application for capeandcowl
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: Kally
AGE: again, nope.
JOURNAL: writesonthesly
IM: sunnydaykally
E-MAIL: whatlonghair@live.com
RETURNING: Already a member and I play Querl Dox (DC Comics)
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: Mary Jane Parker nee Watson
FANDOM: Marvel Comics, Earth 616, Spider-Man
CHRONOLOGY: Mary Jane is coming in right after moving in to Stark Tower at the start of Civil war comic plot. This is before Peter revealed his secret identity, and before he reserved the advanced Stark-tech spider-suit.
CLASS: Hero
SUPERHERO NAME: Madame Web
ALTER EGO: Mary Jane Watson nee Parker, a model for the local fashion magazine. You’ll see her smiling at you from the billboards around the city, and winking at you from the cover of magazines sitting there on the newsstand and grocery store shelves.
BACKGROUND: Mary Jane comes from the world of 616 Marvel. She’s a girl in a big world, and in a world of villains, meta-humans, mutants and insane government conspiracies, she’s had to steel herself for the worst countless times. This is no exaggerations. She’s had to deal with being kidnapped, losing her baby to a poison she was fed, and even handling her husband, the love of her life, being a big walking target as a super-hero by the name of Spider-Man. In a world where aliens invade often, and the government is quite against various forms of vigilantism, and mutants are targeted and treat inhumanely, Mary Jane digs in her heels and strives to do her part. She’s stayed awake into the low hours of quiet morning to tend to an injured Peter, or distract any law enforcement to let her husband make a quick getaway to keep his secret identity.
Growing up with an abusive father and meek mother, Mary Jane built for herself a false image of a glamorous, outgoing and party girl personality that she wanted so badly that she even forgot that it wasn’t her true self.
Mary Jane first meets Peter Parker through an arranged meeting staked by Peter’s Aunt May, and MJ’s Aunt Anna. Both Peter and MJ share some reluctance and hesitance in the set-up, but agree to meet nevertheless. It is when Peter opens the door upon MJ’s arrival does the iconic “You hit the jackpot” line get its first use.
Stunned by her beauty, Peter begins to date her, but quickly finds that her superficiality is a turn-off, and he soon breaks up with her, and then starts to date Gwen Stacy. MJ is accepting of this turn of events, and she shrugs off the rejection and soon takes up a relationship with Harry Osborn, while remaining a close friend to Peter and Gwen.
However, the relationship isn’t one to last, as Mary Jane considered herself a free spirit, and didn’t want to be tied down so soon. She broke up with Harry, continuing her party girl life, and only realizing the consequences of her lifestyle when she discovers Harry had a drug overdose. Things only continue to go downhill when the Green Goblin murders Gwen. MJ decides to stay with Peter during his mourning, despite his turmoil and often spite. However, throughout his recovery, he slowly becomes interested in her, and Mary Jane the same for him.
They tentatively begin to date, with many hurdles soon popping up in their relationship, thanks to MJ’s hot temper and Peter constantly dashing off to defend the city as Spider-Man, and still the lingering guilt in Peter over moving on from Gwen. Things start to get better after the original clone saga, where Peter realizes that he’s in love with Mary Jane, and devotes more time with her.
Despite things getting better, Mary Jane soon feels that she’s let the relationship to go too far, and is almost horrified when Peter proposes to her. Conflicted, MJ turns down the proposal, deciding that she didn’t want to be tied down just yet. Things go from bad to worse from there for the relationship as Peter’s Aunt May is constantly in danger and Peter’s doubling absences, MJ decides that enough is enough, and, exhausted and filled with turmoil, leaves New York for several months.
During her sojourn from New York, MJ matures and drops her false persona and reveals her true self. Eventually, she returns to New York, to the surprise and delight of Peter, who gains a new respect for Mary Jane, and wants to become closer to her once more. After a terrible fight with Puma, in which the villain attempts to murder Spider-Man, Mary Jane breaks down and admits to Peter that she’s aware of his secret identity. After confessing, she then tells Peter that she can’t bear to be abandoned again and only loves Peter as a friend.
Things continue from there, with Peter and Mary Jane awkwardly attempting to reconcile as only friends, and Peter soon contemplating leaving the Spider-Man mantle, heavily-supported by Mary Jane. But Peter just can’t leave Felicia Hardy alone, and soon takes up with Black Cat yet again. Soon his actions come back to him, and, overwhelmed with guilt and loss with no real affirmative direction in his life, Peter leaves New York for Berlin with Ned Leed, after sharing an awkward kiss with Mary Jane that leaves her conflicted.
