While Spider-Man is, in fact, Marvel's flagship character, he isn't the only great spider-themed hero. Only about a decade after his debut, Spider-Woman was created. While not connected to Peter Parker in almost any way, this new character was nonetheless nearly as iconic.
Since the debut of Jessica Drew, the very first Spider-Woman, there have been many other great female characters to take up the mantle. Among those many characters was a young girl named Mattie Franklin, who also proved to be one of the best Spider-Women. Here are five reasons why Jessica Drew is the best Spider-Woman and five reasons why it's Mattie Franklin.
10 Drew: The O.G.
While Mattie Franklin may have proven herself to be a great Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew will always be the original. Therefore, whenever comic book fans think about Spider-Woman, they will always associate the mantle with Jessica Drew.
It wasn't until many years after Drew's debut that the next few Spider-Women entered the scene. Over the course of that long period of time, she established herself as a staple amongst the superhero community. It would take a lot for some new woman to overtake her reputation and become the new "main" Spider-Woman.
9 Franklin: Teenager
Mattie Franklin's character echoes all of the themes that make Spider-Man so great without being a derivative of him. In other words, she carries Marvel's "Spider" mantle well while at the same time being her own person.
There is something to be said for the fact that Jessica Drew is totally her own character. That being said, she is doomed to always be compared to the more popular face of Marvel, Spider-Man. By leaning into this fact, Mattie Franklin brings herself one step closer to being the definitive Spider-Woman.
8 Drew: New Avenger
In any argument over who is the best Spider-Woman, whichever hero happened to have joined the greatest superhero team of all time definitely has a better case. Jessica Drew did just that when she became a member of the New Avengers.
In order to become the "best" in the Marvel universe, it is an absolute necessity to join the Avengers. Spider-Woman didn't just join the Avengers, she has also since become one of their most famous and most important members.
7 Franklin: Related To J. Jonah Jameson
While it is nice that Drew isn't connected to Spider-Man in any way, being a spider character in Marvel comics lends fans to wanting such a connection to exist. With Mattie, there is one. Mattie Franklin is related to J. Jonah Jameson.
Jameson's wife, Marla, just so happens to be Mattie's aunt. At one p0int, Mattie is forced to move in with her aunt and the newspaper mogul. A very interesting dynamic that serves as a cracked mirror reflection of Peter's relationship with his aunt and uncle.
6 Drew: Ultimate Spider-Woman
Not only is the mainstream Jessica Drew incredibly cool, but her Ultimate universe counterpart is also an equally impressive character as well. This Jessica Drew is actually a female clone of Peter Parker.
The character debuted during the Ultimate Marvel version of the Clone Saga. While the original Clone Saga is hotly debated as possibly one of the worst Spider-Man arcs of all time, the Ultimate universe counterpart was received much better, and it was thanks to great characters like the Ultimate Jessica Drew.
5 Franklin: Filled In For Spider-Man
At a time when Peter Parker temporarily hung up his costume, there was no Spider-Man to defend New York. Being the hero that she was, Mattie Franklin decided to fill in for him.
Donning a Spider-Man costume closely resembling Peter's classic outfit, Mattie began roaming the streets as the new Spider-Man. She did an excellent job and proved herself to be a capable superhero. By stepping up in such a way, Mattie went a long way in proving that she is quite possibly the best Spider-Woman.
4 Drew: Former HYDRA Agent
Given her experience as a secret agent for an evil spy organization, Jessica Drew has acquired much more valuable experience than Mattie Franklin does. This helps her in being the better Spider-Woman.
Tricked into working for the infamous organization, Spider-Woman did a lot of bad things during this time. Nevertheless, some agents form SHIELD were eventually able to win her over to the "good" side of the fight. The experiences that she garnered working for Hyrda, however, make her a much more formidable opponent.
3 Franklin: Madame Web's Mentee
In the Marvel universe, there are many very important spider-characters. One of the most prominent of these is Madame Web, who has served as an ally to Spider-Man and many others.
Madame Web has psychic abilities that give her great wisdom and even allow her to peer into the future. Having her as a close mentor affords Mattie a decisive advantage at being the better Spider-Woman.
2 Drew: The Pregnant Superhero
In more recent years, Jessica Drew has become pregnant. As an expecting mother, she was forced to deal with the dueling responsibilities of both motherhood and crimefighting. Few things are more defining of womanhood than bearing a child, and Spider-Woman showed women everywhere that they can do so while also advancing their career goals.
The important part of the Spider-Woman name is not the Spider: it's the Woman. In order to be the best, the character must celebrate the powerful nature of femininity. Jessica Drew does this very well.
1 Franklin: Defeated The Evil Spider-Woman
At one point in the comic books, an evil villain that shared the name Spider-Woman swooped in and stole the powers of Jessica Drew, Mattie Franklin, and Madame Web. This left her with more power than any of the three heroes had individually.
When Mattie Franklin defeated this powerful, evil Spider-Woman, she proved one thing once and for all. She proved that she is the greatest Spider-Woman ever.