The CONFUSING HISTORY Of SPIDER-WOMAN

Greetings comics lovers and welcome back to casually comics today we take a look at the confusing history of Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman just why does she have so many origins and backstories. Find out all about this Marvel comics classic by staying tuned.
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[@andreacook7431]

The whole Spiderman/Spider-Woman thing is why my mom bought me the final issue when I was little. It traumatized me. Fast-forward 20+ years and I collected all the comics out then. Actually, I now have a cat named Jessica Drew. The rescue misgendered her, and her name was Peter Parker when I got her.

[@CovenantD]

There is so much to unpack here.... 😉

[@andray310]

I love every bit of this. Keep that love man. Jessica is an OG and deserves it. Wonder if she’ll make an appearance in the Madame Webb movie

[@frogoat]

Mark Gruenwald was just the most amazing sounding super-nerd that made it with Marvel. I wish he were still with us.

[@StergiosMekras]

I still remember the memorial pages when he passed away. They were in almost every book.

[@2323stickboy]

If you can find a copy of the first printing of the Squadron Supreme TPB he will actually be with you. His ashes were mixed in with the ink used to print it.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@2323stickboy That is. Morbid but fascinating,

[@gracetrainor4712]

We need more writers like Mark Gruenwald who care about continuity.

[@56postoffice]

Truth.

[@CLOBBERINTIMES]

Mark was the E. Nelson Bridwell of Marvel. (y)

[@MrDEMarq]

Preach it bro!

[@grios5530]

Absolutely.

[@kforcer]

Yeah, they don't make 'em like Mark Gruenwald anymore. Len Wein was another writer with an amazing grasp of continuity.

[@user-ManofStyle1]

"I don't know what to do with that character ?!" Sums up Spider-Woman and most of superheroes nicely.

[@aaronjames3228]

How so

[@user-ManofStyle1]

​@@aaronjames3228 Every superhero has a gimmick, but not everyone has a story to tell, and if character doesn't have an essential idea, his own core story that defines him he doesn't work as a main character for solo series.

[@SimonBuchanNz]

@@user-ManofStyle1 which is where a good writer creates that core idea. The most obvious example I can think of is Mr Freeze in the animated series, but to some degree every writer does this when they put a spin on their new run. But hardly any do it well, or understand what a previous author did.

[@Metalbass10000]

"So, endearingly, nerdy," is such a great phrase. Very few people who look at me would describe me, reflexively, as nerdy, but what is inside cannot be denied.

[@aaronjames3228]

True

[@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388]

Jessica Drew is awesome, especially in the 70s cartoon, and so is Julia Carpenter who is underrated.

[@WhiteRaven696]

Please do a Gruenwald dedicated video. It’s honestly so sad how Marvel hasn’t had decent continuity in years and he kept everything so TIGHT.

[@aaronjames3228]

Wdym

[@DIEGhostfish]

Him and Jim.

[@amaya8550]

YES! I hate it when comics change artists, it's one of the reasons I'm more into manga bc the artist is also the writer. The first artist that drew for silk was really good and then the art changed and I stopped reading bc the art was almost unrecognizable.

[@alpyki2588]

And rarely if a new artist pops in for a comic book, is it better than the previous. Most oftentimes it's a downhill struggle until its dog poop.

[@aaronjames3228]

That's not always true

[@nomeo8014]

@@alpyki2588 you sound like you just have a biase

[@SimonBuchanNz]

Many good books have bad art. I don't think any good books have bad writing!

[@jeppyjep]

2021 and 2022 Silk is great tho. Great art and great stories.

[@stormhawk31]

"Don't tell me how to feel, Marvel, cause you don't know me." 👏👏👏👏👏

[@HankChinaski27]

Gruenwald's love of continuity is part of why I loved him. It is a feat of memory trying to memorize all the minutiae. and after years I finally gave up, but people like Gruenwald, Busiek, and Waid are my type of writers with their encyclopedic knowledge of characters and timelines.

