The Many Loves of Spider-Man
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10. Michele Gonzales
The backstory of Michele centers on her brother, Vin Gonzales. Vin was a cop and Peter Parker’s roommate who served time in prison for his part in a plan to frame Spider-Man for murder. After Vin gave himself up and exposed the plot, Michele moved into the apartment and she made life difficult for Peter.
After a one night stand between Peter and Michele, things got weird when the Chameleon impersonated Peter and he initiated a sexual encounter between himself and Michele. This led Michele to believe that she and Peter were now in a serious relationship. Hence the panel here in which the real Peter discovers that Michele is already taking charge of his life.
On a side note, someone at Marvel eventually realized that what the Chameleon did with Michele was essentially a rape (or at least sex under false pretenses), so it was retconned into not being a sexual encounter. But Michele relationship with Peter didn’t last very long.
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9. Debra Whitman
Debra Whitman was one of Peter Parker’s girlfriends during his college years at Empire State University. Debra was perhaps his smartest girlfriend, but she was also the most mentally unstable. Debra was slightly schizophrenic and she came to believe that Peter was secretly Spider-Man.
Although Debra essentially guessed the truth about Peter, she managed to convince herself it was a delusion before moving away. Debra has actually appeared in two of the Spider-Man animated series, but she’s not very high on this list because she’s appeared very infrequently in the comics.
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8. Carlie Cooper
When the Marvel editors magically made Peter single again (don’t ask), Carlie Cooper was introduced as Peter’s new long term love interest.
Carlie was a NYPD CSU investigator and she eventually figured out that Peter was Spider-Man as well. During the recent Superior Spider-Man storyline, Carlie was one of the few people to realize that Peter’s brain had been swapped with Doctor Octopus’ mind.
If you’re wondering what’s going on in this pic, I think it’s from the time that everyone in New York was turned into a giant spider before finding themselves butt naked in public. Note the Spider-Man tattoo on Carlie’s body. It’s proof that she was a fan long before she met Peter.
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7. Jean DeWolff
Police Captain Jean DeWolff is perhaps the oldest woman on this list and also one of the most tragic. Jean was a few years older than Peter when she became Spider-Man’s biggest ally in the NYPD. Jean also developed romantic feelings for Spider-Man that she never got to express before she was brutally murdered.
Peter came to that conclusion while he was investigating Jean’s death and he was devastated that she never said anything to him. As Spider-Man, all Peter could do was bring Jean’s killer to justice and wonder what might have been.
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6. Silver Sable
Back in the ‘80s, Silver Sable would occasionally hire Spider-Man for assignments that had international implications. Basically, Silver Sable was a lot like a female James Bond and she was literally Spidey’s boss when he accepted her offers.
During Dan Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man, Silver Sable revealed that she too had a romantic interest in Spider-Man and she willingly backed down when he indicated that he was seeing someone else. Silver Sable was also seemingly killed during the “Ends of the Earth” storyline, which deeply hurt Spidey as he tried to keep his “No one dies!” promise to himself.
It has been hinted that Silver Sable somehow survived. But if that’s true, then where is she?
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5. Liz Allen
Liz Allen was the girl that Peter had a crush on in high school. At the time, Liz was dating Peter’s rival, Flash Thompson. And later, Liz developed feelings for Spider-Man and she dumped Flash while rejecting Peter’s advances!
Liz and Peter never actually got together and she ended up marrying Peter’s best friend, Harry Osborn. Liz is still in the Spider-Man comics today as an executive of Alchemex and a pawn of Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. Liz is either under some form of mind control or she’s parted ways with sanity. Now, even Peter is suspicious about the woman whom he used to want.
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4. Betty Brant
Betty Brant was the first woman to really give Peter a shot. Betty was a secretary at the Daily Bugle and a few years older than Peter when they began dating. However, Betty blamed Spider-Man for the death of her brother and her relationship with Peter fell apart after that.
Regardless, Betty has been a long time friend of both Peter and Spider-Man in the comics and she still appears in the comic book occasionally. Betty was also upgraded into a reporter several years ago, so she tends to be more proactive than she used to be. Thanks to Betty and Spider-Man, her dead ex-husband, Ned Leeds was posthumously cleared from being the Hobgoblin.
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3. Black Cat
Of all of Spider-Man’s one time lovers, it’s surprising that the Black Cat has never appeared in a Spider-Man movie. Although, there is a character named Felicia in The Amazing Spider-Man 2...
In the comics, Felicia Hardy aka the Black Cat is essentially the Catwoman of Spider-Man’s world. Black Cat fell in love with Spider-Man and reformed, but she’s never really warmed up to Peter when he’s outside of his costumed alter ego. Basically, Felicia is more in love with the idea of Spider-Man than she is with the man behind the mask.
More recently, Black Cat was badly treated by the Superior Spider-Man and she’s reverted to her bad girl ways. Peter Parker has no idea that his ex is now feeling particularly vengeful towards him.
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2. Gwen Stacy
After relationships with Betty Brant and Liz Allen failed to materialize, Gwen Stacy was the young woman who first gave her heart to Peter Parker. Many fans and comic pros consider Gwen to be Spider-Man’s one true love and her influence can be felt on Peter all the way to the present day.
Gwen has only recently been portrayed in adaptations of Spider-Man, including Spider-Man 3 and the “Spectacular Spider-Man” animated series. But it’s Emma Stone’s portrayal of Gwen that is reintroducing the public to one of the most important women in Peter Parker’s life.
But not the most important woman.
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1. Mary Jane Watson
It’s always been about MJ.
Mary Jane Watson wasn’t supposed to be Peter Parker’s long term girlfriend. it just kind of worked out that way. The writers of Spider-Man seemed to have more fun writing Mary Jane than any other love interest for Peter.
In 1987, Peter and Mary Jane were actually married in the comics and stayed together for decades. But just a few years back, the Marvel editors decided to get rid of the Spider-Marriage by reconning it away thanks to Mephisto... Marvel’s version of the devil.
The most insulting thing about getting rid of the Spider-Marriage is that this was the best idea that that a group of professional writers and editors came up with. Somehow, a deal with the devil was more acceptable than a divorce.
Really? REALLY?!
Since then, Marvel and subsequent Spider-Man writers have kept Peter and Mary Jane from getting back together. But their reunion is inevitable, even if the marriage is likely gone for good.