During Peter’s absence from New York, Mary Jane has time to ponder the state of her and Peter’s relationship, and realizes that she still has vestiges of feelings for him. To her delight, Peter returns to New York, but is again conflicted when she finds a changed and bitter Peter in place, still reeling from Ned Leed’s murder. Ned’s being framed as the Hobgoblin only makes the bitterness and turmoil twist in Peter, especially when Felicia leaves him for the Foreigner. Mary Jane sees this as a chance to mend her and Peter’s relationship, but is stunned when Peter proposes marriage to her once again.
Still conflicted, though she loves him, Mary Jane turns him down once again. Mary Jane leaves briefly in hopes of settling old emotional wounds with her father, not realizing that Peter is following her. She eventually finds out, and soon aids her sister in having their crooked father arrested, and then aiding Spider-Man against the Spider-Slayer.
Looking back at her childhood and her relationship with marriage, Mary Jane realizes that she knows exactly who she wants to spend her life with, and tells Peter that she takes back her rejection to his second proposal, and tells him that she will marry him.
The time that elapses between the proposal and the wedding is filled with doubt (MJ over not wanting to give up her “party girl” lifestyle; Peter over MJ’s safety as the wife of Spider-Man; and both their concerns that they are marrying incredibly young), but both decide to marry anyways.
MJ continues to model after she marries, but encounters danger when her wealthy landlord begins to stalk her, who is infuriated when Mary Jane spurns his advances, and in retaliation, he has her blacklisted as a model. Now blacklisted, Mary Jane tries out and secures the part on the soap opera, “Secret Hospital”. She enjoys her time as a star briefly before she tires of her character’s personality, which she perceives as vindictive and air-headed. After petitioning her boss, Mary Jane’s character’s personality changes, much to her delight, but soon a deranged fan attempts to kill Mary Jane for the actions of her Secret Hospital character. Fearing for her life, Mary Jane quits show business and returns to modeling.
Around this time, Harry Osborn dies, leaving behind a young son. An incredibly traumatic event for both Mary Jane and Peter, added to the stress of her tumultuous career and Peter’s parents suddenly reappearing (they turn out to be fakes), causes Mary Jane to start smoking, a terrible habit that she had worked hard to quit in high school. This causes a wide wave of tension between husband and wife, bringing back old wounds and causing Peter to trick her into a visit to the hospital to visit an old friend who had suffered from lung cancer. But things didn’t quite clear up after that. Once Peter discovers that his parents are fakes, he goes into deep denial and leaves New York for a while, leaving Mary Jane to pick up the remaining pieces and ultimately decide to visit her father and sister, and finally reconcile with them. Finally, Peter returns, confesses his misgivings to her, and the couple finds themselves so incredibly happy. Happier than they have for so long, and for Mary Jane this is an incredible relief.
In fact, that time is so happily spent, that Mary Jane eventually discovers that she’s pregnant. This is just after Peter and Mary Jane discover that Peter has a clone by the name of Ben Reilly. A friend of Reilly, a scientist by the name of Seward Trainer helps her with the pregnancy complications, but also reveals that Ben is the “real” Peter Parker through a genetic test that he rigged (it was all a lie). Peter is furious and disbelieving and while in having a heating argument with Ben, he accidentally hurts MJ. Horrified, Peter resolves to quite being Spider-Man, deciding that the life of his wife and unborn child are more important. All starts getting better and better, until The Jackal, a villain, puts hypnosis on Peter to try and have him kill Mary Jane. Ben steps in just in time, with his teammates the New Warriors, and especially Kane. After this episode, Peter moves him and Mary Jane to Portland, Oregon. While there, he loses his powers in a lab accident. Mary Jane first fears that this would negatively affect Peter, but is glad when Peter rather takes to a normal life, adapting happily. The two settle down in their new home, preparing for the baby, looking forward to the child’s arrival. But home tugs at the heartstrings and Peter and Mary Jane realize that they want their child to grow up in their home city, and move back to New York. This proves to be a fatal mistake, as things start to get bad.
After becoming unexpectedly ill and nearly dying, Peter regains his powers and returns to super-heroics. Mary Jane returns to her diligent work as wife and eventual mother, and even progresses well, but is terribly concerned when she learns that there are genetic abnormalities in her fetus (however, she is also quite concerned with the Onslaught crisis occurring, and moving her feet quickly). Things went horribly, horribly wrong after this. Alison Mongraine, an accomplice of the Green Goblin, poisons Mary Jane, and succeeds in her plans when the baby is stillborn.
A traumatic turn of events, but the couple attempts to survive and stick through the events, but as MJ manages to return to college and major in psychology, Norman Osborn continues to manipulate and control the strings of her family, and Mary Jane, unable to take the stress anymore after losing the baby she so much looked forward to, begs Peter to hang up his spidey suit.
