Julia Carpenter: Spider-Woman II/Arachne/Madame Web Appreciation 2022

[K7P5V]

Secret Defenders would be great, and given that Julia is Madame Web now and for the foreseeable future, I could see her assembling a new team in place of Doctor Strange (R.I.P.).

Sounds interesting. Both Thanos & Druid have done it, so it shouldn't be too difficult for Julia

Very true. Hell, the original story was that Spidey thought her costume was so cool and badass that the symbiote responded to his thoughts by mimicking it when it bonded with him to form his new costume.

Yeah! Here's proof...

[Lukmendes]

Interesting balance between psychic and action hero in the ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN animated series. I haven't seen much of it...

I wouldn't really bother watching more than this by the way, this is the only fight scene she's involved in, afterwards she just explains her powers and keeps talking about probability of stuff happening.

She shows up in two more episodes after this, but all the she does is help open a portal for Spidey and Miles to go through the multiverse, and then in her last episode, she basically says one line then leaves.

I watched the episodes just to see what's up with Julia in 'em, and it's basically how Julia is like as Madame Web, cool potential, but she doesn't do much, and then we have other issues like bad sense of humor, questionable plot, and probably the least authorititative sounding Nick Fury of all... Like seriously, if I heard that Nick Fury giving me orders I might end up ignoring him 'cause he doesn't sound like someone who should be giving orders lol.

Sydney Sweeney reportedly portraying Julia Carpenter in the MADAME WEB movie from Sony.

A movie with a "unique" plot and cast.

From what I've been told, the director for this was involved in some episodes from Netflix's Defenders, and those episodes were apparently pretty good.

On the other hand, the script writters are the guys behind Morbius.

So uh, yeah, let's just hope the movie's at least alright lol.

I really liked the idea that she was not just a female Spider-Man, or 'Spider-Man, plus some other powers, too, like organic webs or stingers or blasts. The Psi-Webs served as a web-attack, a means of transportation, and allowed her to cling to stuff, which constitutes at least a decent percentage of Spider-Man's theme, without having a half-dozen mostly unrelated powers, just the one.

And it could evolve and develop in other ways, making it even more distinctive, say, if she could retain a psychic link to her psi-webs and use them to spy on an area, or move them individually, making a stationary web sort of spring up and around someone, or a 'web-line' wrap around someone like a snake, or even exhibit some moderate superhuman strength, not in her own body, but in her psychic webs, so that a web-strand might be able to lash out and grab a motorcycle and fling it through the air, even if she could not herself lift said motorcycle. Tons of options, and not even necessary, since her Psi-Webs as already shown are pretty darn useful (and put her a cut above heroes like Hawkeye or Black Widow, who manage to operate as heroes without *any* any powers).

I always have a soft spot for a character with a single (preferably versatile!) power, rather than one with a bunch of powers that might not be as tightly thematically connected, and it was particularly cool to see a 'Spider-Person' who had *less* powers than Spider-Man, since the general practice is that the new character must be *more, more, more*, having all of the powers of the original, but be stronger, or have even more powers (like Silk's organic webbing or Kaine's spider-summoning and poison wrist-stingers, or Miles' invisibility and zaps). It feels like avoiding the trope of power inflation, while also making the character more easily challenged. Not having the perfect suite of powers for every situation, they have to get by on their wits and creativity, and it feels more like they earn their victories, to me, than someone who has a half-dozen or more discrete options and it seems like in any situation, it isn't 'oh my, how are they going to get out of this one?' but 'I wonder why they didn't do one of the three things we've seen them do before to deal with this so-called challenge?'

Honestly, in theory her Psi-Webs should be basically a much, much shittier version of a Green Lantern's ring, which would still be really flexible.

As far as I saw she generally uses it like Spidey's webs like webbing up enemies, but has additional weaknesses like how it can be used to track her (Stark and the Seekers found a way to track the psionic energy it leaves behind), and how it requires her concentration to keep 'em active.

There was this one time she used 'em to grab a falling debris from some planet, and she held 'em up in the air, which does mean she can change density:



(Force Works#3).

So yeah, writers really should try to think of different applications with her webs, and stuff like this helps, it sucks she mostly forgot she has Psi-Webs ever since she became Madame Web though.

