Spider-Girl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Legion of Super-Heroes character, see Spider Girl
| Spider-Girl | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Spider-Girl (May "Mayday" Parker) is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine active in an alternate future of the Marvel Comics universe. She was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as a spin-off of the Spider-Man character, and first appeared in What If (Vol. 2) #105 (1998). She later acquired her own ongoing comic book, Spider-Girl, written by DeFalco and drawn by Frenz and Pat Olliffe, which has become the longest-running superhero book with a lead female character ever published by Marvel.
Contents |
[edit] Publication history
Spider-Girl was a spin-off of the ongoing series What If. According to Tom DeFalco, her first appearance was meant to be her last. However, due to positive fan response, Spider-Girl and two other series (A-Next and J2) set in the same universe were launched under the MC2 imprint. All three were intended to be merely 12-issue limited series, however, Spider-Girl's sales justified its continuation.
Although Spider-Girl has had among the lowest sales of any ongoing series by Marvel, the book's sales were consistent. Its active fanbase caused Marvel to revoke several cancellation announcements. Reprints of the series in digest size trade paperbacks sold well, and Marvel Associate Editor Nick Lowe revealed in a November 2005 interview that "Spider-Girl, for the first time in her history, is completely safe from cancellation." [1]
Marvel announced that #100 would be the title's final issue. However, although the Spider-Girl title was indeed cancelled, the book was relaunched as The Amazing Spider-Girl with issue #0 published in October 2006.
In The Amazing Spider-Girl, May has promised to give up costumed superheroics, dates Eugene Thomson, and runs for student council. When Mary Jane becomes aware that the Hobgoblin poses a threat to her daughter's teenaged friends, she allows Mayday to resume her activities as Spider-Girl (a situation they both hope to keep secret from Peter).
[edit] Cast
[edit] Main cast
- Peter Parker, May's father, who has retired from superhero business and works as a police scientist. He lost his leg after the final battle with the first Green Goblin, a.k.a. Norman Osborn. Outfitted with a prosthetic leg by Reed Richards, he occasionally dons his costume to assist May.
- Mary Jane Watson-Parker, May's mother. In this universe, MJ is a very responsible and sharp-witted character, knowing every thought of her superhero husband and daughter inside out.
- Phil Urich, a former Green Goblin (the only hero to use that name) and a good friend of the Parker family. (He has been a friend of the family for so long, that May calls him "Uncle Phil.") Phil works with Peter Parker at his job in the crime lab. Occasionally, he uses his Goblin powers to help May, at one point taking on the identity of the "Golden Goblin." Later, with the assistance of Normie Osborn, Phil was able to come out of retirement and take on the identity of the Green Goblin once more.
- Benjamin Richard Parker is May's little baby brother.
[edit] Supporting cast
- Black Tarantula, a.k.a. Fabian LaMuerto is the current kingpin of crime. An honorable villain he is a recurring foe, occasional ally, and possible love-interst for May.
- Darkdevil, a.k.a Reilly Tyne, is a mocking Puck-like superhero who constantly taunts Spider-Girl for her various weaknesses, but has also proven to be a valuable ally. Tyne is later discovered to be May's cousin.
- Gerry Drew is the son of Jessica Drew, the first Spider-Woman. He has spider-powers because of his mother and he has an illness because of her radiation exposure. He once used the name Spider-Man but was stopped by Peter Parker.
- Courtney Duran is May's pigtailed friend in school. She is a level-headed and bespectacled "Miss Normal" who is in her Science Club.
- Heather Noble is one of May's schoolmates. At first, she acted mean and stuck up towards May, but has since become her friend. She is currently dating Jimmy Yama.
- Simone Desantos, introduced in the The Amazing Spider-Girl series, she seems to taken Heather's former position as the stuck-up "mean girl" of May's school. She has attempted to steal May's boyfriend, Gene Thompson (More then once).
- Felicity Hardy is the daughter of Felicia Hardy and Flash Thompson. She knows that May is Spider-Girl and adopted the costume of Scarlet Spider when May took a break from superhero business. However, she abandoned it quickly and helps May in her civilian identity.
