Wikipedia

Julia Carpenter

(Redirected fromJulia Cornwall)

Julia Carpenteris asuperheroappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.Created byJim ShooterandMike Zeck,the character first appeared inSecret Wars#6 (October 1984). Julia Carpenter was known as the secondSpider-Woman,later as the secondArachne,and then as the secondMadame Web.

Julia Carpenter
Julia Carpenter as Spider-Woman inSecret Wars#7 (November 1984).
Art byMike Zeck.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAs Spider-Woman:
Cameo appearance:Secret Wars#6 (October 1984)
Full appearance:Secret Wars#7 (November 1984)
As Arachne:
Ms. Marvel#6 (August 2006)
As Madame Web:
The Amazing Spider-Man#637 (July 2010)
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoJulia Eugenia Cornwall Carpenter[1]
SpeciesHuman mutate
Team affiliations
Notable aliasesSpider-Woman
Arachne
Madame Web
Abilities
  • Spider-physiology granting:
    • Superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and durability
    • Wall-crawling
  • Ability to create webs out ofpsychokineticenergy
  • Regenerative healing factor
  • Clairvoyance
  • Precognition
  • Telepathy

Julia Carpenter as Spider-Woman appears inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse(2023),[2]and theSony's Spider-Man Universe(SSU) filmMadame Web(2024) under her maiden name "Julia Cornwall", portrayed bySydney Sweeney.[3]

Publication history

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As Spider-Woman, the character debuted in issue 6 of the firstSecret Warslimited series in 1984.[4]She was among the villains and was unknown to all other characters. Since that series, she has appeared as a starring character inAvengers West CoastandForce Worksas well as a supporting character in the thirdSpider-Womanseries, whose main character wasMattie Franklin.Julia starred in her own four-partSpider-Womanminiseries which explained her origin and the origin of her enemies,Death Web.

Fictional character biography

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A secretive government group calledThe Commissiondecided to create their own superhero.Val Coopermet college friend Julia Carpenter in Julia's hometown ofDenver,and convinced her to be part of an "athletic study." She was unknowingly a test subject in their experiments. During the experiment, they "accidentally" injected Julia with a mix of spider venom and exotic plant extracts, which gave Julia powers very similar to those ofSpider-Man.[5]

Not long after she was given the identity of Spider-Woman, she was drawn into the firstSecret Wars,where she met Spider-Man and the Avengers for the first time, and allied herself with the superhuman champions. She battled theAbsorbing Man,Doctor Doom,and theHulk.She was killed and resurrected by Doom with the power of theBeyonder.[6]After returning to Earth, Julia joinedFreedom Force[7](a government-sponsored super team made up primarily of former members of theBrotherhood of Evil Mutantswho enlisted into government service to avoid prison terms). In an early mission with Freedom Force, the team was sent to arrest theX-Men.During this conflict with the X-Men, Julia also began to question her teammates' exceedingly brutal attitudes that they held over from their criminal pasts.[7]Subsequently, Freedom Force was sent to arrest theAvengersafter a disgruntledQuicksilvermade false accusations against them. Freedom Force actually defeated the combined East andWest Coast Avengersteams and helped bring the Avengers into custody at theVaultwithout a trial. Spider-Woman once again found her loyalties divided; she had a change of heart and eventually chose to aid the Avengers by breaking into the Vault and freeing them, battling theGuardsmenand thus becoming a fugitive from the law herself.[8]Alongside Spider-Man, she battled theWrecking Crewas a government assignment.[9]In another adventure she also teamed withIron Man,to battle renegadeA.I.M.agents named the Seekers, who sought to capture Valerie Cooper doing undercover solo work.[10]In gratitude for her earlier assistance with the Avengers, Iron Man worked with the government to get her pardoned.