Yeah, I like your description and writeup there. Hell, I've had the theory for a while that Julia's spider-strength and speed/agility, as well as her durability, could come from her Psi-Webs, making them into a kind of (invisible) psionic exoskeleton to enhance her physical strength and mobility to superhuman levels. Not to mention that in the beginning of Grim Hunt, it was revealed that her Psi-Webs could be invisibly strewn through her environs to detect threats and dangers around her, like a real spider's webs vibrating when potential prey (or predators) happened upon them, basically a more functionally accurate version of Spider-Man's spider-sense.

I think that would go too far and would even nerf Julia, since it'd mean that without her psi-webs protecting her, which she has to actively concentrate to keep active, she'd be just a normal woman who exercises.

While unifying some powers a character has can work well enough (Like how New 52 gave Superman a Solar Flare, which's basically heat vision on steroids), I don't think super strength and her psi webs should be that connected, though they could help each other out, like say, if something's too heavy to lift, she uses the Psi-Webs for some extra strength.

I don't think Julia needs a regular series or put on a team on a regular basis. But she does need s presence showing up throughout 616 every year or two in a book for someone beside Peter or Spider characters.

I also think they need to acknowledge Julia's child care situation. She has a daughter who was 9 during Civil War. And in universe it has not been that many years. I get time is pretty fluid in universe...but in the recent U.S. Agent LS John Walker's sister says their parents died 6 years ago. That is during the time John was Cap.

Considering how long Rachel has been gone, she could age up to not be just a kid at this point.

Hell, compared to other kids, she really should have, she's older than Harry's son, Normie, yet they look like they're about the same age, maybe Normie is even older lol.

All things considered, this would be an excellent opportunity to bring back the team with the ever-revolving door membership known as...

The Secret Defenders

Honestly, with the way Defenders are right now, she might as well join the regular version at this point, since it's a non-team that only really deals with with cosmic threats, and a precog in one of those could be interesting.

Ooh, that last bit, laying a nearly invisible series of web-strands around the ground/floor in an area, so that she can 'feel' where anyone is walking remotely, was very much one of my thoughts (making her, as you say, perfectly mimic how some spiders operate, only with her psychic webbing).

Using the webs to detect anyone else like she tried in Grim Hunt would be redundant at this point though, with precognition and telepathy (If she still has it, she weirdly doesn't use it when she showed up in Spencer's run) would already detect threats lol.

Though yeah, using it for traps would be fine, and hey, maybe the detection can be used in case she doesn't know where she'll be attacked or somethin'.

But the idea of weaving her psi-webbing around herself as a form of woven armor, is genius (and, again, is something that Spider-Man doesn't do, so it just further differentiates her from him)!

That'd be fine, I just think she shouldn't have too many powers coming from the Psi-Webs lol.

And yet, she had the look before the symbiote thought of it...

She did, but the most iconic characters who use it are Spidey and Venom, and to be more recognizable you need a different enough design, her costume being mostly black with the same emblem makes her stand out less.

At the very least, even if she were to get the old costume back, she is the only woman who really uses it, unless we count stuff like She-Venom, but she's not really known.

Very true. Hell, the original story was that Spidey thought her costume was so cool and badass that the symbiote responded to his thoughts by mimicking it when it bonded with him to form his new costume.

I still find it to be a waste that after this happened, they didn't interact with each other, nor do we see Julia's reaction to the costume, and Julia should at the very least think "What the hell?" after seeing it lol.

[Thirteen]

I like Terry Shoemaker's visualization of Julia's psionic webs waaaayyyyy back in X-FACTOR #9 when Spider-Woman was rolling with Freedom Force.



Wasn't she shown to have some sort of psychic feedback when the webs were under duress? That could play into the suggested surveillance application of that aspect of her powers...

[seccruz]

Very good point there. Given that Rachel Carpenter ought to at least be in her early teens by now, I could see her in Midtown High running into Dylan Brock between the end of Donny Cates's Venom and the start of Al Ewing and Ram V's Venom.



Secret Defenders would be great, and given that Julia is Madame Web now and for the foreseeable future, I could see her assembling a new team in place of Doctor Strange (R.I.P.).



Thanks. I'm glad you like those ideas.



Very true. Hell, the original story was that Spidey thought her costume was so cool and badass that the symbiote responded to his thoughts by mimicking it when it bonded with him to form his new costume.

Exactly! Our girl was his inspiration!

