Watson, Anna
Attributes
| Eyes: | Blue |
| Features: | Slightly overweight elderly woman. |
| Hair: | Grey |
| Height: | 5'8'' |
| Weight: | 180 |
Powers
| Abilities: | Makes a great veggie soup. |
| Limitations: | That of an elderly woman. |
| Strength Level: | That of an elderly woman. |
Summary
| Citizenship: | United States |
| Created By: | |
| Current Aliases: | "None" |
| Current Groups: | "None". |
| Current Occupation: | Unknown. |
| Dual Identity: | Known |
| Education: | High school |
| Former Aliases: | "None". |
| Former Bases: | "None" |
| Former Groups: | "None". |
| Former Occupation: | Actress. |
| Known Allies: | May Parker, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, Peter Parker |
| Known Confidants: | "None". |
| Known Relatives: | Philip Watson, Mary Jane Watson, Gail Watson |
| Legal Status: | No criminal record. |
| Major Enemies: | Alistair Smythe. Her own guilt and suspicion. |
| Marital Status: | Divorced. |
| Place of Birth: | New York, New York |
| Real Name: | Anna Watson |
| Usual Bases: | Forest Hills |
Background
"Kraven the Hunter!"
As Peter recovered from Kraven's jungle potion, Aunt May spoke with her neighbor, Anna Watson, about her niece, Mary Jane. Peter wasn't interested but May told him that he'd want a good housewife someday. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #15)
”The Menace of the Molten Man”
May Parker and Anna showed up to Peter’s high school graduation. Anna told him that she couldn’t wait to go home and tell MJ all about it. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #28)
”The Thrill of the Hunt”
After May had a serious medical episode and surgery, Anna came to stay with her. She’d been out of town and didn’t know May was sick. With a clear bill of health from the doctor and Anna looking after his aunt, Peter was able to go back to Empire State University. (Amazing Spider-Man #34)
”Spidey Saves the Day”
Peter had been kidnapped by the Green Goblin, leaving May in a panic over his disappearance. She called Anna to come visit her and after she arrived she told May that Peter was probably on a date and lost track of time. Deciding to call the Bugle to see if Peter was working late, she spoke to J. Jonah Jameson, who snapped that Peter was probably out stealing hubcaps. Anna told May that he wasn’t at the Bugle but he could be anywhere. May slumped into her chair, saying if Peter hadn’t called then something was wrong. Anna was so concerned about May that she believed she needed a sedative and went to call Dr. Bromwell. (Amazing Spider-Man #40)
”Birth of a Superhero”
May dragged a reluctant Peter to Anna’s house to meet Mary Jane. As Peter dreamily thought of Gwen Stacy, Anna and May assumed that he was eager to meet MJ. Anna took him to the door and introduced him to her beautiful niece. (Amazing Spider-Man #42)
”Rhino On the Rampage”
Peter was much more interested in Mary Jane now that he’d met her. As the two went to the living room for some music, Anna and May were happy with how well they were getting along. May hoped she would improve Peter’s boring life. (Amazing Spider-Man #43)
”To Squash a Spider”
Peter found May watching TV and she was trembling at what she saw. Mysterio had taken over the airwaves and was threatening to destroy the city. May was in a panic and Peter called Anna to look after her. Peter suggested that she call Dr. Bromwell and Anna asked what would take him away from his aunt at a time like this. He told her he had to take care of something that couldn’t wait and left. (Amazing Spider-Man #66)
Dr. Bromwell arrived and was tempted to take May to the hospital but decided not to move her. He told Anna to keep May calm and not let anything upset her. He wished “that flighty nephew” would visit her more. (Amazing Spider-Man #67)
”Crisis on Campus”
Peter went to visit May with Gwen after her illness. Anna said seeing Peter would be good for May and his aunt instantly saw that he and Gwen were a serious couple. After they left May looked sick again and Anna asked why she didn’t ask Peter to stay. May said she didn’t want to interrupt his happiness. (Amazing Spider-Man #68)
”On Wings of Death!”
Peter visited May, who was scared of a local costumed criminal. Anna showed Peter a newspaper that reported that the Beetle had been breaking into local businesses. May told Peter he looked tired and sent him to bed. Anna told her that she babied him and he was a grown man. May said he was all that she had, which made Anna ask what that had to do with anything. May said Peter had no one to look after him and Anna told her that he should be looking after her. May saw that they were out of milk and Peter was a growing boy. May left for the store and Anna started to protest before giving up. After a while, Anna woke Peter to tell him that May had been kidnapped by the Beetle. He ran out the door and she asked what he could do about it and he said he’d be there. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #94)
”The Delusion Conspiracy”
As May and Anna walked through the city, they discussed Gwen’s murder. They said it was so tragic how the young die and the old live on. Across the street, May saw a familiar blonde woman and believed she saw Gwen. She went into hysterics and had to be taken to a hospital. When Peter came back to his apartment, Anna was waiting. She told him that May was in the hospital and what had frightened her was now in his apartment. Inside he thought he saw Gwen but was actually the Gwen Stacy clone. (Amazing Spider-Man #144)
”Cry Mayhem! Cry Morbius!”