Peter is happy to comply to his wife’s wishes for many months, but the heroic ego tugs and tugs at him and he starts to be Spider-Man once again, while Mary Jane goes back into model with new levels of success. This causes a great strain on their marriage. Not to mention, more stress for Mary Jane as she starts to receive perverted and life-threatening phone calls from an anonymous stalker. Things get more dangerous when in a flight across America, Mary Jane’s plane explodes in mid-air. This shocks and horrifies Peter and he enters deep denial, refusing to date any other women, so confident that Mary Jane is alive. And Peter turns out to be right. The anonymous stalker reveals himself as a telepathic mutant, who, as it turns out, had telepathically connected with Peter’s mind in some way and so desired Peter’s life, he was willing to do anything. It turns out that he kidnapped Mary Jane and held her hostage for several months. But this is all put to an end when the stalker kills himself after gleaning the morality and personality of Peter’s self. He sees the great error of his ways and promptly commits suicide.
Now reunited, Peter assumes that things will be well. But Mary Jane is scared and shaken by the events and decides that a separation or marriage-hiatus of sorts is in order, and moves to Los Angeles to immerse herself in acting. In a perfect moment where MJ wishes dearly to reconcile with Peter, and he fails to meet her, and hurt, she refuses to speak to him. Aunt May refuses to let the marriage end, and forces Peter to go with her to Los Angeles, where Peter and Mary Jane happily, and finally, reconcile.
Sometime later, during the events of Marvel’s Civil War plot, the apartment of Peter and Mary Jane is burned down by Charlie Weirdman, who also burns down Aunt May’s house. Peter joins the New Avengers, and is immediately offered to live in Stark Tower with his family, much to Mary Jane’s elation. With the New Avengers, Mary Jane feels at home and is thrilled to be part of her husband’s heroic world. She does her part in aiding the Avengers when they return home and helps Aunt May with the chores, while working hard as well, quite content and happy.
PERSONALITY: Mary Jane is a complicated young woman. She has many issues beneath her routine, and while she’s worked hard to get through them, she still has many inner conflicts to deal with. One is that she often tries to project a profile of calm, cool, collected, and confident person, hoping that people will take direction of this attitude and be reassured that she’s all right. She’s not a fan of letting people know her deepest fears, darkest worries, or any other negative emotions. This often causes her to build up the stress and frustration inside and continue packing it in, until it causes detrimental issues. For example, one thought of doubt can snowball into a well of anxiety and apprehension that can lead her to slowly retract into herself, until she’s almost antisocial. It takes a long line of trust to be able to get past her insecurities and worries. Often it takes her a good tug on her pride to make her realize that she’s acting irrational.
She is stubborn with her opinions, commonly making up her mind and digging in her heel on the issue, before she even knows the entire background behind the scene. She enjoys being correct in an argument, and often stews over being in the wrong. When she has something to say, there is no stopping her from speaking. Often, she feels that in order for people to hear her, she has to speak a little louder, as well as act a little bolder, not afraid to halt everything to get her word in edgewise. Often, these moments are beneficial for company, having encouraged Peter in his moments of self-doubt, or shake someone from self-loathing to realize their self-worth. However, it has also caused argument with similar personalities. She can be viewed as arrogant and proud, and this will cause her to alienate people.
However, when she steps back and revaluate, she is more often honestly contrite and willing to do what she must to repair or mend relationships. She will humble herself and admit her misgivings, even when she still believes that in some way, she does not need to apologize.
On her caring side, Mary Jane is quite affectionate. She makes sure to be there for those who need her, often dropping whatever she is doing to be at someone’s side. She’s spent many nights, waiting for Peter to return from fighting crime, prepared to handle whatever issue he has, whether it be acquired trauma from a crime-related encounter, or bandaging and stitching any wounds he’s sustained. She’s also given out quite a bit of tough love, which is often what people require. She doesn’t sugarcoat any problems, and is quite blunt with her words. Suffice to say, she doesn’t use the kiddie gloves when it comes to self-pity, self-loathing, or giving pep talk of the century to spur someone into courage. More often than that, this is what her husband requires: a good kick in the shins and a reminder that he’s a vigilante, and a good person to put him back into his courageous spirits, willing spirits.
She’s also quite playful when she wants to be. She has a good sense of humor and enjoys a good time. Whether it be watching a football game with her husband, or over-screaming the Avengers when its sports night in Stark Tower. She’s a fan of parties, and always knows how to have a good time without going over the limit. She often loses herself in this side of personality. And in the past, she’s done so almost completely, if not for the fact that she’s grown personality-wise in the conditions of her maturity. Still, she’s not above a little harmless flirting, but the motto is that you can look all you want…but don’t touch. She has had to fend for herself against stalkers in the past, being very loyal to her husband.
POWER: Since Mary Jane is not a meta-human, the City will need to give her powers.
Mary Jane will have the agility and reflexes of an advanced gymnast. She will be able to pull off a straight vault, a simple handspring, as well as the agility to fling her body from wall to wall and across rooftops. It will come quite naturally to her, and she will able to pull off several springs in one long line easily.
