WEIRDLAND: Masked Desire

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Masked Desire

Appearance
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 120 lbs
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
Features: Visually Attractive
Created By: Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr.
Real Name: (Born Mary Jane Watson)
Former Aliases: Red Sonja (briefly)
Dual Identity: None
Current Occupation: Model, actress
Former Occupation: waitress, Go-Go dancer
Citizenship: U.S.
Legal Status: No criminal record
Place of Birth: Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Married to Spider-Man
Strength Level: Normal human
Powers: Can be irresistable to males
Abilities: Professional super-model, actress
Equipment: *Cough*
Weapons: Handy with a vase, knife, baseball bat, or exposed wiring if required
Limitations: None
"After Gwen's death in Amazing Spider-Man #122, Mary Jane finally demonstrated some genuine compassion, as she chose to stay with Peter and grieve together. After some time of healing, Peter and Mary Jane eventually became a regular couple, although his life as Spider-Man often interrupted their plans. MJ even dated Flash Thompson to make Peter jealous. Peter eventually proposed to Mary Jane in Amazing Spider-Man #182; however MJ declined, saying that she wasn't the sort of girl who could be happy with just one man. Peter proposed to her for a second time in Amazing Spider-Man #290. The wedding followed shortly afterwards in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 and the honeymoon in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7.
Mary Jane became like the "police-man's wife", helplessly waiting by the window for her husband to come home, day after day, while her husband risked his life. Mary Jane's character was a far cry from the bubbly flirty crazy redhead she was as a teenager.

Considering that everyone else who died in his life returns eventually (except Uncle Ben), Peter was right the first time. MJ was held captive by "the Stalker", a man who supernaturally began to become like Peter after absorbing his memories. Spider-Man rescued MJ, but after the mental trauma of her captivity, she was unable to return to the stressful lifestyle of living with a husband who risks his life every day.
After spending time apart from Peter pursuing acting while in California, Peter and Mary Jane longed for each other. While Pete flew to California, she flew to New York. With both planes grounded due to storms, they met in a Denver airport (with Captain America and Doctor Doom!), and reconciled. Mary Jane recognized that Peter needed her in his life. Living a life so large, it had seemed as if she was insignificant. She's the motivation that keeps Spider-Man fighting and relentlessly driven to survive when the odds are against him. She has since moved back to New York, and is interested in showing the world she's more than a pretty face and sexy body - but has real acting talent. Sharing Peter's secret with Aunt May, MJ and May have grown closer as well." Source: Spiderfan.org
iF: Are you still glad you’re as flamboyant as the comic book MJ?

DUNST: [Laughs] Mary Jane is a little bit more sexed up in the comic, if you know what I mean. I mean I do wear a padded bra in the film and we wanted to develop Mary Jane into the kind of person girls could look up to. I mean the action figures are pretty busty and there is apparently a video game that is pretty misogynistic, but I haven’t checked that out.

iF: If there are more films would you like to see MJ cut loose and be more of the party girl that she is in the comics?

DUNST: I don’t know. We’ll see, I really haven’t thought about that yet. All I’m thinking about is this movie right now, and if she did change that wouldn’t be up to me.
iF: Are there any aspects of this film that you could personally relate to?

DUNST: So many things. This movie is so good and evil and religion play a big part in SPIDER-MAN to me. Even our visuals like Tobey in the second film being passed by the people in the tram like he’s Jesus. It’s very much good and evil which I think is in a lot of religion. I think it’s about heroes and Peter Parker is everyman. When Spider-man swings through the city you hear melancholic music and he’s tortured by the decisions he has to make; he’s trying to grow up and be a man with these powers. Compared to Superman, whom when he flies through the air is happy music, but Spider-man has always been more tortured, so that makes him a human. You don’t separate the man from the hero. He’s always been in sync for me when it comes to Peter.
iF: So what is your next project?

DUNST: I’m doing a movie with Simon Pegg, who was in SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ, a comedy based on the book HOW TO INFLUENCE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE. It’s such a well-written script and I thought, ‘Yes!’ even before I finished it. I want to do something fun. I play Alison and she works at Vogue/Vanity Fair. It’s not called Vanity Fair in the script. Basically, he [Simon Pegg] plays a writer from London who is very controversial who comes to the magazine and it’s all about the goings on in that celebrity gossip world. It’s about how he’s rejected as a writer. It’s all in the book. Source: Ifmagazine.com

3 comments :

The Chemistry Guru said...

I know you don't agree with me, but Kirsten as MJ was dealt a raw deal in Spider-man 3. All the characterizations suffer, but hers is exceptionally 2 dimensional.

I'm looking foward to "how to loose friends and alienate people" Have you read the book, by toby young? Pretty good.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately it's usual for the female leads in comic book films to be 2 dimensional imo.
Also,their role is to give the superhero a hard time in most cases!!

Elena said...

I haven't read this book yet, Kokodee, if I'm not wrong it's the memoir of British journalist Toby Young, who moved from London to N.Y. trying his luck for the top gossip magazine Vanity Fair. In these days I'm only motivated to read the wash-machine instructions (joking) but if you recommend it after reading it, I'll give it a try. I'm watching "Spiderman 3" this weeekend (I cross fingers hoping Mary Jane isn't reduced to a simplistic superhero's emotional sparring).