Later, one of her assignments led her toCalifornialooking for a team ofAsiansupervillainscalled thePacific Overlords.She met and assisted the Avengers West Coast against the Pacific Overlords, and battledU.S. Agent.[11]She was eventually offered membership in the team, and joined the Avengers West Coast.[12]As a member of the West Coast Avengers, Julia battled some of the Marvel Universe's major foes includingDoctor Demonicus,[13]Ultron[14]andMephisto[15]as well as participating in theInfinity Warcosmic crossover.[16]In addition while still a member of the West Coast Avengers, Julia was chosen byDoctor Strangeto be a founding member of theSecret Defendersin their first mission alongside Darkhawk (whom she would later recommend for West Coast Avengers membership),WolverineandNomad.[17]When the West Coast Avengers disbanded,[18]Julia joined their spin-off teamForce Works,[19]whose primary enemies included the alienKree[20]and long time Iron Man foe theMandarin.[21][22]She had a relationship withMoonrakerduring this time.[23]

Julia's main enemies in her solo adventures were the arachnid-based team calledDeath Web,which consisted of three supervillains who were created by The Commission, using a variation of the same serum which transformed Julia. When Mike Clemson, founder of Death Web, captured Spider-Woman's daughter Rachel, he blackmailed her into fighting Spider-Man. Even though she nearly killed Spider-Man, she would not commit an act of murder, and Spider-Man helped her rescue Rachel.[24]Eventually, Julia walked away from the superhero business to concentrate on raising her daughter. LikeJessica Drew(the original Spider-Woman), Julia was attacked byCharlotte Witterand had her powers stolen.[25]After the loss of her superpowers, Julia returned to the life of a normal mother.

Civil War

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Julia Carpenter in her Arachne costume. Interior artwork fromCivil War: The Initiative1 (March 2007Marvel Comics)
Art byMarc Silvestri

Julia reappeared in a story arc of the 2006Ms. Marvelseries, using the codename Arachne (which she intended to use).[26]Her powers have clearly been restored. DuringCivil War,Julia registers under theSuperhuman Registration Act,and she andWonder Manaid Ms. Marvel in the training of novice superheroes.

Julia is shown to be adouble agent;when she first responded to Iron Man's request, she thought it would be an opportunity to help peopleescaperegistration; she is shown to have tipped off Hobie Brown, theProwler,moments before aS.H.I.E.L.D.capekiller squadron arrived at his home to arrest him, and she is thought to have warned many more heroes of impending arrests.[27]It is also revealed that she is romantically involved with theShroud,an opponent of the Superhuman Registration Act.[26]

Julia's status is discovered when a captured Prowler reveals under interrogation that she tipped him off. The Shroud, who had been captured by Ms. Marvel,[28]reveals that Julia was paralyzed for several months after she lost her powers, even though all of her other injuries had healed. The Shroud's company had synthesized a duplicate of the serum that provided Julia with her powers, and these returned several days after it was administered to her. With the Shroud's help, Julia underwent intensephysical therapyand was soon able to walk again. It was during this time that she and the Shroud fell in love.

A government strike team led by Ms. Marvel, including Wonder Man andAraña,attacks Julia at her home just as she was about to flee the country with her daughter. Julia is captured and summarily incarcerated. It is revealed inMs. Marvel#13 that Julia escaped captivity during theNegative Zoneprison break, and she returned to Colorado in search of Rachel. A S.H.I.E.L.D. Psy Ops team telepathically traces her to Brooklyn, where she furiously confronts and attacks Araña, demanding to know where her daughter has been taken. She is subsequently defeated by Araña with surprising ease due to her instability from losing her daughter. After being rendered unconscious by Araña, she awakens aboard the Minicarrier 13 where Ms. Marvel endeavors to help Julia find Rachel.[29]

Omega Flight

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Arachne became a member of the new Canada-based teamOmega Flightand was given the option of having outstanding charges dropped in exchange for her participation on the team. After a battle against theWrecking Crew,Julia decided to stay on the team.[30][31][32]

The Gauntlet/Grim Hunt

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Afterward, Julia (still calling herself Arachne) became a victim of a grudge match between Spider-Man and the Kraven family. After escaping with Spider-Man fromAnaandAlyosha Kravinoff,they are confronted by theChameleondisguised asEzekiel Sims,who informs them of a battle between the Spider and Hunter tribes.[33]Julia is then captured by the Kravinoffs, along with Anya Corazon andMadame Webas Kaine (who was dressed as Spider-Man) is sacrificed to resurrectKraven the Hunter.When Madame Web was mortally wounded by Sasha Kravinoff, she transferred her prophetic powers (and blindness) to Julia, to become the new Madame Web. Julia's first action in this role is to prevent Peter from killing Kraven, explaining to Peter that he is the center of a moral web that would be destroyed if he killed Kraven, advising him that this murder, however justified, would turn him into a ruthless destroyer. After buryingKaineand Madame Web in apotter's field,she explains her new purpose to Spider-Man and Araña before teleporting away.[34]

