Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man ended its first year with a holiday season party that brought serious family drama along with it. Peter Parker/Spider-Man and his wife, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, hosted a get-together that included their kids (new legacy characters Richard Parker and May Parker), the family elders (“Uncle” Ben Parker and his bestie J. Jonah Jameson) – as well as several key ladies from Mary Jane’s side of the family.
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While longtime Spider-Man fans weren’t all that shocked to meet the Ultimate Universe’s version of Anna May Watson (Mary Jane’s Aunt and neighbor to Peter’s Aunt May in the main Marvel Universe), it did raise eyebrows when Ultimate Spider-Man writer Jonathan Hickman brought back Mary Jane’s mother, Madeline Watson and her sister, Gayle Wason.
[RELATED: MARVEL’S NEW ULTIMATE UNIVERSE IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT]
Needless to say, Hickman’s Ultimate Universe version of Madeline and Gayle Watson are a far cry from their original Marvel origins in terms of context and personality – but are still very much their same characters, at the core.
Ultimate Spider-Man Brings Back Mary Jane’s Family Ties
In the original Marvel Universe, Madeline Watson was a would-be actress who gave up her dreams to become a loving mother to her daughters Mary Jane and Gayle. However, as detailed in Amazing Spider-Man #259 (1984), Mary Janes’s dad Philip was a teacher who constantly moved jobs (and towns), and was also an abusive man, verbally berating his wife and eventually physically abusing Gayle, as well. Madeline left with her two daughters and lived with relatives; she eventually got sick and died leaving Mary Jane motherless. Mary Jane’s loss inspired a relentless pursuit of her own acting career; Gayle fell into the same cycle of family tragedy: marrying the wrong man, having to become a single mom to two kids, and watching her dreams of dancing fade away.
In Hickman’s new Ulitmate Universe, both Madeline and Gayle Watson are still very much having respective man troubles – just in remixed ways. Madeline is much older than her main universe counterpart and is now a short silver-haired fox. She reveals that she’s been divorced and a widow during her lifetime – and while her personality is dour by default (passive-aggressive critiques all day), she actually preaches an outlook of positivity, telling Ben Parker (himself a widower) that one has to “get back on that horse” in life, so to speak. During the party, it’s hinted that Ben and Jonah could form some romantic ties with Madeline and her sister (Mary Jane’s aunt) Anna.
Gayle’s role is a bit more complicated. She and Mary Jane had a falling-out over Peter, as Gayle openly criticized their MJ and Peter getting together, believing her beautiful and ambitious sister was “settling” to be Mrs. Parker. That rift kept Gayle away from MJ’s family as young Richard and May grew up, making her an estranged aunt. Gayle comes back because her own marriage has collapsed due to her husband’s affair, leading to a divorce. However, Gayle didn’t come to MJ looking for sisterly support: she came hoping to find MJ drowning in a bog of wifely/motherly boredom – only to find her sister thriving, her niece and nephew having grown into great young people, and even Peter looking more assured (in his new secret role as Spider-Man). Gayle makes the mistake of admitting all of that to MJ, sparking another round of argument. Ultimately, the Watson sisters bury the hatchet in the spirit of Christmas.
Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man has been painting the wonderful portrait of a modern Mary Jane in measured brushstrokes over this first arc – but issue #12 is the first chapter that has made her, and her new mythos, the main focus of the story. Peter Parker doesn’t get a word in until the very last page (probably because he’s not really Peter). Examining the complex relationships on MJ’s (overwhelmingly female) side of the family is entirely new ground for Spider-Man comics (and fans), and given all the familial tension and drama teased in this issue, Peter Parker’s world is going to be just as wild as Ultimate Spider-Man’s!
Ultimate Spider-Man is on sale from Marvel Comics.