MJ will also be able to produce web fluid from her palms, and the bottoms of her feet. This can also come from the back of her wrists, so that she can make web-threads. She will be able to shoot webs across long distances and swing from them. They are as strong as wet concrete, yet can be torn apart after exactly one hour on their own, without any extra web layering for support.
She will also have the ability to change the color of her hair from red…to black. This can be done on a whim, and be as simple as shooting a web across long distances, or snapping her fingers.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
[The video opens to rain. Large amounts of rain. Hitting the pavement and making loud, sloshing and splashing sounds as they run down the cement and to the drainage. The camera faces the view of a broken-down, old building, before there’s the sound of something popping, and it is turned to show a voluptuous, tall redhead, holding an umbrella, and looking not at all amused.]
Okay, so besides the fact that it’s raining cats and dogs, and I’m apparently stuck here-according to what that creepy computer said, anyways-I’d like to request some explanations on just why the hell I’m here. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s been this blunt, so let’s just answer MJ’s questions and then you can go back to whatever it was you were doing. Kay?
[She looks to the left, furrowing her brow.] Where are the police when you need them? I just witnessed someone try to mug an elderly woman, and then throw a rock through a store window. No one came when the alarms went off, and I had to clock the mugger with a brick to get the old lady back her purse.
[The camera turns to show a webbed-up-yes, those are webs wrapped around the body-criminal, slumped against a wall. He lets out a small groan, before the camera turns back to the woman. She brushes her hair back over one shoulder.] Good thing there was some netting left around in the alleys, or else I would not have been able to stop him.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
There’s really only one good dish that Mary Jane cook without fail. And that would be Peter’s (assumed) favorite, linguini. For some reason, she never burns the noodles, overcooks the sauce, or adds too much olive oil to make the dish have a zingy taste. She stands attention at the burner, wooden stirring spoon in hand, watching the pasta shells go from hard to soft while the water boils.
The radio sings an old Broadway tune from Hairspray, while the coffee pot gurgles in the corner. The wonderful scent of hazelnut and almonds lingering in the air. For once, nothing is burning, nothing is overflowing, or is in need of quality maintenance that Mary Jane knows she and Peter cannot afford in their current money problems. She’s had to double up on the How-To books at the local library, learning how to fix something as simple as turning a knob on a pipe, to the complications of fixing a beaten-up computer.
To Mary Jane, these appliances were replaceable (eventually), and it mattered more that she and Peter could pay the monthly rent, instead of having their hot water pipes repaired by an expensive repairman who would overcharge on his hours, and probably make some leering looks Mary Jane’s way.
‘Just let me try,’ she’d tell Peter. ‘Don’t you have a city to defend?’ And like that, he’d smile, kiss her forehead, and hurry off into the New York rooftops and skyline, confident that his wife will get the job done. And truth be told, these jobs are a hit and miss at times. She’d had to phone in help from old friends several times, and even ask aid of Aunt May. But it’s worth all the difficulty, to be able to keep their apartment and be comfortable.
The timer on the microwave makes a sound and Mary Jane turns off the burners on the stove, watching for any extra un-solved chunks in the pasta pot. The radio sings “Come What May” as she moves the naked pasta to a strainer in the sink and lets it cool, then goes to tend to the pasta. It’s nice and creamy when she stirs it clockwise and counter-clockwise, and there’s a lit smile on her face as she moves it to a potholder on the counter.
From behind, she can hear the window opening, with a loud yawning sound, before the sound of padded feet against the doormat she’s moved. Mary Jane smiles. “Hey, Tiger. How was your afternoon of throwing criminals into jail?”
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
How about I tell you guys why I want to play MJ.
To me, the supporting significant other of a super-hero seems much more interesting than the big super-hero himself or herself. They have to be pretty courageous and confident and determined to continue to be with that super-hero. To wait at the window or lose sleep over the thought that, maybe that next fight they get into, they could lose their lives. To know that there are no guarantees in the life of a vigilante. The emotional issues. The paranoia. To me, to be able to watch the one you love go off to risk his life for others, everyday? You have to be incredibly strong to stand it. And Mary Jane certainly isn’t that ideal, but she tries. She tries hard to be good enough and to be able to make a difference in her husband’s life. And that after all the strife she’s been through, she’s still right there, standing at Peter’s side, she has to be some kind of super woman.
Never mind that fact that, the question of “What would Mary Jane do if she had Peter’s powers?” has obviously been on many fans’ minds. It shows in how we love to draw Mary Jane in that costume, or have alternate realities in comics where she fights alongside her husband as Spider-Woman, or even just swinging alongside him, or their daughter (in some realities). I would love to give a good idea of what it would be like in the city.
NAME: Kally
AGE: again, nope.