- Hobgoblin, a.k.a Roderick Kingsley an old villain of Spider-Man and now Spider-Girl
- Jack Jameson, also called "JJ", is the grandson of J. Jonah Jameson, and was one of May's secret crushes until she discovered he is secretly the superhero called The Buzz.
- Kaine is very protective of Spider-Girl (his niece, and ultimately the source of his redemption). He currently leads a government team of reformed supervillains.
- Davida Kirby is May's best friend in school and her teammate in her basketball team.
- Nancy Lu is an Asian schoolmate of May who was secretly a mutant with telekinetic powers, until she was outed by her classmates, and forced to leave the high school. She later returned as an X-Man in-training known as "Push".
- Moose Mansfield is a burly footballer who constantly clashes with Jimmy Yama (see below). He also has a crush on Spider-Girl. On a field trip, he witnessed Spider-Girl running out of a toilet in which Courtney had been, and from then on, thought Courtney was Spider-Girl. This led to comic results. He has recently moved away to live with his uncle while his father is in the hospital.
- Brad Miller is a good-looking, smart teenager and May's secret crush. Later, she dropped him when she found out he had a hatred for mutants.
- Normie Osborn is the grandson of Norman Osborn and was this universe's Green Goblin until he ceded that role to Phil Urich. Former enemy and former crush of May's. In recent issues, he had obtained the Venom-symbiote for his own use until it died in the final battle against Hobgoblin and the Scriers. After the final battle, he married Brenda Drago (Raptor) though he still has feelings for May.
- Raptor (Brenda "Blackie" Drago) daughter of the second Vulture and former rogue until Spider-Girl convinced her to quit crime. She is a member of Kaine's superteam of reformed supervillains and was recently married to Normie Osborn.
- Flash Thompson is the trainer of May's basketball squad. He was once married to Felicia Hardy and had a daughter Felicity and a son Gene with her (see above and below), but is unaware that Felicia and Felicity are superheroes.
- Gene Thompson is the son of Felicia Hardy and Flash Thompson, and the older brother of Felicity Hardy. He is currently dating May (as of Amazing Spider-Girl #1).
- Jimmy Yama is a nerdy Asian schoolmate of May who is on her Science Club. He has a crush on May, a fact that makes May - who likes Jimmy as a friend, but not more - embarrassed. He has since started dating Heather Noble. He has a cousin named Zane, who happens to be the superhero J2, the son of the Juggernaut.
- Mad Dog Rassitano - Human bounty hunter who employs equipment taken from the super-powered villians he hunts. Has his own TV show.
[edit] Fictional character biography
May "Mayday" Parker is the child of Peter and Mary Jane Parker in a future, alternate universe continuity. In the MC2 continuity, they were reunited with their baby daughter by Kaine, who found the child living with Alison Mongraine, the con artist who had kidnapped the baby on instruction from the Green Goblin. After they were reunited, Peter lost a leg during the horrific final conflict with the Green Goblin. After the battle Peter received a bionic replacement from Mr. Fantastic and considering it a wake-up call decided to retire and focus on being a husband and father (The battle is glimpsed in Spider Girl #7, and fully explained in Spider Girl #49). For many years, the duo chose to keep their past from Mayday and hoped that she wouldn't develop powers of her own.
Despite her parents' hopes, May began developing versions of her father's Spider-powers when she was 15. At the same time, Normie Osborn (Green Goblin's grandson) set out to restore the family name (as he saw it). Mayday donned Ben Reilly's Spider-Man costume to stop him and soon took to crime fighting, at first hindered, then helped, by her worried parents.
May shares traits of both of her parents. Like her mother, she is a good-looking and popular student, and she is intelligent and bright, just as her father was. She also inherited his love for in-fight bantering. In addition, she is a very good athlete and excelled in her girls' basketball team until she quit after her powers emerged. On the other hand, May seems to have inherited the "Parker luck" in which her dual identity wreaks havoc in her private life.
