Mary Jane, MJ, Michelle Jones while all being the same character are all very different. From various comic series and movies, every MJ is unique.
Originally
Mary Jane is the girl next door, the model and often the damsel in distress. However, she was not originally planned on being Peter’s main love interest. Stan Lee at first thought Gwen Stacy would be that girl. As it went on, Mary Jane was everything Peter needed and it made sense to have her play this role.
Spinneret
In Renew Your Vows, Peter, MJ and their daughter Annie fight and defend NYC together. Mary Jane while not having spider powers is given a suit and is know as Spinneret. This storyline creates a crime fighting family.
Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman’s Interpretation
I personally find Mj’s character very fascinating and important to Spiderman’s story but she is more than just Spiderman’s girlfriend/wife as Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman beautifully represents in issue #11. This is added to the list of one of my favorite comic issues. This series alone already is one of the best I have read personally. The writers get MJ. She is not a damsel in distress but rather a hero. This series also had incredible art, the whole team works together beautifully to portray a fresh and true version of Spiderman, MJ and all characters that make appearances. By far, this is my favorite interpretation of MJ.
Marvel Comics #1000
Another noticeable mention and personal favorite is the following page included in the celebration of Marvel Comics 80th year anniversary issue Marvel Comics #1000. The page describes MJ and Gwen’s friendship and how Gwen’s death affected her.
MCU Michelle Jones
Zendaya portrays a very different new version of MJ. I personally really enjoy this take on MJ because she and MCU Spiderman are both relatable to the audience and are intriguing characters. Zendaya’s MJ is sarcastic, awkward and an activist. Technically she isn’t Mary Jane but is a role similar enough, rumored to be due to Sony having the rights over the actual Mary Jane character. Of course, the Spider-man movies pre-MCU included this character, who resembled a more recognizable MJ and more comic based charactersitic wise.
One In The Same
Despite the different looks and storylines of all the MJs, she is still the same character. I enjoy seeing the different versions of her and how seamless her and Peter are despite all the little changes from MJ to MJ.
The Amazing Mary Jane
MJ has been big in comics recently, getting her own variant covers for numerous comic series. Face it tiger, MJ is and has always been taking the marvel universe by storm.
Also, she is getting her own comic series: The Amazing Mary-Jane. This series based on the solicit appears to focus on her Hollywood side and her getting back into acting but of course facing challenges with some Spidey villains.