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Mary Jane Watson

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
ALIAS
MJ
AGE
24[1]
HOME COUNTRY
United States of America
RESIDENCE
New York City
OCCUPATION
Daily Bugle associate editor
Reporter (formerly)
FAMILY
Peter Parker (boyfriend)
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
HEIGHT
5'8"[1]
WEIGHT
120 lbs[1]
GENDER
Female

Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a playable character and protagonist in Marvel's Spider-Man. An investigative journalist for the Daily Bugle, she is a friend and love interest of Peter Parker, with Mary Jane aware of his dual life as Spider-Man. Part of her story involves an investigation into who is behind the events happening in New York City, which culminates in her breaking into Norman Osborn's penthouse. Mary Jane is playable at various key points in the game, with her segments involving the use of stealth to get to certain positions.

Mary Jane is portrayed by Laura Bailey.[2]

History

Early history

Mary Jane was born in Montoursville, Pennsylvania around 1995.[1] While not much about her early life is discussed, it seems that she lived alone with her father, with whom she had a difficult relationship. While in middle school, Mary Jane became best friends with Peter Parker and Harry Osborn, a friendship which would last into their adulthood.

While it is unclear when or how she learned about Peter's identity as Spider-Man, she started dating Peter in their senior year of college, and they dated for about two years. Mary Jane eventually broke up with Peter due to him being overprotective. During this time, Mary Jane became an investigative journalist for the New York newspaper the Daily Bugle.

Marvel's Spider-Man

Mary Jane Watson from MSM screen 2
Mary Jane investigating the auction house.
Mary Jane and Peter have been apart for six months when the game begins. They first run into one another during the mission Don't Touch the Art, where players control Mary Jane for the first time as she investigates an auction house storing Wilson Fisk's art collection before the Inner Demons attack. As Spider-Man makes his way there, she learns that the Demons are after something called Devil's Breath. Mary Jane works with Peter to investigate the Demons following the incident, though they stay professional; it is only later that she reveals the reason they broke up was that he was overprotective of her.

As the story unfolds, Mary Jane finally gets fed up with how protective he is when she fails to get information from Charles Standish due to Spider-Man's interference. As such, she does not tell him about Mister Negative's plans regarding Grand Central Station and goes there alone. She is caught up in Li's taking over of the station and held hostage, but is eventually able to defuse the Devil's Breath bomb.

The experience shakes her, and she cuts off contact with Peter for a time. When they finally do reconnect, it is after Doctor Octopus has freed the prisoners within Ryker's Island and The Raft, some of whom have set fire to the F.E.A.S.T. shelter downtown after ransacking it. Spider-Man arrives to save Aunt May and Miles Morales, but in turn, has to be saved himself by Miles and Mary Jane. With such a close call, the trio decides to take on the new problems of the city together, with Mary Jane fully a partner.

The new role comes most to fruition when she infiltrates the penthouse of Mayor Norman Osborn, coming face-to-face with Sable International and Silver Sable herself. So dangerous is the mission that she is forced to leap off the high-rise balcony in order to escape them, only to be rescued by Spider-Man.

After Spider-Man is severely beaten by Doctor Octopus, it is Mary Jane that gives him the idea to use his scientific knowledge in order to defeat him. While the plan ultimately succeeds and the antiserum is recovered, she and Peter are unable to save Aunt May from Devil's Breath. Mary Jane stands at Peter's side during May's funeral.

Three months after the situation, Mary Jane is made an associate editor at the Daily Bugle. She goes to dinner with Peter and lets him know the news, then suggests he move in with her for a while until his new place is ready. In her closing scene, she and Peter reconcile their relationship and share a long kiss.

The City That Never Sleeps

Mary Jane later appears in The City That Never Sleeps DLC, whose story continues after the conclusion of the main game. She is seen working on a story regarding the Maggia crime syndicate, sending Peter to investigate a related robbery at an art museum. After Peter discovers that Maggia Don Hammerhead and the Black Cat were behind it, she helps Peter locate Black Cat, and is shocked to know when Peter tells her that Black Cat is working with the Maggia because they have kidnapped her son and that Peter could be the kid's father due to their past relationship. After a discussion, she agrees to help Peter, since the child might be in danger. Later, she is relieved to discover that Black Cat never had a son with Peter, and was in fact only using him to steal Hammerhead's data drive.

Mary Jane later helps Peter decode encrypted data from Hammerhead, discovering more about Yuri Watanabe's past against the Maggia. She later leaves New York City to go to Symkaria to write a report on the country's ongoing war.

Miles Morales

While Mary Jane Watson doesn't physically appear in the game, she was mentioned by Peter Parker. Peter revealed to Miles that after the Devil's Breath incident, MJ decides to leave New York City for a while to go to Symkaria to write a report on the country's ongoing war. Peter also decides to go with her on a "working vacation" to help on taking pictures for her, leaving Miles Morales (now also Spider-Man) to take care of the city in his absence. But Peter returns earlier with MJ staying on Symkaria for a while longer, due to her becoming friends with Silver Sable. She later returns to New York.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Prequel Comic [3]

In the Marvel's Spider-Man 2 prequel comic (which is a canon continuation of the previous games), Mary Jane is being interviewed by J. Jonah Jameson on his Just The Facts podcast about her new book on Symkaria (Perilous: A Journey Into War-Torn Symkaria) , with MJ getting increasingly angry at him, before the two Spider-Men and Tarantula burst in. She, Peter and Miles later meet at Aunt May's old house (where Peter is currently living) to discuss the interview. Miles shows them the lures that Peter gave MJ and had an idea on how to give them offensive capabilities, to which they visit the electronics store. MJ then helps Peter and Miles take down (and question) The Hood in the electronics store after it was broken into. At the end of the comic, the next day, she apologizes to Peter for being "off too, about my book". Peter also apologizes for not listening to her and letting his insecurities throw him off.