[edit] Powers and abilities
May Parker inherited many of the same abilities as her father, Peter Parker. She has enhanced strength (she can lift approximately 6 tons), can leap several stories high, and can cover the width of a city block. Her relfexes are 12 times that of a normal human. She heals faster than a normal human, and is more agile than Spider-Man.
Spider-Girl can adhere to almost any surface through a static-electric field her body generates, allowing her to scale the sides of a building, just like a spider. Wall-crawling doesn't come as naturally to May as Peter; she has to concentrate to keep herself from slipping off surfaces. In addition to adhering to surfaces, May can also repel herself like an opposing magnet, or she can repulse and adhere another object or person through a shared medium. For example, she can cause a person to stick to a wall they're touching just by touching that same wall and willing them to, or she can just as easily violently push them away.
May Parker inherited her "spider-sense," a form of clairvoyance that warns her of danger and is somewhat more powerful and reliable than her father's, and tells her the direction a threat is coming from with a high level of precision. Through intensive training, she learned to fight blindfolded using only her spider-sense. She can use it to spot weaknesses in an opponent and use them to her advantage. She can also sense mundane threats or observation like her father, but unlike him she can use it to sense deception. By touching her father's clone, Kaine, she experienced a shared precognitive vision, but she does not normally have that ability.
May also has mechanical web-shooters based on Ben Reilly's web-shooter design, but longer and narrower. They can also fire metal needles called "Stingers", but May rarely uses them, thinking them to be "too brutal". Her mobile phone is modified to attach to one of her web-shooters, and looks like one of its cartridges. She occasionally uses spider-tracers, but as they are tuned to her father's spider-sense and not hers, she needs a receiver to detect them.
Spider-Girl once lost her powers due to being electrocuted. However, she borrowed the Green Goblin equipment from Normie Osborn until she regained them.
May has also received some martial arts training from the Ladyhawks and Elektra Natchios, as well as being drilled in the use of her powers by her father.
Since Spider-Man's power and abilities were upgraded in Spider-Man: The Other, (an event which takes place outside of the MC2 continuity), any comparison of May's powers to her father's must apply to his status prior to that event.
[edit] The Mutant Question
It is unclear whether Spider-Girl is a mutant. May was born with her powers — an important criteria which usually leads to a character's classification as a "mutant" in the Marvel Universe. However, the term is never used to describe her.
Before her birth, a Sentinel robot found her to be "beyond the range of embryonic normalcy," but not specifically a mutant (The Amazing Spider-Man #415).
Several of the explanations for her Father's powers stated that they were a result of his genome changing. Presumably since May inherited her powers from him she inherited whatever changes were made to his genome, but is not a Mutant as she does not possess the "X-Gene".
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] Earth-616
May Parker also exists in the primary Earth-616 timeline in which most Marvel Comics are set. However, her status is unknown and she is believed to be dead.
Mary Jane became pregnant at the beginning of the Clone Saga. Impending fatherhood was one of the main reasons Peter retired as Spider-Man during that storyline, passing the mantle to Ben Reilly. However, at the end of the story, Mary Jane was poisoned by Alison Mongraine, an agent of the Green Goblin, and the baby was stillborn (or seemed to be, as Mongraine took the sedated infant away with her). Ben Reilly died at the Green Goblin's hands the same night, and Peter Parker became Spider-Man again.
There were hints during the "Spider-Man: Identity Crisis" storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man #434-435, one of Tom DeFalco's last storylines on the title, that Baby May would be returned. Instead, the subplot was dropped, and a few issues later DeFalco was replaced by Howard Mackie and John Byrne. Under that team, Aunt May was brought back instead.[1] In a flashback in Spider-Girl #49, an alternative version of this story was presented, with the younger May returned instead of the elder.