Spider-Island

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When the population of Manhattan develops spider-powers during theSpider-Islandstoryline, Julia observes the crisis withShang-Chi,preventing him from intervening until Spider-Man is accidentally attacked by the New Avengers when he tries to help out.[35]Later, asAnti-Venomworks on curing the individuals affected of their spider-powers, reflects on the need for bothVenomand Anti-Venom to fix the Spider-Island problem, but also notes that for one of them, "your story ends here."[36]At the conclusion of the crisis, she offers the spider-powers cure to Spider-Man himself, but he rejects it. As she departs, she apologizes for the suffering that is to come.[37]

While taking her daughter Rachel to summer school, Julia gets a vision telling her that the Great Web is unraveling. She then changes into her Madame Web gear and leaves to go speak to Spider-Man.[38]While Spider-Man is fightingMorbius, the Living Vampire,Madame Web visits Spider-Man telling him that his life is in great danger. Although Spider-Man is concerned about Morbius, Madame Web states that Morbius is not the problem. She tells Spider-Man to return to Horizon Labs for a great tragedy lies in his future. She even tells Spider-Man thatSilver Sabledid not perish in the fight atDoctor Octopus' underwater hideout.[39]Julia later detected that a new spider-based character has connected to the Web of Life as it shows that formerHobgoblinRoderick Kingsleywas now working as Devil Spider.[40]

After having a particularly strong vision of the future of the Marvel Universe, Julia enters into a comatose state.[41]

Spider-Verse

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In the finale of theSpider-Versestoryline, Julia wakes out of her coma, and distresses over the Great Web's strands being severed by theSuperior Spider-Man(Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) in a desperate attempt to alter his fate and prevent Peter Parker from returning. Though his attempt was thwarted, the damage caused to the Great Web had weakened every Spider's spider-sense and left Julia bereft of her precognition.[42]

Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy

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During theDead No More: The Clone Conspiracystoryline, Julia Carpenter is shown to be the one hacking into the computers ofJackal's company New U Technologies from her hideout inAlcatrazas seen when she has a clone ofProwleras her prisoner. It is also revealed that she has been doing this withShroud's technology. Prowler angers Julia by severing the connection to stop her from looking more into New U Technologies. Julia finds out Madame Web was alive from telepathic feedback resulting from the attack of the female Electro. Prowler tells Julia what New U Technologies has accomplished and tries to get her to join them. She refuses and escapes in a puff of black smoke.[43]After Prowler escapes from Electro, Julia finds him and takes him on her boat, where they head towards New U Technologies to get his New U Pills.[44]Julia helps Prowler break into New U Technologies and takes Prowler to his room to get his pills. Julia uses the opportunity to investigate the near-abandoned facility. She is led to Madame Web, who refuses to take her medication to aid her in healing from Electro's attack. Madame Web has seen the future and refuses to be a part of it, and warns Julia to save Prowler before she dies from clone degeneration. Julia confronts Prowler in the facility, who is breaking down from clone degeneration and accuses her ofbeing the culprit.He tries to defeat her and Julia is left no choice but to fight back. She knocks him down as Prowler's body continues deteriorating.[45]Prowler was in an alley when he proves too weak to continue and he was found by the murderous Electro, Julia Carpenter arrives and fends Electro off as she tells Prowler that Spider-Man's stabilized the human and clone cells. When Electro gets the upper hand on Julia, Prowler sacrifices himself to stop Electro and dies in Julia's arms. Later, Julia talks to the real Prowler who just emerged from cryo-sleep and tells him about his clone's actions.[46]

Characteristics

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Powers and abilities

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Spider-Woman possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes. She also possesses the ability to spin a "psi-web" ofpsionicenergy between two surfaces. This web, once solidified, possesses sufficient tensile strength to support a 10-ton weight. It remains in effect for up to approximately 1 hour. She can also project and release sufficient psionic energy through her hands and feet to enable her to walk on walls and ceilings.

Julia's powers required considerable concentration for her to manifest them, and she found that physical gesturing aids her in the weaving of her psionic webs. By using psychokinetic energy, Spider-Woman can bind ambient free-floating molecules into strands of solid force. Her psi-webs can be used to wrap enemies, or focused into narrow web-lines that she can swing from. Due to their psychic nature, her psi-webs can form from a distance, and she can mentally control the movement of her webbing.

