Mattie Franklin
Mattie Franklin is a female comic character who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Martha Franklin was a female human who was born in the modern age where she was the daughter of Jeremy Franklin. (Spider-Woman v3 #2) It was noted that she lost her mother when she was just a kid and barely knew her. Even so, thinking about her always caused the young girl considerable amount of grief. (Spider-Woman v3 #15)
When she was 15 years old, the young Mattie came to overhear her fathers telephone conversation with Norman Osborn. They came to discuss the elder Franklin's participation in a mystical ritual called the Gathering of Five said to either grant great powers, madness or even death. Mattie came to sense her fathers hesitation in taking part and decided to secretly go in his place in the ceremony. She retrieved the necessary artifact held for the ceremony and flew to New York with Osborn waiting to transport her to LaGuardian airport. Expecting the elder Franklin, Norman was shocked to see Mattie Franklin instead who was carrying the mystical stone in a briefcase. (Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #262) Mattie joined Osborn to meet the other participants in the Gathering ritual: Morris Maxwell, Madame Web and Override (Gregory Herd). After some bickering, particularly from Maxwell, who didn't feel the teenage girl was old enough to appreciate the risks involved, and Osborn, who grew furious when he spotted her reading a Spider-Man comic, they commenced with the ritual. They each placed their respective artifact to complete the mystic object which would divide the gifts of power, knowledge, immortality, madness and death at random among the participants. Madame Web was the first to place her shard and seemingly received the gift of death though it was in fact immortality. Mattie was next but while she gained ultimate power, all she felt was slightly lightheaded. Override inserted his shard in its slot and received death but mistook it for immortality. Morris Maxwell figured he would gain ultimate power but when he dropped to the floor, frothing at the mouth, everyone believe he'd been gifted with madness, unaware that he had received ultimate knowledge. Osborn was the last one left and completed the ritual. He gained madness but in his deluded state, believed he had acquired power instead. Despite Mattie's protests, he donned his Green Goblin gear and swore final vengeance on Spider-Man. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #441)
Her first enemy was the Scorpion and she was quickly buried under a collapsed wall. She followed Scorpion to Tri Corp Research Foundation, where Peter was applying for a job. Mattie and Peter managed to defeat him but she was unmasked. She escaped before she could answer any of his questions. (Amazing Spider-Man v2 #1)
Spider-Woman
Mattie established herself under her own identity as the new Spider-Woman. She encountered a group of drug dealers operating out of a warehouse and stormed the location at night. Demonstrating her raw power, she smashed through the building’s upper level skylight and knocked several men unconscious with a single sweep of a metal beam. When reinforcements arrived armed with automatic weapons, she dodged their gunfire with acrobatic leaps before disarming them. The fight culminated in her tearing apart the drug lab equipment with her bare hands, ensuring the operation was completely destroyed. (Spider-Woman v3 #1)
Peter rejected her advances on account of the significant age difference between them and because he still believed Mary Jane was alive, and Mattie was eventually sent to a boarding school; where she fought several new villains and made a friend in Cheryl Lansing. (Spider-Woman v3 #5)
Grim Hunt
During the Grim hunt, Mattie had been captured by the Kravinoff family, along with Madame Web. Knowing that she was going to die, she told Madame Web to tell Spider-Man that she did not blame him and that she did not cry. She was later sacrificed by Sasha Kravinoff in an attempt to revive her son, the Grim Hunter back from the dead. It was a success, but Vladimir was revived as a humanoid lion-like creature. It was then revealed that Martha was merely a test, and that they actually intended to sacrifice Spider-Man. (Amazing Spider-Man v2 #632)
