Mayday Parker

Spider-Girl
File:Spider-girl-continues.jpg Promotional art of Mayday Parker as Spider-Girl in The Amazing Spider-Girl #1. Art by Ron Frenz.
Publication information
First appearance	What If (vol. 2) #105 (February 1998)
Created by	Tom DeFalco Ron Frenz Mark Bagley (costume)
In-story information
Alter ego	May "Mayday" Parker
Team affiliations	A-Next Fantastic Five New Warriors
Notable aliases	Spidey, Spider-Girl Red
Abilities	Ability to stick to solid surfaces and repel objects and people. Superhuman strength, durability, stamina, speed, agility, reflexes, and endurance Precognitive "Spider-Sense" Bio-magnetism manipulation, and the ability to sense the weak points in her enemies.

Spider-Girl is a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. The first character with the superheroine's name was Mayday Parker created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson in the MC2 universe, and first appeared in What If (vol. 2) #105 (February 1998). She later acquired her own ongoing comic book Spider-Girl written by DeFalco and drawn by Frenz and Pat Olliffe, which was the longest-running superhero book with a lead female character ever published by Marvel before being relaunched as The Amazing Spider-Girl. Peter and Mary Jane named their daughter after his Aunt May.

Publication history

Spider-Girl first appeared in a one-shot story in the ongoing series What If. Following positive fan response to the concept, Spider-Girl and two other series (A-Next and J2) set in the same alternate future universe were launched under the MC2 imprint. Although each of these titles were slated to be 12-issue limited series, Spider-Girl's initial sales justified their continuation as ongoing titles.

After initial interest, Spider-Girl drew low sales. However, the book's active fanbase caused Marvel to revoke several cancellation announcements. Reprints of the series in digest size trade paperbacks sold well. Marvel Associate Editor Nick Lowe revealed in a November 2005 interview that "Spider-Girl, for the first time, is completely safe from cancellation."

However, despite Lowe's statement, Marvel announced that #100 would be the title's final issue. Although the Spider-Girl title was indeed canceled, the book was relaunched as The Amazing Spider-Girl, with issue #0 appearing in October 2006.

On October 11, 2008, Tom DeFalco announced that Amazing Spider-Girl will be canceled with issue #30, though he revealed that, due to the company's love of the character, she could possibly be given a sixteen-page back-up strip in Amazing Spider-Man Family. On November 8, 2008, Marvel EIC Joe Quesada confirmed that Spider-Girl would indeed become a feature in the monthly anthology magazine Amazing Spider-Man Family. The series would replace the feature Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man, written by DeFalco, which served as a prequel series to the Spider-Girl universe.

On March 18, 2009, Marvel announced that Spider-Girl would continue publication as Spectacular Spider-Girl, a web-comic released through Marvel's Digital Comics Unlimited. The title would continue to be simultaneously published in paper form within Amazing Spider-Man Family. Amazing Spider-Man Family #5 (published April 2009) through #8 (July 2009) contained these Spider-Girl stories until the title's cancellation with issue #8.

The new "Spectacular Spider-Girl" stories were then contained in Web of Spider-Man. This lasted for 7 issues before being moved to its own eponymous 4-issue limited series, Spectacular Spider-Girl. This was followed by one last Spider-Girl tale, Spider-Girl: The End. Tom DeFalco claims this is the last Spider-Girl story he plans to write.

Fictional character biography

May "Mayday" Parker is the child of Peter and Mary Jane Parker in a future, alternate universe continuity. In the MC2 continuity, they were reunited with their baby daughter by Kaine, who found the child living with Alison Mongraine, the con artist who had kidnapped the baby on instruction from the Green Goblin. After they were reunited, Peter lost a leg during the horrific final conflict with the Green Goblin. After the battle Peter was offered a bionic replacement from Mister Fantastic but, considering it a wake-up call, decided to retire and focus on being a husband and father (the battle is glimpsed in Spider Girl #7, and fully explained in Spider Girl #49). For years, they chose to keep their past from Mayday and hoped that she wouldn't develop powers of her own.