[@mikebart70]

You got me with "dont tell me how to feel because you dont know me".

[@Blaque90034]

Marvel

[@aaronjames3228]

@@Blaque90034 ?

[@patrickwebb7311]

I’ve definitely binge read a character. And I had no idea how chaotic Spider Woman’s origin is.

[@matman329]

I honestly really liked the pregnancy arc as well as what followed with her raising her super baby and developing a relationship with porcupine. This arcs where the first ones i read about her and help me fall on love with the character.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

The writers and artists and fans would have a "beat Mark" trivia competitions. He would smoke them all.

[@starnik]

A spider being transformed into a woman sounds like a fascinating character to me. It's one of those way-out-there concepts I come to comics for.

[@Ron-ep3zl]

Yep. I have definitely dropped books if the art sucks.

[@tommyg2660]

Ron same

[@BainesMkII]

The idea of Bendis knowing all things Spider-Woman is a pretty funny idea, as his idea of "knowing" a character seemed to start and end with what he wanted the character's story and personality to be at the moment. His claim of hints was equally funny. Any hints that Skrull Spider-Woman was wrong would have been based on differences with a version of Spider-Woman that at that point only existed in Bendis's own mind. (I remember people looking for "hints" as well around that time. You couldn't tell the difference between a possible "hint" and just bad writing or even production mistakes.) As for how she speaks, it often felt like all of Bendis's characters spoke with the same Bendis voice anyway.

[@jhornacek]

This episode felt like one of your previous videos where you discuss a character whose origin isn't revealed until well into their run. I've binge-watched all of your previous videos, trying to catch up, and suddenly in this video I learn (a) you're pregnant, (b) you already have a daughter, and (c) you have a cat. Multiple news flashes!

[@stebaer]

Yes as Henty Scagnoli told me The Spider-Woman Comics series got cancelled for among other reasons there were many different origins and none of any of them of which agreed with the one in the cartoon. Btw The one in the cartoon is very similar to Spider-Man's origin.

[@MysteryFoxx3506]

Art matters. I follow artists more than writers in comics. There’s more great artists in comics than great writers. Love the Salt Alert.

[@jacobmorta3047]

Exactly why i read manga. Everybody wants to see something beautiful and to suddenly change artstyles in a comic is a turn of for me. Some manhuas i've only kept tabs because of its beautiful art despite its shitty story, and some are just not salvageable by their art alone.

[@johnroscoe2406]

@@jacobmorta3047 lol weeb

[@SimonBuchanNz]

While this is true, there are more good books with bad art than with bad writing.

[@macavitymacavity]

With your love of Marc Gruenwald, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on his 1985 magnum opus maxi-series "Squadron Supreme".

[@cecilDisharoon]

Claremont and Leiahola were my favorite Spider-Woman team. The art's beautiful and the female characters, strong. They nicely pass the Bedschel Test with the arc tying Jessica and the Viper so closely. Morgan LeFay made an interesting foe, too, and this was where they really tie back into the supernatural themes prevalent in the beginning.

[@EdgarAyabarreno]

Congratulations Sasha on the pregnancy!!!! Please continue being safe and loving the content. ❤

[@SupaSecretSensei]

Im Jealous

[@aaronjames3228]

@@SupaSecretSensei of what

[@ShadowManV3]

@@aaronjames3228 use your brain

[@JanetStarChild]

Okay, I'm late to the party, but I don't get this compulsion from people to congratulate someone for such a common and unremarkable event. It's like congratulating someone for achieving a bowel movement. I know it's a formality, but, personally, I feel we practice way too much unnecessary formalities. Let's reserve our congratulations for Nobel Prizes and other accomplishments that took actual work to achieve and not on something that has a whole industry on manufacturing prevention aids.

[@yourtube1424]

@@JanetStarChild just because pregnancy is a common and regular thing doesn’t mean it’s unremarkable, mothers and children can still die from complications or without the correct care. Fool.

