Spider-Man has had trouble balancing his relationships over the years, but when he snapped and lost his mind over having to choose between the two greatest loves of his life, Marvel proved Peter Parker can be quite the toxic lover. One of the longest running debates among spider-fans is the age-old question: who’s the better girl for Peter, Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson? And one comic set out to answer that query in the most horrifying way possible.

Peter and Gwen’s connection is hard to rival. Had her life not ended so suddenly, Peter would more likely than not still be with her to this day. However, Gwen’s death laid the groundwork for MJ to become an unmoving rock in Peter’s life, standing by his side and raising him up in some of his darkest moments ever. Still, according to the House of M Universe – an alternate reality in which every Marvel’s character’s deepest wishes are made true – Peter’s ideal life involves Gwen, not MJ. Though, the fact that Peter lost his sanity and became the Green Goblin in that reality can provide a compelling argument for MJ. Peter became the Goblin as a response to living in a world he subconsciously knew was a fabrication – could this be in large part because Peter knew deep down that MJ was the girl he had to be with?

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In What if? Spider-Man: House of M, a short story titled What If…Spider-Man Intervened For The Scarlet Witch by Frank Tieri and Brian Haberlin presents a Twilight Zone-like scenario in which Gwen Stacy returns to the Primary Marvel Universe alongside Peter following the events of House of M. Complicating things even more, Gwen and Peter’s child from the House of M, Richie, also returns. Needless to say, MJ can’t help but feel threatened by what she calls the ‘photocopy’ version of Gwen. Peter attempts to make it all work by staying with MJ and spending time with his son whenever possible, but his and Gwen’s love is still ever present, creating some serious inner turmoil for Peter.

Somewhere down the line, Peter snaps from the weight of responsibility and his House of M Green Goblin personality manifests once again. He lures MJ to a remote location where he webs her to a wall, suits up as the Green Goblin and reveals his true feelings. In a cold as ice monologue, Peter tells MJ he was happiest with Gwen in the house of M reality. He confesses that his sense of responsibility toward MJ has blinded him and now he has no choice but to kill her. As Peter revs up his Goblin Glider to impale MJ, his sanity returns to him for one brief moment. Realizing what he’s become, Peter jumps in front of the glider in the last second to save MJ. Just before he dies, Peter tells MJ he’ll always love her.

So, who’s the better girl for Peter between MJ and Gwen? It appears both of them, given that the very thought of having to choose between the two caused Peter’s brain to short circuit and go full blown Goblin. Even more interesting is the fact that Peter’s sense of responsibility has been put to the test on countless occasions, but it’s the very idea of having to choose between the two loves of his life that leads to his psychotic break. Given how mentally strong Spider-Man‘s proven to be in some of the darkest moments of his life, it’s safe to say he’s not exactly the most stable when it comes to relationships.

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About The Author


Andrew Cavalluzzi
(107 Articles Published)

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Andrew is a Los Angeles based entertainment writer. As an indulger in all things movie, comic book, video game and TV series related, he spends most of his breathing time racking up knowledge in all those categories. His obsession with the Marvel Universe knows no bounds and his endless pursuit to find the perfect formation of words that best captures his adoration for storytelling will probably be the end of him.

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