After three years, Marvel has finally fixed the biggest Spider-Man mistake in recent memory. The fix actually came in the pages of Venom #258 by Al Ewing and Carlos Gomez. The comic makes several meta-commentaries on a widely hated storyline, while setting a new, more hopeful status quo.
Venom #258 opens with the funeral of Paul Rabin. Paul was introduced in 2022 in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man as Mary Jane Watson‘s new boyfriend. However, Paul’s origins as a scientist from an apocalyptic dimension ruled by his evil father would not be explained until 2023.
The storyline that introduced Paul served no purpose other than to end the rekindled romance between Peter Parker and Mary Jane. This came about after she was trapped in Paul’s dimension for almost four years as only a day passed from Spider-Man’s perspective. During that time, she and Paul rescued two children, formed a found family, and fell in love.
Most Marvel Comics readers disliked this and many felt Mary Jane’s behavior was out of character. They particularly disliked how dismissive she was of Peter’s feelings and his efforts to remain in her life. It didn’t help that Paul was the catalyst for MJ starting her own career as the superhero Jackpot and nearly dying because of his tech. This, in turn, set up Mary Jane becoming the new Venom to save herself and the symbiote.
However, change was in the wind in Venom #258. Peter reaches out to MJ once again. This time, she agrees to talk. Most of the issue is taken up with this conversation as the two former lovers see if there’s anything left between them.
How MJ and Peter’s long overdue talk fixes things
Al Ewing’s script dissects the Peter/MJ relationship on two levels. The text finds them talking about their feelings in a way they hadn’t within the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. However, there is also a metatextual examination of the complaints regarding Mary Jane’s portrayal.
For instance, Mary Jane establishes she remained faithful to Peter for most of her time in the other dimension. She spent two years convinced Spider-Man would rescue her. MJ relented only after she came to believe that Peter was dead precisely because he hadn’t come for her.
Additionally, Mary Jane explains she fell for Paul because of the same traits that attracted her to Peter. It is implied this might have been a coping mechanism for her belief Peter was dead. Some time also passed after accepting Peter’s apparent death before Mary Jane considered a romance with Paul.
Ewing also explores how Mary Jane’s time in the other dimension ruined her life. Most of her circle of friends apparently slut-shamed her for seemingly abandoning Peter to move in with Paul. This is a pretty clear meta-commentary on the reactions of some Spider-Man fans, who ignored that MJ also had a new role as a mother to cope with.
Sadly, what MJ’s friends thought about her suddenly being a mother is not explored. However, the conversation ends on a hopeful note. Both Peter and Mary Jane agree that they are still best friends and might consider romance in the future. While this is not the restoration of the relationship most Spider-Man fans hoped for, it is a good start.
Venom #258 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
