It may have happened elsewhere but I never saw it. Was that scene the first time Peter ever called May “Mom”?

Breaking up Peter and MJ was one of the dumbest moves Marvel ever made.

But you can’t tell stories about married people.

That’s why there are no books, movies or TV shows where people are married.

I’ll be curious to see where MJ ends up on the list a few years down the line. I wonder if some extra time will cause her popularity to wane a bit. I also wonder the same thing about Wally West.

“Breaking up Peter and MJ was one of the dumbest moves Marvel ever made.”

That’s a matter of opinion. Personally, I don’t think the Spider-Man comics have been better in my lifetime than they’ve been in the last few years.

It is a few years down the line.

figured aunt may and mary jane would be in the top three though surprised aunt may was not number one given that she has been constant in spider mans life since day one.after all she had peter and mary jane give up a marriage to a demon to save her from a gun shot wound.

Wow, that is some horrible artwork on the J.J.J. page!
And as much as I like Romita Jr’s art, none of those images look like Peter Parker.
Do they even bother with bring to keep their characters on model anymore?

Can’t really speak for my picks for this poll, ’cause I never sent them in, but I’m pretty sure I had all three of ‘em on my short list for the top Marvel characters last year.

If I had voted, they all no doubt would’ve wound up somewhere in my Top 5 (along with The Human Torch and Robbie Robertson).

I wouldn’t be surprized if Gwen Stacy gets a little higher when they update this list in afew years, since she’s the main love interest in Mark Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man. That movie looks like it’ll really cool.

Three incredibly iconic characters who make the Spidey mythos that much more epic, touching and bad ass in each of their own unique ways. Well deserved victory for Mary Jane Watson, especially after the shabby way Marvel treated her after OMD. Seriously, the girl gives you one of the medium’s most recognized lines and was a part of the now iconic “Hanging Upside Down Kiss” scene from the Raimi films and you reduce her to a minor supporting character? Talk about horrible business strategy and zilch awareness about the general public’s wants. At least Dan Slott has a clue and is now planning to give greater emphasis to Mary Jane in ASM.

I’ll be curious to see where MJ ends up on the list a few years down the line. I wonder if some extra time will cause her popularity to wane a bit. I also wonder the same thing about Wally West.

For what it is worth, the race between MJ and JJJ was pretty close.

No way, May played the biggest role in Peter’s life, she should have been No.1, but instead, she’s lower than his grouchy boss

This order is like me having a wife and a job saying; “My wife is the most important person in my life, and my boss is more important than my mother, who raised me and I’ve known and loved most of my life”

I agree that Aunt May should have been higher than J.J., but this list isn’t about who’s most important to Spidey; it’s about who’s more important to the book itself. Both May Parker and J. Jonah Jameson have both played extremely large rolls in the book’s history, and it wouldn’t be the same without either one of them.

J. Jonah Jameson is one of the best supporting characters in comics. To place at #2 is silly,

Especially to a random ex. Why not just have Deb Whitman be #1?

For what it is worth, the race between MJ and JJJ was pretty close.

Of course, MJ and JJJ were also close in the 2007 character poll and the 2011 character poll. They have roughly similar popularity as characters (with MJ being marginally more popular.) Not that this should surprise anybody.

Aunt May might be the most important character for Pete but for the book, well, I guess I was not the only who got quite tired of her cluelessness and frailness being played up repeatedly. She’s a good motivator but especially while reading those thick Essential books the guilt trip shtick gets really annoying (in monthly format I guess it is not as bad).

Those three pages with Pete and MJ are magical. The weird thing is that I’d yet to read them. I’m assuming that’s Ross and Mike on the art, circa the mid-70′s?

Clutch, they are stunning, aren’t they? I especially love Robbie’s expression in the kiss panel.

Good old Robbie has always been there for Peter. Robbie is such a splendid supporting character.

Marvel doesn’t have a Wonder Woman. I think you can make a pretty strong argument that Mary Jane Watson is the most famous and popular female character that Marvel has to the wider world outside of comic fandom (which is another reason Marvel’s recent(ish) decisions involving her are shortsighted and nonsensical).

Man, I was just admiring that Peter and MJ sequence listening to “Love is Noise” by The Verve and the entire effect was simply surreal and goosebumps-inducing. Clark and Lois who? Peter/MJ all the way!

You said it, V. There’s nothing quite like a spontaneous comic/music “vibe” moment for total enjoyment of both art forms.

Couldn’t agree more, Clutch. I don’t think i fully appreciated Andru’s work on Spider-Man when i first saw it ass a kid just starting to read comics, but that is some beautiful stuff.

Yes – Ross Andru was the man. One of the more underappreciated names in Spider-Man’s roll call of classic artists. His work on the first Spidey/Superman cross-over was really one of the few high points of that book (once you got past the novelty of Spidey and Supes being in the same comic for the first time ever).

And I know the legions out there continue to be uber-pissed about what happened to MJ courtesy of OMD/BND (and justifiably so), but quite frankly, her character has never been more popular. I would also argue that her appearances in AMS since the OMD/BND debacle have never been more potent. People really stand up and take notice now whenever she appears in AMS. And the reveal that she actually remembers the “deal” makes her even more fascinating to me. She is now the “Unwife” and, IMHO, really occupies a unique spot in superhero comics. Where else can you find an MJ equivalent anywhere else in superhero comics?

And for the record, I think OMD was truly horrific. I just find if fascinating that it seems to have had the truly wonderful and unintended effect of making MJ all that more powerful of a character. Her beating JJJ in a populariy poll? I’m betting it wouldn’t have happened ten years ago.

I have never liked May.

There, I said it, (well, typed it).

Her death was so well done in 400, that when she came back I was just annoyed. I thought it was time for Pete to move on, be his own man and then she came back. And then I stopped reading spider-man.

JJ Jameson scene at Zero Tolerance was great. It is definitely one of my favorites scenes in all comic history.

Peter and MJ were a great couple, probably the best in comics. Too bad.

Mary Jane, such a doll! Please get Peter and MJ back together, Mr. Dan Slott!