For nearly as long as Spider-Man has been swinging around on the pages of comic books, so has Mary Jane Watson been there by Peter Parker’s side as his true love. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first time she fully appeared on the page, hitting Peter with one of the most iconic introductions in Marvel history: “Face it, Tiger… you just hit the jackpot!” Since then, she’s gone on to become one of the comic giant’s A-listers who has done so much more than just dating and marrying the Web-Head. She’s helped Peter with his superhero business, became a hero herself, saw their marriage erased by Mephisto in the pivotal One More Day storyline, became the host of Venom, and has been reinvented for the MCU. As long as Spider-Man exists, MJ will be there, with her own stories to tell that show her as much more than just a romantic interest.
In celebration of her long and storied history, Marvel Comics is releasing a new anthology, titled Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger, that pulls together a series of three stories from throughout her many appearances across the Marvel Universe to paint a full picture of who she has become since her bombastic first appearance. Each explores a vastly different era for MJ, from her party girl days to her happy marriage to Peter and her time as the All-New Venom. At the end of the issue will also be a little epilogue that teases what the future holds for the red-haired wonder after such a milestone anniversary. Several preview pages were shared ahead of release that offer a glimpse into the different lives MJ has lived and the vastly different tones the character has struck over the years.
The first page pictures what initially looks like an ideal morning for Peter and MJ in their home in Forest Hills, New York. As they sit down for breakfast, MJ notices that Peter isn’t acting like himself and, despite her assertions that they can work through his troubles together, his response is abnormally harsh and dismissive of the power of love to conquer all. Indeed, Peter isn’t feeling like himself because he’s not Peter at all, but one of his oldest foes, the Chameleon, giving Mary Jane a shock and putting her in grave danger. The next few pages, meanwhile, highlight Vamp #9, showing a romantic moment between the couple while MJ is dressed for a new vampire movie she has a small role in, each commiserating about their jobs but supporting each other in little ways. “Soft Words at Sunset” follows things up with a look at a much older MJ without Peter, reflecting on their relationship and the web-slinger’s attachment to love and legacies. It appears she’s going to visit the late Spidey’s grave and is left remembering the good memories and how their bond changed them both for the better.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
‘Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger’ Teases the Next Steps in MJ’s Career
Last up is “Redux,” with a page showing MJ on set for a spooky Halloween commercial and proving how her years as an actor have turned her into a seasoned veteran. She shows she has just as much knowledge of how to fix a fog machine as she does of how contracts work and what actresses have to and don’t have to do. While the focus is on her coming to the support of another actress who’s outraged by her last-minute wardrobe change to something more revealing, it does offer a little hint at what’s to come and what the heroine does when not out fighting with her Symbiote. The story takes place in the present day amid MJ’s current run as Venom, so if you want the full context, Al Ewing‘s current run is a must-read.
After recently revisiting Kraven’s Last Hunt, writer J.M. DeMatteis pens the first story of the Mary Jane anthology, “Faces in the Crowd,” with art by Andrea Broccardo. They’re joined by a murderer’s row of fellow comic scribes and pencilers, including Ann Nocenti and Alina Yerofieieva for “Vamp #9,” J. Michael Straczynski and Luigi Zagaria for “Soft Words at Sunset,” and finally, Ashley Allen and Phil Noto for “Redux.” Finally, the dazzling cover that puts MJ front and center is courtesy of Jim Cheung, whose work has most notably adorned the front of New Avengers stories.
Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger hits store shelves on August 5. Check out the full preview in the gallery above.
Release Date
July 31, 2026
Runtime
145 Minutes
Director
Destin Daniel Cretton
Writers
Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee
Producers
Amy Pascal, Kevin Feige, Rachel O’Connor, Avi Arad