[@NeoBalkanacMan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels like Brian Michael Bendis takes too much liberty when writing characters that aren't his.

[@MrTarquinEx]

Thank you SO much for saying you’ve stopped reading certain titles when artists were changed out. I’ve done that more times than I’m brave enough to admit. Secondly, I love your series. Wonderful presentation, insightful info. Keep up the good work.

[@chriskaufman8075]

I never had a comic switch artists, but I remember having the same feeling with Batman the Animated series. Watching the original run as a teenager, I remember really not liking the design of the characters in the last season to the point where I did stop watching. Thankfully I watched them later, but the art can sometimes make all the difference.

[@227060]

They should just make a Birds of Prey style book with Jessica Julia Mattie Anya Corazon and Cindy Moon

[@ardonthorn5]

Mark G was one of my favorite comic creators. He always had the industry's best interests at heart in my opinion.

[@rh162]

GOD YOU NAILED BENDIS He really thinks he knows better for other peoples stuff sometimes.

[@fobwatchful]

The Jessica Drew Spider-Woman was AFAIK the first female spin-off character who had no connection whatsoever to her male counterpart. She Hulk and Supergirl were cousins of Hulk and Superman, Batgirl was the daughter of an important friend and ally of Batman. Ms Marvel (Carol Danvers) had been a supporting character for Mar Vell. All the other female spin-off characters were tied into the legacy of the male original. Should it be surprising that when the character didn't have that, most writers didn't know what to do with her?

[@moonblade32]

Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman is one of my favs

[@simonrhoden8245]

Just found your channel and fell in love with it binging all the previous episodes now. Love your subject choices lots of personal favorites of mine too. So thank you for the hard work and research you put into these and if you ever decide to take over the world hit me up I'm totally ready to do your bidding

[@kencoleman5007]

I thought that Fleischer wrote great criminology. But Claremont was my favorite.i just think that the era missed some big opportunities. Such as addressing Jessica's growing dependency on meds that would suppress her powers when trying to pass among regular people. Also refusing to have her come out and coupled with the best friend who she moved to SF to live with.

[@r5img]

Great video. Loving your content. As you noted in another video, it has been suggested that what prompted Marvel to create Spider-Woman was learning about a Saturday morning Filmation cartoon that was in production, eventually called Web Woman. As far as I know DC had nothing to do with the cartoon. Superheroes were popular Saturday morning content in the 1970s and Filmation realised they could do just as well creating their own rather than paying to license existing comicbook characters. (Ironically one of the first superheroes Filmation created, Isis, actually got her own DC comic and ended up becoming part of the DC roster of characters. Filmation created her because DC apparently asked for too much to license Mary Marvel.) Web Woman aired originally as part of the "Tarzan and the Super 7" series in 1978, and then was rerun as part of the "Batman and the Super 7" series in 1980. Filmation produced all the animation for each cartoon show, including Batman, but as far as I know DC had no connection with or ownership of the other characters in the other shows outside of Batman. So Filmation, not DC, are to blame for Spider-Woman.

[@xclucvt]

Don't forget Micro-woman and Stretch. A Black superhero couple. Whaaa!! Anyway, wish I could find those series you list on DVD or KZbin even. My introduction into serious cartoons sans the idiotic pets/sidekicks: Bat-Mite, spinner, etc.

[@dnaseb9214]

I saw re-re-re-re-runs of her cartoon. It was very fun, spiderman showed up and had yellow eyes.

[@maciekwilkosz6377]

I second your opinion on Bendis. Writers like him are so full of themselves. They don't know care of what came before. They know better... I have the same problem with Jason Aaron.

