Explore the most popular and powerful female versions of Spider-Man, a few of which are due to join the MCU in the not-too-distant future.
Highlights
- Marvel has introduced multiple female versions of Spider-Man with similar powers to the original, but with added elements for a unique style.
- Some female versions, like Lady Spider and Peni Parker, rely on mechanical means rather than having superpowers of their own.
- The Spider-Verse comics, TV shows, and movies have expanded the number of female Spidey characters, with even more set to be introduced in the upcoming Madame Web movie.
GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Peter Parker has been a household name over the years, and yet he is far from the only one to adopt the Spider-Man moniker. Marvel has introduced several stunning female versions of this fan-favorite crime-fighting Spidey, with the same basic qualities as the original Earth-616 hero, with a few other perks mixed in for a more distinctive style.
Most versions of Spider-Man have been endowed with superhuman speed, strength, agility, and durability, not to mention the iconic webbing (which is either organic or synthetic). Some female Spider-Man admirers have mimicked their hero by mechanical means, such as Lady Spider (Earth-803), Spinneret (Earth-18119), and Peni Parker (with SP//dr in Earth-14512) but don’t technically have superpowers of their own. Similarly, others like young Penelope Parker (Earth-11) and Betty Brant (Earth-78227) have yet to fully develop their Spidey abilities.
Updated December 5, 2023, by Ben Painter: Through the Spider-Verse comics, TV shows and movies there are countless versions of Spider-Man in various continuities and universes. The latest, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, introduced fans to Spider-Man 2099, Jess Drew and Spider-Punk to the big screen for the first time. Sony’s upcoming Madame Web movie will introduce even more female Spiders to the mainstream, so this list brings four more characters who share similar powers to Earth-616 Spider-Man.
13 Peni Parker & SP//dr (Earth-14512)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Mechanical suit which has wallcrawling, web-slinging and various over spider powers
First Appearance:
Edge of Spider-Verse #5 (October, 2014)
Although Peni Parker herself has no actual powers, she pilots the powerful mech suit ‘SP//dr’ which has the same powers as Peter Parker including wallcrawling, web-slinging, increased strength and agility.
In a very interesting take on the character, Peni Parker was also bitten by a radioactive spider, which lives inside the suit, so in a sense, she does have powers, as she shares a psychic bond with the spider that controls the suit. It is very much inspired by anime which shares the Japanese origin of Peni Parker.
12 Lady Spider: Maybelle Reilly (Earth-803)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Mechanical spider arms similar to the Iron-Spider suit
First Appearance:
Spider-Verse #1 (November, 2014)
As a child, Maybelle Reilly was bitten by a spider, a tale as old as time, but in this instance, this was a normal spider which was kept in a cage by her father for his experiments. Instead of gifting her the powers of a spider, it taught her the valuable lesson ‘Don’t let anyone cage you’.
She used spare parts from her father’s garage to create mechanical legs and web shooters and began to fight crime as Lady Spider. Although she is powerless, she has the same drive as Peter Parker and uses technology to emulate some powers as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
11 Spider-Woman: Charlotte Witter (Earth-616)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman agility, wallcrawling
First Appearance:
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #5 (March, 1999)
As the granddaughter of the mystical Madame Web, she also has psychic-based powers which were manipulated by Dr Octopus, turning her into a Spider/Human hybrid and used as a weapon to absorb the powers of those who have taken the name of Spider Woman before her.
With wallcrawling, web slinging, enhanced speed and senses, she can do all that Spidey can do, but also with psychic abilities, she is a danger to those with spider powers, as she can also absorb them thanks to the experiments of the Spider-Man villain. She has also shown the ability to generate bio-electricity venom blasts akin to Miles Morlales, who is just about as famous as the classic Spider-Man at this point.
10 Spider-Woman: Ashley Barton (Earth-807128)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Superhuman strength & superhuman agility
First Appearance:
Wolverine (Vol. 3) #67 (July, 2008)
Set in the world of Earth-807128, where the supervillains teamed up and took over the world, the most famous story set in this universe is Old Man Logan. Ashley Barton is the child of Tonya Parker (Spider-Man’s daughter) and Hawkeye.