Despite her parents' hopes, Mayday began developing versions of her father's spider-powers when she was 15. At the same time, Normie Osborn, grandson of the original Green Goblin, set out to restore the family name. Mayday donned Ben Reilly's Spider-Man costume to stop him and soon took to crime-fighting, at first hindered, then helped, by her worried parents.

Mayday shares traits of both of her parents. Like her mother, she is a beautiful, charismatic, and a popular student, and she is intelligent and bright, just like her father. She also inherited his love for in-fight bantering. In addition, she is a very good athlete and excelled in her girls' basketball team until she quit, after her powers emerged, to become a cheerleader. On the one hand, Mayday seems to have inherited the "Parker luck" in which her dual identity wreaks havoc in her private life. On the other hand, her superhero career, unlike her father's, begins with her successfully protecting her family. From the early part of her career onwards, Spider-Girl has developed a reputation for avoiding unnecessary battles and reforming her former adversaries, like Normie Osborn and Raptor. Spider-Girl quickly establishes herself in the superheroic community, gaining reserve status in the Avengers and allies in the New Warriors and Fantastic Five.

In The Amazing Spider-Girl, Mayday promises to give up costumed super heroics, dates Eugene Thompson, and runs for student council. When Mary Jane becomes aware that the Hobgoblin poses a threat to her daughter's teenage friends, she allows Mayday to resume her activities as Spider-Girl (a situation they wanted to keep secret from Peter). After a battle with the Hobgoblin, Mayday tells her father the truth, and after a conversation with Mary Jane, they allowed May to resume her Spider-Girl identity.

After an attempt at helping the S.H.I.E.L.D. government agency, a case filled with a piece of the Carnage symbiote was released. It attaches itself to May's friend Moose, who becomes the new Carnage. In exchange, Carnage will bond itself to Moose's terminally ill father, curing him in the process. Carnage causes a stir at May's school and kidnaps Peter and Baby Ben, forcing May to confront her friend. May tries to talk to Moose within the symbiote but fails, and it bonds with her brother Ben. Peter escapes as May battles the two symbiotes and gathers sonic gear that may be able to defeat the symbiote. However it is May who uses the weapons, thereby destroying the piece of the Carnage symbiote. Her success is not without a measure of collateral damage as well, however; not only is Moose furious at Spider-Girl for dooming his father, but the sonic weapon renders Ben deaf.

Ben's hearing is eventually restored thanks to the intervention of Normie Osborn. Normie later stumbles on one of Norman Osborn's former labs, and discovers a fluid tank containing what appears to be a physical duplicate of Mayday Parker. Notes left behind by his grandfather indicate that this Mayday is the original he kidnapped years ago, hinting that the Mayday raised by Peter and MJ is yet another clone.

Fury the Goblin Queen begins acting out the Green Goblin's final gambit against Peter Parker. While kidnapping the retired Spider-Man, Fury also activates a signal that awakens the unconscious girl within the Osborn labs' tank. The changeling escapes, confronting Mayday on the roof of her high school just as she is changing into Spider-Girl. The two briefly battle before being caught in an explosion. A critically injured Mayday is rescued from the debris by Araña's forces. Araña, realizing that Mayday might not survive her ordeal, offers to merge with her. However, she intervenes in a vision quest that Mayday is undergoing. By aiding her overcome a force she was meant to overcome alone, she obstructs Spider-Girl from uncovering whether or not she is the true Mayday. Araña also has an ulterior motive: by assuming the body and power of Spider-Girl she hopes to take the Black Tarantula, an adversary and former lover, by surprise and defeat him. Araña successfully completes the merger and temporarily assumes control of Mayday's body, leaving Mayday and a third, blond woman who shares her name (later revealed to be the spirit of Aunt May) trapped within Araña's body.

Meanwhile, the changeling emerges from the blast relatively unharmed and attempts to resume Mayday's life. However, her presence deeply disturbs Benjy. She later receives a call from Normie, telling her about the capture of Peter Parker, leading the changeling into taking on the role of Spider-Girl.

