All Mary Janes in Spider-Man Games, Ranked

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Mary Jane hasn’t been just a pretty face for Peter Parker to fawn over in the Spider-Man video games. In today’s Spider-Man games, Mary Jane is the key to Peter’s ability to balance his life as a superhero. But has it always been this way? Mary Jane’s importance in the games has evolved over time. While today she has adopted new abilities and greater depth to her story, it hasn’t always been this way.

Mary Janes Evolution in Spider-Man Games

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Insomniac Games via The Nerd Stash

Picking up where Marvel’s Spider-Man left off, MJ remains a character with her own story. She is one of the protagonists of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Her storyline deals with her struggles and moral conflicts as an investigative journalist working at the Daily Bugle. The woman infiltrates the Hunter’s headquarters at the zoo, which is both crazy but also commendable.

Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Insomniac Games via The Nerd Stash

In this release, Mary Jane is actually a playable character in the game. She even gets her own individual missions, mostly involving investigation and stealth.

Mary Jane getting an actual storyline and missions of her own makes Insomniac’s first entry one of the best Mary Janes in Spider-Man. It gives depth to the story we’ve come to know and invites us to get to know more about her personally, not just her attraction to Peter.

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Spider-Man Web of Shadows’ Mary Jane

Image Source: Treyarch via The Nerd Stash

In this release, Mary Jane’s role contains a little more prominence. Especially when she picks up a weapon to defend herself, and helps Spider-Man in battle. The fact that she’s wearing a cast since her arm’s actually broken makes this moment even more epic.

2007 Spider-Man 3’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Beenox via The Nerd Stash

While the game focuses mainly on Spider-Man’s missions and gameplay, Mary Jane takes a role in advising Peter on his relationship with Harry. Mary now knows Peter’s secret and can help out a bit more in spidey matters.

Spider-Man 3 touches on Peter’s emotions, as his personal life is affected by his life as a superhero. Here is when Mary Jane, who is no longer a hostage love interest for Peter to save, takes the role of an actual supportive girlfriend.

Spider-Man Edge of Time’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Beenox via The Nerd Stash

This Mary Jane has a pixie cut and is voiced by Laura Vandervoort, so she could have easily had a cooler role. Sadly, she is still more or less a damsel in distress.

MJ is nearly killed after a fall from a lift, and there’s a heavy storyline that involves her rescue. However, in Spider-Man Edge of Time, Peter Parker’s girlfriend doesn’t have a very active role in the story and is not a playable character.

Spider-Man 2’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Treyarch via The Nerd Stash

Once again, Mary Jane’s relevance to Spider-Man’s life is highlighted in Spider-Man 2. Still, MJ remains a passive character in this second entry from Treyarch, too. One of the big scenes in this entry is when Octopus interrupts a conversation between the two of them, and seizes Mary Jane with his tentacles. We’ll give Spider-Man 2 a pass, though, since there are more scenes of dialogue between Peter and Mary Jane.

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Spider-Man’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Treyarch via The Nerd Stash

Mary Jane, voiced by the one and only, Kirsten Dunst, takes on a significant importance for Peter’s emotional support. Still, she pretty much has a background role here. Her most relevant scene is when Green Goblin kidnaps her from her flat and Spider-Man has the mission to “Save Mary.”

MJ is relegated to the damsel in distress role, we never really get to see how the abduction actually affects her, just how it determines Peter’s love for Mary Jane.

Ultimate Spider-Man’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Beenox via The Nerd Stash

Mary Jane has no special relevance in this game to speak of. The spotlight is stolen from MJ to explore Black Cat’s abilities and story. Ultimate Spider-Man doesn’t even have room for MJ as a mere love interest, as it dives into Peter’s relationship with Gwen. So, yeah, the traditional love story of Mary Jane and Peter Parker is left in the dust here.

2000 Spider-man’s Mary Jane

Image Source: Neversoft via The Nerd Stash

In the first entry of Spider-Man, Mary Jane has no impact whatsoever. She shows up in missions where Peter has to rescue her, but there is no dialogue, nor scenes that explore her character at all.