In addition to her natural superhuman advantages, she has been extensively trained by theCommission on Superhuman Activitiesin espionage and hand-to-hand combat. Although she lost her powers at one time,[volume & issue needed]she regained them through a duplicate serum[volume & issue needed].She has heightened senses, and feels vibrations as does a spider in its web. Her senses allow her to detect a hollow area under a solid steel floor by walking over it.

In addition to her own powers, Julia now possesses the powers ofMadame Web,including telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and the ability to sense the presence of psionic powers in others. However, she has lost her eyesight in the process of gaining these new powers.[34]Despite her blindness, she is able to stalemate Spider-Man (with his new training in martial arts taught to him byShang Chi,but lacking his Spider-Sense) using her clairvoyance in battle.[47]

Costume

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When, in the Secret Wars storyline, Spider-Man first laid eyes on the symbiote black costume that would eventually become thesymbiote-charged villain known asVenom,he surmised that he had subconsciously redesigned his costume to look more like Julia's.[48]During her brief tenure with Omega Flight, Julia began wearing a redesigned costume similar to her original one.[49]After gaining Madame Web's mental powers, she passed her Arachne costume on toAnya Corazon,who then goes on to wear it as Spider-Girl.[34]

Reception

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Accolades

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  • In 2012,IGNranked Julia Carpenter 47th in their "Top 50 Avengers" list.[50]
  • In 2015,Entertainment Weeklyranked Julia Carpenter 57th in their "Let's rank every Avenger ever" list.[51]
  • In 2017,Screen Rantranked Julia Carpenter 10th in their "Every Member Of The Spider-Man Family" list.[52]
  • In 2017,Gizmodoranked Julia Carpenter 6th in their "Greatest Spider-Women of All Time" list.[53]
  • In 2020,Scary Mommyincluded Julia Carpenter in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.[54]

Other versions

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In theX-Men Forevercomics, Julia is Spider-Woman in her classic black-and-white costume, and a core member of the Avengers. However, she displays the powers of Jessica Drew as she is able to fire venom-blasts atGambitwhen theX-Menare ordered to be arrested. She is also able to fly by unknown means as she does not have the glider-webs Jessica Drew uses to glide.[55]

In a possible future, Julia is seen wearing a modified version of her original costume, with belts and straps and silver duplicates of theBlack Widow's gauntlets. She is a member of a superhero team whose members includePunisher,Daredevil,andRhino.[56]

A monstrous spider-like version of Arachne originates from a dark reality where Death has no power called the Cancerverse, and is killed byRonan the Accuserwhen she attempts to invade the Earth-616 reality.[57]

Ultimate Marvel

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TheUltimate Marvelequivalent ofSpider-Womanposed as Julia Carpenter for a time.[58]

MC2

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Julia exists in the alternate future ofEarth-982.She has retired as Spider-Woman, and seeks Peter Parker's aid in order to convince Jessica Drew's child, Gerry Drew to halt his identity as Spider-Man, due to his terminal illness.[59]

In other media

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Television

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Julia Carpenter / Spider-Woman as she appears inIron Man.
  • Julia Carpenter as Spider-Woman appears inIron Man,voiced by Casey DeFranco in the first season andJennifer Halein the second season.[60]This version is a member ofForce Worksand executive atStark Industrieswho competes with theScarlet WitchforTony Stark's affection, though he initially does not appear to reciprocate either of their feelings. He later attempts to pursue a relationship with Carpenter, but his "lone wolf" attitude complicates matters. Despite this, she remains loyal to Stark, especially after he faked his death and caused Force Works to disband as she andJames Rhodeswere the only ones who knew the truth. Stark realizes his feelings for Carpenter after she gets lost in a time portal, and once she is saved, they share a kiss.
  • Julia Carpenter as Madame Web appears inUltimate Spider-Man,voiced byCree Summer.[61]This version is aS.H.I.E.L.D.agent who uses her link to the web of reality to predict the future forNick Fury.In her most notable appearance in the four-part episode "Return to the Spider-Verse", she works withDoctor StrangeandIron Fistto open a portal to the multiverse so Spider-Man andKid Arachnidcan collect theSiege Perilous' fragments after it was scattered across several alternate dimensions in a previous episode.

Film

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  • Julia Carpenter as Spider-Woman makes a non-speaking cameo appearance inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseas a member ofMiguel O'Hara's Spider-Society.[62]
  • A teenage Julia Cornwall appears inMadame Web,portrayed bySydney Sweeney.[63]This version lives with her father and stepmother and is estranged from her mother. After being targeted byEzekiel Sims,whose prophetic visions lead him to believe she might kill him in the future, Cornwall is rescued byCassie Webb,who eventually trains her in becoming a superhero.

