SPIDER-WOMAN

Real Name: 
Jessica Meriam Drew
Universe/Timeline: 
Marvel Universe
Status: 
Active
Additional Status Info: 
West Coast Avengers
Category: 
Science-Based Mutate
Alias: 
Arachne, Ariadne Hyde.
Nationality: 
English
First Appearance: 
Marvel Spotlight (1st series) #32
Powers & Abilities: 
superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, hearing, recuperative powers, adaptive immunity to poison, disease, and radiation, bio-electrical bolts, attraction and repulsion pheromones, limited gliding ability aided by costume
Affiliation: 
Avengers, Lady Liberators, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., Heroes for Hire, HYDRA, Daughters of Liberty, Strikeforce II, Order of the Web, Secret Avengers Initiative, West Coast Avengers III
Avengers Membership: 
Queen Veranke joined the Avengers in Jessica's image in New Avengers (1st series) #3. The real Jessica Drew joined the team in #48.
Notes: 

Spider-Woman was originally presented as an actual spider, hyper-evolved to appear human as one of the High Evolutionary's New Men. With Spider-Woman (1st series) #1, she learned she was Jessica Drew and once suffering radiation poisoning. She received her father's spider serum to enhance her immunities to counter the radiation, with the spider aspects of the serum accelerated by the High Evolutionary's inventions while she recuperated in cryostasis for years. In Spider-Woman: Origin #1-5, Johnathon Drew's work was reimagined as using a radioactive laser to transmit the genes of one animal to another. Jessica's mother accidentally fell into the beam while pregnant, leading Jessica to be born with spider genes.

Jessica Drew originally lost her immunity power in Marvel Two-In-One #85, and her bio-electric bolts after her death and resurrection in Spider-Woman (1st series) #50 and Avengers (1st series) #240-242. Her full powers were restored in Sensational Spider-Man Annual '96, but stolen again in Spider-Woman (3rd series) #1.

She was replaced by the Skrull Queen Veranke for New Avengers (1st series) #1-47 and all other comics from that period, leading to her return in Secret Invasion #8.

Last Updated: 
23rd January 2025 by Monolith