Madame Web

Okay so by now most people have seen the trailer for the new Madame Web movie. And I have heard mixed things, some people are really excited for it (the only correct answer) and some people are asking why it even exists. Well I’m just gonna say that there are 1000 bad superhero movies focused on men, we deserve some mediocre filmmaking too. Without worrying that this is the last representation we are ever gonna get. ALSO there are so many amazing women in the Spiderverse and they deserve some attention. But most casual viewers don’t know why it's being made because they have no idea who Madame Web is. And that's fair so here is your background into Madame Web and the other wonderful women that are making an appearance in this movie.

Madame Web first appeared in 1980 in The Amazing Spider-Man #210. In the comics she is paralyzed and blind so it seems like we’re omitting that part of her character, but who knows maybe we’ll get there by the end of the movie. That said, she is clairvoyant and precognitive. So at least that part is accurate. Madame Web is Mattie Franklin's mentor of sorts. So Mattie Franklin who is also in the film is the third woman to take up the mantle of Spider-Woman. Julia Carpenter, played by Syney Sweeney, is the second Madame Web. As our original Madame Web is dying she passes her psychic powers to Julia.

Before she was the next Madame Web Julia Carpenter was the second interaction of both Spider-Woman and Arachne. She made her Spider-Woman debut in Secret Wars in 1984 and was a supporting character for Mattie Franklin’s Spider-Woman.

Anya Corazon is Araña and she was the star of Amazing Fantasy in 2004. She eventually becomes Spider-Girl. Anya is one of many superwomen that has been depowered simply because the writers felt like it. I would like to reiterate once again that when male superheroes are depowered they are almost ALWAYS returned to their original state of power. This is simply not the case when female heroes are depowered. As Araña she was depowered and when she became Spider-Girl the writers felt no need to give her ANY superpowers.

Now I am not sure what universe this movie takes place in as it also stars Mary Parker who is…Peter Parker's mother. Mary Parker was a special agent, one that saved Logan, otherwise known as Wolverine. Her undercover work with her husband ultimately led to their deaths. Which is why in every iteration Peter is raised by his aunt and uncle.

And last but not least Mattie Franklin, who we have mentioned but not gotten into yet. Mattie was the third iteration of Spider-Woman but she was also J. Jonah Jameson’s niece. She made her first appearance in The Spectacular Spider-Man #262 in 1998 though she was nothing but a shadow. Her first REAL appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #441. Her first appearance as a superhero was in The Amazing Spider-Man #5 in 1999. Don’t think too hard about how that numbering system works, you will give yourself a headache. She goes through many power fluctuations. Originally having essentially Spiderman’s powers and eventually getting the powers of all the Spider-women to come before her. However those extra powers did eventually return to their original owners and she was left with her original powers.

I personally am very excited for the Madame Web movie. These are not random characters that were thrown together for the purposes of a woman movie. These are characters that have a long history of not only interacting in the comics but having full relationships and experiences together. Nothing about their team up is random, it is quite the opposite actually. This seems like one of the first superhero movies where the writers actually did some research.