How Mary Jane Watson Hit Her Jackpot (Amazing Spider-Man 25 Spoilers)

In the Mary Jane & The Black Cat mini-series, with Mary Jane Watson and Felicia Hardy sent to Limbo as part of the Dark Web crossover event, it emerged that Mary Jane has superpowers. Had had them for some time, and had been hiding them. First teased in Timeless #1 at the end of 2021…

And in Mary Jane & The Black Cat #1, they were suddenly there, and could be used to defend her partner Paul and their two children. And yes, there is quite a story about that as well.

Just as Felicia Hardy turned up to help. She had questions. And Mary Jane didn’t have many answers, just that she was indeed hiding this information, which wasn’t even referred to in the Amazing Spider-Man series.

Not the only time in one dimension or another, that Mary Jane Watson has had powers, even being a Spider-Woman in her own right. But not right now…

And Felicia Hardy being told not to tell Peter Parker, who she is secretly back involved with. Lots of secrets and lies.

So what’s the nature of this new power set? Well, it seemed a little interchangeable.

We seem to have Dial H For Hero crossed with the slot machines at Vegas. Hence why the name Jackpot would be perfect. But where did she get these new powers? She was not saying.

And as for the luck aspect of whatever power she gets next?

Looks like Felicia’s own Bad Luck powers were getting in the way a bit…

Unless you really, really like pudding, I guess. and we were told there were dangers afoot.

One skull is bad. Three skulls? Everyone dies. Seven symbols, one is a skull, and 7x7x7=343. Basically she’s get that every 343 times she used the Jackpot power, so sparing use is probably for the best.

And probably why it never came up in Amazing Spider-Man. But where did this all power come from? It was the four-year gap in her life, with Paul and the two kids who we now know are not hers or Paul’s, and were found in the same place that they were all trapped in.

In a magical dimension that’s a sinkhole for stuff from all over the universe, that uses and responds to symbols.

But there was other stuff to find in that world as well, especially for someone like Paul adept in mathematics and ancient symbology, which is how he got involved in all this in the first place.

And if you already have a language of symbols to base something on or around, why not use it? Especially when Mary Jane is in something rather small. Time for Paul to hit the jackpot as well.

While also preparing the Scarlet Woman for the attack from the one who trapped her here, had it out for Spider-Man and seek to bring about the end of everything in a purge of religious zealotry.

No time like the present to flashback to her very first appearance on panel in mazing Spider-Man #42 (after being teased for some time before) in 1966.

Reprised so many times over the years, in so many comic books, on so many covers…

…and now we get to go round again.

As the device that creates the Jackpot powers springs into life, with the usual unexpected consequences. No skull this time…

…but that doesn’t mean it will be all kittens and puppies. There’s that warning again…

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25
MARVEL COMICS
MAR230723
(W) Zeb Wells (A/CA) John Romita Jr.
The past and the present collide in this oversized and monumental 25th issue! Your heart isn’t ready for this one.
Rated T In Shops: May 10, 2023 SRP: $6.99