| Spider-Girl | |
|---|---|
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| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | What If #7 (November 1977) |
| Characters | |
| Spider-Girl | |
Spider-Girl is thecode name of severalfictionalcharacters incomic books published byMarvel Comics. The most prominent version and first to receive anongoing series isMayday Parker from theMC2 universe, the second version isAnya Corazon, the third version isGwen Warren, and the fourth version isMaka Akana, the latter three from theEarth-616 universe. Several alternate reality incarnations of the character have additionally received notoriety, including theUltimate Spider-Girl,Ashley Barton,Betty Brant,April,Penelope andPetra Parker, andCharlotte Morales; the name is also used by the Spider-Man advocacy group "The Spider-Girls".
The first portrayed Spider-Girl,Mayday Parker, first appeared in a one-shot story in the ongoing seriesWhat If. Following positive fan response to the concept,Spider-Girl and two other series (A-Next andJ2) set in the same alternate future universe were launched under theMC2 imprint withThe Amazing Spider-Girl andThe Spectacular Spider-Girl.[1][2] On November 8, 2008, Marvel EICJoe Quesada confirmed that Spider-Girl would become a feature in the monthly anthology magazineAmazing Spider-Man Family. The series would replace the feature "Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man", written by DeFalco, which served as a prequel series to the Spider-Girl universe.[3] The title would continue to be simultaneously published in paper form withinAmazing Spider-Man Family.Amazing Spider-Man Family #5 (published April 2009) through #8 (July 2009) contained these Spider-Girl stories until the title's cancellation with issue #8, followed by one last Spider-Girl tale,Spider-Girl: The End, in which fellow Spider-Girl April Parker is killed.
In November 2010,a newSpider-Girl series was launched that was unconnected to the MC2 universe. The MC2Spider-Girl title was cancelled, having surpassed publisher expectations for longevity. The new series featured a new character,Anya Corazon, whose adventures occurred onEarth 616. The series was canceled after only eight issues. No official reason was given for the cancellation. This character returned for aSpider-Island limited series.[4]
The character who would in 2023 become the second Earth-616 Spider-Girl was introduced inAvenging Spider-Man #16 (January 2013),[5] before returning a decade later inX-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #69 (January 2023) under the name "Gwen Warren", assuming the mantle of Spider-Girl as a member of theX-Men.
Spider-Boy vol. 2 #12 (October 2024) introduced the supervillain Funhouse (Makawalu "Maka" Akana), the villainous protégé ofBullseye, who aiming to become Spider-Boy's nemesis, temporarily takes the name "Spider-Girl" to mock him while the two partake in a tournament, ultimately keeping the name as the third Earth-616 Spider-Girl. She was created byDan Slott andMichael Cho.[6] This Spider-Girl later gained her own comic series that detailed what happened to Spider-Girl after she parted ways with Bullseye.[7]
Spider-Girl (May "Mayday" Parker), also known as Spider-Girl Red, is the daughter ofPeter Parker andMary Jane Watson from theMC2 universe (Earth-982).
Prior to calling herself "Mayhem", Mayday's clone April (the "Brand New May") goes by Spider-Girl, the two sharing the mantle (April known as Spider-Girl Blue due to her blue suit).
The first Spider-Girl in the mainstream Marvel Universe isAña "Anya"Sofia Corazon, theLatina superhero who originally called herself Araña (Spider), and occasionally goes by Spider-Girl.