The two women are restored to their rightful bodies while in battle with others. Mayday, in Araña's body, runs into the changeling just as Araña, in Mayday's body, enters the lair of the Black Tarantula. The Black Tarantula is able to see through Araña's trick and nearly knocks her unconscious, just as Mayday, in Araña's body, is knocked unconscious as well, leading the two of them to recover their original bodies.

Normie Osborne, along with Kaine, Phil Urich (in his Green Goblin Costume), Darkdevil, and Raptor, try to rescue Peter Parker from Fury's hands, unaware of the fact that Peter has absorbed the mind and memories of the original Norman Osborn. This leads to a fight between the assembled heroes and Peter, now possessed by the Green Goblin. Mayday arrives just as Peter/Green Goblin reunites with the changeling, who is revealed to have been genetically spliced with the DNA of the Venom symbiote, giving her similar metamorphic powers displayed by Spidercide, but without the need for a host like normal symbiotes.

Bonding with his "daughter" (and, unintentionally, Spider-Girl), the possessed Peter declares himself as "The Goblin God" and begins to go on a rampage, while Mayday finds herself trapped within her father's mental psyche. With the aid of the spiritual influence of her Great Aunt May Parker, as well as flashbacks to the day she healed Normie Osborn's psychological scars, Mayday and Peter are able to overcome Norman in a psychic duel and convince the Brand New May that Mayday is a good person. Norman is seemingly defeated, but not before he denies Mayday the chance to discover whenever or not she is the true daughter of Peter and Mary Jane, or the clone. Mary Jane is rescued from near-death by Benjy, who reveals he has developed organic webbing.

With the Brand New May uncertain of her place, Mayday proposes she become a member of the Parker family; Mary Jane agrees, though Peter distrusts her and objects to the idea. Mayday takes a walk, reflecting on how her parents, baby brother, and potential new twin sister have overcome so much and truly become "An Amazing Spider-Man Family".

The following storyline sees Mayday and April begin to steadily grow as crime-fighting partners, with April proving at times to be unstable and far more intense and ruthless than her "cousin" Mayday. At one point, April murders Tombstone when she believes him to have murdered Mayday.

In the meantime, whilst trying to control the rising gang warfare in New York City as well as keep her unruly cousin in line with both her temper and powers, Mayday's relationship with Wesley begins to blossom into a deeper bond, and Wes at times demonstrates hints that he knows Mayday's identity. April briefly attempts to play mischievous match-maker with the pair by posing as Mayday, but Wes sees through her deception. April eventually takes on the name "Mayhem" and embraces her symbiotic, intense, no-nonsense nature and cuts herself off from The Parker family to pursue a life as a vigilante who answers to no one.

The Spectacular Spider-Girl title concludes with Mayday sacrificing herself to save April's life. However, in the far future, a future incarnation of April uses Doctor Doom's time machine to return to the present and convince her past self to act responsibly, she does and saves Mayday's life at the cost of her own and at the cost of the future that came to be. Mayday is later united with Wes, who reveals that he does indeed know Mayday's true identity and they kiss, beginning a relationship.

Powers and abilities

May Parker inherited many of the same abilities as her father, Peter Parker. May possesses superhuman strength but has less than her father, can leap several stories high, and can cover the width of a city block. Spider-Girl's reflexes are also heightened to levels well beyond that of an ordinary human. She heals somewhat faster than a normal human, and is more agile than Spider-Man.

Spider-Girl can adhere to almost any surface through a bio-magnetic field her body generates, allowing her to scale the sides of a building, just like a spider. Wall-crawling doesn't come as naturally to May as Peter; she has to concentrate to keep herself from slipping off surfaces. In addition to adhering to surfaces, May can also repel herself like an opposing magnet, or she can repulse and adhere another object or person through a shared medium. For example, she can cause a person to stick to a wall they're touching just by touching that same wall and willing them to, or she can just as easily violently push them away.