Video games

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References

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  1. ^Spider-Womanvol. 2 #1
  2. ^"The Spider-Spotters Guide to the Famous Spider-Heroes of Across the Spider-Verse | Page 28 of 45".5 June 2023.
  3. ^"Arachne (Julia Carpenter) Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel".
  4. ^Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012).Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging.DK Publishing. p. 142.ISBN978-0756692360.
  5. ^Spider-Womanvol. 2 #2
  6. ^Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars#6–12
  7. ^abUncanny X-Men#206
  8. ^The Avengers Annual#15
  9. ^Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#125–126
  10. ^Iron Man#214
  11. ^Avengers West Coast#70–74
  12. ^Avengers West Coast#75
  13. ^Avengers West Coast#93-95, April–June 1993
  14. ^Avengers West Coast#89-91, December 1992-February 1993
  15. ^Avengers West Coast#99-100, October–November 1993
  16. ^Infinity War#1-3
  17. ^Secret Defenders#1, March 1993
  18. ^Avengers West Coast#102, January 1994
  19. ^Force Works#1, July 1994
  20. ^Force Works#12-13
  21. ^Iron Man/War Machine: Hands of the Mandarin
  22. ^Force Works#6-7,Iron Man#310-312,Marvel Comics Presents#169-172,War Machine#8-10
  23. ^Force Works#16-19
  24. ^Spider-Womanvol. 2 #1-4
  25. ^The Amazing Spider-Manvol. 2 #3,Spider-Womanvol. 3 #1-3
  26. ^abMs. Marvelvol. 2 #6-8
  27. ^Ms. Marvelvol. 2 #6
  28. ^Ms. Marvelvol. 2 #8
  29. ^Ms. Marvelvol. 2 #14
  30. ^Omega Flight: Alpha to Omega
  31. ^Omega Flight#1–5 (April–Aug. 2007)
  32. ^Cronin, Brian (July 29, 2010)."A Year of Cool Comics – Day 210".Comic Book ResourcesCSBG Archive. Archived fromthe originalon October 5, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 28,2010.
  33. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#634
  34. ^abcThe Amazing Spider-Man#637
  35. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#668
  36. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#669
  37. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#672
  38. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#689
  39. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#690
  40. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#691
  41. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#695–697
  42. ^The Amazing Spider-Manvol. 3 #15
  43. ^Prowlervol. 2 #2
  44. ^Prowlervol. 2 #3
  45. ^Prowlervol. 2 #4
  46. ^Prowler vol. 2#5
  47. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#666
  48. ^Secret Wars#8
  49. ^Omega Flight#1
  50. ^"The Top 50 Avengers".IGN.April 30, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2016.RetrievedJuly 28,2015.
  51. ^April 29, Darren Franich Updated; EDT, 2015 at 12:00 PM."Let's rank every Avenger ever".EW.com.Retrieved2022-11-25.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  52. ^Blunden, Fred (2017-01-31)."Every Member Of The Spider-Man Family, Ranked".ScreenRant.Retrieved2022-11-25.
  53. ^"The Greatest Spider-Women of All Time, Ranked".Gizmodo.2017-07-14.Retrieved2022-11-25.
  54. ^"Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic".Scary Mommy.29 November 2021.Retrieved2022-11-25.
  55. ^X-Men Forever 2#1
  56. ^Ant-Man and Wasp#3
  57. ^Thanos Imperative#1
  58. ^Ultimate Comics: Mystery#2
  59. ^Spider-Girl#37-38, 42-43
  60. ^ab"Voice Of Julia Carpenter - Marvel Universe".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedJune 16,2019.Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  61. ^"Voice of Madame Web (Ultimate Spider-Man)".Voice Chasers.RetrievedSeptember 21,2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  62. ^Jasper, Gavin (2022-12-13)."Guide to the Weirdest Spider-Men in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Trailer".Den of Geek.Retrieved2022-12-13.
  63. ^Dominguez, Noah (March 2, 2023)."Report: Sydney Sweeney Is Playing Marvel's Second Spider-Woman in Madame Web".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on March 3, 2023.RetrievedMarch 3,2023.
  64. ^"Julia Carpenter (Character)".
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