JOURNAL: writesonthesly
IM: sunnydaykally
E-MAIL: whatlonghair@live.com
RETURNING: Already a member and I play Querl Dox (DC Comics)
[CHARACTER INFO]
CHARACTER NAME: Mary Jane Parker nee Watson
FANDOM: Marvel Comics, Earth 616, Spider-Man
CHRONOLOGY: Mary Jane is coming in right after moving in to Stark Tower at the start of Civil war comic plot. This is before Peter revealed his secret identity, and before he reserved the advanced Stark-tech spider-suit.
CLASS: Hero
SUPERHERO NAME: Madame Web
ALTER EGO: Mary Jane Watson nee Parker, a model for the local fashion magazine. You’ll see her smiling at you from the billboards around the city, and winking at you from the cover of magazines sitting there on the newsstand and grocery store shelves.
BACKGROUND: Mary Jane comes from the world of 616 Marvel. She’s a girl in a big world, and in a world of villains, meta-humans, mutants and insane government conspiracies, she’s had to steel herself for the worst countless times. This is no exaggerations. She’s had to deal with being kidnapped, losing her baby to a poison she was fed, and even handling her husband, the love of her life, being a big walking target as a super-hero by the name of Spider-Man. In a world where aliens invade often, and the government is quite against various forms of vigilantism, and mutants are targeted and treat inhumanely, Mary Jane digs in her heels and strives to do her part. She’s stayed awake into the low hours of quiet morning to tend to an injured Peter, or distract any law enforcement to let her husband make a quick getaway to keep his secret identity.
Growing up with an abusive father and meek mother, Mary Jane built for herself a false image of a glamorous, outgoing and party girl personality that she wanted so badly that she even forgot that it wasn’t her true self.
Mary Jane first meets Peter Parker through an arranged meeting staked by Peter’s Aunt May, and MJ’s Aunt Anna. Both Peter and MJ share some reluctance and hesitance in the set-up, but agree to meet nevertheless. It is when Peter opens the door upon MJ’s arrival does the iconic “You hit the jackpot” line get its first use.
Stunned by her beauty, Peter begins to date her, but quickly finds that her superficiality is a turn-off, and he soon breaks up with her, and then starts to date Gwen Stacy. MJ is accepting of this turn of events, and she shrugs off the rejection and soon takes up a relationship with Harry Osborn, while remaining a close friend to Peter and Gwen.
However, the relationship isn’t one to last, as Mary Jane considered herself a free spirit, and didn’t want to be tied down so soon. She broke up with Harry, continuing her party girl life, and only realizing the consequences of her lifestyle when she discovers Harry had a drug overdose. Things only continue to go downhill when the Green Goblin murders Gwen. MJ decides to stay with Peter during his mourning, despite his turmoil and often spite. However, throughout his recovery, he slowly becomes interested in her, and Mary Jane the same for him.
They tentatively begin to date, with many hurdles soon popping up in their relationship, thanks to MJ’s hot temper and Peter constantly dashing off to defend the city as Spider-Man, and still the lingering guilt in Peter over moving on from Gwen. Things start to get better after the original clone saga, where Peter realizes that he’s in love with Mary Jane, and devotes more time with her.
Despite things getting better, Mary Jane soon feels that she’s let the relationship to go too far, and is almost horrified when Peter proposes to her. Conflicted, MJ turns down the proposal, deciding that she didn’t want to be tied down just yet. Things go from bad to worse from there for the relationship as Peter’s Aunt May is constantly in danger and Peter’s doubling absences, MJ decides that enough is enough, and, exhausted and filled with turmoil, leaves New York for several months.
During her sojourn from New York, MJ matures and drops her false persona and reveals her true self. Eventually, she returns to New York, to the surprise and delight of Peter, who gains a new respect for Mary Jane, and wants to become closer to her once more. After a terrible fight with Puma, in which the villain attempts to murder Spider-Man, Mary Jane breaks down and admits to Peter that she’s aware of his secret identity. After confessing, she then tells Peter that she can’t bear to be abandoned again and only loves Peter as a friend.
Things continue from there, with Peter and Mary Jane awkwardly attempting to reconcile as only friends, and Peter soon contemplating leaving the Spider-Man mantle, heavily-supported by Mary Jane. But Peter just can’t leave Felicia Hardy alone, and soon takes up with Black Cat yet again. Soon his actions come back to him, and, overwhelmed with guilt and loss with no real affirmative direction in his life, Peter leaves New York for Berlin with Ned Leed, after sharing an awkward kiss with Mary Jane that leaves her conflicted.
During Peter’s absence from New York, Mary Jane has time to ponder the state of her and Peter’s relationship, and realizes that she still has vestiges of feelings for him. To her delight, Peter returns to New York, but is again conflicted when she finds a changed and bitter Peter in place, still reeling from Ned Leed’s murder. Ned’s being framed as the Hobgoblin only makes the bitterness and turmoil twist in Peter, especially when Felicia leaves him for the Foreigner. Mary Jane sees this as a chance to mend her and Peter’s relationship, but is stunned when Peter proposes marriage to her once again.