May Parker has inherited a "spider-sense", a clairvoyance that warns her of danger that is somewhat more powerful and reliable than her father's. It tells her the direction a threat is coming from with a high level of accuracy. Through intensive training, she learned to fight blindfolded using only her spider-sense. She can use it to spot weaknesses in an opponent and use them to her advantage. She can also sense mundane threats or observations like her father, but unlike him, she can use it to sense deception. Her Spider-sense is also capable of differentiating between various threats, allowing May to "recognise" a familiar danger. By touching her father's clone, Kaine, she experienced a shared precognitive vision, but she does not normally have that ability.

May also has mechanical web-shooters based on Ben Reilly's web-shooter design, but longer and narrower. They can fire impact webbing and metal needles called "Stingers". May rarely uses the stingers, thinking them to be "too brutal". Her mobile phone is modified to attach to one of her web-shooters, and looks like one of its cartridges. She occasionally uses spider-tracers, but as they are tuned to her father's spider-sense and not hers, she needs a receiver to detect them. She wears a skin tight spandex unitard which she was uncomfortable with at first because of its revealing characteristics but has grown accustomed to it and even enjoys wearing it as she has been quoted as saying "it feels like a second skin."

Spider-Girl once lost her powers due to an electric shock. However, she borrowed the Green Goblin equipment from Normie Osborn until she regained them.

May has also received martial arts training from the Ladyhawks and Elektra Natchios, as well as being drilled in the use of her powers by her father.

Other versions

What If?

In What If #7 (Feb 1978), the Watcher reveals what would have happened if someone other than Peter Parker had been bitten by the radioactive spider. One of the tales features Betty Brant getting bit instead of Parker, and she teams up with him to assume the identity of the Amazing Spider-Girl.

In this continuity, Betty wears the same mask, gloves, and boots that Spider-Man wears, but her torso is barely covered by a blue corset and red belt, along with webbing under her arms and across her chest. She also has the same web shooters as Spider-Man, as in this reality Peter develops them for her to use.

Things don't continue too different in this world as after failing to stop a burglar one night, Peter's uncle Ben is killed. Racked with guilt upon realizing she could have stopped him, Betty decides to hang up her identity as Spider-Girl forever.

A picture of this particular Spider-Girl appears in Madame Web's web of destiny in the 2010 video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions during the intro cinema.

Old Man Logan

File:Ashley ParkerOML.jpg

Spider-Girl in Old Man Logan. Art by Steven McNiven.

An alternate version of Spider-Girl appears in the alternate-future Old Man Logan storyline. Rather than May Parker, this Spider-Girl is Ashley Barton, the illegitimate grandchild of Peter Parker, and the daughter of Hawkeye. She initially appears as one of the heroes held captive and forced to fight in gladiatorial battles by the new Kingpin, but she is eventually freed by her father. She promptly murders the Kingpin with a shotgun handle and claims his territory.

Earth-616

May Parker also existed in the primary Earth-616 timeline in which most Marvel Comics are set.

Mary Jane became pregnant at the beginning of the Clone Saga. Impending fatherhood was one of the main reasons Peter retired as Spider-Man during that storyline, passing the mantle to Ben Reilly. However, at the end of the story, Mary Jane was poisoned by Alison Mongraine, an agent of the Green Goblin, and the baby was stillborn (or seemed to be, as Mongraine took the sedated infant away with her). Ben Reilly died at the Green Goblin's hands the same night, and Peter Parker became Spider-Man again.

There were hints during the "Identity Crisis" storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man #434-435, one of Tom DeFalco's last storylines on the title, that Baby May would be returned. Instead, the subplot was dropped, and a few issues later DeFalco was replaced by Howard Mackie and John Byrne. Under that team, Aunt May was brought back instead. In a flashback in Spider-Girl #49, an alternative version of this story was presented, with the younger May returned instead of the elder.

However, baby May and her parents were never reunited in Marvel's main continuity. Editors repeatedly stated that the baby died, or at the very least would never be seen again; the child was considered a major factor in the aging of the characters. In Marvel Knights Spider-Man issue #9, Mac Gargan, while speaking of Norman Osborn states "He kills your unborn child, you kill his son". To date, this is the most conclusive evidence of the infant's fate.

