Spider-Woman
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Spider-Woman
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Spider-Woman is a kids' animated television series that originally aired from 1979 to 1980 on ABC. The 16-episode series was based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and was the first female Marvel superhero to star in her own series. Jessica Drew was presented as a strong female role model, balancing the operations of a successful magazine publication with her work fighting supervillains as Spider-Woman. The series usually focused on a random villain with a scheme to take over the world, and occasionally featured cameos from Marvel Comics characters such as Dormammu, Kingpin, and even the friendly neighborhood wall crawler himself, Spider-Man. While conflicts usually led to a fight of some kind, the onscreen violence was very mild.
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What's the Story?
Leaping out of the pages of Marvel Comics and onto the small screen is SPIDER-WOMAN. Jessica Drew's life was changed forever after being bitten by a deadly spider as a child. As a last resort, her father injected her with an experimental "spider serum," not only saving her life, but also granting her spider-like superpowers. As an adult, Jessica splits her time between running the popular Justice Magazine and fighting crime as the spectacular Spider-Woman. Joining Jessica on her globetrotting adventures are photographer Jeff Hunt and Jessica's boy genius nephew, Billy, neither of whom are wise to the fact that Jessica's alter ego is none other than Spider-Woman. Even everyone's favorite neighborhood web slinger has to admit that he's not the only one able to do whatever a spider can. Whether she's facing mummies from space, the lord of the vampires, or the Kingpin of crime, Spider-Woman has the smarts and the skills to save the day.
Is It Any Good?
Throughout its history, Marvel Comics has built a diverse cast of heroes and villains, oftentimes creating characters and stories that break the mold of what may seem conventional at the time. Back in the late '70s, when the publisher was looking for a new, fresh property to bring to the masses, it reached deep into its library and gave audiences the animated adventures of a certain spider-powered superhero. Only it wasn't the one they were expecting. Following on the heels of the cancellation of DC's Wonder Woman TV series, Marvel decided to put the spotlight on its own strong female role model: Spider-Woman.
There's a lot to be said for how Marvel presented the Spider-Woman character to audiences. For starters, while Jessica Drew wasn't exactly the same as her comic book counterpart, she wasn't simply a gender-swapped copy of Spider-Man either. She had her own powers, her own personality, and even showed up Spider-Man when he swung by for a cameo appearance. Jessica Drew was a professional, strong female character. Unfortunately, living the superhero life sometimes meant coming up with ridiculous excuses to ditch her supporting cast for a timely costume change. There were also some absurd moments of inspiration that led to quick and often nonsensical solutions to defeat the villain of the week. Add in some overly corny dialogue with awkward delivery, and it's clear that the biggest weakness facing Spider-Woman was cheesy writing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about strong female role models in entertainment. What are some examples of strong female characters in television, film, etc.? Who are some modern female superheroes, and who are some real-world female "heroes"?
Talk about female representations throughout history. How are women portrayed in entertainment today? How does this compare to how women have been represented in the past? How can the entertainment industry improve how women are represented in the future?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 22, 1979
- Cast: Joan Van Ark
- Network: Disney+
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Superheroes, Great Girl Role Models, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Space and Aliens
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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