Did Marvel Just Ruin Venom by Making Mary Jane the New Host?

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As a dedicated fan, I must say that the latest installment in the “All-New Venom” series is keeping the symbiote narrative alive and taking it to unexpected heights. The shocking twist unveiled in issue #5 leaves me questioning Marvel’s connection with their audience. Rumors circulated a day prior, suggesting that Mary Jane Watson would be the new Venom, and now it’s official! This revelation comes as a surprise since she wasn’t among the four characters initially suspected. Although this isn’t the most undesirable turn for “All-New Venom,” I find myself puzzled by Marvel editorial’s choice in this instance.

As a devoted comic book enthusiast, it’s safe to say that Mary Jane Watson holds a significant place in the annals of Marvel history, often serving as a key supporting character, especially for Spider-Man. She’s perhaps most recognized for her lengthy relationship with Peter Parker, culminating in a marriage that resonated deeply with readers – though not always with the editorial team. Post the controversial storyline “One More Day”, Marvel has made efforts to diminish Mary Jane’s presence in Spider-Man’s life, all while attempting to redefine her role. The recent Venom reveal is just another instance where it seems Marvel might be missing the mark when it comes to understanding what makes Mary Jane so endearing to fans. Is this entire narrative arc a misstep? That’s a question that remains up for debate among fellow aficionados like myself.

Mary Jane Will Never Be Popular if Marvel Keeps Doing What They’re Doing

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The decision to end Mary Jane’s marriage to Peter Parker in the Marvel Universe has left many readers questioning the plot development, as it seems to have stripped the character of her purpose. Despite her continued popularity among fans, Mary Jane’s role has become less significant since the divorce, particularly as Spider-Man rose through the ranks to become an Avenger. Marvel, seeking to maintain reader interest in the potential reconciliation between Peter and MJ, chose not to completely exclude her from the storyline but instead used her sparingly.

Unfortunately, some creators have taken creative liberties with Mary Jane’s character that have been met with criticism, transforming her from a supportive partner to a bitter ex-wife at times. However, there was hope for improvement during Nick Spencer’s run on The Amazing Spider-Man, but the recent Zeb Wells storyline has once again caused controversy by marrying Mary Jane to the son of a villain from another universe – Paul.

This latest development in the character’s storyline has left many fans disappointed and frustrated with Marvel’s handling of Mary Jane Watson.

In a surprising twist, Marvel has transformed Mary Jane into a superheroine, known as Jackpot. This transformation was facilitated by Paul, who developed a device using magical glyphs from another dimension. The machine grants Mary Jane individual superpowers over time. Fans have long desired to see Mary Jane as a superhero, as evidenced by the popularity of Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows. However, they preferred her to be a superheroine without Paul serving in a role similar to Batman’s Alfred, alongside Spider-Man.

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Marvel consistently fails to fulfill readers’ expectations regarding Mary Jane, as they desire a married version of her, but instead, she is paired with characters like Paul rather than Peter. The latest Venom reveal is just another instance of this pattern. Readers would be outraged if Mary Jane were to become Venom if she was romantically involved with Peter Parker. Having Mary Jane as Venom alongside Paul is undesirable because the majority of readers don’t favor a romantic relationship between Mary Jane and Paul in the first place.

There’s a Simple Reason That Mary Jane Is Venom, but It’s Not a Good One

The situation currently points towards transforming Mary Jane into Venom, a decision likely driven by Marvel’s plans for All-New Venom. Since Mary Jane and Paul have custody of Dylan Brock, Eddie Brock’s son who was previously the host of Venom, there was an expectation that he would become Venom again. However, Marvel opted for a classic mystery box approach instead.

Making Mary Jane Venom aligns with this narrative: it seems that the symbiote has come to her to safeguard Dylan. But eventually, it’s likely that the symbiote will transfer to Dylan. For now, Mary Jane is merely a temporary host for the symbiote, and that might not be the best scenario in reality.

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Fans might continue to express discontent towards the character, Mary Jane, until they receive satisfactory development from her storyline. Transforming her into Venom won’t alter this dissatisfaction; while Venom is popular, his popularity won’t transfer over to Mary Jane. Critics are likely to voice their disappointment in this decision, as seen in articles published by prominent comic book websites. Marvel may believe that all publicity is good publicity, but this isn’t the case here. Instead, it appears as another desperate attempt (Hail Mary pass) that reminds readers of a better idea – if she were still with Spider-Man. At present, the Mary Jane/Venom narrative might attract readers for one or two issues, but interest is likely to wane thereafter.

Check out issue 5 of the brand new Venom comic! If you’d like to discuss it further, feel free to join the conversation at crustyoldfan on bsky.social.

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2025-04-04 01:40