[@hendry7497]

I love your work! Please, do not ever change. I have stopped buying my favorite books because I did not care for the artwork, writing or both. I'll keep Casually Comics in my KZbin favs.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

I don't recall the circumstances, but I did binge-read a long run of *_Spider-Woman_* at one point, and noticed the abrupt changes to its storyline. I was really sorry that the Gypsy Moth plot was cut short - it was clearly setting up for her following of groupies to turn against her catastrophically. When the series ended, Jessica was just beginning to set up a new kind of detective agency that would provide jobs for her "rogue's gallery" of super-powered acquaintances (villains and heroes alike), somewhat similar to the "talent agency" that was later run by Patsy Walker (Hellcat). I have wondered, more than once, how those stories might have turned out, if that book had continued beyond issue #50.

[@Xehanort10]

"It was really a Skrull impersonating them" is a common thing Marvel do when someone's acting out of character.

[@gracetrainor4712]

I was just rewatching your How Could Hal Jordan Do This! video, and I thought to myself, "If Sasha was teaching a college class on the history of comics, I would be the first to sign up." I always love and look forward to your videos; keep up the great work!

[@nexusgiga]

I feel like pregnant spider woman is weird because she’s active a lot and in a job that’ll literally kill her baby.

[@charliewilson3610]

You mentioned artist changes. I was a big Batman fan in the '70s when Denny O'Neill and Neal Adams did it. One issue Adams did the art .. The next issue was Frank Robbins. Talk about a shock to the system.

[@garybthecasualcomicguy5136]

This was a great video. Loved it from beginning to end. Great info and perspectives.

[@LouScannon2001]

Discovered your channel by chance the other day and I have been binge watching your videos since! Absolutely love your content and your attitude towards everything you do! I'm all in! Thank you!

[@casscardoso9653]

Ok, now i need to know the history behind the X-Men

[@joemala3387]

Sasha, you do such a great job of explaining history. Thank you again!

[@daverhoden445]

You are really good at this. I've been watching your videos, non-sequentially, for about 6 hours now.

[@dynamicpiece]

Am I the only one that LOVE'S Roger Gocking A.K.A the Porcupine? His arc of henchman turned super hero was entertaining in the Spider-woman comics. Plus he's such a good guy I just want to see his star rise.

[@KazuyaDragon]

I don’t comment much on here but I wanna thank you Sasha, this has become my favorite channel on KZbin. I’ve recently started reading comics a few months ago and just appreciate the random information I pick up from here.

[@CLOBBERINTIMES]

Just wanted to say that I loved this vid. It's amazingly well researched. I remember buying the first few issues of Spider-Woman's series back when it was first released. Missed her first appearance in Spotlight. Because I dropped the book after a few issues, I never really followed the character much over the years, so, your video was fascinating to me. I always love "Hero Histories" and you are excellent at it. You really know your stuff and present it very well. I will definitely check out more of your videos.

[@frylock97]

This was fun. Looking forward to checking out some of your other videos.

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

Thank you. So well done!

[@ComicPower]

Great report. Well researched

[@Ineedgames]

Spider turned Human sounded like a great idea.

[@DarnOttawaEH]

I am definitely subscribed. There is something about this gal that works. I like the vibe, jokes, and she is clearly quite knowledgeable on comics.

[@CHEESEPUFF_7]

A video about a character I know very little about from a KZbin channel I love. Awesome, imma watch

[@kyleeartist2829]

I am definitely a Jessica Drew fan, but also the Julia Carpenter version of SpiderWoman. I was a teen reading the Avengers West Coast series when she joined & I thought it was so cool 😎 💭

[@randalx]

Great video! Thanks

[@axis2320]

I agree with what you said, if the art doesn't do well for me I just pass through it without reading it. An example is the Wonder Woman Rebirth run from like issue #55 to like #70, the artwork I just couldn't stand it.

[@christownsend7552]

In the cartoon, Jessica was voiced by Joan Van Ark (Knots Landing)

[@anecho7010]

Lol. On the "having your own name thing" - remember when Monica Rambeau threw down with Genis Vel for that very reason? Pretty funny.