The action in The Amazing Spider-Man #439 (Defalco's last on the title) takes place 1,000 years in the future. Two archaeologists stumble across relics belonging to Spider-Man (such as his web-shooters). They speculate on his career, and discuss other heroes who were inspired by him, Spider-Girl and Spider-Man 2099.

In several interviews at Comic Book Resources following the publication of "One More Day," Joe Quesada mentioned that the Spider-Girl title would be the ideal place for disgruntled readers to follow the development of an aged, married Peter and M.J. as they raise a family. Quesada's comments were followed by a feature article on Spider-Girl with an interview with Tom Defalco, who acknowledged that Quesada was a fan of the character and the title. Moreover, during the 'Brand New Day/One More Day' story arc, Peter and Mary Jane have visions of a very young girl with red hair, who after the deal is made with Mephisto, is revealed to be the daughter they would never have now that the deal is done. Despite this Quesada has stated that he feels the MC2 universe is the natural progression of the characters.

Earth X

There are two variant and alternate universe versions of Spider-Girl. One was raised by a Ben Reilly who survived after her father died during her childhood, as seen What If? (vol. 2) #86, and later revealed in the Paradise X: Heralds miniseries. Another version of Spider-Girl is actually Venom, who is seen in the Earth X miniseries and its two sequels, Universe X and Paradise X.

The world of MC2 is designated as "Earth-982". The world where Spider-Girl was raised by Ben Reilly is known as "Earth-1122" and the world featuring Venom as Spider-Girl along with the other heroes of the Earth X saga is known as "Earth-9997"

Spider-Man: Clone Saga

In 2009, Marvel published a miniseries based on the original plans for the Clone Saga. As in the original Clone Saga, Allison Mongraine kidnaps the infant May after she is born. However, the circumstances are a bit different. Mary Jane and Peter actually get to hold May before she is stolen, and Mongraine later hands the baby over to Kaine (who is working for the Green Goblin in this continuity). Holding the baby in his arms makes Kaine begin to doubt the Goblin's plans. His shadowy boss (later revealed to be Harry Osborn) notes to Kaine, "You'll have to kill her if things go wrong." At the end of the series, Kaine returns May to Peter and Mary Jane.

Spectacular Spider-Girl

In a time-travel arc taking place in the UK-based publication The Spectacular Spider-Man, aimed at a much younger audience, Peter meets a Spider-Girl whilst trailing the Sandman in the future. With the aid of Spider-Girl and H.E.R.B.I.E., Peter defeats the Sandman and returns to his own time with H.E.R.B.I.E. At the conclusion of the strip, Spider-Girl returns home to her parents, revealed as Peter and Mary Jane Parker, and unmasks to reveal the features of Mayday Parker. Mayday tells her parents of her experience with a "new Spider-Man", before Peter assures her that the individual she met was a past version of himself. Peter also reveals in the conversation that, like his MC2 counterpart, he was forced to abandon his career as Spider-Man due to a leg injury. This continuity is separate from both MC2 and 616, making this the second continuity to adapt the MC2 version of how Peter relinquished the Spider-Man identity.

Mayday would again cross paths with her father's past self when Lady Octopus travels back in time to assassinate him. Mayday teams with her father but does not reveal her identity to him, despite desperatly wanting to, for fear it may damage the timeline. The two defeat Lady Octopus and Mayday returns to the future.

In other media

Novels

• An older, more cynical alternate version of May Parker/Spider-Girl appears in the Spider-Man/X-Men team-up novel Time's Arrow 3: The Future by Tom DeFalco & Rosemary Edghill (ISBN 0-425-16500-0). In that novel, Spider-Man travels to the alternate future known for its Iron Man 2020 (Arno Stark). This universe's Earth is designated Earth-8410. In this reality, Spider-Girl wears a costume almost identical to the one worn by Jessica Drew, except the colors have been modified to look like Spider-Man's costume. She has the ability to fire venom blasts and webs.

Video games

• Spider-Girl appeared as one of the alternate costumes for Spider-Woman in the multi-platform action-RPG Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.