Still conflicted, though she loves him, Mary Jane turns him down once again. Mary Jane leaves briefly in hopes of settling old emotional wounds with her father, not realizing that Peter is following her. She eventually finds out, and soon aids her sister in having their crooked father arrested, and then aiding Spider-Man against the Spider-Slayer.
Looking back at her childhood and her relationship with marriage, Mary Jane realizes that she knows exactly who she wants to spend her life with, and tells Peter that she takes back her rejection to his second proposal, and tells him that she will marry him.
The time that elapses between the proposal and the wedding is filled with doubt (MJ over not wanting to give up her “party girl” lifestyle; Peter over MJ’s safety as the wife of Spider-Man; and both their concerns that they are marrying incredibly young), but both decide to marry anyways.
MJ continues to model after she marries, but encounters danger when her wealthy landlord begins to stalk her, who is infuriated when Mary Jane spurns his advances, and in retaliation, he has her blacklisted as a model. Now blacklisted, Mary Jane tries out and secures the part on the soap opera, “Secret Hospital”. She enjoys her time as a star briefly before she tires of her character’s personality, which she perceives as vindictive and air-headed. After petitioning her boss, Mary Jane’s character’s personality changes, much to her delight, but soon a deranged fan attempts to kill Mary Jane for the actions of her Secret Hospital character. Fearing for her life, Mary Jane quits show business and returns to modeling.
Around this time, Harry Osborn dies, leaving behind a young son. An incredibly traumatic event for both Mary Jane and Peter, added to the stress of her tumultuous career and Peter’s parents suddenly reappearing (they turn out to be fakes), causes Mary Jane to start smoking, a terrible habit that she had worked hard to quit in high school. This causes a wide wave of tension between husband and wife, bringing back old wounds and causing Peter to trick her into a visit to the hospital to visit an old friend who had suffered from lung cancer. But things didn’t quite clear up after that. Once Peter discovers that his parents are fakes, he goes into deep denial and leaves New York for a while, leaving Mary Jane to pick up the remaining pieces and ultimately decide to visit her father and sister, and finally reconcile with them. Finally, Peter returns, confesses his misgivings to her, and the couple finds themselves so incredibly happy. Happier than they have for so long, and for Mary Jane this is an incredible relief.
In fact, that time is so happily spent, that Mary Jane eventually discovers that she’s pregnant. This is just after Peter and Mary Jane discover that Peter has a clone by the name of Ben Reilly. A friend of Reilly, a scientist by the name of Seward Trainer helps her with the pregnancy complications, but also reveals that Ben is the “real” Peter Parker through a genetic test that he rigged (it was all a lie). Peter is furious and disbelieving and while in having a heating argument with Ben, he accidentally hurts MJ. Horrified, Peter resolves to quite being Spider-Man, deciding that the life of his wife and unborn child are more important. All starts getting better and better, until The Jackal, a villain, puts hypnosis on Peter to try and have him kill Mary Jane. Ben steps in just in time, with his teammates the New Warriors, and especially Kane. After this episode, Peter moves him and Mary Jane to Portland, Oregon. While there, he loses his powers in a lab accident. Mary Jane first fears that this would negatively affect Peter, but is glad when Peter rather takes to a normal life, adapting happily. The two settle down in their new home, preparing for the baby, looking forward to the child’s arrival. But home tugs at the heartstrings and Peter and Mary Jane realize that they want their child to grow up in their home city, and move back to New York. This proves to be a fatal mistake, as things start to get bad.
After becoming unexpectedly ill and nearly dying, Peter regains his powers and returns to super-heroics. Mary Jane returns to her diligent work as wife and eventual mother, and even progresses well, but is terribly concerned when she learns that there are genetic abnormalities in her fetus (however, she is also quite concerned with the Onslaught crisis occurring, and moving her feet quickly). Things went horribly, horribly wrong after this. Alison Mongraine, an accomplice of the Green Goblin, poisons Mary Jane, and succeeds in her plans when the baby is stillborn.
A traumatic turn of events, but the couple attempts to survive and stick through the events, but as MJ manages to return to college and major in psychology, Norman Osborn continues to manipulate and control the strings of her family, and Mary Jane, unable to take the stress anymore after losing the baby she so much looked forward to, begs Peter to hang up his spidey suit.