She was later brought back to life as part of the New U re-animation process created by the Jackal where she later battled Silk when she came to the facility. (Silk v2 #15) Mattie later died when a rogue signal started turning all the re-animated people into degenerating clones similar to Carrion though her final act was to save Silk from being infected. It was during this time that her uncle Jonah found out that she had been a superhero before her body disintegrated. (Silk v2 #17)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Mattie Franklin was depicted as a young woman with short dark hair and a lean, athletic build. Her most recognized costume as Spider-Woman consisted of a black bodysuit with a large white spider emblem across the chest and extending down her arms, similar to Spider-Man’s black suit design, but reinterpreted with a feminine cut. (Spider-Woman v3 #1) Her friends tended to refer to her as Matt. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #441) As Spider-Girl, she wore a dark blue bodysuit accented with red web patterns and a large white spider emblem across the chest, reminiscent of Spider-Man’s design but customized to fit her sleeker silhouette. Her costume included retractable web-shooters and padded gauntlets for combat protection, embodying both her admiration for Spider-Man and her own individuality as a costumed hero. (Spider-Woman v3 #1)
Mattie was headstrong, determined, and driven by a desire to live up to the legacy of Spider-Man. She was courageous and eager to prove herself, often diving headfirst into combat situations against stronger or more experienced foes. Despite her impulsiveness, she displayed compassion toward innocent people, frequently putting herself in harm’s way to protect them. Her resilience and determination often set her apart, though she sometimes struggled with the weight of her role and her attempts to step out of Spider-Man’s shadow. (Spider-Woman v3 #2)
Her early attempts at heroism were driven by idealism but marked by inexperience. She intervened in street crimes, battled minor villains, and occasionally clashed with Spider-Man himself, who was unaware of her identity at first. Though she sought to honor his legacy, her impulsive nature and untested abilities often placed her in danger. Over time, Spider-Man recognized her sincerity and took on a reluctant mentorship role, teaching her the discipline and responsibility required to survive as a superhero. This mentorship helped Mattie mature, channeling her enthusiasm into genuine heroism rather than reckless imitation. (Spider-Woman v3 #1)
Her father was a noted business man by the name of Jeremy Franklin. (Spider-Woman v3 #2)
In fact, her mothers death meant that Mattie had a hatred of hospitals as she believed they failed her. (Peter Parker: Spider-Man v1 #5)
She liked Spider-Man and thought he was cool. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #441) Mattie was romantically interested in him and looked to explore a relationship with him after the disappearance of Mary Jane Watson-Parker. (Amazing Spider-Man v2 #14) However, he rejected her on two accounts namely he believed his wife was still alive and also because of the age difference between him and Mattie Franklin. (Spider-Woman v3 #5)
Powers and abilities
It was noted that she was allergic to cats. (Spider-Woman v3 #14)
Mattie was granted enhanced powers through the mystical energy of the Gathering of Five. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #441)
She possessed superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and durability, enabling her to lift heavy objects, strike with incredible force, and endure physical punishment. Her leaping ability allowed her to cover vast distances, rivaling Spider-Man’s web-slinging mobility. Unlike Peter Parker, she did not initially possess organic or mechanical webbing but later used artificial web-shooters to supplement her combat style. She also developed the ability to fly for short periods, though this was used sparingly. Her fighting style combined raw power with street-level agility, making her an unpredictable and formidable urban hero. (Spider-Woman v3 #1)
Mattie Franklin was a human who gained superhuman powers through mystical means during the Gathering of Five. As such, her physical abilities were dramatically enhanced far beyond those of ordinary humans. She possessed superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and durability, allowing her to lift several tons and withstand impacts that would cripple or kill a normal person. Her powers also included flight, telepathic web generation, and an enhanced healing factor. In addition to these physical attributes, she demonstrated limited telepathic awareness of nearby threats. Mattie’s combat skills were self-taught but gradually refined through experience and informal training from Spider-Man, making her a capable hand-to-hand fighter despite her youth. (Spider-Woman v3 #6)
Notes
- Mattie Franklin was created by John Byrne and Rafael Kayanan where she made a shadowy appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #262 (November, 1998), her first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man v1 #441 (1998) and made her debut as Spider-Woman in The Amazing Spider-Man v2 #5.
Alternate Versions
In other media
Films
Video games
Appearances
- Spectacular Spider-Man v1: (1998)
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1998)
- Amazing Spider-Man v2:
- Spider-Woman v3:
- The Loners v1:
- Silk:
External Links
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