>Real basic question....
>Is MVC required in order to use JavaScript?

second the no ;-) MVC is/was the typical Java pattern, especially in JS you can find a lot of other (mostly similar) patterns. BUT:
If you were to build a JS desktop app, doing it without some kind of layered MV* architecture would be as hidebound as a FP-style one-tier app created today in vfp.
As you want to build a web application, it would be much worse, as the "steps" between physical tiers usually are much larger compared to desktop or LAN solutions.
My advice: Pick a JS framework after reading a bit on a few of them, separate/adapt your code so no tight coupling to the fwk sneaks up in your solution.
Use the pattern found there...