Peter is happy to comply to his wife’s wishes for many months, but the heroic ego tugs and tugs at him and he starts to be Spider-Man once again, while Mary Jane goes back into model with new levels of success. This causes a great strain on their marriage. Not to mention, more stress for Mary Jane as she starts to receive perverted and life-threatening phone calls from an anonymous stalker. Things get more dangerous when in a flight across America, Mary Jane’s plane explodes in mid-air. This shocks and horrifies Peter and he enters deep denial, refusing to date any other women, so confident that Mary Jane is alive. And Peter turns out to be right. The anonymous stalker reveals himself as a telepathic mutant, who, as it turns out, had telepathically connected with Peter’s mind in some way and so desired Peter’s life, he was willing to do anything. It turns out that he kidnapped Mary Jane and held her hostage for several months. But this is all put to an end when the stalker kills himself after gleaning the morality and personality of Peter’s self. He sees the great error of his ways and promptly commits suicide.
Now reunited, Peter assumes that things will be well. But Mary Jane is scared and shaken by the events and decides that a separation or marriage-hiatus of sorts is in order, and moves to Los Angeles to immerse herself in acting. In a perfect moment where MJ wishes dearly to reconcile with Peter, and he fails to meet her, and hurt, she refuses to speak to him. Aunt May refuses to let the marriage end, and forces Peter to go with her to Los Angeles, where Peter and Mary Jane happily, and finally, reconcile.
Sometime later, during the events of Marvel’s Civil War plot, the apartment of Peter and Mary Jane is burned down by Charlie Weirdman, who also burns down Aunt May’s house. Peter joins the New Avengers, and is immediately offered to live in Stark Tower with his family, much to Mary Jane’s elation. With the New Avengers, Mary Jane feels at home and is thrilled to be part of her husband’s heroic world. She does her part in aiding the Avengers when they return home and helps Aunt May with the chores, while working hard as well, quite content and happy.
PERSONALITY: Mary Jane is a complicated young woman. She has many issues beneath her routine, and while she’s worked hard to get through them, she still has many inner conflicts to deal with. One is that she often tries to project a profile of calm, cool, collected, and confident person, hoping that people will take direction of this attitude and be reassured that she’s all right. She’s not a fan of letting people know her deepest fears, darkest worries, or any other negative emotions. This often causes her to build up the stress and frustration inside and continue packing it in, until it causes detrimental issues. For example, one thought of doubt can snowball into a well of anxiety and apprehension that can lead her to slowly retract into herself, until she’s almost antisocial. It takes a long line of trust to be able to get past her insecurities and worries. Often it takes her a good tug on her pride to make her realize that she’s acting irrational.
She is stubborn with her opinions, commonly making up her mind and digging in her heel on the issue, before she even knows the entire background behind the scene. She enjoys being correct in an argument, and often stews over being in the wrong. When she has something to say, there is no stopping her from speaking. Often, she feels that in order for people to hear her, she has to speak a little louder, as well as act a little bolder, not afraid to halt everything to get her word in edgewise. Often, these moments are beneficial for company, having encouraged Peter in his moments of self-doubt, or shake someone from self-loathing to realize their self-worth. However, it has also caused argument with similar personalities. She can be viewed as arrogant and proud, and this will cause her to alienate people.
However, when she steps back and revaluate, she is more often honestly contrite and willing to do what she must to repair or mend relationships. She will humble herself and admit her misgivings, even when she still believes that in some way, she does not need to apologize.
On her caring side, Mary Jane is quite affectionate. She makes sure to be there for those who need her, often dropping whatever she is doing to be at someone’s side. She’s spent many nights, waiting for Peter to return from fighting crime, prepared to handle whatever issue he has, whether it be acquired trauma from a crime-related encounter, or bandaging and stitching any wounds he’s sustained. She’s also given out quite a bit of tough love, which is often what people require. She doesn’t sugarcoat any problems, and is quite blunt with her words. Suffice to say, she doesn’t use the kiddie gloves when it comes to self-pity, self-loathing, or giving pep talk of the century to spur someone into courage. More often than that, this is what her husband requires: a good kick in the shins and a reminder that he’s a vigilante, and a good person to put him back into his courageous spirits, willing spirits.
She’s also quite playful when she wants to be. She has a good sense of humor and enjoys a good time. Whether it be watching a football game with her husband, or over-screaming the Avengers when its sports night in Stark Tower. She’s a fan of parties, and always knows how to have a good time without going over the limit. She often loses herself in this side of personality. And in the past, she’s done so almost completely, if not for the fact that she’s grown personality-wise in the conditions of her maturity. Still, she’s not above a little harmless flirting, but the motto is that you can look all you want…but don’t touch. She has had to fend for herself against stalkers in the past, being very loyal to her husband.
POWER: Since Mary Jane is not a meta-human, the City will need to give her powers.
Mary Jane will have the agility and reflexes of an advanced gymnast. She will be able to pull off a straight vault, a simple handspring, as well as the agility to fling her body from wall to wall and across rooftops. It will come quite naturally to her, and she will able to pull off several springs in one long line easily.
