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Marvel Comics' J. Jonah Jameson is widely recognized as one of Spider-Man's most prominent adversaries, if not a full-fledged nemesis in certain adaptations. Most fans know the Daily Bugle editor-in-chief for his loud, often nonsensical rants against Spider-Man. There is, however, another side to the often boastful reporter that some fans may not realize.
Jonah may have a real knack for hating on Spider-Man, but that's not his only character trait. The truth is that Jonah is a much better man and reporter than he is commonly given credit for. He has done some excellent reporting and does have a moral compass.
Disclaimer: The following article will contain numerous spoilers for various Spider-Man-related material. Any and all opinions are strictly exclusive to the author.
Marvel's J. Jonah Jameson's better side, explained and dissected
Advocate for equal rights
Alongside racism, sexism, and homophobia, the Marvel universe chiefly has a bigotry problem when it comes to mutants. From various Mutant registration acts and extermination forces, the world in Marvel doesn't take kindly to mutants. This is where J. Jonah Jameson goes against the grain as he has been an advocate for mutant rights since he took over the Daily Bugle.
Jonah himself stated, back in Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 number 41 aka "The Horns of the Rhino", that he's considered too soft and too sweet. His record of civil rights advocacy includes the fights against all manner of bigotry and mutant rights advocacy numbers among them, especially regarding the X-Men.
It ties into one of his main reasons for begrudgingly teaming up with Spider-Man and other heroes despite his professed hatred: he's a believer in equality and justice. To that end, he's spoken out and helped publish stories in support of mutant rights, the Civil Rights movement, and other pro-equality fights.
Jonah even stood up against The Church of Humanity, a well-known Neo-Nazi and anti-mutant group publically during Graydon Creed's anti-mutant campaign. He likewise burns evidence given to him during Uncanny X-Men #346: The Story of the Year! owing to the man bringing them to him being a murderer and bigot.
Not for Sale
Jameson has been known to take his vendetta against Spider-Man to ludicrous degrees and is practically one of Spidey's enemies. But one thing he's been good at as a journalist and editor-in-chief is that he isn't for sale. That has formed the backbone of Jameson's journalistic career since he started.
Despite having more than a few smear campaigns and anti-Spider-Man stories running, Marvel comics and other Marvel adaptations have shown Jonah never revealing a source. The Spider-Man 2 novelization revealed he went to jail twice protecting a source, refused to publish Peter Parker's and Miles Morales' identities, and quit the Bugle after creating the Scorpion.
In addition to his equal rights advocacy, Marvel's fiery journalist has stood up to many of the more extreme elements of society from racists to murderers and corporate executives. One of those executives, Norman Osborn, was his friend prior to his unmasking as the Green Goblin. Jameson didn't take that revelation well.
Jameson has resisted pressure on every front to sell out, even when the odds have been stacked against him. In the Insomniac video game, the character of Insomniac does not view Sable International as heroes. He goes against them and supports Spider-Man's actions, even though they threaten him with arrest for speaking out and criticizing their authoritarian tactics.
His hatred is only against Spider-Man
While Jameson has gone after other heroes, mostly street-level people like Daredevil, his hatred of Spider-Man only extends to Spider-Man. Jameson hasn't had a bad thing to say about the Avengers, his time in Civil War being the exception. He's actually been a Captain America fan for a long time.
His first wife, Joan, died from a masked gunman when his son John Jameson was very young. This started Jonah's crusade against masked heroes, Spider-Man was just one of the first he targeted. It helped Jonah think Spider-Man was a great entertainer, only going after him due to a combination of jealousy and a lack of thought about accountability.
Jameson has been a proponent of heroes working within the system, hence his lack of targeting any other superhero that has an "official" job or standing with the U.S. government. When Captain America and Spider-Man stopped MODOK and AIM, Jonah was convinced by Captain America to be accurate about Spider-Man's heroism when his mustache was compared to Hitler's. Jameson shaved it off after.
There are other instances where Jonah Jameson and his second wife, Marla, hired the superpowered private detective Jessica Jones in the comic series Alias to find Marla's niece. Additionally, John Jameson, who later becomes a werewolf, marries She-Hulk in the pages of She-Hulk.
It is worth noting that Jonah Jameson has fearlessly spoken out against criminals such as The Kingpin, even in the face of death threats.
Less (or more) of a jerk depending on the adaptation
There have been many Spider-Man adaptations over Marvel's long history. Video games, cartoons, live-action and more have all usually tried to feature J. Jonah Jameson in some capacity. Jonah's most famous and oft-remembered portrayal was by JK Simmons in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man film trilogy.
In that film trilogy, although still keeping the spider hate going, Jonah does speak out against Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius and refuses to give up Peter Parker even when The Green Goblin has him by the throat. He even gives a very somber obituary to Spider-Man before snapping back to hate when the costume is stolen back.
One of the different versions included Insomniac Games' portrayal of Jonah as a radio show host similar to Alex Jones. In this version, Jonah only stops criticizing Spider-Man when The Sinister Six, Mr. Negative, and Silver Sable invade New York. His podcast even provides resources and safe places for people to go when things go south during the Devil's Breath outbreak.
The various animated versions usually keep his hatred of Spider-Man intact but also show him caring for his son, his wife, and the people of New York. This is especially pronounced when he protects Peter Parker because he does care about him at the end of the day.
Giving up the crusade
While Jonah's stint as mayor didn't go well for anyone, particularly Spider-Man, there's one thing that should be said about him as of the past five years: when the chips are down, Jonah cares about Peter Parker. When Parker finally revealed his identity, Jameson didn't think twice about supporting him.
True, it took a while. it took every ounce of control Jameson had not to oust Parker to SHIELD or the FBI. But Jonah dropped the crusade, helped Parker physically when he was in trouble multiple times, and even set the record straight a few times when he was falsely accused of certain crimes.
It did cost Jonah his job at the Daily Bugle, but he bounced back by getting on a radio show and later interviewed Spider-Man on a podcast. It got heated between the two, but their mutual animosity has never reached critical mass like the many time Jonah tried to capture and kill Spider-Man.
Starting from that fateful issue of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 #5 aka "Flight Risk", J. Jonah Jameson has been Spider-Man's staunchest ally since then. It's something many comic writers and fans never thought they'd see since Jameson is well-known for loathing Spider-Man.
Marvel's J. Jonah Jameson has more than a bit of a history of kindness, despite his usual gruff and headline-chasing personality on display. He remains one example of not judging a book by the cover throughout the history of Marvel comics.
As Marvel's comics have gone on for decades, it can sometimes be good to go back and take a second look. Readers are encouraged to comment with their own favorite moments from Marvel's favorite angry business owner.
