The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #188 (January 1979)
Brad Davis (Remy Hii), you beautiful, gorgeous jerk. The hunky high schooler who survived “The Blip” only to develop into a genuine competitor for M.J. (Zendaya)’s heart is as devious a villain as Mysterio. Peter Parker can’t compete with that charm, can he? Well, only if he allows such a gleaming smile to infect doubt in his own prowess. The dilemma is not new to Peter Parker. He’s constantly at odds with his self-image, and there is always another attractive specimen looking to upstage his hesitant personality. In issue 188 of The Amazing Spider-Man, we meet Brad Davis for the first time. He’s the star quarterback at Empire State University and the current boyfriend to Mary Jane. Even though Peter is in a relationship with Betty Brant, he’s struck by the sting of jealousy and lashes out at M.J. like a petulant child. Thankfully, before he can put his foot in his mouth any further, the terrorist known as Jigsaw attacks the college stadium and Spider-Man must suit up.
The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #289 (June 1987)
The Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and Betty Brant (Angourie Rice) of Far From Home are extremely different than their comic book relatives. The Spider-Man sequel has some summer fun by pairing this unlikely couple together. Meanwhile, their romantic relationship in the comics is anything but sweet or adorable. Betty was first entangled in an unsatisfying romance with Peter Parker, and when that didn’t work out, she moved on to another Daily Bugle reporter, Ned. They marry, and it’s rocky from the start as arguments are constant. Even worse, issue 289 unveils her husband as The Hobgoblin, a criminal who gained access to The Green Goblin’s arsenal so that he could find worth in terrorizing the innocent. The saga of Ned Leeds is a dark, depressing affair, and we should be grateful that the MCU will most likely never explore this route for Jacob Batalon. The character deserves a brighter future.
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual # 1 (August 2018)
J.K. Simmons is back as J. Jonah Jameson, and better yet, Far From Home uses the Daily Bugle tyrant to flaunt the true identity of Spider-Man to the rest of the world. Imagine the exuberance on J.J.J.’s face when that news rolled across his desk. The day he’s always dreamed of is finally here. Such knowledge is at the heart of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Mike Allred. Jameson relishes in plotting how he’ll use the info, but as the reality of it begins to tear into his past history with Spider-Man, the publisher wrestles with the opportunity before him. The J.J.J. of the Sam Raimi films is a larger-than-life cartoon character, and he’s a blast of comic relief. The gift of Zdarsky and Allred is that they take the two-dimensional newsman and grant him a few extra layers of empathy. We truly have yet to see how Simmons will behave in the MCU, but hopefully, they’ll take a page from this Annual, and grant him a life beyond his booming antagonism.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Parallel Lives (May 1989)
Can Peter Parker be Spider-Man and ever hope to engage with another human being on a romantic level? Part of any successful relationship is an open pathway of communication, and if you’re hiding any aspect of yourself from your significant other, then you’re doomed to destruction. The original graphic novel Parallel Lives from Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk traces the origins of both Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. When it was originally released, the storyline caused quite a stir because M.J. revealed to Peter that she knew about his Spider-Man side-hustle from the first day he donned the costume to chase down Uncle Ben’s killer.
One of the great joys of Far From Home is when M.J. calls Peter out as Spider-Man before he can present her with the Black Dahlia necklace. He’s flummoxed. He cannot believe that anyone could put two and two together, but let’s be real, he’s terrible at maintaining his charade with others, and if Mysterio didn’t out him by the end, someone else would have eventually. The exposure will result in heartache, but if Peter is to maintain the balance between Avenging and daily life, he needs to be open with the world in the same way he’s open to M.J. I don’t see this as a betrayal to the core concept of the character but a necessary evolution to move beyond the run-of-the-mill narratives. The MCU Peter Parker does not need to worry about the never-ending monthly publishing cycle and therefore can develop further than his comic book counterpart.
Related Topics: Marvel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Reading List
