Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy have been hugely defined by their respective relationships with Peter Parker. While that may be why their lives cross over originally, in the grand scheme of the Multiverse itself, there are many more chapters to their narrative. Comic book fans will be well aware of their friendly rivalry.
Their romances with Spider-Man obviously can't be overlooked, but other factors have brought them together and torn them apart as well. Their partnership in the past and the potential for a deeper friendship has always been a complex topic to explore, but the strangeness of the Marvel Universe has never failed to interfere.
Peter Parker was a romantic interest for both Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy, sometimes around the same period. It got to the point where the duo were competing with one another for dates with Spider-Man, at the start of their friendly rivalry.
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While the demeaning challenge was certainly an indicator of the period that the story is from, both Stacy and Watson put their all into the competition. While the resolution to the contest was never really brought thanks to interfering villains, it is an early example of how their ties to Peter impacted their friendship.
While the pair might have competed for Peter's affections, they also looked to try and take more of his time. Again, this was during a period where the writing was far more misogynistic, but with Peter suffering from fights against his foes, Stacy and Watson would take turns caring for him.
Some of the worst things to ever happen to both Mary Jane and Gwen took place in the earlier days of Peter's escapades as Spider-Man, with both of them caught in the middle of the danger. They both continued to look after an injured Peter despite the trouble he might have caused, without one ever getting in the way of the other.
Gwen Stacy's death continues to be one of the most tragic storylines in comic book history. The character gave her life in the fight against Green Goblin and Peter wasn't able to save her. Spider-Man took that guilt with him and struggled after she passed away.
That formed a catalyst for Mary getting closer to Peter as they dealt with the death of Gwen together. It's ironic therefore that the very woman that Watson competed with, would end up being the reason that she would ultimately form a stronger bond.
Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy would eventually form a closer friendship in their own right. They would even look for activities to do together, like going dancing, that would put an end to their friendly rivalry and allow for a sharing of common interests. One of those happened to be fundraising.
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It would be Mary Jane and Gwen that decided they should attend a fundraising event created by a character called Raleigh, hoping that they could make a difference. While the evening might have ended in chaos, it was a sign that they could form a connection with one another.
On-screen Gwen Stacy and Spider-Man had excellent chemistry and that wasn't any different on the page, because of their personality types. But there was a major difference between Stacy and Watson's approach to the world, that ultimately impacted their relationship with Peter and indeed their careers and general life.
Stacy was a real introvert. As an actress and performer, Mary Jane was extroverted. This was an area in which the two clashed, with Stacy sometimes comparing herself and her personality to that of Watson. Of course, they should have just allowed themselves to be who they are.
Despite their romantic rivalry and personality clash, Stacy and Watson did form a real friendship. They went round in the same groups and did develop several shared interests. Mary Jane's grieving process, when Stacy died, was never fully touched upon.
She supported Peter more than anything but learned that he was leaving behind messages for Stacy. Mary Jane asked that she could be briefly featured on those messages in tribute to Gwen Stacy, demonstrating that she still missed her rival, in both their conflicts and their friendship.
The Multiverse is a big place, and just because the initial rivalry was based, rather sexistly, on Peter Parker on Earth-616, that doesn't mean that's the case in every other reality. In Spider-Gwen's universe, Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy are in a band together.
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The band is named after Mary Jane, which only continues to support her need to be in the spotlight. The pair might work together well on stage, but that doesn't mean they always get along, with a rivalry involving each woman's respective place in the band causing plenty of conflicts.
In a recent narrative, the fight between Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy got out of control. As part of the King In Black arc, Mary Jane became Venomized, with a variation of Carnage and other Symbiotes feeding off of the rage that she felt towards Spider-Gwen.
Suiting up as the Ghost-Spider, the two did battle, in an intense conflict that allowed them to fight through their differences. It was a brutal affair, but ultimately Ghost-Spider would save the day, with Mary Jane Watson reverting to her original form. This was a very powerful iteration of Watson.
House Of M was a major storyline that saw Wanda Maximoff completely shift reality itself, to match an ideal that she had created. Every Marvel character found themselves in a very different position, and Mary Jane Watson's life was rather ironic.
She achieved her dream once more of being a successful actress, but there was one role that she would become famous for. She was portraying Gwen Stacy in the story of Peter Parker's life. It's a cruel move that fate had dealt her, painting the friendly rivalry between the two in a new light.
Intriguingly, in the context of the wider Multiverse, both Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy have gone on to boast Spider powers in their own right. Spider-Gwen is the most obvious example of that, as are Venomized iterations of both characters. In some timelines, Mary Jane marries Peter, becomes a superhero, and has a child known as Spiderling.
It would seem that out of all the people in Peter Parker's life, it's Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy who is set to parallel one another, time and time again. After all, very few other allies to Peter, or those close to him in his personal life, actually get Spider powers in different universes.
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