[@booksvsmovies]

The artist change in A-Force was so jarring. It was one of the first comics I ever read and I was so confused as to why the art style just changed in the middle of the volume.

[@feliperisseto9113]

Her costume is really cool.

[@DaveMania01]

I know, this is not what this video is about, but I love how everyone is casually throwing shade at Bendis work at DC xD Also, now I'm really curious what exactly the plot of the original Spider-Woman run is, for it to be so messy lol

[@SXJAYSX]

Omg love your shirt!

[@SpeakDemon]

First came across Spider-Woman with the TV series, and loved it! Now you've made me want to go back and watch it all again!

[@mrbruce307]

Thanks for this video. You have a great background,. I love your hair like this....easy to manage

[@TheGoodGaius]

I discovered this channel a week ago and I like what you have to say. I have left certain comics when the artist changed. I stopped reading "Batman and the Outsiders" when the artist changed from Jim Aparo to Alan Davis, even thought the writer stayed the same. You are right about how an artist change can completely turn the tone of a comic. Have you considered doing a video about Dazzler? She is a female hero, and you are really good at covering issues with feminine superheroes.

[@thienbaongo7997]

Thanks for this recap, it's really hard to find information on this character- so again thanks.

[@ludovicmodabi3200]

Hello, all the way from Belgium. 1. I love your take on comics (you love what you love, no need to bicker) and your take on how to talk about them. 2. I always was a fan of your eyebrow 'cut' on 'TOP10nerd' and now that I noticed watching your channel that it is a scar, you look 10 times more badass! RESPECT (for this and all other points in this list)! 3. Did I hear correctly, you're pregnant (again)? Yay, Mazel tov! 4. Keep up the good work!

[@MarvinLowe1983]

Awww you're adorable Regardless of the backdrop I don't mind as long as see you having a good time and rambling about your favourite subjects I'm more than happy!

[@Skaramine]

I really liked Jessica and picked up her book in the early part of that original run. It helped that Carmine Infantino drew her with Princess Leia buns in her civilian identity. My two earliest exposure to strong, female protagonists (Infantino was also drawing Star Wars for Marvel at the time. ) I truly appreciated the Avengers bringing Jessica back. She had a run in Wolverine as an ally adventuring in Mardripoor.

[@CrisUrbanJacquesBiology]

Happy to see Jessica getting some attention, thanks Sasha

[@JackWard66]

Really DIG your approach. Thanks so much. #subscribed.

[@jeredwagner9132]

I love obscure characters and come offering the following recommendations: Wonder Tot and/or Kole of DC fame. Love your work BTW =)

[@dhorubaPRIME]

You are amazing in this long form KZbin! Thanks for the strange story on Spider-Woman and Wow you have a daughter!?!? Go Sasha!

[@konasavage]

I remember hearing that Bendis created Jessica Jones because he was initially denied access to writing Jessica Drew when he first came on board.

[@triciavaughan1785]

Hey I'm enjoying your backstory videos, because I enjoy watching the arrowverse shows and the Mcu movie and watching 90s cartoons growing up, so I've not really read the comics. Thank you so much. Also in this video you mentioned the background which actually got me interested in your videos, I noticed you had a Buffy library edition graphic novel, so I had a suggestion, I would love for you to do a video on Buffy graphic novelization off the continuation of season 8-12 and the reboot series. Thank you, keep up the great work

[@dirtrich3681]

Can’t stop. Won’t stop. Lol love it!

[@k.roberts8541]

Your perspective on love the things you love is rather refreshing and in comic books you kinda have to do that considering bad writing and the occasional artist swap. if your taking suggestions i do have one, do a piece on the "life of reilly" if you want to pull on that jackel thread a bit more.

[@70CadillacMan]

I've stopped titles based on art. I enjoyed John Byrn's FF and She Hulk. As well as, Gary Frank's artwork on Incredible Hulk.

[@PegasusPablo]

Subscribed!