Characteristics

Appearance

Concept art


Mary Jane is 5'8", with a slim build at 120 lbs.[1] She has blue eyes and copper-red hair, the latter of which she keeps in a ponytail, with her bang almost covering her right eye. When out in public, she generally wears a brown leather jacket coupled with an orange scarf, a green collared shirt underneath, as well as a white shirt underneath that, blue jeans, and a pair of brown ankle boots.

Personality

Mary Jane is exceptionally hardworking and headstrong. Like Peter, she is willing to put her life on the line for what she believes in, showing courage and poise against impossible odds. She is also very capable of taking care of herself as shown when she infiltrates a Sable International outpost without being seen, or when she manages to break into Mayor Osborn's penthouse, even evading Silver Sable herself.

As a journalist, Mary Jane always strives to reach the truth behind the story, even if that means resorting to dishonest means to get it. That being said, Mary Jane does not resort to malicious behavior, merely lying to get around more ruthless targets. As a result Mary Jane can sometimes be somewhat stubborn.

Despite Mary Jane's hardworking tendencies, she has another side to her, one that's passionate, playful, ambitious and lighthearted. She enjoys humor, helping others and spending quality time with the ones she cares about the most. She seems to also enjoy teasing her friends in a playful manner. For example, she teased Harry for calling his mom the "prettiest mom in Midtown". Mary Jane often plays along with Peter's jokes and seems to enjoy doing it. Moreover, Mary Jane can also be selfless and heroic, due to wielding tremendous willpower. She is eager enough to go to Symkaria, for instance, despite being aware that it is a war zone and that she could lose her life, just to help people who are struggling and to save lives.

Abilities

Mary Jane is a highly talented reporter for the Daily Bugle, having honed her investigative skills over years of working from intern to staff reporter. With a well-developed network of sources, and a knack for putting interview subjects at ease with her persuasive personality and a high degree of social confidence, she has quickly made a name for herself as a journalist to watch. Her exceptional reporting skills, as well as her being remarkably intelligent, observant, and perceptive, often allows MJ to be the first to uncover certain truths, eventually landing her a promotion to associate editor at the Bugle. Mary Jane's reporting, investigative, and logical thinking skills also enable her to occasionally aid Spider-Man himself with useful insights or investigations.

Peter describes Mary Jane as fearless, noting that she relentlessly pursues the stories that could positively impact the greater good, wherever it might lead, no matter the personal cost or potential peril, even sometimes to the chagrin of her editor. Mary Jane is not dissuaded from assisting Spider-Man in his dangerous missions despite the fact that she possesses no superhuman powers, repeatedly conveying her desire to work alongside him as his "partner", even going so far as to infiltrate numerous covert bases by herself despite present immense opposition and hostility.

Equipment

Mary Jane has access to a camera which, when used on certain objects, will prompt her to give some information about the object. She also possesses a stun gun, which she acquires in the mission "Step Into My Parlor...", allowing her to sneak up behind enemies and stun them.

Relationships

Peter Parker

After becoming best friends in middle school, Mary Jane and Peter Parker started a relationship in their senior year of college. Mary Jane learned of Peter's identity as Spider-Man early in his vigilante career, having helped patch him up after fights more than once. The two dated until six months prior to the events of the game, with Peter's protective behavior leading to a break-up. But they still remained on good terms with each other.

During the story, Mary Jane's reporting duties cause her and Peter to cross paths again and she offers to work together with Spider-Man to investigate the rise in crime in New York. As their work brings them closer together, the two struggle with defining their relationship romantically and as a crime-fighting duo. Three months after the conclusion of the game, they rekindle their relationship after Mary Jane invites Peter to stay at her house while his new home is being furnished.


Mary Jane and Peter in The City That Never Sleeps.
Mary Jane and Peter continue to work together when Black Cat makes her return in The City That Never Sleeps. Initially, teasing Peter for being on a first-name basis with Felicia, Mary Jane later begins to display some notable jealousy towards Black Cat, which is not helped when Peter tells her that Black Cat claims to have a son being held hostage and that said son could very easily be his from their past relationship. Although she is mostly understanding about the situation, some noticeable insecurities do slip through as she is understandably rattled, with her reminding Peter not to let Felicia manipulate him again and dreading her own reaction if they find said son and he happens to look like Peter.

Harry Osborn

Harry Osborn is one of Mary Jane's childhood friends. Mary Jane, along with Peter, reminisces fondly about their adventures during their childhood and adolescence, such as their search for the best pizza in New York, watching Saturday cartoons at Peter's house, and teasing Harry for calling his mother "the prettiest mom in Midtown".

Like Peter, Mary Jane is initially kept in the dark about Harry's illness, as Harry did not want them to struggle like he did when his mother was sick. However, in her search for the Devil's Breath antiserum lab, Mary Jane discovers the truth about Harry's condition, much to her horror and disbelief.