MJ will also be able to produce web fluid from her palms, and the bottoms of her feet. This can also come from the back of her wrists, so that she can make web-threads. She will be able to shoot webs across long distances and swing from them. They are as strong as wet concrete, yet can be torn apart after exactly one hour on their own, without any extra web layering for support.
She will also have the ability to change the color of her hair from red…to black. This can be done on a whim, and be as simple as shooting a web across long distances, or snapping her fingers.
[CHARACTER SAMPLES]
COMMUNITY POST (FIRST PERSON) SAMPLE:
[The video opens to rain. Large amounts of rain. Hitting the pavement and making loud, sloshing and splashing sounds as they run down the cement and to the drainage. The camera faces the view of a broken-down, old building, before there’s the sound of something popping, and it is turned to show a voluptuous, tall redhead, holding an umbrella, and looking not at all amused.]
Okay, so besides the fact that it’s raining cats and dogs, and I’m apparently stuck here-according to what that creepy computer said, anyways-I’d like to request some explanations on just why the hell I’m here. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s been this blunt, so let’s just answer MJ’s questions and then you can go back to whatever it was you were doing. Kay?
[She looks to the left, furrowing her brow.] Where are the police when you need them? I just witnessed someone try to mug an elderly woman, and then throw a rock through a store window. No one came when the alarms went off, and I had to clock the mugger with a brick to get the old lady back her purse.
[The camera turns to show a webbed-up-yes, those are webs wrapped around the body-criminal, slumped against a wall. He lets out a small groan, before the camera turns back to the woman. She brushes her hair back over one shoulder.] Good thing there was some netting left around in the alleys, or else I would not have been able to stop him.
LOGS POST (THIRD PERSON) SAMPLE:
There’s really only one good dish that Mary Jane cook without fail. And that would be Peter’s (assumed) favorite, linguini. For some reason, she never burns the noodles, overcooks the sauce, or adds too much olive oil to make the dish have a zingy taste. She stands attention at the burner, wooden stirring spoon in hand, watching the pasta shells go from hard to soft while the water boils.
The radio sings an old Broadway tune from Hairspray, while the coffee pot gurgles in the corner. The wonderful scent of hazelnut and almonds lingering in the air. For once, nothing is burning, nothing is overflowing, or is in need of quality maintenance that Mary Jane knows she and Peter cannot afford in their current money problems. She’s had to double up on the How-To books at the local library, learning how to fix something as simple as turning a knob on a pipe, to the complications of fixing a beaten-up computer.
To Mary Jane, these appliances were replaceable (eventually), and it mattered more that she and Peter could pay the monthly rent, instead of having their hot water pipes repaired by an expensive repairman who would overcharge on his hours, and probably make some leering looks Mary Jane’s way.
‘Just let me try,’ she’d tell Peter. ‘Don’t you have a city to defend?’ And like that, he’d smile, kiss her forehead, and hurry off into the New York rooftops and skyline, confident that his wife will get the job done. And truth be told, these jobs are a hit and miss at times. She’d had to phone in help from old friends several times, and even ask aid of Aunt May. But it’s worth all the difficulty, to be able to keep their apartment and be comfortable.
The timer on the microwave makes a sound and Mary Jane turns off the burners on the stove, watching for any extra un-solved chunks in the pasta pot. The radio sings “Come What May” as she moves the naked pasta to a strainer in the sink and lets it cool, then goes to tend to the pasta. It’s nice and creamy when she stirs it clockwise and counter-clockwise, and there’s a lit smile on her face as she moves it to a potholder on the counter.
From behind, she can hear the window opening, with a loud yawning sound, before the sound of padded feet against the doormat she’s moved. Mary Jane smiles. “Hey, Tiger. How was your afternoon of throwing criminals into jail?”
FINAL NOTES ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER:
How about I tell you guys why I want to play MJ.
To me, the supporting significant other of a super-hero seems much more interesting than the big super-hero himself or herself. They have to be pretty courageous and confident and determined to continue to be with that super-hero. To wait at the window or lose sleep over the thought that, maybe that next fight they get into, they could lose their lives. To know that there are no guarantees in the life of a vigilante. The emotional issues. The paranoia. To me, to be able to watch the one you love go off to risk his life for others, everyday? You have to be incredibly strong to stand it. And Mary Jane certainly isn’t that ideal, but she tries. She tries hard to be good enough and to be able to make a difference in her husband’s life. And that after all the strife she’s been through, she’s still right there, standing at Peter’s side, she has to be some kind of super woman.
Never mind that fact that, the question of “What would Mary Jane do if she had Peter’s powers?” has obviously been on many fans’ minds. It shows in how we love to draw Mary Jane in that costume, or have alternate realities in comics where she fights alongside her husband as Spider-Woman, or even just swinging alongside him, or their daughter (in some realities). I would love to give a good idea of what it would be like in the city.