InSpider-Man’s corner of the Marvel Universe,Mary Jane Watsonhas had Peter Parker’s back through hismanyups and downs in the comic space while consistently dealing with the consequences of his heroic alter ego in both her personal and eventual superhero life.Inspired by the real-life actress Ann-Margret Olsson, Mary Jane shares more than this Hollywood starlet’s good looks and sense of style, with her character owing practically everything to Ann-Margret simply existing.
Technically making her debut in a face-obscuring cameo inThe Amazing Spider-Man #25, it wasn’t until 1966’sThe Amazing Spider-Man #42, by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., thatMary Jane made her presence knownafter she memorably introduced herself to Peter with the iconic line, “Face it, Tiger… you just hit the jackpot.”
Designed and drawn by John Romita Sr., the father of recentAmazing Spider-Manartist John Romita Jr., MJ quickly became an integral part of Spider-Man’s story, withher overall look, demeanor, and fashion sensibilities lifted directly from Ann-Margret’s role in the filmBye Bye Birdie.
Mary Jane Watson Was Directly Inspired by the Music Artist/Actress Ann-Margret Olsson
Mary Jane Watson Debuted inThe Amazing Spider-Man #42
Rising to stardom in the 1960s, Ann-Margret worked alongside top-tier talent throughout her prolific music and acting career, with her collaborations with Elvis Presley in 1964’sViva Las Vegasand Dick Van Dyke in 1963’sBye Bye Birdie— the very film that inspiredMary Jane’s eventual comic book portrayal— making her a household name. Seen in these Reddit posts looking like the spitting image of MJ right down to her stylish fashion sense,Ann-Margret exuded confidence and liveliness at every turn and often depicted characters who were glamorous, fun-loving, and slightly mischievous — a perfect description of Mary Jane.
Move Over, Venom - Mary Jane Watson Just Became Earth’s Most Powerful Symbiote
Tons of characters in Peter’s life have been taken over by symbiotes, and now it’s Mary Jane’s turn as she bonds with a powerful symbiote.
Directly admitting that he used Ann-Margret’s look fromBye Bye Birdieas a guide,John Romita Sr. took Ann-Margret’s “coloring, the shape of her face, her red hair and her form-fitting short skirts” to turn MJ into a dynamic, edgy, and unapologetically real person, reflecting the qualities Ann-Margret embodied in her most popular roles and personal life, while also successfullydistancing Mary Jane from Peter’sotherlove interest, Gwen Stacy. Furthermore, MJ was given a career as an actress/model in comics just like her inspiration, solidifying her parallels to Ann-Margret in a way that perfectly dovetailed with MJ’s character.
Since her inception as a character almost 60 years ago,Mary Jane has evolved well past her initial Ann-Margret characterization and has become an even more confident, determined, and independent woman, withMJ’s debut as the randomly-powered superhero Jackpot, further coloring her as a jack-of-all-trades and proving that without her, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man wouldn’t be the same man he is today.Mary Jane Watsonowes much to the lateAnn-Margretin more ways than can be expressed here, with the actress having one of the most important and influential roles inSpider-Man’s ever-expanding lore that’s still felt to this day.