[@TA3DArtist]

As an artist, when I was reading comics monthly, I would follow artists. If they left a book, I'd stay for one issue to see who picked it up and then I'd leave if I didn't like the art.

[@MrA2Zor029]

Dear Sasha! IMO this is high QUALITY analysis presented in a very pleasant manner. I wish you much success. love Steve Holliday

[@GruesomeLue]

Just found your channel. It’s super dope.

[@trntavry]

Congrats on your new rising hero/shero!

[@sPitternaut]

I always liked the idea of Spider-Woman being a mutated spider. Now that' seems to be the origin they gave Spider-Ham.

[@jhornacek]

Spider-Ham is a pig that was bitten by a spider. He was always a pig.

[@j-money2295]

Hornacek No he wasn’t

[@jhornacek]

@@j-money2295 Holy crap, you're right! I always remembered him being a pig that was May Porker's nephew, but he was actually a spider first! How did I forget this? And why would they give him this origin when creating him - it seems so radically different than regular Peter Parker - his "Aunt May" isn't actually his aunt!

[@alpyki2588]

I must admit, it sounds a lot more interesting than the second, third, fourth, etc. origin they've put out. Imagine how such a character would think! Imagine how they would feel! There's good writing material there, and yet they chose to go so mundane that it's a shame. They should at least give that original origin to someone else (perhaps a new character), to someone that can write a little and has a little more imagination.

[@70CadillacMan]

That back drop will go great if you ever cover Vampirella.

[@criminalisticL3]

As usual I really enjoyed the video Sasha! I liked you throwing shade at Bendis declaration that Jessica is British even though I think of her a British too. Personally I would love for you to do an in depth video about the Eternal Sersi. I feel like she’s a great powerful character that most people don’t know about yet.

[@rodericperez4204]

A Siamese cat named Jessica, true super villainy.

[@DominiqueMarsell]

I've known "of" SPider-Woman throughout the years but never knew her origin. Got to "know" her a bit from the dope motion-comic where I heard her British accent and was hooked from there. Always pictured Rhona Mitra or Kate Beckinsale in the role.

[@worstestminipainter2391]

Yes, I was reading the 4 issue mini of deathlok, the art was killer, writing killer. Then that was popular so they made it a series. The story was good, but the art was "WTF!" I know your pain on the art changing to "no thanks."

[@imanicartwright4463]

I love your shirt!

[@jaceresa]

You must read Avengers Annual #10. Chris Claremont and Michael Golden created my ultimate one issue read. It featured the Avengers (of course), Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, the X-Men, and Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It also introduced Rogue and started the Jessica Drew/Carol Danvers friendship (and wrapped up some troubling issues with Ms. Marvel's past). The artwork is magical (except for the cover, which looks like a weird anthology billboard).

[@devinkavanaugh1034]

You seem like a really cool person that would be an awsome friend to have. I'm not sure if this will seem awkward and creepy or nice/friendly... hopefully the latter.

[@fabioriccardo9290]

LOVE your comment on Bendis attitude. That's what I allways thought about him.. BTW on somebody else getting your name check the all new thunderbolts issue with the captain marvels confrontation about genus stealing Monica's name TWICE 😁

[@ProfessorGamez]

You are amazing beyond words.. Nuff said...

[@sgpoet47]

I Love your pizzazz and flare for history and comics. And now I know who to thank for the Marvel Handbooks I use to have one when I was a kid in high school and would read the hell out of it. #Blerd

[@josetteelaine8664]

Thank for this! I wait for your videos. Did you watch the series yet? I binged it again and it was even more cringy and wonderful than I remember lol! I would love for you to do a video about the origin Lilandra from the X-Men one of these days.... Also congratulations!!!

[@CasuallyComics]

Thank you kindly

[@briandaleske5139]

I also suggest, that variants about, different versions of SPIDER-WOMAN, should be thought up, have stories made about them. Then much later introduce, each different version, of each variant of SPIDER-WOMAN, should be shown in cartoon shows.