Spider-Woman

Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and original version is Jessica Drew, and the second version is Julia Carpenter.

Not to be confused with Spider-Girl.
"Spider Woman" redirects here. For other uses, see Spider Woman (disambiguation).
Spider-Woman
Three of the Spider-Women from Marvel's Multiverse; from left to right: Silk (Cindy Moon), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), and Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy). Artwork for the cover of Spider-Women Alpha vol. 1, 1 (April 2016 Marvel Comics) 
Art by Yasmine Putri
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceJessica Drew:
Marvel Spotlight #32 (Feb. 1977)
Julia Carpenter:
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6 (Oct. 1984)
Mattie Franklin:
The Spectacular Spider-Man #236 (July 1996)
Charlotte Witter:
The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2, #5 (May 1999)
Veranke:
New Avengers #1 (Jan. 2005)
Created byArchie Goodwin, Marie Severin[1]
CharactersJessica Drew
Mary Jane Watson
Julia Carpenter
Mattie Franklin
Charlotte Witter
Veranke
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman #1 (April 1978)
Featuring the Jessica Drew version.
Art by Joe Sinnott.
Series publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
Format(vols. 1, 3 & 5)
Ongoing series
(vols. 2 & 4)
Limited series
Genre
Publication date(vol 1)
April 1978 – June 1983
(vol 2)
November 1993 – February 1994
(vol 3)
July 1999 – December 2000
(vol 4)
November 2009 – May 2010
(vol 5)
November 2014 – November 2015
(vol 6)
November 2015 – March 2017
(vol 7)
March 2020
Number of issues(vol. 1)
50
(vol. 2)
4
(vol. 3)
18
(vol. 4)
7
(vol. 5)
10
(vol. 6)
17
(vol. 7)
3+
Main character(s)(vols. 1, 4, 5, & 6)
Jessica Drew
(vol. 2)
Julia Carpenter
(vol. 3)
Mattie Franklin

Publication history

Marvel Comics' then-publisher Stan Lee said in 1978, shortly after Spider-Woman's debut in Marvel Spotlight #32 (Feb. 1977) and the start of the character's 50-issue self-titled series (cover-dated April 1978 – June 1983), the character originated because,

"I suddenly realized that some other company may quickly put out a book like that and claim they have the right to use the name, and I thought we'd better do it real fast to copyright the name. So we just batted one quickly, and that's exactly what happened. I wanted to protect the name, because it's the type of thing [where] someone else might say, 'Hey, why don't we put out a Spider-Woman; they can't stop us.' ... You know, years ago we brought out Wonder Man, and [DC Comics] sued us because they had Wonder Woman, and ... I said okay, I'll discontinue Wonder Man. And all of a sudden they've got Power Girl [after Marvel had introduced Power Man]. Oh, boy. How unfair."[2]

Following that initial Spider-Woman series, more followed. Volume two was a miniseries published from November 1993 through February 1994; volume three was published from July 1999 through December 2000; and volume four, featuring Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman, was published from November 2009 through May 2010.

Volume Five ran from November 2014 through the fall of 2015, featuring Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman. In the March 2015 issue of The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #13, Jessica boasts "I have never needed rescuing. Ever. See my wiki entry."[3] In November 2015, Spider-Woman Vol. 6 launched as part of Marvel's All-New, All-Different event with the same creative team as Volume 5. This volume saw her wearing the same costume as in Volume 5, but now she was pregnant and working as a private investigator.

Spider-Women
  • Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman who left the role in the early 1980s and returned to her mantle by the late 2000s. This version starred in her own animated TV series in 1979 (which is not to be confused with the similarly named Web Woman animated series of the same time period).[4]
  • Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman who was a former member of superhero teams who also used the Arachne and Madame Web mantles.
  • Mattie Franklin, who briefly impersonated the then-retired Spider-Man before receiving her own short-lived comics series. Mattie also appeared in Alias #16–21, before going on to appear in the 2007–2008 Loners miniseries. Currently deceased.
  • Charlotte Witter, a supervillain who used the Spider-Woman name.
  • Veranke, queen of the shape-shifting extraterrestrial race the Skrulls who impersonated Jessica Drew over a long period of time and was a founding member of a superhero team. Currently deceased.

Other versions

Helen Goddard

An unrelated earlier "Spider-Woman" was published by Harry "A" Chesler's Dynamic Comics in 1944. She was a non-superpowered crime-fighter named Helen Goddard and made her first and only appearance in the Golden Age comic book Major Victory #1.[5]

Spider Super Stories

A character called "Spider-Woman" (Valerie the Librarian) appears in the recurring live-action skit "Spidey Super Stories" on the 1970s PBS children's television series The Electric Company. She also appears as Spider-Woman in the spin-off comic book series Spidey Super Stories #11 (August 1975). She has no superpowers.

