Spider-Man’s True Love Isn’t Mary Jane, It’s [SPOILER]

When talking about Spider-Man’s true love, most fans would agree that Mary Jane Watson is the woman Spidey is meant to be with. Mary Jane and Peter Parker were married for years in the comics (before One More Day erased their marriage) and MJ has been Spider-Man’s main love interest in the majority of his live action films. Despite Mary Jane’s high profile, however, she is far from the only important girl in Peter’s life, nor is he necessarily destined to be with her in every reality.

Back when Marvel released its Ultimate Marvel imprint, for instance, writers and artists placed reimagined versions of its heroes in romances that never happened in the mainstream universe. While most of these new relationship (i.e. Captain America and the Wasp) proved forgettable, one unique pairing struck a chord with fans when Brian Michael Bendis had Ultimate Spider-Man date the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde in Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1.

The story showed both teenagers suffering from recent breakups (Peter with Mary Jane and Kitty with Iceman). Wanting to connect, Kitty reached out to Peter (whom she had met on an earlier mission with the X-Men) and asked if he’d like to hang out. The two ended up bonding over junk food, shared relationship dramas, and a love of crimefighting. While Peter had begun closing himself off from others due to the isolation of being a superhero, Kitty helped him open up and trust her, causing the two to find themselves very attracted to each other. Subsequent issues showed the two adventuring, and building a relationship.

Unfortunately, the Parker luck got in the way of this relationship once Spider-Man was seen romancing Kitty Pryde, preventing Peter and Kitty from hanging out in public as teenagers. This was further complicated when Peter’s feelings for MJ re-emerged after he saw her in danger, causing them to get back together behind Kitty’s back. Although Peter later apologized (and Kitty confessed to retaining strong feelings for Peter), Peter subsequently only treated Kitty as a friend.

The abrupt end of their relationship upset many fans who felt it never had a chance to grow. Others wrote it off as a fling that was doomed from the start. Close examination of the story, however, shows that the pieces were in place for in place for a potentially powerful relationship – one that could still happen with rumors of the Ultimate Universe’s return. Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities.

Mary Jane Was Never Meant to be Peter Parker’s True Love

While Spider-Man and Mary Jane seem like a natural fit today, MJ was never meant to be Peter’s true love in the mainstream Marvel Universe. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko originally used Mary Jane as a running gag – a blind date Peter’s Aunt May kept trying to set him up on which Peter kept ducking. It took years for Mary Jane to actually appear in the comics – and when she did, Peter was already in love with another girl, Gwen Stacy, whom Stan Lee intended Peter to marry.

However, Mary Jane proved so popular with readers and fun to write that the creators kept building her role – culminating in the classic “Death of Gwen Stacy” storyline where the Green Goblin throws Gwen off a bridge, killing her. This allowed MJ to step in and give Peter the emotional support that eventually lets them fall in love. All of this shows that Mary Jane’s importance in the mainstream universe developed organically, meaning that any character could potentially grow into Peter’s “true love” – given the right set of circumstances.

Kitty Pryde IS the Mary Jane of the Ultimate Universe

While the Ultimate Marvel imprint was intended to let creators tell all-new stories, classic stories were retold with different people taking over other character’s roles. This is seen in Ultimate Spider-Man #25 when the Ultimate Green Goblin throws Mary Jane off a bridge just like Gwen Stacy. Although Mary Jane survives, the event suggests that Ultimate MJ is what Gwen was to the Spider-Man of the mainstream universe – the sweet, smart “good girl” who ends up being the innocent victim for Spider-Man’s enemies. (The comic later introduces a “bad girl” Ultimate Gwen Stacy who dates Peter for a while, but admits she sees him more as a brother).

This meant a new character was needed to fill the role Mary Jane had in the mainstream Spider-Man stories – and intentional or not, Ultimate Kitty Pryde, ended up fitting that part. Like the original Mary Jane, Kitty is not Peter’s first love. She is, however, a wild card who has strong chemistry with both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Just as the original Mary Jane had commitment issues that kept her enjoying a meaningful relationship with Peter for years, Kitty can be high strung, angry, and insecure. Nevertheless, she also repeatedly puts herself into danger to keep Peter safe, and genuinely wants him to be happy – even after he “friendzones” her.

Tellingly, Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1 follows the same narrative structure of Spider-Man: Parallel Lives (which explores the similarities in Peter and MJ’s lives prior to meeting each other). In the Ultimate comic, Peter and Kitty show they have virtually the same outlook on life – from their belief that they are the “losers” of their schools to their desire for a life outside of superheroics. Just as Parallel Lives revealed Peter and MJ share similar struggles, the annual does the same for Peter and Kitty.

Peter himself admits he loves Kitty – although he’s unwilling to break up with Mary Jane to be with her. Even so, the fact that the two continually work together as superheroes – and Peter regularly invites Kitty on outings with his friends (including a jealous MJ) shows he’s not willing to let go of his relationship with Kitty either.

A Kitty Pryde/Peter Parker Romance is More Possible After “The Death of Spider-Man”

Peter and Kitty faced two big challenges keeping them from forming a deeper relationship during their initial romance. Both were on the rebound, meaning they carried a lot of emotional baggage from their exes. Over time, however, they formed a friendship that defined itself on its own terms. The second challenge was more problematic. When Spider-Man romance with Kitty Pryde became public, Peter couldn’t date Kitty as himself without exposing his secret identity. This limited their time together to superhero activities – unfortunate since they actually connected better as ordinary teenagers. Ironically, Kitty later ended up going to Peter’s school meaning they could have created a plausible story for how they could date – but Peter was already back with Mary Jane by that point.

However, following Spider-Man’s death at the hands of the Ultimate Goblin (and his subsequent resurrection), Peter’s identity is now public knowledge in the Ultimate Universe. This means he could date Kitty without needing to hide. Moreover, as Spider-Man ages, he’ll likely spend more time with superhero groups like the Ultimates, providing more opportunities for Kitty and Peter to work together professionally and personally (one alternate future seen in an Ultimate Fantastic Four/X-Men crossover shows an adult Peter lending his web shooters to an older Kitty, indicating this could happen).

Of course, the final scene of the resurrected Peter Parker shows him driving off with Mary Jane – and a more recent scene of an older Ultimate Spider-Man in Spider-Men II #5 shows he’s joined the Ultimates (and chatting with MJ via a wrist communicator). What this means for Peter’s relationship with Kitty remains unknown, but given their history together, it’s a sure bet Ultimate Kitty Pryde will still be in Peter’s life – and very likely still in love with him.

About The Author

Michael Jung
(700 Articles Published)

Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20^th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michael’s background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

Visit Michael Jung’s website for information on how to hire him, follow him on Twitter Michael50834213, or contact him directly: michael(at)michaeljungwriter(dot)com.

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