There is no aspect of Peter Parker or Spider-Man’s life that isn’t complicated. His various careers in science and photography were difficult to manage at best. Being a student was never easy, either. But there was no area Parker had more problems with than his love life. That’s where the Parker luck hit him the hardest.
While Spider-Man’s had many love interests over the years, his greatest loves have always been Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Each woman featured heavily in a different time in his life and played a big part in making him the hero he is.
Updated September 10th by Jordan Iacobucci: Spider-Man’s supporting cast of characters is one of the most iconic in Marvel Comics history. Even so, few characters could ever measure up to Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Spider-Man has loved both amazing women, but fans aren’t always in agreement about who he loved more.
14 GWEN: University Chums
Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy met while attending Empire State University. Gwen was immediately interested in Peter, but he ignored her advances, in no small part due to Aunt May having health issues. Spending his nights as Spider-Man probably had something to do with it, too. During this time, Gwen turned her focus to Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn.
Unfortunately for Harry and Flash, Gwen only pursued them to make Peter Parker jealous and pay attention to her. Gwen’s plan worked, and she finally started dating Peter. Their relationship grew from there into one of the greatest in comic book history.
13 MARY JANE: First Dibs
Before Gwen Stacy started dating Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson was there. They started dating after Aunt May harassed Peter for months to go out with her. Mary Jane was around before Gwen, though that didn’t mean they were a good fit. Mary Jane and Peter’s first relationship wasn’t a good one for either side.
While it’s easy to say that Peter Parker was distant or Mary Jane was too flighty, the reality is that they were a mismatched pair who annoyed each other a bit. Still, that early relationship was a huge part in shaping Peter’s life and his eventual future with Mary Jane.
12 GWEN: Peter Parker’s First Love
One reason Gwen Stacy is considered to be one of Spider-Man’s best love interests of all time is that she was the first woman Peter Parker ever truly loved. After her death, Peter consistently referred to Gwen as his first love, even after getting together with Mary Jane Watson.
While Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker’s first love, he grew to love Mary Jane Watson more than he ever did Gwen. Nevertheless, someone’s first love will always hold a special place in their heart, even if it isn’t the deepest love they have ever felt.
11 MJ: A Perfect Compliment To Peter Parker
While Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker were similar to one another, Mary Jane is a different story entirely. She and Peter are two very different people with different interests. However, despite their differences, Peter and MJ complement each other perfectly.
MJ helps Peter make up for his various character flaws, holding him accountable for his flightiness and sometimes myopic worldview. Conversely, Peter helps MJ stay grounded, helping her deal with her emotions in a healthy way rather than running away, as she was once prone to do. Together, Peter and MJ are more rounded individuals who lead healthier lives.
10 GWEN: Endless Potential
One of the most tragic aspects of Gwen Stacy’s death is that audiences never get to see the character’s true potential play out. In killing Gwen, the Green Goblin not only put an end to Peter’s relationship but also ended all future storylines that could’ve involved the character.
Audiences know that certain iterations of Gwen Stacy from alternate universes have terrific storylines. One universe even sees Gwen become Spider-Woman, aka Spider-Gwen. There is truly no telling whether Earth-616’s Gwen Stacy could’ve become a hero had she lived longer. Her future storylines will forever remain one of the greatest “what ifs” in Spider-Man comics.
9 MJ: Self-Sacrifice
While Mary Jane Watson may initially seem like a carefree partier, she has proven herself to be consistently self-sacrificial. Time after time, Mary Jane has proven herself willing to put her own life and needs on the line in order to help Peter or anyone else who needs help.
Perhaps the greatest example of MJ’s self-sacrifice comes in the hated “One More Day” storyline. Despite the great pain and loss that she would suffer as a result, MJ agrees to put her own marriage on the line in order to save the life of Peter’s beloved Aunt May. While Peter made the decision, MJ supported him the entire time, knowing how profoundly she would be affected.
8 GWEN: A Scientific Mind
Gwen Stacy went to Empire State University as a science major, which is what first attracted her to Peter Parker. This common interest played a huge role in their relationship and was a basis for everything between them. Her scientific interests are also why relationships with Flash Thompson or Harry Osborn wouldn’t have worked out.