Mary Jane Watson
Main article: Mary Jane Watson

There are several alternate versions of Mary Jane Watson known as Spider-Woman. The first version is a ninja of the Spider-clan in the Marvel Mangaverse, and another version is featured in the Exiles series.

Ashley Barton

In the pages of Old Man Logan, Ashley Barton is the daughter of Tonya Parker and Hawkeye who did not like the way that Kingpin was running Hammer Falls. She becomes "Spider-B****", allying herself with a new Punisher and Daredevil, and plans to take back Hammer Falls, only for the group to be captured and Daredevil and Punisher to be fed to the carnivorous dinosaurs.[6] Hawkeye breaks his daughter out of her cell. Hawkeye and Ashley confront Kingpin, and Ashley kills him and takes over Hammer Falls.[7] Old Man Logan rescues Hawkeye as Ashley sends her men after them.[8]

Ashley appears in the "Spider-Verse" storyline, now called Spider-Woman, and is among the spider-powered characters who are recruited by Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus's mind in Peter Parker's body) to help fight the Inheritors.[9] The purpose of the name change from "Spider-B****" to "Spider-Woman" was to make the story more family-friendly.[10]

Gwen Stacy
Main article: Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy)

In the 2014 series "Spider-Verse", Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 is bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker, being her universe's version of Spider-Woman. She is featured in her own solo series Spider-Gwen.

Ultimate Marvel
Main article: Spider-Woman (Ultimate Marvel character)

An Ultimate Marvel version of Spider-Woman is featured with the Ultimate continuity. This version of Jessica Drew is a gender-swapped clone of the Peter Parker of the Ultimate Universe. She joins the Avengers and takes on the mantle of Black Widow.

Mayday Parker
Main article: Spider-Girl (Mayday Parker)

Peter and MJ's daughter from the alternate future MC2, commonly known as Spider-Girl, began calling herself Spider-Woman after her father's death.[11]

Earth X

On Earth X, a character named Spidra appears. She was one of the last survivors of the Microverse following Psycho-Man's attempt to drive the entire realm mad. Escaping with the rest of the Ant Men, who were formerly known as the Microns, Spidra and the rest of the Ant Men would be charged with watching Immortus, and would later be present at the wedding of King Britain and Medusa.[12]

Squadron Supreme

In the Squadron Supreme series, Nell Ruggles was a young troubled girl, who upon gaining her powers killed her classmates, who had bullied her in the past. However, her superhuman powers allowed her to be traced back to a device which the Icarus One astronauts brought back from the Moon. Running away from home, she was captured by the Blur and turned over to Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D.. Thanks to an electroshock collar, she has been prevented from leaving, though she appears to be making the best of the situation, having made friends and eventually falling in love with Tucker Ford, Biogeneral.[13]

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

Miscellaneous
  • Spidey Super Stories #56 (January 1982) features Mary Jane Watson dressed as the Jessica Drew version of Spider-Woman at a costume party.[42]
  • Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) was among the ten Marvel characters on a set of Marvel Comics Super Heroes commemorative postage stamps that were issued in 2007.[43]
  • An English version of Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman appears in the Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. motion comic, as part of the Marvel Knights Animated line, voiced by actress Nicolette Reed.[21][44]

See also
Marvel characters utilizing the Spider-Woman identity
Other female spider-themed Marvel characters

References
  1. Johnson, Dan (August 2006). "Marvel's Dark Angel: Back Issue Gets Caught in Spider-Woman's Web", Back Issue Magazine Vol. 1, No. 17, pages 57–63. TwoMorrows Publishing.
  2. "Hello, Culture Lovers: Stan the Map Raps with Marvel Maniacs at James Madison University", The Comics Journal #42, October 1978, p. 55
  3. The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #13 p.18. Marvel Comics.
  4. "Web Woman". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  5. Major Victory #1 (Dynamic Publications [1940s] [Chesler], 1944 Series at the Grand Comics Database
  6. Wolverine Vol. 3 #67. Marvel Comics.
  7. Wolverine Vol. 3 #69. Marvel Comics.
  8. Wolverine Vol. 3 #70. Marvel Comics.
  9. Superior Spider-Man #32. Marvel Comics.
  10. The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #10. Marvel Comics.
  11. The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #15
  12. Universe X #0. Marvel Comics
  13. Squadron Supreme Vol. 3 #1. Marvel Comics
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