The Lady and The Tiger

Apparently this month is the 60th anniversary of Mary Jane Watson, Spidey's on-again-off-again love interest. And, while this was even before me, it's widely known this was one of the longest --and best -- setups in comics.

For the uninitiated, Aunt May starts pushing her neighbor's niece on Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #15...mostly as ’that nice Watson girl.’ It becomes a running gag that MJ remains unseen, issue after issue, usually just out of frame or her face obscured by something. Naturally we all assumed the punchline was that she'd be a disaster.

It wasn’t until two years later, ASM #42, August 1966, Lee delivers with one of the most iconic panels in all of comics: the infamous "Face it, Tiger… you just hit the jackpot!" It was peak Stan Lee (drawn by Drawn by John Romita Sr.) and is, to this day, one of the most reproduced panels Marvel ever printed.

Marvel's still milking it right now, but it's worth it. Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger #1, is a giant-sized one-shot out this month, with a cover (inset) that I've given a little nerdddy treatment to.

Thanks Stan, for delivering an actual bombshell as a bombshell. We always knew you were one of us!