Sixty years ago, Marvel Comics hit the jackpot when Mary Jane Watson made her official debut in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #42.
Brought to life by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., she's gone from being Peter Parker's true love to a fashion model, a superhero, and even a symbiote host. Crucially, MJ has done it all with style (Marvel Comics' press release neglects to mention her time as Spider-Man's wife).
This August, Marvel celebrates the character's legendary legacy in Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger #1, a giant-sized one-shot with all-new stories spanning her most iconic eras, plus a glimpse at what’s next for the inimitable Mary Jane.
In recent years, MJ's role in the comics has transformed significantly, as she's gone from love interest to suiting up as Jackpot, and more recently, serving as the host of the Venom Symbiote.
August will also see the launch of all-new "Mary Jane Watson Variant Covers," a runway-worthy collection of new Mary Jane artwork from today’s hottest artists (those should be revealed in the coming weeks).
Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger features a lineup of renowned writers, including legendary Spider-Man scribes J.M. DeMatteis, J. Michael Straczynski and Ann Nocenti, along with rising star Ashley Allen. They’re joined by an all-star group of artists, including Phil Noto, Alina Erofeeva, Andrea Broccardo, and Luigi Zagaria, ensuring Mary Jane will look her very best.
Spider-Editor Nick Lowe said, "Since we first saw her in Amazing Spider-Man #42, we all hit the jackpot! Mary Jane has had one heck of a journey from supporting character in a love-triangle all the way to super hero! It’s super rare for a supporting character to become a main character, but Ms. Watson is one of those rare breeds, and we’re all lucky to be a part of her story!"
Below, you can check out Jim Cheung's main Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger #1 cover, as well as a variant cover by David Nakayama, which will also be available as a virgin variant cover. This July, we'll see more of the MCU's "MJ" when Zendaya reprises the role in Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
MARY JANE: FACE IT, TIGER #1
Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS, ANN NOCENTI, J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI & ASHLEY ALLEN
Art by ALINA EROFEEVA, ANDREA BROCCARDO, LUIGI ZAGARIA & PHIL NOTO
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
Virgin Variant Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
On Sale 8/5