vs. Spider-Girl

It's pretty common for most superheroes to have a female version of themselves these days (and in fact, it has been common since well back in the eighties). Often in fact in both 'girl' and 'woman' variations (for example, there's both a Batwoman and Batgirl). But one of the longest running and most successful (in comics at least) female superhero? Spider-girl. It's Marvel's longest running female-led superhero title, and given that she's never appeared in spin off media (Supergirl's been in a film and cartoons, and even Smallville, and Batgirl has been a regular in everything from the 60's TV show through to pretty much every cartoon and appeared in a movie) that's an impressive feat.

But what makes Spider-Girl unique? Well, really it's the same reason she doesn't appear in any spin-offs. Spider-Girl is not a character who functions alongside Spider-man. She doesn't have the problem where she serves as the 'female, not quite as powerful' version of the existing male hero. Because Spider-Girl's storyline has always taken place in one of Marvel's alternative universes, where she's Spider-Man's daughter.

This instantly makes her a very interesting character, as you have a true legacy superhero. The set up of the plot is reasonably simple. Peter Parker and Mary Jane had a daughter, at some point in the past Peter Parker lost a leg in his final fight with the Green Goblin and had to retire as Spider-Man. Now, his daughter, May 'Mayday' Parker is sixteen, and suddenly begins developing her father's powers.

What follows is a very good version of the classic Spider-Man set up. Mayday is still in High School and struggles to hide her secret, balance her social life, homework and superheroing, struggles with lying to her parents (who of course know her secret and try to stop her from doing it) and generally saving the world. What makes this series more unique, and in my opinion actually superior to a lot of the classic Spider-Man stuff is that Mayday is instantly a more believable character than Peter Parker ever was.

Because of the era it was made in, Peter Parker was always essentially a cartoonish idea of a nerd, a shirt wearing science geek with no social life that never quite felt like a real person. I've been a nerd. I wasn't ever like that. On top of that, he was such a genius he invented all kinds of gadgets that could revolutionise all kinds of world problems but never shares them. I never believed in Peter Parker as a real person much. Particularly not his older, high school 60s version. Mayday, in comparison, is instantly believable, and written in a manner that makes her seem much more real.

She's a popular student at first, well liked, athletic (until she quits sports realising her powers are giving her an edge), considered pretty and friendly, and even reasonably intelligent, scoring decent grades (but not, importantly, inventing super science). And then her life is turned upside down when she develops powers and has to take on the responsibility of battling vampires, demons and the forces of darkness.

Wait, that's not right. I got a bit sidetracked. But the thing that last quote is from? Well, it kind of sums up what this series it. It's Buffy the Vampire Slayer if instead of being a vampire slayer, Buffy discovered she was in fact Spider-Man. Yes, there are some differences, Mayday isn't the stereotypical cheerleader blonde and never was, and her friends never really get involved in the fight as none really know her secret, but the similarity is there.

But it's made more interesting too by the entire idea of a legacy. There are new villains too, but the fact that there's this entire rich history there works really well for the series. Sometimes, things get a bit trite, with far too many heirs and daughters and sons of well known Marvel characters showing up (although it's nice to see this universe's Avengers led by Captain America's daughter, meaning that it's pretty female oriented all round), but over-all it lets things be connected without them feeling like a coincidence. And it allows Peter Parker and Mary Jane, now grown up, adults and working jobs, to still be major characters with their own doubts, lives and personality. It actually feels like a natural progression for the series.

But what annoys me the most? There's a spider-themed superhero out there. Everything in her world has a really good reason to be interconnected. Oh, and she's generally popular in high school and considered to be cool too. You know what?

That would have been perfect for the vibe Sony wanted with their Amazing Spider-Man movies. But instead, we got a far too soon reboot in which they try to connect everything for no good reason, and generally get a lot of the character wrong. It seems like Spider-Girl's greatest nemesis is the 'girl' part of her name.

Female superheroes just continue to get nowhere. Apparently now Sony are planning to do a female oriented Spider-Man spin off, but you can guarantee it won't be the most interesting and popular character in their line-up, because Spider-Girl can't co-exist with Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man, and they're so desperate to make an Avengers-style shared universe they couldn't possibly do something set in another reality.

Which is a real shame. Because for once they could have done something quite good.