CBR Live! Archive
A Year of Cool Comic Book Moments - Day 45
Here is the latest cool comic book moment in our year-long look at one cool comic book moment a day (in no particular order whatsoever)! Here's the archive of the moments posted so far!
Today we conclude "Catch Phrase" week! Each day we've examined the first time that various comic book characters used their most famous catch phrase!
Since today is ALSO Valentine's Day, I figured it would be a great time to kill two birds with one stone and conclude Catch Phrase Week with a romantic catch phrase, courtesy of a certain red-haired lady named Mary Jane.
Enjoy!
Mary Jane Watson was first mentioned all the way back in Amazing Spider-Man #15. This was well before Gwen Stacy, and it was Betty Brant, instead, that Peter was dating.
Note Aunt May's reasoning for why Mary Jane is so neat (she would be quite good at washing costumes, I bet!)
Aunt May was persistent, though, and brought it up the very next issue.
This led to a funny line (in retrospect) by Spidey -
"That Mary Jane chick"
What a lot of fans forget/don't know is that Mary Jane being attractive was NOT something that was supposed to be a surprise when she first showed up. In issue #25, we got this exchange, when Liz Allen and Betty Brant (this is still pre-Gwen Stacy) head over to Peter's house...
Issue #38 also featured an obscured Mary Jane, but #42 (with the book now drawn by John Romita) was the big one.
Peter is deep in thought about Gwen Stacy (who he had first met in issue #31), when he goes with Aunt May to visit Mary Jane and her aunt.
This, of course, led to one of the most famous panels in comic history.
Pretty cool, huh?
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
- Posted on February 14, 2009 @ 11:17 PM
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16 Comments
buttler
February 15, 2009 at 12:43 am
You know, it's too bad it didn't work out with those two. I always felt like she could have been the one that Peter finally settled down with.
But who am I kidding? They don't call him the web-SWINGER for nothing!
Matt Ampersand
February 15, 2009 at 5:21 am
Face it, tiger...You just hit the BONG!
Apodaca
February 15, 2009 at 11:03 am
I've always thought that was the most ridiculous thing for a person to say to another on a blind date. It would turn me right off of a girl.
James
February 15, 2009 at 11:39 am
Wasn't Pete supposed to be this total nerd everyman? I'm a nerd-everyman, and I have to say, the hot girls and older women of the workplace never came to my house in direct competition.
Well, just once, but it seemed pretty regular in Spider-Man.
Blackjak
February 15, 2009 at 11:40 am
Why, why, why was EVERYONE trying to get off with Peter Parker???
Was he the Archie Andrews of New York??
Why would he ever get married with all those attractive women throwing themselves at him??
Mind you, that Mary Jane... You say she'll make a good housewife? Nah... LIke Betty said, she''l probably be more like a Screen-Star!
chad
February 15, 2009 at 2:32 pm
if i recall Stan lee made a big deal of keeping Mary Jane hidden for as long as possible so that when she was revealed like in that moment it would be a total shock. that plus aunt May seemed to have an old fashion view of a woman 's role.
buttler
February 15, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Stan was clearly just waiting for Romita.
Dalarsco
February 15, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Ya, as much as I like Ditko, no one draws a woman or a Spider-Man like Romita.
stephen cade
February 15, 2009 at 6:42 pm
This was a cool moment for sure.
It's been re-used well at various times.
I also liked how they worked a variation of this into Spider-Man 2, right near the end.
It tied it all together for me.
Nitz the Bloody
February 15, 2009 at 7:07 pm
" Why, why, why was EVERYONE trying to get off with Peter Parker???
Was he the Archie Andrews of New York?? "
Fiction is a sphere where the awkward, socially inept qualities of an introvert will without fail be seen as sensitive and endearing by women. Call it " the John Dorian effect ".
Corky Winterbottom
February 16, 2009 at 3:57 am
Did I miss the storyline where Liz and Betty find out that they are identical twins? Look at that last panel!
RichYan33
February 17, 2009 at 9:32 am
Did I miss the issue where they put on eye make up with a paint roller?
Dean
February 24, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Peter Parker was never, ever depicted as being a "nerd-everyman". He was depicted as viewing himself as a "nerd-everyman" as a teenager. That is a big, big difference.
G
March 10, 2009 at 11:43 am
I've read the first two issues mentioned. In the one that ends with Spidey swinging above the circus tents, a significant meeting happened: it's where Matt Murdock first meets Spidey. Matt overheard the voices of some guys committing a robbery and when they were about to take him out, Spidey swings down to save him. After Spidey leaves, Matt changes into his Daredevil costume and comments on meeting Spider-Man. He used his enhanced senses to guess that Spidey was around 17 and in great health. He also mentions that he was about to handle the thugs himself, but didn't want to risk changing into DD in front of Spidey. Spidey and DD team up later to take down the Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime, but only after DD battles a mind-controlled Spider-Man.
G
March 10, 2009 at 11:49 am
Another interesting thing is the scene where Liz, Betty and MJ are all at the Parker household was redone in an issue of Spider-Girl, in which Spider-Girl had traveled through time. She (Mayday) shows up at the Parker home and Liz and Betty make a similar comment about her like they did Mary Jane (I know they are unaware of this, but it's still a bit weird that they think Peter's future DAUGHTER is a possible rival for his affections). I remember Mayday commenting that her mom, MJ, looked so young.
dick long
March 19, 2009 at 1:32 am
to bad mary jane turned out to be such a bitch....