Unlike her mother, she inherited some of her grandfather’s abilities, including superhuman strength and agility and although she cannot wall crawl, she does have a knack for bouldering. Sporting a costume similar to her grandfather’s retro look, she has used the names of Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl and even Spider-B*tch.
9 Silk: Cindy Moon (Earth-616)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Every single one
First Appearance:
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #1 (April, 2014)
Cindy Moon was bitten by the same spider that got Peter, giving her an almost identical skill set. However, her training experience differed vastly. Incapable of keeping her powers a secret, Cindy gets whisked away to a facility run by a Spider-Totem named Ezekiel Sims and is forced to live a Rapunzel-inspired lifestyle. After thirteen years of hiding from the deadly Morlun, Peter eventually tracks Cindy down and frees her, sparking their whirlwind romance.
Cindy’s Silk-Sense is more advanced than Peter’s early warning system, while her webbing also appears to be slightly superior; extruding from her fingertips in such a controlled manner that she can weave clothing. Furthermore, Silk can create claw-like protrusions from her webbing that are perfect for battle, while her Eidetic Memory has also proven quite useful. Cindy has earned herself an exclusive spin-off series from Sony and Amazon, titledSilk: Spider Society.
8 Spider-Girl aka Mayday: May Parker (Earth-982)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Every single one
First Appearance:
What If…? #105 (December, 1997)
In a world where Peter has retired to give fatherhood more attention, his talented offspring protects him in secret, eliminating any enemy that comes sniffing around the Parker family. After a great deal of undercover crime-fighting, May eventually joins the Spider-Girl ranks when her parents finally get on board after an epic battle with Hobgoblin, making her the official Spider-Man replacement.
Although Mayday is not as physically strong as Peter, her agility, Spider-sense, and overall equilibrium are superior. Other skills, like wallcrawling, have proven to be rather tricky; however, the clever May has adapted by using her electrostatic ability to repel herself from surfaces, essentially giving her a boost when launching herself forward. Spider-Girl can also extend these powers to nearby targets, temporarily gluing them into place or forcing them to rebound away from her.
7 Spider-Gwen aka Ghost-Spider: Gwendolyn Stacy (Earth-65)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Every single one
First Appearance:
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (September, 2014)
Arguably the most popular female spider-hero, Gwendolyn Stacy gets a chance to test her superhero savvy after a run-in with an enhanced arachnid. She received some much-needed help from the Wasp when her Spider-Woman career first began. Unfortunately, Gwen doesn’t initially take her role seriously — that is, until her friend Peter Parker dies by her hand during an ill-fated encounter, becoming the wake-up call that changes her life.
Ghost-Spider, better known as Spider-Gwen, possesses a valuable Dimensional Travel Watch, allowing her to transverse the multiverse with ease, meeting numerous heroes (and villains) along the way. As rumor has it, the spider that bit Gwen was developed by none other than Cindy Moon (the evil version from Earth-65), who later steals those powers back. However, this sexy spider refuses to surrender and bonds with a Venom symbiote instead.
6 Nestling aka AMP/Spiderling: Anna-May Parker (Earth-18119)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman agility, wallcrawling, precognition
First Appearance:
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 (June, 2015)
Unlike her mother, Mary Jane Watson, aka Spinneret, “Annie” was born with superpowers resembling Spider-Man’s, but is forced to keep her abilities a secret while living in the Regency under Augustus Roman’s rule. She eventually aligns herself with the Power Pack, marking the beginning of Spiderling’s crime-fighting spree, which often involves saving her dad, along with the rest of the world.
After giving her powers some freedom, it becomes evident that Annie is in fact the avatar of the Patternmaker Spider-Totem, who is essentially capable of manipulating the Web of Life and Destiny in an attempt to maintain order in the world. Moreover, her Spidey-Senses work almost like premonitions, alerting her of impending danger with more accuracy.