[seccruz]

I like Terry Shoemaker's visualization of Julia's psionic webs waaaayyyyy back in X-FACTOR #9 when Spider-Woman was rolling with Freedom Force.



Wasn't she shown to have some sort of psychic feedback when the webs were under duress? That could play into the suggested surveillance application of that aspect of her powers...

She did have feedback. I think her webs are telekinetic in nature...

[Chris0013]

Very good point there. Given that Rachel Carpenter ought to at least be in her early teens by now, I could see her in Midtown High running into Dylan Brock between the end of Donny Cates's Venom and the start of Al Ewing and Ram V's Venom.

11 or 12....maybe 13 so very early teens. But there are more schools in NY than midtown so send her somewhere else.

[Huntsman Spider]

11 or 12....maybe 13 so very early teens. But there are more schools in NY than midtown so send her somewhere else.

Fair enough. Could send her to that Brooklyn high school Anya Corazon was attending when she first debuted in the comics.

[seccruz]

Fair enough. Could send her to that Brooklyn high school Anya Corazon was attending when she first debuted in the comics.

Having her be featured anywhere would be cool! And have her interact with her mom more! I would like to see Rachel react to her mom's new role...

[kcekada]

She had a great look, but so does Jess. For whatever reason, Julia also seemed like a push over. Her psionic webs were not very strong whereas Jess' venom blasts could be very potent. I think, physically, they were/are about the same -- but Jess has benefit of gliding on air currents. Also, depending on who is writing Jess -- she has ability to resist toxins and radiation.

[Dermie]

She had a great look, but so does Jess. For whatever reason, Julia also seemed like a push over. Her psionic webs were not very strong whereas Jess' venom blasts could be very potent. I think, physically, they were/are about the same -- but Jess has benefit of gliding on air currents. Also, depending on who is writing Jess -- she has ability to resist toxins and radiation.

Her psi-webs are stronger than you're giving her credit for. She once used them to save a crashing airplane! She got better at making stronger webs as time went by and she got more experienced. Her stint as an active Avenger and then with Force Works helped with that--since she was a full-time superhero then and getting regular practice. Earlier in her career she was more of a part time hero, even when she was with Freedom Force, since they didn't seem to get deployed all the time.

[seccruz]

She had a great look, but so does Jess. For whatever reason, Julia also seemed like a push over. Her psionic webs were not very strong whereas Jess' venom blasts could be very potent. I think, physically, they were/are about the same -- but Jess has benefit of gliding on air currents. Also, depending on who is writing Jess -- she has ability to resist toxins and radiation.

True. But Julia also has perks! Her psionic webs were a cool twist on the spider motif.

[Chris0013]

Julia's daughter Rachel playing video games with John Walker.

[Kurolegacy]

You know, I miss when Julia got to have a presence in the MU. Ever since she became Madame Webb, she’s basically been relegated to Spider-Man sans that one time she was in Daredevil. Plus it’s time for them to give her an actual costume cuz the trench coat look is honesty pretty plain and boring. Even Cassandra had more going for her with her outfit than they’ve given Julia.

[OBrianTallent]

You know, I miss when Julia got to have a presence in the MU. Ever since she became Madame Webb, she’s basically been relegated to Spider-Man sans that one time she was in Daredevil. Plus it’s time for them to give her an actual costume cuz the trench coat look is honesty pretty plain and boring. Even Cassandra had more going for her with her outfit than they’ve given Julia.

I completely agree. I really wish they would find a way to incorporate Julia into a team book. Her procog abilities would be perfect for a Defenders type book, but honestly I wouldn't care what team they put her on as long as she was actively in print again.

[Huntsman Spider]

Julia's daughter Rachel playing video games with John Walker.

Ha, that was fun. I'm guessing this was from the Omega Flight mini or the Weapon Omega story in Marvel Comics Presents #1-12 from 2008.

You know, I miss when Julia got to have a presence in the MU. Ever since she became Madame Webb, she’s basically been relegated to Spider-Man sans that one time she was in Daredevil. Plus it’s time for them to give her an actual costume cuz the trench coat look is honesty pretty plain and boring. Even Cassandra had more going for her with her outfit than they’ve given Julia.

I completely agree. I really wish they would find a way to incorporate Julia into a team book. Her procog abilities would be perfect for a Defenders type book, but honestly I wouldn't care what team they put her on as long as she was actively in print again.

Cosigned.