Spider-Woman deserves more

[webbhed]

So far as I can tell, Spider-Woman has been completely sidelined. Sure she's a member of the Ultimates, but all she's done as one so far is get beat up/rescued a couple of times, complained a lot, and picked on Miles. We get that she is angry, and that pretty much sums her up so far. Would like to see/hear a lot more of her, especially see how much Peter comes out in her personality.

Here's a little fan art/story I did a while back. Feel free to comment on it, even if you don't like/agree with it.



Jessica tumbled in through her apartment window, pulled down her mask, and let herself fall back onto her bed. She drew in a deep breath, and let her mind go blank for just a moment before exhaling sharply. Then her mind began racing. She had just kissed a boy – or, let a boy kiss her, anyway. Not just any boy, but her best friend (well, Peter's best friend, but whatever). It was exciting, and terrifying. A relief to have some human contact, especially with someone she cared about – to finally get some attention from a life forcefully and suddenly taken away from her. But it was nerve wracking as well, thinking about what the consequences could be. What would Peter say? She really cared about that for some reason, as if she hadn’t been created with a conscience, and her original were somehow her conscience, and if she did anything he disapproved of it would mean she was wrong somehow. Her face got hot as she thought about this whole situation, and she buried her head in a pillow.

She remembered how, as Peter, she had shared romantic moments with Gwen, Kitty, MJ. They were all pretty aggressive girls, but Peter had never just sat there and let them do all the work. This time however, it had been different. She had wanted it to happen, that was a familiar feeling. But this time she just felt like letting it happen to her, without feeling the need to push back. There'd been a little bit of a return on her part, once the kiss (the one and only kiss) had started, but she had let Johnny do almost all of it. And it had felt good – all over – also a familiar feeling. The kiss itself, was fine. It was just everything else that made it weird. I mean, she had kissed a guy! What exactly about that was bothering her? There was a little bit of an 'ick' factor, since her and Johnny had been close in a non-romantic way (again, Peter's memories, yadda yadda), but not any kind of internal aversion to kissing him because he was a guy. As a matter of fact, things being as they were, she'd feel more uncomfortable kissing any one of the people she'd kissed before (as Peter!, sheesh). She had been reluctant to let anyone from Peter's life get to close too her – too complicated – but what made all of this so aggravating was based on memories, and memories that weren't even hers. Why should she feel weird about kissing a guy? She had a guy's memories, but she had been born a girl. Strange as it was to admit – even after all this time – she had never been a guy. She had never been Peter Parker.

The real question was, what would Jessica Drew do? So far, she'd been giving Spider-Woman all her attention, nabbing thieves, stopping the occasional super-villain, rescuing cats from trees. She was taking Roxxon down, that was important. But that just felt like living on autopilot, not really having to decide what to do, just live up to her “great responsibility”. She still felt like a person without an identity. Or that 'her' life was being lived by someone else, even though she'd never actually lived it. It was time to start making some memories of her own. She wouldn't have to change much really, just keep swinging, and before too long Johnny would fly by again. Maybe next time she wouldn't just kiss and run. Maybe she'd find out about that movie. And Pete would find a way to deal with it.

[Assassin Spider]

This is actually pretty good. You touched on the "confused sexuality" a lot of readers have figured would come into play with an opposite-gender clone without being too in-your-face about it, and it makes sense. Just because she has Peter's DNA and memories doesn't mean she'll react to things the same way he would, especially since she is coming to terms with the fact that she has to figure out who "she" is beyond those echoes of someone else's life, which is something that should be addressed more. If we speak up loudly enough and in sufficient numbers, maybe Marvel will get the hint and commission an Ultimate Comics: Spider-Woman miniseries, with Bendis writing it since Ultimate Spider-Man and its characters have been in good hands with him for the most part.

[webbhed]

Hey thanks for the feedback.

How would we go about making enough noise to get their attention? Any suggestions?

[MASTER-OF-SUPRISE]

Why not give her a title. It worked for 616 Kaine.

[babybro]

I constantly said they should do a miles jessica duo book, it would be freakin awesome, they have the classic bickering of stereotypical siblings yet they look out for one another.
Have it written by bendis and it's guarantee to sell that's for sure.

[webbhed]

I agree completely, but add Johnny Storm as well. Should add a extra dynamic. I would also like to see Jessica connect with Aunt May and other characters from Peter's life.

[RockyBanks]

I'm surprised that more hasn't been done with her, but she got some attention in the last issue, and it sounds like she'll be around in the future.

[webbhed]

Would you buy this book?



P.S. I was gonna draw something original but it was faster to use existing artwork from the very talented people at Marvel. They get all the credit!

[Last CloneStanding]

I would definitely buy that book, but I must say I'm torn over who should be the artist. I LOVE Sara Pichelli's artwork but I think David Marquez's and Justin Ponsor's rendition of Jessica in the last issue has become my favorite since Mark Bagley.

[The Ultimate Man]

I would love to read that! But who should be the creator? Love all what Brain Bendis has done but I actually would like to have another writer. Maybe Marvel could give Gail Simone a offer she can't refuse.

[Assassin Spider]

I thought Gail Simone was exclusive to DC, but if they ever kick her off the Batgirl title or she decides to leave herself . . .

Also, petitions would be nice, but it would ultimately take a great writer coming up to Marvel with a pitch that Marvel was willing to take a chance on, given the typical view of female-led solos and especially one that's technically transgender. (Technically, as far as Jessica knew at first, she was a guy who woke up one day in a female body.) Of course, a lot of things are possible if there's enough will and effort and enthusiasm put into them, but it's going to take a lot, particularly since the last Spider-Woman series got pared down into a mini after being initially promoted as an ongoing.

[ZetaOmega0]

I just hope Marvel dont kill her off, I'm still waiting for the story where Aunt May founds out about her.

[Last CloneStanding]

I just hope Marvel dont kill her off, I'm still waiting for the story where Aunt May founds out about her.

It has been driving me crazy that they haven't written that story!!!! Especially since Aunt May is shown listening to Johnny brag about kissing Spider-woman.

[RockyBanks]

I would love to read that! But who should be the creator? Love all what Brain Bendis has done but I actually would like to have another writer. Maybe Marvel could give Gail Simone a offer she can't refuse.

I thought Gail Simone was exclusive to DC, but if they ever kick her off the Batgirl title or she decides to leave herself . . .

Kelly Sue DeConnick, perhaps? Or Kathryn Immonen?

[ZetaOmega0]

It has been driving me crazy that they haven't written that story!!!! Especially since Aunt May is shown listening to Johnny brag about kissing Spider-woman.

Me too, but I read somewhere that Aunt May, following the events of Spider-Men, is ready to move on and some closure after her Peter die.

Kelly Sue DeConnick, perhaps? Or Kathryn Immonen?

If these have time, not lots of writers can write more than one book, but if so I hope, my all time female-lead writer, Greg Rucka would write the book.