As May got ready for a Grey Panther’s rally, MJ came to tell them that she’d been hired for a big role in a small film. After she left, Anna told May that she wished that MJ would do more than dance, act and model. She wanted her to settle down with Peter. (Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #7)
"Interruptions"
Peter met with May and Anna at a fancy restaurant and told them that they were the only ones that still weren't trying to get him together with MJ. Mary Jane then arrived with Nathan Lubensky. (Amazing Spider-Man#247)
"Fun 'N' Games"
Anna, unlike May, tended to stay out of trouble when it came to New York's super criminal element. That changed when she was kidnapped by Alistaire Smythe, who thought he was taking Spider-Man's aunt, to be used as bait. Mary Jane held on to her aunt as she was taken by Smythe's flying saucer, and later managed to convince Alistaire that she was actually Spider-Man. This managed to buy Peter enough time to find and rescue the Watson's. (Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19)
”Mother Love…Mother Hate”
Aunt Anna came from Florida to see May as she was dying after having a stroke. (Amazing Spider-Man #393)
”Breakdown”
MJ felt like she needed to clear the air and make peace with her estranged father, Philip Watson, Anna’s younger brother. Anna reassured her that she was doing the right thing. (Amazing Spider-Man #394)
”When Monsters Roam”
Anna spoke privately with the comatose May, thanking her for years of kindness. May had been strong for her and then even stronger after taking in Peter, then losing Ben Parker. May had fought enough and she didn’t need to fight anymore. (Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #218)
”The Gift”
Anna was with Peter and Mary Jane when May passed away at her home. (Amazing Spider-Man #400)
"The Trial of Peter Parker"
Peter had been arrested for the murder of Salt Lake City detective Louise Kennedy, a crime committed by Kaine. Peter switched places with Ben Reilly to search for the real killer and Ben sat in court. Mary Jane took the stand for Peter's defense but crumbled when asked why Peter had disappeared for two weeks without reason. MJ couldn't tell the prosecutor that he had been buried alive by Kraven the Hunter and was silent. The prosecutor dismissed her and after she returned to her seat, Anna told her she did the best she could. (Amazing Spider-Man #403)
"Ultimate Commitment"
Anna ran into Ben Reilly as they were visiting the graves of Ben and May. Anna had never met Ben and assumed he was Peter. She was confused why he was in New York when Peter and MJ had moved to Oregon. He told her that he was back in the city to take care of old business at the Bugle and decided to visit his aunt and uncle. Ben had grown a scraggly beard and had tattered clothes, making Anna ask if he needed help with anything. He said everything was fine and left her to take a bus. (Sensational Spider-Man #0)
”Revelations”
A very pregnant MJ and Anna waited for Peter at the Daily Grind coffee shop, not knowing that he was being held up by the Robot Master. MJ eventually ordered her lunch and the order was taken by Alison Mongrain, who added a powder to her gumbo. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 1) #11)
MJ soon went into what the paramedics called a difficult labor and she was taken to the hospital. Anna paged Peter constantly until he finally defeated Robot Master and went to be with his wife. (Amazing Spider-Man #418)
”Son of the Hunter”
Anna stayed with them to help cope with the double loss of Peter’s aunt and their daughter. Living with Peter exposed Anna to his unusual comings and goings and made her suspicious of how he could be gone for days at a time. She also didn't trust his habit of making last minute changes in plans. Anna confronted MJ with her concerns but Mary Jane was just glad that she hadnt discovered Peter's secret. Instead of accusing Peter of being Spider-Man, she believed that he was having an affair. Returning home that night after being under the control of Calypso, Peter was confronted by a furious Anna Watson. MJ, tired of her aunt's nonsense, told her that Peter was Spider-Man. (Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #253)
”Through the Looking Glass”
Anna believed that Mary Jane made up the story of Peter being Spider-Man to show her how foolish she sounded for accusing him of having an affair. She apologized and confessed to Peter that she had been married to a man named Jacob Hilliard after moving out to California to become an actress. She was 19 years old and married Jacob, a radio writer, within a month of meeting him.
Their romance quickly went stale and Anna soon met a singer named Johnny Dipalma while at an audition. He asked her to lunch and she soon convinced herself that she was in love. The guilt made her feel terrible. She stopped seeing Johnny and told Jacob the truth. She came back to New York and never told anyone that she had been married, not even May Parker.