• Spider-Girl appears in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions briefly shown in Madame Web's image of alternate dimensions.

• Spider-Girl is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.

Collected editions

• Spider-Girl: A Fresh Start (Marvel Comics, January 1999; reprints Spider-Girl #1-2)
• Spider-Girl (Marvel Comics, August 2001; ISBN 0-7851-0815-7, reprints Spider-Girl #0–8)
• Amazing Spider-Girl vol. 1: Whatever Happened to the Daughter of Spider-Man? (Marvel Comics, May 2007; ISBN 0-7851-2341-5, reprints The Amazing Spider-Girl #0-6)
• Amazing Spider-Girl vol. 2: Comes the Carnage! (Marvel Comics, November 2007; ISBN 0-7851-2342-2, reprints The Amazing Spider-Girl #7-12)
• Amazing Spider-Girl vol. 3: Mind Games (Marvel Comics, June 11, 2008; ISBN 0-7851-2558-2, reprints Amazing Spider-Girl #13-18)
• Amazing Spider-Girl vol. 4: Brand New May (Marvel Comics, January 7, 2009; ISBN, reprints Amazing Spider-Girl #19-25)
• Amazing Spider-Girl vol. 5: Maybreak (Marvel Comics, July 2009; ISBN 0-7851-3187-6, reprints The Amazing Spider-Girl #25-30)
• Spectacular Spider-Girl : Who Killed Gwen Reilly? (Marvel Comics April 2010; ISBN 978-0-7851-4319-2, reprints material from Spider-Man Family #1-8, Web of Spider-Man #1-4)

• Spider-Girl vol. 1: Legacy (Marvel Comics, April 2004; ISBN 0-7851-1441-6, reprints Spider-Girl #0–5)
• Spider-Girl vol. 2: Like Father Like Daughter (Marvel Comics, December 2004; ISBN 0-7851-1657-5, reprints Spider-Girl #6–11)
• Spider-Girl vol. 3: Avenging Allies (Marvel Comics, April 2005; ISBN 0-7851-1658-3, reprints Spider-Girl #12–16 &Spider-Girl Annual 1999)
• Spider-Girl vol. 4: Turning Point (Marvel Comics, September 2005; ISBN 0-7851-1871-3, reprints Spider-Girl #17–21 and #½)
• Spider-Girl vol. 5: Endgame (Marvel Comics, January 2006; ISBN 0-7851-2034-3, reprints Spider-Girl #22–27)
• Spider-Girl vol. 6: Too Many Spiders! (Marvel Comics, June 2006; ISBN 0-7851-2156-0, reprints Spider-Girl #28–33)
• Spider-Girl vol. 7: Betrayed (Marvel Comics, November 2006; ISBN 0-7851-2157-9, reprints Spider-Girl #34-38 and 51)
• Spider-Girl vol. 8: Duty Calls (Marvel Comics, April 2007; ISBN 0-7851-2495-0, reprints Spider-Girl #39-44)
• Spider-Girl vol. 9: Secret Lives (Marvel Comics, October 2007; ISBN 0-7851-2602-3, reprints Spider-Girl #45-50)
• Spider-Girl vol. 10: Season of the serpent (Marvel Comics. January 2009; ISBN 978-0-7851-3213-4, reprints Spider-Girl #52-59)
• Spider-Girl vol. 11: Marked for Death (Marvel Comics. August 2009; ISBN

078-5-1374-16, reprints Spider-Girl #60-66)

• Spider-Girl vol. 12: The Games Villains Play (Marvel Comics. March 2010; ISBN

978-0-7851-4482-3, reprints Spider-Girl #67-72)

External links

• Spider-Girl at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Spider-Girl at the Grand Comics Database
• Amazing Spider-Girl at the Grand Comics Database
• Spider-Girl at the Marvel Universe
• Interview with Tom DeFalco on Spider-Girl and Last Hero Standing, Newsarama
• Interview with creative team, Comic Book Resources
• Interview with DeFalco, Newsarama