As Dakota Johnson‘s ‘Madame Web‘ hit the theaters it has caused bafflement regarding the complexity of the Spider-verse and where Spider-Women stand. While every Spider-Woman has their unique qualities, a few stand out as more significant and distinctive in Marvel history making their debut in ‘Madame Webb’.
Here is everything to know about the Spider-Women of the Marvel comics, who have sided with Spider-Man.
Related: Top 10 Marvel Heroes With Dark And Disturbing Backstories
Who Is The Original Spider-Woman?
Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman was created by Marie Severin and Archie Goodwin. She first appeared in 1977 ‘Marvel Spotlight #32‘. In the older version, created by Marv Wolfman, Jessica was a human who became ill due to exposure to uranium. Her father, a scientist associated with the High Evolutionary, treated her with a serum derived from the blood of an irradiated spider, which also gave her superhuman abilities.
However, Jessica Drew was kidnapped and brainwashed by Hydra to serve as a super-powered assassin. Hydra’s mental manipulations resulted in her having memories of being an evolved spider for Archie Goodwin’s version. Her history was rewritten when the character became popular due to Brian Michael Bendis bringing her into the Avengers franchise.
Marvel Has Forgotten An Original Spider-Woman Who Was A Black Librarian
Before Jessica Drew, there was Valerie, the librarian who was inspired by Spider-Man to defend her library from several street-level villains, including April Fool and Vanisher. Very much driven by power, upon getting Peter Parker’s suit, she attired with suction cups on the hands and feet to let her climb walls — allowing her to become the superhero that she always wanted to be.
Valerie’s time as Spider-Woman was, admittedly, short-lived, but in her only mission in the suit she managed to take down one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes, becoming the Friendly Neighborhood Web-Slinger.
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Julia Carpenter: The First Spider-Woman To Join The Avengers
Created in 1984, by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, Julia Carpenter first appeared in Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars. Julia was tricked into participating in an experiment meant to create a super-soldier by her college friend Valerie Cooper, who worked as a government agent. After being injected with spider venom and extracts from exotic plants, Julia gained superhuman powers that were similar to Spider-Man’s.
Julia appeared as a protagonist in the 1994 ‘Iron Man‘ animated series, voiced by Casey DeFranco and Jennifer Hale. She eventually joins the West Coast Avengers. Sydney Sweeney plays the first live-action version of Julia Carpenter in ‘Madame Web’.
Mattie Franklin Gains Madame Web’s Powers
Created by John Byrne and Rafael Kayanan, Mattie Franklin the third heroic Spider-Woman, had a dark history. When Peter Parker retired from being Spider-Man, Mattie, a fan of his, designed a similar costume to Peter Parker’s and replaced him. When Peter becomes Spider-Man again, she takes on the mantle of Spider-Woman.
Later, Mattie follows Jessica’s footsteps by starting a career as a private investigator, though she is later murdered by the daughter of Kraven the Hunter, Anya Kravinoff. Like Julia, a similar character resembling Mattie appears in Across the Spider-Verse, and now the character is a being brought to live action in ‘Madame Web’, played by Celeste O’Connor.
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