The second Spider-Girl in the mainstream Marvel Universe isGwendolyne "Gwen"Warren, theChimera genetic daughter ofGwen Stacy,Ana Soria, andCyclops. She was created by thecloningmad scientistJackal using DNA stolen fromMister Sinister. Gwen has the ability to transform at will into a giant spider with optical lasers. Seeing Cyclops as her father, Gwen later joins the X-Men Green.[5][8][9][10]
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The second volume ofSpider-Boy introduces a new incarnation of Spider-Girl who is thesupervillain minion ofBullseye. She accompanies him in ambushing Spider-Boy andDaredevil on top of theDaily Bugle to reclaim the trophy. As Spider-Boy is surprised that Spider-Girl knows his true identity and claims that she is like this because of him, Spider-Girl webs up Spider-Boy and Daredevil with her barbed webbing as she and Bullseye escape with the Golden Fang Trophy. Daredevil and Spider-Boy follow them toMadripoor.[11][12]
In a flashback to three years ago in Kawainui Falls, Hawaii, Spider-Girl's history as a Hawaiian girl namedMakawalu "Maka"Akana is explored. After diving off a cliff, she was approached by Bullseye who recognized her talents and took her as his protégé. In the present, Makawalu and Bullseye are en-route on an unmarked airplane to Madripoor. They arrive at the sight of the Challenge of the Jade Dragon overseen by the Gaping Maw and present the Golden Fang Trophy as their entry into the tournament. Bullseye tells Spider-Girl about some of the competitors which consist ofBengal, anIron Fist user, the Sisters of Stone, the Perfect Golden Duo, and El Gigante and La Mota. Bullseye and Spider-Girl are surprised to learn that Daredevil and Spider-Boy have entered the Challenge of the Jade Dragon as the latest competitors.[13]
Spider-Girl and Bullseye watch Spider-Boy and Daredevil's fight with El Gigante and La Mota. Then they face off against the Perfect Golden Duo. Spider-Girl and Bulleye come out as the victors. Spider-Girl later catches up with Spider-Boy after the match. He then recalls that "Spider-Girl" is actuallyFunhouse, a supervillain with the ability to duplicate the superpowers of anyone she makes eye contact with. Years prior, Bullseye dispatched Funhouse to attack Spider-Boy andMs. Marvel at the time when they were afterStegron. After copying the abilities of Ms. Marvel and Stegron, Funhouse copied Spider-Boy's powers, but lost control of them. Spider-Boy states to Funhouse that what happened that day was comparable to whenRogue copied the abilities ofMs. Marvel, offering to hook her up with Rogue and theX-Men when the tournament is over.Hulkette later appears telling them that they are needed back at the arena. Funhouse is told by Bullseye that the Sisters of Stone won their match. As Spider-Boy and Daredevil face off against Bengal and Tigris, Funhouse informs Bullseye that she has successfully gotten into Spider-Boy's head, and that she will destroy him when he least suspects it.[14]
During their fight against Daredevil and Spider-Girl, Mist has the Gaping Maw warriors look away so that Spider-Girl cannot copy their abilities again. As Spider-Girl finds herself unable to copy Daredevil's abilities, Bullseye starts beating up Spider-Boy with his backpack until Daredevil yields.[15] When the Gaping Maw found that Bullseye had a concealed card that was foreseen by Spider-Boy that led to Bullseye getting disqualified, Spider-Boy and Spider-Girl fought Mist next. They manage to defeat Mist and Spider-Girl cuts all ties with Bullseye afterwards.[16]
After parting ways with Bullseye, Spider-Girl struggles to be a superhero in New York City while attending the Red Snow martial arts studio. She soon ends up targeted byVermin and his clones, who have been sent byDoctor Tramma. Spider-Girl copies Vermin's abilities, allowing her to subdue the clones. Tramma speaks to Spider-Girl through a drone, vowing to see her later.[17] While contending with her grandmother's upcoming birthday party, Spider-Girl is attacked byLady Bullseye, who was sent by Tramma to find out how her powers work.[18] Tramma receives instructions from her employerTombstone to get Spider-Girl as he is shown near a device.[19]
After Hijack is injected with a formula and gets into Rand Enterprises' systems, Spider-Girl rescues some of the employees as she is confronted by Spider-Man, who helps to pursue a drone controlled by Hijack. Tombstone advises Tramma to dispose of them.[20] After seeing a vision of Hijack begging to be stopped, Spider-Girl ends up disabling the drone as Tramma tells Tombstone and Lady Bullseye that it will be back to being operational soon. Spider-Girl finds Tramma with Hijack. After knocking Tramma and her minions to the ground, Spider-Girl wakes up Hijack and accidentally taps into his abilities, shutting down all power in Manhattan. This knocks out Spider-Girl, with Hijack carrying her away. He uses his powers to work a pay phone in order to call for help. Maka wakes up in her apartment and encounters Rogue. Maka expects herself to be grounded by her mother and asks Rogue for theX-Men's number so she can use it once she is no longer grounded.[21]
