Warning! Spoilers forAll-New Venom#9 ahead!
Marvel’smost loathed relationship, between Mary Jane Watson and her boyfriend Paul, is officially over. As Mary Jane continues to acclimate to her role as the newest host of the Venom symbiote, she has come to terms with the need for another major change in her life: moving away from a relationship that isn’t working for anybody.
All-New Venom#9, by the creative team of Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez, concludes with the dramatic break-up scene between MJ and Paul.
It is a legitimately emotional scene, as Paul tries to keep Mary Jane from leaving him, but for the majority of Marvel fans, this turn of events is a cause for celebration, rather than sorrow.
After Years Of Criticism From Fans, Marvel Finally Breaks Up Mary Jane And Paul
All-New Venom#9 by The Creative Team Of Al Ewing, Carlos Gómez, Frank D’Armata, And Clayton Cowles
Since his introduction in 2022, and during his subsequent several years as Mary Jane’s boyfriend, Paul Rabin has routinely ranked high among Marvel’s most maligned characters. Part of this has nothing to do with the character himself, but rather what he represents:Marvel’s stubborn refusal to let Peter Parker and Mary Jane be together.
That said, the way the character has been depicted has not done him many favors, and has overall failed to win him sympathy from fans. So, inAll-New Venom#9,when MJ tells Paul their relationship “hasn’t been working now for a long time,” readers can’t help but feel like she’s speaking for them as well.
This seems to double as Marvel’s acknowledgment that the Paul/MJ pairing was almost universally panned, and that it wasn’t doing any good for Mary Jane, as her star continues to rise in the Marvel Universe. This doesn’t mean she’ll immediately rekindle her romance with Peter; rather, it repeesent an opportunity for her to not be defined by romance at all.
Mary Jane’s Relationship With Paul Was Holding Her Back, And She Just Told Him So
MJ Is Moving Forward No Strings Attached
There is an emotionally resonant note to the break-up scene inAll-New Venom#9. The way Paul desperately plays the “I love you” card, and makes futile promises to change his behavior, both strike a very real chord. Still, few Marvel fans would argue that this isn’t the right move for Mary Jane, both in-universe, and as a character.
What a single and empowered Mary Jane Watson will amount to remains TBD, but it is a clear signal that the character is still at the dawn of a new era in her role as Venom, and that she is on the precipice of truly becoming a breakoutMarvelhero, one that is tied down to neither Peter, nor Paul.