Intellectually, Gwen and Peter were a great match, though that wasn’t the only thing they had going for them. Once Peter started dating her, he was truly in love with Gwen, which made her loss even more difficult for him to deal with.
7 MARY JANE: Aunt May’s Favorite
A running gag in Spider-Man comics for some time was Aunt May continually trying to set Peter Parker up with her friend’s niece. Peter kept dodging the request. He loves his aunt, but he was also concerned about her judgement in areas like this. It’s safe to say he should have listened to Aunt May on this one.
After a rocky start, the relationship between Mary Jane and Peter Parker became the most epic in the history of the Marvel Universe. As long as they were together, Aunt May loved Mary Jane like her own child and stood by her side, no matter what.
6 GWEN: Captain Stacy
Gwen Stacy had her own family that factored into the conversation, too. Her father was Captain George Stacy of the New York Police Department, a big fan of Spider-Man’s work. Additionally, he also liked Peter Parker and approved of his relationship with his daughter, which was important for Peter since he highly respected the Captain.
While Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker’s bond grew, so did Captain Stacy’s fascination with Spider-Man. He eventually suspected that Peter and Spider-Man were one and the same. Captain Stacy died following Spider-Man into battle against Doctor Octopus, an incident that caused problems between Gwen and Peter.
5 MARY JANE: Spider-Man’s Sidekick
Spider-Man has a lot of allies in his fight against crime: Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Black Cat, and more. Even so, no one has proven to be more staunch an ally than Mary Jane. Once she admitted she knew his secret identity, their relationship continued to grow in strength.
Mary Jane’s confidence and support have proven invaluable to both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Beyond that, she has, on more than one occasion, put her life on the line for her husband and other heroes in the Marvel Universe. The reality is that she is more than a support character: MJ’s a hero in her own way.
4 GWEN: Send In The Clones
Peter Parker is not the only person who loved Gwen Stacy. Professor Miles Warren, a.k.a. the Jackal, was obsessed with Gwen, to the point he created multiple clones of her. This obsession would eventually lead to the Clone Saga, one of the most controversial storylines in Spider-Man history.
Miles Warren was a professor of biology at Empire State where he met both Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker. Her eventual death instigated the Jackal to start a chain of events that would plague Spider-Man for years. Miles’ obsession with Gwen prompted him to do great evil. By contrast, Peter’s love for Gwen prompted him to do great things.
3 MARY JANE: Peter’s Wife… Eventually
As strong as the bond between Gwen and Peter was, Mary Jane was destined to become his wife. The version of Gwen Stacy that Peter dated wouldn’t have been able to handle his double life. It would have crushed their relationship, especially once she realized Peter played a role in her father’s death.
Mary Jane is a person of strength and conviction, someone who could bear the burden of being married to Spider-Man. She went into it with her eyes open and knowing the risks, ready to stand by Peter’s side.
2 GWEN: The Impact of Her Death
Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker’s storyline had a surprisingly dark ending. Gwen’s apparent death at the hands of the Green Goblin played havoc with Spider-Man, leaving him in a dark place for a very long time.
Gwen Stacy’s death impacted Spider-Man’s life for decades thereafter. It was his attempt to save her that killed her. He used his webbing to stop her from falling from a bridge, but the sudden stop broke her neck. It was one of the first times that a hero failed in such a horrific fashion in comics, changing how fans saw Spider-Man and how Spider-Man saw being a hero.
1 MARY JANE: Fan Favorite
Reputedly, Marvel’s editorial team saw Gwen Stacy as Peter Parker’s long-term love interest. Fans, on the other hand, had different ideas in mind. Their support was firmly behind Mary Jane, since she was the more interesting and engaging of the two characters. Marvel made the choice to move on from Gwen and go forward with Mary Jane as Peter’s love interest.
This decision would prove to be the correct decision as story arcs with Mary Jane have continued to be a big part of Spider-Man comics. She is arguably one of the most important characters in Spider-Man’s world as well as Marvel Comics overall.