doctors have regular hours and salaries. Peter had a hangup for being Spider-Man for money except in taking photographs of himself (which he can't do anymore). And his hours are "any time Spider-Man is needed."

[ozaline]

I agree that I'd rather have him be married, but if you wanted a reason why he refused that fit his personality, that'd be it... Him being horrible at work/life balance is better than the tired old, "but you could get huuuuuuurt!"