Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, had her own animated television series, and the second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter, was a regular in the 1990s TV series Iron Man, part of The Marvel Action Hour.
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.
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 was 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." 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.
Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman, who left the role in the early 1980s. By the late 2000s, she returned to it. This version of the character 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).Julia Carpenter, a former member of the superhero teams the Avengers and Omega Flight, who becomes Arachne and the second Madame Web.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 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 the superhero team the New Avengers. Currently deceased.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.Another "Spider-Woman" (who was non-canonical character, Valerie the Librarian) appeared in the live-action, recurring skit "Spidey Super Stories" on the 1970s PBS children's television series The Electric Company. She also appeared as Spider-Woman in the spin-off comic book series Spidey Super Stories #11 (August 1975). She had no superpowers.In the 1981 episode "The Triumph of the Green Goblin" from the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends animated series, Firestar (Angelica Jones) dresses as the Jessica Drew version of Spider-Woman at a costume party. The episode was adapted in the comic book Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends #1 (December 1981). Similarly, Spidey Super Stories #56 (January 1982) features Mary Jane Watson dressed as the Jessica Drew version of Spider-Woman at a costume party. Both stories feature Peter Parker wearing Halloween costume versions of his traditional Spider-Man costume to the parties, as well as the Green Goblin interrupting both parties.Spider-Woman (portrayed by Mary Jane Watson as a ninja of the Spider-clan) is an alternate version of the character in the Marvel Mangaverse reality.Another version of Mary Jane as Spider-Woman is featured in the Exiles series.In the 2014 series Spider-Verse, the Gwen Stacy of an alternate universe is bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker, becoming her universe's version of Spider-Woman. She is featured in her own solo series, Spider-Gwen.The Jessica Drew version of Spider-Woman was featured in a 1979 Spider-Woman cartoon voiced by Joan Van Ark.The Julia Carpenter version of Spider-Woman appeared regularly in the 1994 Iron Man animated series voiced by Casey DeFranco in Season One and Jennifer Hale in Season Two.Spider-Woman motion comics have also been made as part of the Marvel Knights Animated line, based on the series written by Brian Michael Bendis. They are called Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. and came out June 14, 2011. In the series, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) has an English accent and is voiced by actress Nicolette Reed.The Mary Jane Watson version of Spider-Woman (also referenced as Spider-MJ) appears in Ultimate Spider-Man. In this incarnation, Mary Jane becomes Spider-Woman after a small fragment of the Carnage Symbiote, which is hinted to have survived in her body after her transformation into Carnage Queen in "The Symbiote Saga, Part 3", is converted to her control (similar to Flash Thompson's transformation into Agent Venom) thanks to an experiment by Dr. Connors.Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a playable character in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by Tasia Valenza. She possesses all of the powers she has in the comic book except super-strength and her alternate costumes are a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent variant costume (a navy blue and black unmasked version of her classic costume, with white glider webs and a silver belt), Julia Carpenter's Arachne attire, and Spider-Girl's costume. Originally, Mattie Franklin's Spider-Woman attire was intended to be one of the alternate costumes (as this was shown in an unlockable concept art screen) but was replaced by Spider-Girl's.Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) appears in the PlayStation 2 and PSP versions of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. At one point, she has become infected with the symbiote and trying to fight the symbiotic control.Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Elizabeth Daily.Ultimate Spider-Woman was mentioned in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.Both Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) and Arachne (Julia Carpenter) are playable characters in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a playable character in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a playable character in the video game Lego Marvel Super Heroes voiced by Kari Wahlgren.Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a playable character in the match-three mobile game Marvel Puzzle Quest.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.
