SPIDER-WOMAN

 

SPIDER-WOMAN I

Real Name: Jessica Drew

First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight (Vol. 1) #32, February 1977

Powers: Jessica Drew developed spider-powers after a unique combination of a serum derived from spider enzymes, a radiation treatment to catalyze the process, and a period in suspended animation so that the process could take effect. Ultimately she emerged, possessing many of the same proportionate abilities of a spider that Spider-Man has. Spider-Woman has superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, endurance, hearing and recuperative powers, and the ability to cling to solid objects and scale walls and vertical surfaces with only her hands and feet. She has a natural resistance to the adverse effects of all kinds of poison, pathogens, and radiation. One exposure can temporarily weaken her, but her body will build an immunity so that any subsequent exposure will leave her completely unaffected. Jessica's body naturally builds up a supply of bio-electricity, which she can generate out from her hands as "venom blasts". She requires some time to regenerate this energy between bursts, depending on how intense of a blast she projects. Spider-Woman also has a natural gliding ability, allowing her to leap into the air and soar for short periods of time. This limited ability is bolstered by the air foils she wears under her arms in costume, which catch updrafts and aid her in controlling her flight direction and maintaining altitude. Finally, Jessica emits intense pheromone levels from her pores, which had an initially random and uncontrolled effect on others. Many people go completely unaffected by her pheromones, while others experience an extreme, unnatural level of physical attraction to her, and still others with perceive her as giving off a uncomfortable feeling, making them fearful and unnerved by her presence. Men typically experienced the attractive effect and women the repulsive effect, but each person was affected differently.

For a time, Jessica took inhibitor drugs to dull the effect her pheromones had on others, but eventually realized that the drugs were dampening her other powers as well, particularly her venom blasts which she could only access about once a day. After abstaining from the drugs, her powers returned to their previous levels. During her career, Spider-Woman lost her special immunity when she gave a blood transfusion to Giant-Man II, who was dying of radiation poisoning, and lost her venom blasts after an encounter with Morgan le Fey left her with a temporary case of being dead. Some years later, a mystical rite in another dimension ended up restoring these lost powers. She lost her powers again once the evil Spider-Woman stole them from her. While they eventually returned, her powers remained in a state of fluctuation until Hydra exposed her to an enhancement process to restore and augment her powers. This was actually a ruse which allowed the Skrull Queen Veranke to sample her DNA and duplicate her appearance, powers, and genetic structure. Veranke demonstrated enhanced version of all of Jessica's powers, including high-voltage electro-blasts and the ability to outright fly. Veranke has since been killed and Jessica restored as Spider-Woman. Jessica has demonstrated greater conscious control over her pheromones since, creating the attractive or repulsive bio-chemistry on command.

Jessica Drew has extensive combat training from HYDRA and is an experienced detective with espionage skills.