Warning: contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #55!
When that irradiated spider bit Peter Parker, it looks like it passed on some spider-charm, as the former wallflower quickly blossomed into someone who had a consistent yet complicated love life. Spider-Man may have had quite a few girlfriends, but two stand out the most: Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. With each considered the love of Peter's life by equally committed groups of fans, there has been an ongoing debate about which one was truly the right girl for him ever since Peter and Mary Jane got together. A recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man not only brings up the subject but even attempts to give an answer which will only continue the argument instead of webbing it up once and for all.
In Nick Spencer and Patrick Gleason's 'Last Remains' story arc, Peter confronts the supernatural villain called Kindred who's been manipulating events in Peter's life, the latest being the corruption and capture of the Order of the Web, a group of Spider-themed heroes including Spider-Gwen. Kindred is Harry Osborn - Peter's former friend, and someone who had his own relationship with the former Gwen Stacy. In Amazing Spider-Man #55, Kindred compares Spider-Gwen to his deceased friend, saying he doesn't see much of a similarity. "There is one thing, though, that rings a bell. Have you noticed how he keeps staring off past you? Past all of you? Heh. Just like the old days, Pete. You always had one eye on her." The "her" Kindred is referring to is Mary Jane Watson who's arrived at the Osborn family cemetery for the world's creepiest reunion.
Introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #31, Gwen met Peter at Empire State University, while Mary Jane Watson officially appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #42 and became a friend to the pair. Although Peter's double life as Spider-Man strained his and Gwen's relationship constantly, especially after the death of her father Captain George Stacy, they fell in love, while Peter's friend Harry Osborn and Mary Jane likewise dated. In Amazing Spider-Man #121, Gwen died during Spider-Man's battle with the Green Goblin, an infamous death that would change everything in the wall-crawler's world. Mary Jane remained friends with a grieving Peter and, given time, they embarked on a relationship that eventually led to marriage. Although this marriage was eventually retconned due to a deal with Mephisto, the relationship survived, and many fans have long felt that despite Peter's love for Gwen, Mary Jane grew into his true partner and deepest love.
Still, some fans insist that while the couple love each other, Gwen was Peter's soulmate. Mary Jane and Peter have separated in the past, and when House of M depicted a world in which the Scarlet Witch attempted to give her fellow heroes the lives they truly wanted, Spider-Man awoke to a reality in which he had started a family with a living Gwen while Mary Jane enjoyed a successful career, suggesting this was his ideal reality.
Kindred's presumption that Peter was always secretly interested in Mary Jane does bring up some interesting points regarding character development. The original Gwen died in 1973 and has only been seen in flashbacks or involved in villain's plans to hurt Spider-Man, while Mary Jane has had decades of storylines and development, some even outside Peter Parker's life. Gwen could have had similar development if she'd lived - and has through her Spider-verse double - but it appears her place as a martyr had far greater impact than as a girlfriend, while Mary Jane continues to influence and impact Peter to this day.
Kindred's insistence that Peter's true interest in Mary Jane was there even when he was dating Gwen is likely to throw more fuel on the fire of fan debate, even as Peter insists it's only Harry's residual jealousy talking. Thankfully, the issue doesn't quite go so far as to try and definitively end this fan feud, though Mary Jane fans certainly have a gleaming new piece of evidence thanks to this Spider-Man story.