who is paul in spider man

Paul in Spider-Man is a relatively new Marvel Comics character named Paul Rabin , introduced in the recent runs of The Amazing Spider-Man as part of Mary Jane Watson’s post-Peter life.

Quick Scoop: Who Is Paul?

• Paul Rabin is Mary Jane’s new partner in the current Amazing Spider-Man comics, created during Zeb Wells’ run starting in the early–mid 2020s.

• He first appears when Peter and MJ are trapped in an alternate universe (Earth-23321), where Paul is from.

• Paul is the son of a villain known as the Emissary, a supervillain who devastates his world with the help of a god he releases.

• While Peter is sent back to the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), MJ remains stuck with Paul for about four years in that ruined world, and the two grow close and form a family unit with two kids (who are later revealed not to be real children in the traditional sense).

In short: Paul is the controversial “new guy” in MJ’s life, positioned as a rival/obstacle to Peter Parker rather than a classic villain.

What Is His Role In The Story?

• Romantic obstacle : Paul functions as the narrative barrier keeping Peter and MJ apart, which is why fans often react so intensely to him.

• Rival-turned-ally : He starts out as a kind of rival for MJ’s affection but also ends up helping Peter at points, even fighting alongside him.

• Emissary’s son : Being the son of the Emissary ties him directly into a big multiversal storyline involving gods, devastated worlds, and the reason Peter and MJ get separated in the first place.

Some readers expected Paul to secretly be evil or manipulative, but he’s generally portrayed as outwardly decent, supportive, and not a classic supervillain—another reason some fans find him frustrating, since he doesn’t fit an easy “bad guy” box.

Why Is He So Controversial?

Among comic and forum fans, Paul quickly turned into a lightning rod:

• “Keeping Peter and MJ apart” : Longtime readers see Peter and MJ as a core couple, so any character who steps into that space tends to get heavy backlash—Paul even more so because the story keeps them separated for years in-universe.

• Perceived lack of personality : A lot of commentary says Paul feels like a bland or “nice guy template” character whose main purpose is to exist between Peter and MJ rather than stand on his own.

• Fan anger online : Entire videos, think pieces, and forum threads are dedicated to “Why fans hate Paul,” dissecting his writing and the editorial decision to introduce him.

Forum posts often summarize him as “MJ’s boyfriend from an alternate dimension who came back with her and got shoved into Peter’s place.”

Is Paul In The Movies Or Games?

• As of early 2026, Paul Rabin is a comics-only character. He has not appeared in the live-action Spider-Man films, the Spider-Verse animated movies, or the big Spider-Man video games.

• When people online ask “who is Paul in Spider-Man,” they’re almost always talking about the comics version tied to MJ, not anything in the MCU or Sony movies.

If you’re just following the films, you haven’t missed him—he’s part of the recent comic book drama rather than the on-screen Spider-Man stories.

TL;DR: Paul (Paul Rabin) is Mary Jane’s controversial new partner from an alternate universe in the Amazing Spider-Man comics, son of the villain Emissary, mainly used as a story device to keep Peter and MJ apart—making him one of the most argued‑about Spider-Man side characters of the last few years.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.