Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker Officially Become an Item

ASM 66: Peter and Gwen start dating "officially." Drawn by Romita.

Doc Ock and Aunt May About to Marry!

ASM: 130. This was an excellent story line. May had become smitten with Octavious. Here, they are trying to exchange vows, but it becomes disrupted by Hammerhead and our favorite hero.

Peter Parker and Mary Jane's First Kiss

ASM 143. Here is the first panel where Parker and MJ become an item, officially. At least, they become "itemish." It's a bit of a rocky thing: on and off. It really never goes "off," it just gets interrupted, first by the clone of Gwen Stacy and then by Parker's constant disappearances during the dates (because he has to go fight someone as Spiderman). MJ doesn't know his identity, and thinks Peter is disappearing all of the time because or his need to be a news photographer. So something breaks, and he goes to photo it. She resents this because: (a) it isn't normal; and (b) she thinks he goes overboard with it. Fundamentally, she doesn't like being a contingent girlfriend. It is interesting, though, given my speculation as to why the writers killed off Gwen Stacy. It seems that they always wanted the relationship part never to get in the way with the other parts of the story. In short, they always wanted a contingent (convenient) girlfriend. They couldn't do that with Stacy, because she had become as important as the villains in the storyline, and because Stan Lee was no longer writing. Anyway, I already coved that. The point for now is that this is the first kiss between Parker and MJ.

The Gwen Stacy Clone Appears

ASM 144. This is the first appearance of the Gwen Stacy clone that was made by the Jackal. We don't find out any of this until much later. In the sci-fi fantasies of the writers, a person could be cloned rather quickly and would appear as they were in adult form, even having their memories -- but still, somehow, being confused about the whole thing. Short story: it was a bad idea. Which is why they quickly had the clone leave Peter's complicated life, something the real Gwen wouldn't do. I often wonder to what extent this offered the writers some cover for deep sixing Stacy while also getting more drama points.

Peter Parker Realizes That Mary Jane is the One

ASM 150. Amid the brief return of the Gwen Stacy clone, the status of Parker's interest with Mary Jane became somewhat uncertain. She had already become a girlfriend of sorts after the airport kiss, but the emergence of the Stacy clone had caused him uncertain feelings. Here, the moment of clarity's is announced. It should be noted, however, that the relationship goes on to develop at a snail's pace, with on-again/off-again features. This seems to confirm my long-held thesis: the writers didn't want to return to the way things were when Parker had a relationship that was equal to the villains he was fighting. They wanted relationships to be convenient, in the hero's "down time" -- because they could not handle complex story lines. This tradition continues after Conway moves on. Hence, MJ appears in Parker's life only as convenience allows. (This is a point that actually causes he some irritation).)