She assumed that Peter hated her for accusing him of cheating on Mary Jane, but Peter said he loved her and he had nothing to forgive her for. (Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #256)
”Signs of the Times”
Anna befriended a little girl that lived next door to them, Hope Hibbert. Hope was deaf and Anna practiced her sign language, thanks to a book that Peter had bought her. Hope signed that Peter was Spider-Man and Anna was confused. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 1) #26)
”Hornet’s Nest”
Hope and Anna came to visit Peter and MJ. They had a pleasant four way sign language conversation and Anna and Hope turned to leave. Before she left, Hope looked at Peter and made a hand gesture similar to Spider-Man using his webbing. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 1) #28)
”Cat & Mouse”
Hope explained to Peter that she had seen Spider-Man coming out of Peter’s window and had been scared. Peter reassured her that he and Spidey were friends. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 1) #30)
”The Last Temptation of Eddie Brock”
She took part in the seance with Madame Web, Peter, MJ and Black Cat to contact the comatose May. She had been shot by a sniper hired by the Kingpin. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #39)
“One Moment in Time”
Anna played a minor part in the ending of Peter and MJ's relationship. Due to Mephisto's tampering with the past, Peter was late to his wedding to Mary Jane, causing Anna to regret ever introducing the two of them and MJ to refuse to marry Peter. They did, however, stay in a relationship. Years later, the thug that caused Peter to be late to his wedding returned and tried to kill Anna. This caused MJ to leave Peter for good and head to California. (Amazing Spider-Man #638-#641)
”A World Without Love”
Anna had been diagnosed with dementia, which was greatly alleviated by drugs from Krakoan pharmaceuticals. Mary Jane was the brand ambassador for the medications, but since she was putting her face on the product, she had Norman Osborn check them, to make sure they were safe. Norman had been made into a good man after being shot by the Sin Eater's magic shotgun. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #7)
”Maxed Out”
Anna was having dinner with May, Robbie Robertson, his wife, J. Jonah Jameson and Peter when Norman joined them. Peter and May were the only ones to accept him. Robbie reminded Norman that he had been good friends of the Stacy family and that some things are never forgiven. Norman reminded him that his son, Randy Robertson, was engaged to the daughter of Tombstone, so he must believe in second chances. Anna toasted to that, as she had been cured of her illness by a mutant flower. Peter’s spider sense went off and he hurried out, with Norman and Jonah right behind him. (Spider-Man (vol. 4) #9)
The anti-mutant group known as Orchis had found a way to manipulate every human that had taken the Krakoan medicine, a number in the millions. If mutants didn’t leave earth, Orchis would kill the human patients, first by sending them into a rage. (Hellfire Gala) The X-Men defeated Orchis and the human patients were safe. However, Anna was institutionalized after her violent outburst at her birthday, attacking both Mary Jane and May. (Amazing Spider-Man Annual (vol. 6) #1)
Anna was locked up at Ravencroft Asylum after she became violent. Spider-Man snuck into her cell with an antidote to the tainted Krakoan medicine and gave her the injection despite her calling him a degenerate and junkie. She bit his hand as he injected the cure and screamed that she’d kill him. The cure quickly took effect and she was ashamed of how she wanted to kill everyone around her. Spider-Man offered to break her out and she refused, wanting to pay for hurting people. He’d offered to have Norman Osborn’s lawyers make the prison break charges go away but she still refused. Norman was glad to hear it, as even his lawyers would have difficulty making a prison escape charge disappear.
Peter and MJ later visited her at the asylum and she was happily chatting with the Human Fly and Whirlwind. Her nurse was happy with her recovery and was trying to get her released asap. Peter let slip that Anna had threatened to rip the nurse’s face off, which confused the nurse as no one else had been present when it was said. Peter made an excuse to leave and accidentally crossed paths with William Baker. They chatted amicably until Peter mentioned Spider-Man, which enraged the Sandman. His inhibitor harness shocked him into compliance and the nurse told Peter to leave. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #45)
After she and William were headed back to their cells after gardening therapy, the asylum lost power. Electro arrived to bring Sandman back to the Sinister Six whether he wanted to join or not. Anna was still in the hallway as Mr. Hyde, Whirlwind, Hippo and Human Fly escaped their rooms. She told them it wasn’t right for them to escape and Whirlwind reluctantly told them that’s what they did. Electro arrived at Sandman’s cell and didn’t like that he insisted that he had been trying to get better. Anna hit Electro over the head with a flower pot. He was about to fry her when he was blown aside by Whirlwind. Electro was stopped by Spider-Man, Jackpot (Mary Jane), Hippo and Human Fly.
Anna was granted early release after helping to stop Electro and was soon home again. She kept a flower pot that she had made at the asylum but was confused to see it had disappeared. Little did she know, it had disintegrated and rejoined Sandman after he escaped of his own free will. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #46)
Appearances
Thanks To
The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.
Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.