Maka's mother has the family flown back to Hawaii even in light of what happened to her father's business partner Dr. Ikaika. After returning to her school, Maka becomes Spider-Girl to investigate the disappearance of Ikaika. She arrives at the Hale Research building, where Noa is talking with Mr. Hale. Spider-Girl quickly changes back into Maka when Hale's assistant senses that she is nearby. While driving Maka home, Noa is notified that someone is breaking into their house and drops Maka off near Ānela's place. As Spider-Girl, Maka confronts the masked gunmen and webs them up. However, she is attacked by three mutated one-eyed dogs who have been held in the gunmens' truck.[22]
Peter Parker #1–4 (March–June 2010) features a Spider-Man advocacy group known asThe Spider-Girls in "The Private Life of Peter Parker", consisting ofBecky,Emma Paley, andLeila Goldberg, who operate a community service centre in Spider-Man's honour, opposed in merchandising byTeri Hillman, also calling herself Spider-Girl, with the four coming to peace and ultimately all being known as Spider-Girl by the storyline's end.[23]
In "What If Someone Else Besides Spider-Man Had Been Bitten By The Radioactive Spider?", Betty Brant is one of three candidates – along withFlash Thompson andJohn Jameson – who is bitten by the radioactive spider which gaveSpider-Man his powers. After confiding in Peter, and with his assistance, she begins to fight crime under the name "The Amazing Spider-Girl", with a mask similar to Spider-Man's but a very different costume. One time, she fails to stop a certaincrook, who subsequently murders Peter'suncle Ben. The shock over the consequences of her failure makes Betty quit her Spider-Girl identity, although Peter takes up the identity of Spider-Man later on by synthetically recreating and ingesting the irradiated spider's venom.[24]
This incarnation also appears in the events "Spider-Verse" and "End of the Spider-Verse".
AnUltimate Marvelversion of Spider-Girl/Spider-Woman is featured with the Ultimate continuity. This version, known by various names, is a gender-swapped clone of the Peter Parker of the Ultimate Universe, with all of his memories, from their perspective having gone to sleep one day a boy and woken up the next as a girl. Initially known as Spider-Girl/Spider-Woman, she joins the Avengers and takes on the mantle of Black Widow, before returning to their original name.
InUltimate Spider-Man #200, a glimpse of the future showsKitty Pryde to eventually become Spider-Girl.[25]
In the pages ofOld Man Logan, Ashley is the daughter of Tonya Parker and Hawkeye who did not like the way thatKingpin was running Hammer Falls. She becomes "Spider-Bitch", allying herself with a newPunisher andDaredevil, 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.[26] Hawkeye breaks his daughter out of her cell, whereafter Ashley immediately beheads Kingpin which avenges Daredevil and Punisher's deaths.[26] Then she attempts to kill her father, before taking over Hammer Falls as the new Kingpin.[26] Old Man Logan rescues Hawkeye as Ashley sends her men after them.[26]
The character appears in the "Spider-Verse" andSpider-Geddon storylines, now referred with her father's surname as Ashley Barton, and alternately referred to as "Spider-Girl" and "Spider-Woman" due to the family-friendly nature of the narrative, and is among the spider-powered characters who are recruited by The Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus's mind in Peter Parker's body) to help fight theInheritors, before returning to the Wastelands in "Venomverse" and "Old Man Quill".[27][28]
Introduced in "Spider-Verse", Penelope P. Parker is the 11-year-old Spider-Girl of Earth-11, who is best friends withMary Jane Watson and has a crush onFlash Thompson.[29]
The celebrity daughter ofGwen Stacy andMiles Morales from Earth-8, Charlotte "Charlie" Morales operates as Spider-Girl alongside her brother Max as Spider-Boy.[30] InSpider-Man: Reign 2, Charlotte and Max are revealed to be Miles' children withTiana Toomes, and just Gwen's stepchildren on Earth-8.[31]
An alternate universe variant of May Parker/Spider-Girl originating fromIron Man 2020's timeline appears in the novelTime's Arrow 3: The Future by Tom DeFalco andRosemary Edghill.
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