Just a simple thread for the appreciation of the relationship romance of Peter Parker Spider Man and Mary Jane Watson in whatever the incarnation.
Be it boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife.
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Why Ultimate Peter and Mary Jane love each other - the foundation of that relationship comes from their shared upbringing together. For the longest time since they were kids, Peter and Mary Jane have been their best friends. They grew up together, played together, and because of all this togetherness they know each other very well and trust and confide in each other. Underlining all of that was a growing affection that leaned towards the romantic. It was always there but it didn't manifest until after Peter got his powers. Peter telling Mary Jane that he is Spider Man is a massive leap of trust between the two, an astronomical development for both of them.
Having this secret between them that nobody else knows becomes a statement, the trust and affection become genuine love. With this comes a partnership between the two unlike any each of them has with anyone. Now they're closer and more connected than ever, rely and trust on each other. Over the course of USM, the duo break up multiple times but never stop loving each other. The trials of being Spider Man and being Spider Man's girlfriend lead to a series of traumatic life threatening scenarios which they manage to survive and as a result that tempers their trust and affection into unconditional love creating an unbreakable bond. All of this is a magnet that holds them together, that they don't want to ever let go of even after brief experiences with others in the times they've broken up.
Despite their young age, the fact that they survived and overcame all those life threatening scenarios and still want to be with each other shows their emotional maturity despite their age and stands as another statement to their love for each other. The two also have chemistry. Their upbringing together and how they talk to each other and reciprocate with clever, charming and confident wit.
In conclusion, Peter and Mary Jane are best friends with an unshakable affection, knowledge and trust for each other. And that is why they love each other.
Why 616 Peter and Mary Jane love each other - Much like their Ultimate counterparts, the foundation of this relationship comes from a shared history, similar life experiences and upbringing. But the big one is that both Peter and Mary Jane wear masks to hide who they are. Peter wears the literal mask of Spider Man to protect his identity and so no one can see when he's afraid. Mary Jane wears a metaphorical mask to hide her true feelings of sadness as a result of her abusive home life and struggle for stability. Both have lost loved ones as a result of their actions. They both hide their true feelings from the world and guard it steadfastness. And they both suffer from inner guilt. Peter for his Uncle Ben, Mary Jane for abandoning her sister. This inner pain shapes them, made them who they are. But the road splits on how they've chosen to handle said pain, Peter vows to never put his own needs ahead of doing what's right whereas Mary Jane chooses to center on herself and deflect or run away from problems instead of facing them head on.
Something that connects their lives even before meeting the other is that Mary Jane is the first person ever to learn Peter is Spider Man the night his uncle dies. Before they even met each other and years before they became intimate, Mary Jane knew his greatest secret and his true self. This causes turmoil within Mary Jane as she begins to wonder what kind of person Peter is and who he really is. The spider or the man, a good man or a bad man.They finally meet and get to know each other over the college years becoming friends and colleagues and becoming attracted to each other despite being with other people. Throughout all this time they both hide their true feelings and who they really are from everyone. After Gwen dies and they reciprocate their feelings for each other, Mary Jane is still fearful and unable to commit and leaves for a time running away once again.
Some time later they would reunite and Mary Jane confesses she knows he's Spider Man and her past stating that despite their long time as friends they never really knew each other. After that their bond deepens and more similarities between the two emerge. They're both survivors. Peter begins to confide in her more, trusting her and Mary Jane resists the urge to run away again. They stick to their guns and are there for each other because these new connections they share binds them in trust and affection. They have changed each other. Peter learns to let another person into his true life and self and Mary Jane is encouraged by Peter's sense of responsibility to face her problems instead of avoiding them. And they realize they need each other. They both have faults that the other can mend, they both have established trust between them and reliability and they both now know each other's true selves. Trust, need and knowledge coupled by romantic and intimate affection for each other lead the inevitable fact that they love each other.
In conclusion, Peter and Mary Jane in 616 need each other to survive. They are kindred spirits, two halves of a whole that need each other to be complete. But most of all, they bring out the best in one another and it makes them want to be better people.
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