5 Spider-Woman: Martha “Mattie” Franklin (Earth-616)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Every single one
First Appearance:
Spectacular Spider-Man #262 (August, 1998)
J. Jonah Jameson’s adopted daughter took a huge risk getting involved with the ancient ritual of the Gathering of Five, where each member would receive either Power, Knowledge, Immortality, Insanity, or Death. Blessed with the abilities of Spider-Man (plus the bonus power of flight) is arguably where Mattie’s good fortune runs dry. Things take a turn for the worst after a brief superhero stint lands her on Jessica Jones’ side of the tracks.
Spider-Woman is basically kidnapped by her boyfriend, who feeds her drugs, sells her body, and harvests her powers to produce a designer Mutant Growth Hormone. Mattie survives the whole ordeal (well, technically) and ends up adopting even more incredible skills from Jessica Drew and Charlotte Witter, such as bio-electric Venom Blasts, psionic spider-legs, and more.
4 Spider-Girl: Anya Corazón (Earth-616)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Every single one
First Appearance:
Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #1 (June, 2004)
Another Spider-Girl with mystical origins, Anya nearly lost her life as an innocent bystander caught between the Sisterhood of the Wasps and the Spider Society. However, she was saved from the brink of death by the Sorcerer Miguel, and given some nifty powerups and a cute tattoo in the process.
Anya (also spelled Araña) is so flexible she may as well be a contortionist. Her stealth skills are on point, especially since her dark Spidey suit blends efficiently into the shadows. This suit is also said to have exoskeletal qualities, and was gifted to Anya by her mentor, Julia Carpenter, and accessorized by Wolverine. She’s also a proficient hacker with a notable social media presence (which, unfortunately, is sometimes used against her.)
3 Arachnophilia: Nell Ruggles (Earth-31916)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman agility, superhuman durability
First Appearance:
Squadron Supreme (Vol. 3) #1 (July, 2008)
Things start out rather dark for Nell Ruggles, as the first thing she does after gaining superpowers is seek revenge on the bullies who had made her life a living hell. After massacring her classmates, Arachnophilia is promptly contained by SHIELD and, after much convincing, eventually joins the league of heroes, urged by Biogeneral’s unique charm.
Unlike other Spider-Men, Nell doesn’t get bitten by an arachnid. Her superpowers have extraterrestrial origins, assumed to have been inadvertently delivered by the Icarus One. Arachnophilia received a red-and-yellow symbiote suit, giving her Venom-like powers.
2 Arachne aka Madame Web: Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Precognition
First Appearance:
Amazing Spider-Man #210 (August, 1980)
Starting her Spidey career later in life, Julia had already entered motherhood before her crime-fighting days began, the latter of which wasn’t exactly a voluntary decision. Agent Valerie Cooper essentially tricks the single mom to undergo experimentation to reduce her financial burdens, and not-so-accidentally turns her into Spider-Woman as a result. Arachne then gets roped into teaming up with the X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and more, surviving a long list of battles before facing the formidable Madame Web.
Long story short, Charlotte Witter ends up dead and passes her paranormal powers and title on to Julia. Julia gains psychokinetic energy-embued webbing (psi-webs), telepathy, precognition, and more. Madam Web will be receiving her own feature film in 2024, with Dakota Johnson rumored to play Julia’s part in the narrative.
1 Spider-Woman: Jessica Drew (Earth-616)
Powers shared with Spider-Man: Every single one
First Appearance:
Marvel Spotlight #32 (November, 1976)
The first person to bear the weight of the Spider-Woman crown is the iconic Jessica Drew, who almost died from uranium poisoning at a young age, but was saved by her father’s arachnid-focused experiments. She spent most of her days confined to a genetic accelerator chamber and is eventually released as a full-grown woman with practically no life experience. In a surprising twist of fate, Jessica ends up honing her skills under Hydra’s tutelage, who turns her into an efficient assassin. Thankfully, her rebellious streak kicks in, leading her to eventually team up with SHIELD.
Apart from the usual bells and whistles, Spider-Woman has exceptional hearing and high levels of bio-electricity, which fuels her Venom Blasts. Jessica also has an unusual metabolism which renders her virtually immune to most chemical threats. She can produce her own pheromones to manipulate whoever is in the vicinity.
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Trend
