Gwen Stacey or Mary Jane Watson what was the original story

[tony34]

Hello. I have never really read any of the comic books but just got done watching the new Amazing Spiderman movie and I liked the first series of movies between Toby Mcguire and Kirsten Dunst (did not really care for Spidey 3 though).

In anycase I do have a question. In the trilogy of movies made about ten years ago Mary Jane Watson was Peter's highschool love interest but in this latest movie Gwen Stacey was. I know both characters were in the comic book series in certain times but which character originally played his highschool love interest in the comics. Was it Mary Jane or Gwen Stacey?

I personally liked the movie between Parker and Mary Jane much better. Maybe it's just that Mcguire and Dunst did a better job then the current set but I just found that story to flow much better while the love story in the latest movie seemed really forced and didn't have much flow to it.

[Von]

Betty Brant (@ the Daily Bugle) was Peters first crush.

But Gwen was his first real love. There's not a question about it: Gwen Stacey was "the Girl" for Peter.

They were in high school together, then college. Off the top of my head? Pete didn't meet MJ until the college years,
and that was only after he had spent ages avoiding a blind date Aunt May was trying to set him up on.

They had to drag him kicking and screaming to meet MJ - he thought she was going to be a dog, right up until the moment
when she answered the door .... and said .... :

[c'mon people: a special No Prize goes to the first nerd that gets the quote word for word!]

[Hostile Kangaroo]

Well, first of all I completely disagree about preferring Toby and Kristen, but to answer your question:

Neither Mary Jane nor Gwen went to high school with Peter in the comics. His first love interest's name was Liz Allen, a popular girl at his school who was dating Flash Thompson (the bully in the movie). She never reciprocated the feelings until after he was no longer interested. The first person Peter dated in the comics was Betty Brant, the secretary at the Daily Bugle (she's in the original trilogy a little bit I think), but they broke up pretty quickly.

An ongoing gag in the comics was Aunt May wanting to introduce Peter to her next door neighbor, Anna Watson (who was a good friend of hers)'s daughter, but he always got out of it. She is partially seen in issue #25, but Peter does not meet her.

Peter eventually moved on to college and met Gwen Stacy there in Amazing Spider-Man #31. 11 issues later (ASM #42), he finally meets Anna Watson's daughter, Mary Jane Watson. Gwen and MJ become really good friends. Peter and MJ's relationship doesn't really go anywhere, and he starts seriously dating Gwen. Unfortunately (spoilers in case they adapt this into the movies), spoilers:

Gwen dies

end of spoilers. Peter and MJ eventually get together spoilers:

over their mutual grief about the death.

end of spoilers This leads eventually to marriage with MJ as the long running love interest.

And the quote is, "Face it Tiger... you just hit the jackpot!"

[tony34]

Betty Brant (@ the Daily Bugle) was Peters first crush.

But Gwen was his first real love. There's not a question about it: Gwen Stacey was "the Girl" for Peter.

They were in high school together, then college. Off the top of my head? Pete didn't meet MJ until the college years,
and that was only after he had spent ages avoiding a blind date Aunt May was trying to set him up on.

They had to drag him kicking and screaming to meet MJ - he thought she was going to be a dog, right up until the moment
when she answered the door .... and said .... :

[c'mon people: a special No Prize goes to the first nerd that gets the quote word for word!]

Ahhh, ok. I was just curious as to which movie series changed the story around. I guess it was the original Spiderman movies from Sam Raimi. I suppose this new series is going back and telling the story how it originally was then ehh. Wonder why in the Sam Raimi trilogy they decided to alter the story.

[Confuzzled Mutie]

Ahhh, ok. I was just curious as to which movie series changed the story around. I guess it was the original Spiderman movies from Sam Raimi. I suppose this new series is going back and telling the story how it originally was then ehh. Wonder why in the Sam Raimi trilogy they decided to alter the story.

It was pre-Nolan superhero movie era and I don't think they wanted to do a dark story with Gwen Stacy dying. Back in 2002, superhero movies were meant to be nothing more than colorful, family-oriented blockbusters. Plus, Mary Jane was Peter's wife in the comics back then, and also featured in the 90s' animated series unlike Gwen, so they probably thought it better to have the more recognizable love interest for the first movie based on Spider-Man.

[Von]

Neither Mary Jane nor Gwen went to high school with Peter in the comics.

Peter eventually moved on to college and met Gwen Stacy there in Amazing Spider-Man #31.

Oh snap! Yeah, he met Gwen and Harry at the same time. In the hallway on campus.

And the quote is, "Face it Tiger... you just hit the jackpot!"

lol exactly.

That panel deserves to be framed man. A classic image burned into my memory. (Romita or Andru?)

[Confuzzled Mutie]

That panel deserves to be framed man. A classic image burned into my memory. (Romita or Andru?)

ROMITA! Though Andru was famous for drawing the beautiful and epic "first kiss" sequence between Peter and MJ.

[Kevinroc]

Here's the real story.

Peter's first girlfriend was Betty Brant. Secretary of J. Jonah Jameson. They broke up.

As Peter was seeing Betty, Aunt May wanted Peter to date the neighbor's niece, Mary Jane. Because Aunt May had been trying to set him up with MJ, Peter avoided her like the plague. It became a running joke.

After Betty and Peter broke up, Peter still avoided MJ and went to College. He met Gwen. Eventually Gwen developed a crush on Peter because he ignored her. But eventually Peter developed a crush on Gwen.

And then Aunt May finally got Peter to meet MJ.

So there was a short love triangle between Peter/Gwen/MJ. Peter eventually went out with Gwen. And then she got killed by Norman Osborn. And then Peter started going out with MJ. And then they broke up. And then Peter started seeing Felicia "Black Cat" Hardy. And some other potential love interests.

And then Peter and MJ got married. And later they got unmarried.

[Hostile Kangaroo]

And then Peter and MJ got married. And later they got unmarried.

But not divorced. Unmarried.

The Raimi trilogy used MJ because she was married to Peter and is arguably the more "iconic" love interest, having been an active love interest longer by now. Also, it takes inspiration from the alternate "Ultimate" Marvel universe, in which MJ and Peter did go to high school together and date.

[ngroove]

All is revealed, if you EVER actually take some time to read the books, big $ for the real things, still big $ for the Spider-Man Masterworks, Essential Spider-Man Vol.1-2 (I'd recommend 3-4 also, before it started getting grim with 5), or a handful of Marvel Tales, next best thing to actually owning vintage Spidey stories in original format!

[tony34]

It was pre-Nolan superhero movie era and I don't think they wanted to do a dark story with Gwen Stacy dying. Back in 2002, superhero movies were meant to be nothing more than colorful, family-oriented blockbusters. Plus, Mary Jane was Peter's wife in the comics back then, and also featured in the 90s' animated series unlike Gwen, so they probably thought it better to have the more recognizable love interest for the first movie based on Spider-Man.

That makes sense that they would of chosen Mary Jane because she was the more well known character. I remember back before the 2002 movie came out I didn't know hardly anything about the Spiderman franchise but I had heard of the character Mary Jane Watson before. I never heard of Gwen Stacey though until after I saw the second Spiderman movie in '04 and I started reading a bit about the Spiderman franchise.