However, unlike developments in the MC2 continuity, baby May and her parents were never reunited in Marvel's main continuity. Editors have repeatedly stated that the baby died, or at the very least will not be seen again; the baby was considered a major factor in the "aging" of the characters. However, no proof of her death was ever shown, it was clearly implied that she was kidnapped, and Alison Mongraine and Kaine were never conclusively shown to have died either.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #439 (Defalco's last on the title), the issue takes place 1,000 years (2998 based on the release date of the issue) in the future. Two archaeologists stumble across relics belonging to Spider-Man (such as his webshooters). They speculate on his career, and discuss the other heroes who were inspired by him, such as Spider-Girl, Spider-Man 2099, and Spider-Man 2211.
[edit] Earth X
There are two variant and alternate universe versions of Spider-Girl. One was raised by a Ben Reilly who survived after her father died during her childhood, as seen What If? vol. 2 #86, and later revealed in the Paradise X: Heralds mini-series. Another version of Spider-Girl is actually Venom, who is seen in the Earth X mini-series and its two sequels, Universe X and Paradise X.
The world of MC2 is designated as "Earth-982". The world where Spider-Girl was raised by Ben Reilly is known as "Earth-1122" and the world featuring Venom as Spider-Girl along with the other heroes of the Earth X saga is known as "Earth-9997".
[edit] Ultimate Spider-Girl
In Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter's girlfriend Kitty Pryde (a.k.a. Shadowcat) adopts a second costumed identity in order to be able to fight crime at his side (it is already public knowledge that she and Shadowcat are one and the same; hence, she cannot work with him as Shadowcat). She first wears the costume in issue #91, and Peter jokingly suggests "Spider-Girl" as her crime-fighting name.[2]
The ultimate universe's Spider-heroine was introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man #98; issue #102 reveals her to be a clone of Peter Parker whose chromosomes were manipulated to make her female. She resembles Peter, retains his memories, and appears to be the same age. Cassandra Webb was preparing to erase the clone's memories in order to implant a new identity as "Jessica Drew," but she managed to escape before the process could be carried out. This character is an analogue to the mainstream Marvel universe's Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew).
[edit] Appearances in other media
[edit] Novels
- An older, more cynical alternate version of May Parker/Spider-Girl appears in the Spider-Man/X-Men team-up novel Time's Arrow 3: The Future by Tom DeFalco and eluki bes shahar (ISBN 0-425-16500-0). In that novel, Spider-Man travels to the alternate future known for its Iron Man 2020 (Arno Stark). This universe's Earth is designated Earth-8410. In this reality, Spider-Girl wears a costume almost identical to the one worn by Jessica Drew, except the colors have been modified to look like Spider-Man's costume. She also has the ability to fire venom blasts as well as webs.
[edit] Action Figures
- Toy Biz's 8-inch scale "Famous Covers" action figure line included a Spider-Girl with a cloth costume and removable mask.
- Toy Biz's 5-inch scale "First Appearances" line included a Spider-Girl (as well as her allies, Stinger and American Dream).
- Toy Biz's preschool-oriented "Spider-Man & Friends" line has included several Spider-Girl figures and toys. These feature an exposed lower face, visible eyes, and pigtails or a ponytail, to make it easier for very young children to differentiate Spider-Girl from Spider-Man.
[edit] Video games
- Spider-Girl appeared as one of the alternate costumes for Spider-Woman in the multi-platform action-RPG Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
[edit] Notes
[edit] Spider-Girl's Uncle Ben
Like her father, May also has an Uncle Ben. However, unlike her dad, May never knew her uncle: Ben Reilly, Spider-Man's clone. His last words before his death are about her: "Take care of my 'niece,' Peter... tell her about... her Uncle Ben" (Peter Parker: Spider-Man vol. 1 #75). Her first costume and web-shooters are in fact his, kept in storage since his death. When May asks her father about him, however, Peter leaves out the fact that Ben was really a clone, instead referring to him as a cousin.
If Spider-Girl has any children in the future, they too would have an Uncle Ben - May's baby brother. As Peter and MJ named May after Peter's Aunt May, May asks which Uncle Ben the newborn is named after: her Uncle Ben, or Peter's Uncle Ben. Peter asks if it really matters, and May simply responds, "I guess not."
