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Mary Jane Watson ’s opening ancestry to Peter Parker , “ face up it , Tiger … you just hit the pot ! ” is one of the most far-famed phrase inSpider - Manhistory . The line of products has been repeated in multiple Spider - Man comic book , animated TV shows , and movie . Most recently , DC’sSupergirlpoked playfulness at the telephone circuit by having Kara ’s Kryptonian boyfriend seek to use it on her – with decidedly pathetic solvent .
Iconic line aside , however , one has to ask – whydoesMary Jane call Peter Parker , “ Tiger ” ? Peter is , after all , a Greco-Roman dweeb outside of his Spider - Man persona . consecrate that this was the first thing MJ ever said to Peter , it seems strange that she would choose “ Tiger ” as a nickname for him .
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To disclose Mary Jane ’s abstract thought , allow ’s take a look back at the chronicle of the line of credit and MJ ’s relationship with Peter Parker .
How Mary Jane Was Introduced in Marvel Comics
Movies likeSam Raimi’sSpider - Mantrilogyand MCU’sSpider - Man : Homecomingestablish that Peter Parker go to high-pitched school day with Mary Jane Watson and , in Tobey Maguire ’s case , had been in dearest with her since they were kids . However , Mary Jane was introduced in a very dissimilar way in the funnies . Writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko build a run gag where Peter ’s Aunt May tried to mark up her nephew with her neighbour ’s niece Mary Jane . Convinced Mary Jane could n’t be “ his type , ” Peter constantly came up with excuses not to meet her , preventing readers from encounter MJ for several takings . Even when MJ made a abbreviated cameo inThe Amazing Spider - Man # 25,her face was hidden from the reader ( although Peter ’s other love interest Betty Brant and Liz Allen were astonished when they regard her ) .
When Mary Jane finally appeared , drawn by John Romita Sr . , inThe Amazing Spider - Man # 42,both the reviewer and Peter were shocked to learn she was a gorgeous red head . Thus , her opening parentage , “ Face it , Tiger … you just score the jackpot ! ” was point as much to the lector as to Peter , hand the expectation that had been building for days over how Peter ’s unsighted particular date wait .
In his vivid novel autobiographyAmazing , Fantastic , unbelievable : A Marvelous Memoir , Stan Lee adds another layer of meaning to Peter ’s first get together with Mary Jane – establish that Peter ’s amazement was free-base on Lee ’s own surprise when he first saw his married woman Joan . Like Peter , Lee had been set up by a booster on a unsighted date with a model . When he arrived , however , Lee conform to Joan , a unlike theoretical account , and fell right away in passion with her . As both Joan Lee and Mary Jane Watson are models , Lee likely base aspects of MJ on his own married woman . The graphic novel even links the two by including a panel monovular to Peter ’s first encounter with MJ – with Stan Lee and Joan acquire their places .
Mary Jane’s Reasons for Calling Peter Parker “Tiger”
Unlike Stan and Joan Lee , Peter and Mary Jane did not ab initio have a strong relationship . Although the two dated off and on , MJ wanted to be a “ free tone ” who went out with multiple man . Meanwhile , Peter was interfering being Spider - Man , and – when he began date his college ravisher Gwen Stacy – seemed to have found the love of his life . It was n’t until Gwen was killed by the Green Goblin that Mary Jane and Peter started link up on a deep level . Their relationship continued to grow , culminate in a kiss during Spider - Man ’s originalClone Sagawhere they realized how strong their smell were for each other .
It was here that Peter in the end asks Mary Jane why she call him “ Tiger . ” In typical MJ fashion , Mary Jane laughs,“Oh , Petey – I call you Panthera tigris ‘ cause you ’re not!”It ’s a playful response from a party girl model who ’s inexplicably attracted to a studious nerd . However , after Spider - Man plot line hint that this may be a covering fire for a deeper significance behind Mary Jane ’s democratic nickname . InThe Amazing Spider - Man # 257,Mary Jane reveals she knows Peter is Spider - Man – and has , in fact , cognize about his hole-and-corner identity operator for year . Spider - Man : Parallel Liveslater reveals that MJ discovered Peter ’s closed book on the dark his Uncle Ben was murdered – as she saw Spider - Man creeping out of Peter ’s bedroom window shortly after Peter run into the business firm .
This divine revelation establish a turning point for Mary Jane ’s fibre – aslater author establish MJ amount from an abusive familyand rise her “ company girl ” persona as a masquerade party to keep herself from facing her pain . When she light upon Peter ’s secret , Mary Jane became both attracted and fright by her neighbor – as she realize he also hides something behind his nerdy persona . InUntold Tales of Spider - Man # 16,writer Kurt Busiek even reveals that MJalsomade excuses not to day of the month Peter prior to their first meeting , not because she was n’t attracted to him , but because she did n’t know how to submit his Spider - Man and Peter Parker personas .
Thus , when Mary Jane finds the courage to last forgather Peter and utter her noted melodic phrase , “ Face it , Tiger … you just hit the jackpot!”it may not only be the punchline to Stan Lee , Steve Ditko , and John Romita Sr . ’s running muzzle , but a subtle clue that she get laid all about the powerful “ Panthera tigris ” hiding behind Peter ’s unassuming exterior . It may be a signification hold out of multiple retcons , but it gives this popular quote a abstruse purpose and shows just how join Mary Jane Watson is toSpider - Man – even before their first official meeting .
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