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Bio at Marvel.com
- Interview with Tom DeFalco on Spider-Girl and Last Hero Standing
- Interview with the whole creative team
- Interview with DeFalco
[edit] Bibliography
- What If (volume 2) #105 (Marvel Comics, February 1998)
- Spider-Girl #0–100, (Marvel Comics, October 1998 – July 2006)
- Spider-Girl #½ (Marvel Comics/Wizard Entertainment, 1999)
- Spider-Girl Annual 1999 (Marvel Comics, 1999)
- Spider-Man Family #1 (Marvel Comics, 2005)
- The Amazing Spider-Girl #0- (Marvel Comics, October 2006 - present)
[edit] Reprints
Spider-Man Universe #6 (Magazine)
- Reprints Spider-Girl #20.
Spider-Girl #100
- Reprints Spider-Girl #27 and #53.
[edit] Trade paperbacks
- Spider-Girl: A Fresh Start (Marvel Comics, January 1999; reprints Spider-Girl #1-2)
- Spider-Girl (Marvel Comics, August 2001; ISBN 0-7851-0815-7, reprints Spider-Girl #0–8)
- Amazing Spider-Girl Vol. 1: Whatever Happened to the Daughter of Spider-Man? (Marvel Comics, to be published May 2007; ISBN 0-7851-2341-5, reprints The Amazing Spider-Girl #0-6)
[edit] Digests
- Spider-Girl Vol. 1: Legacy (Marvel Comics, April 2004; ISBN 0-7851-1441-6, reprints Spider-Girl #0–5)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 2: Like Father Like Daughter (Marvel Comics, December 2004; ISBN 0-7851-1657-5, reprints Spider-Girl #6–11)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 3: Avenging Allies (Marvel Comics, April 2005; ISBN 0-7851-1658-3, reprints Spider-Girl #12–16 and Spider-Girl Annual 1999)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 4: Turning Point (Marvel Comics, September 2005; ISBN 0-7851-1871-3, reprints Spider-Girl #17–21 and #½)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 5: Endgame (Marvel Comics, January 2006; ISBN 0-7851-2034-3, reprints Spider-Girl #22–27)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 6: Too Many Spiders! (Marvel Comics, June 2006; ISBN 0-7851-2156-0, reprints Spider-Girl #28–33)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 7: Betrayed (Marvel Comics, November 2006; ISBN 0-7851-2157-9, reprints Spider-Girl #34-38)
- Spider-Girl Vol. 8: Duty Calls (Marvel Comics, to be published April 2007; ISBN 0-7851-2495-0, reprints Spider-Girl #39-44)
[edit] External Links
| Spider-Man | ||
|---|---|---|
| Publications | Main continuity: Amazing Fantasy • The Amazing Spider-Man The Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) • Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man • Astonishing Spider-Man • Spider-Man Family Other continuities: Ultimate Spider-Man • Marvel Adventures Spider-Man • Spider-Girl • Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Spider-Man: Reign |
|
| Television | Spider-Man (1967) • Spidey Super Stories (1974, live action) • Amazing Spider-Man (1978, live action) • Supaidāman (1978 - Japanese) • Spider-Man (1981) •Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981) • Spider-Man (1994) •Spider-Man Unlimited (1999) • Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) • The Amazing Spider-Man (2008) | |
| Films | Spider-Man (2002) • Spider-Man 2 (2004) • Spider-Man 3 (2007) | |
| Other topics | ||
| Fictional history of Spider-Man • Spider-Man supporting characters • Spider-Man villains • Spider-Man's powers and equipment • Video games • Alternate versions of Spider-Man • Spider-Man in other media |
||
Categories: Fictional Americans in Marvel Comics | Fictional characters from New York City | Fictional symbionts | Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength | Marvel Comics martial artists | Marvel Comics superheroes | Marvel Comics titles | MC2 | Marvel Comics supporting characters | Spin-off comic book superheroes | 1998 introductions
