Spider-Woman is an animated television series, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Woman. The series was produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation, and aired from September 22, 1979 to January 5, 1980 on ABC. It was DePatie–Freleng's final series before its reincorporation as Marvel Productions. Jessica Drew is Marvel's first superheroine to star in her own animated series. The Spider-Woman cartoon should not be confused with Web Woman, a Filmation superheroine cartoon launched at around the same time, which reportedly prompted Marvel Comics into creating a Spider-Woman character to secure the copyright.

Premise

According to the title sequence, Jessica Drew was bitten by a venomous spider as a child. Her father, Dr. Alex Drew, saved her life by injecting the girl with an experimental "spider serum", which also granted her superhuman powers. As an adult, Jessica Drew is editor of Justice Magazine, with two other employees featured, such as photographer Jeff Hunt, and Drew's teenage nephew Billy. When trouble arises, Drew slips away to change into her secret identity of Spider-Woman.

Differences between cartoon and comic book

The cartoon differs considerably from the comic book in its premise and supporting cast. Billy, Jeff, and Justice Magazine never appear in the comic book in any form, nor do the darker elements of the comic book (the heavy use of Arthurian legend and the occult, Jessica's feelings of alienation) enter into the much brighter world of the cartoon. The origin of her powers is also altered somewhat. At the time of the series' production, the threat to her life in the comics was radiation poisoning (though her published origin has since been altered). The animated Spider-Woman's powers are noticeably modified; her enhanced strength in particular seems entirely missing, as she is shown in several episodes being restrained by means (such as ordinary rope) that her super-strong comic-book counterpart could easily break. In addition to the ability to cling to walls:

Cast

Episodes

Home media

Spider-Woman is available to stream on Disney+.

Region 1

In 1982, a 100 minute Spider-Woman VHS tape was released, containing several episodes. Later on in the 1980s, Prism Entertainment's Marvel Comics Video Library VHS series included three episodes of the series. Volumes 6, 13, and 23 contain the Spider-Woman episodes The Spider-Woman and the Fly, Games of Doom and Pyramids of Terror, respectively. Volume 6 was re-released in 1991, minus the bonus Spider-Man episodes. In 2008, volume 6 was released on DVD in Canada as Spider-Woman vs. the Fly by Morningstar Entertainment.

Region 2

In April 2008, Liberation Entertainment secured the home media rights to select Marvel shows from Jetix Europe in select European territories, including Spider-Woman. The company had plans to release the series on DVD, but in October, the company closed their UK branch; leaving the DVD release cancelled. In 2009, Clear Vision took over the home media rights and released the complete series in a 2-disc set in Germany on July 23 and in the United Kingdom on August 3.

Reception

Critical response

Bradley Russell of GamesRadar+ wrote, "Surprisingly progressive for its time, the Jessica Drew-led show sometimes featured cameos from Spider-Man and other superheroes, yet Spider-Woman was always the star of the show. It also retains some classic Silver Age campiness and blends it with an often weird, always entertaining look at a character that (hopefully) becomes more prominent in future Marvel properties." Chris Sims of Looper stated, "It's definitely every bit as clunky as you'd expect from the late '70s, but it also might be the single most buck wild superhero cartoon ever made. [...] If you're into the goofy stuff, or just want to see how the unfathomable weirdness of the Bronze Age Marvel Universe was translated directly to television, there aren't many that are going to be more fun than this one." David Chapman of Common Sense Media gave Spider-Woman a grade of three out of five stars, praised the presence of positive role models, stating Jessica Drew is portrayed as a strong and independent female character, and complimented the presence of positive messages, saying the series depicts benevolence and resourcefulness. Lindsay E. Mack of Romper ranked Spider-Woman 25th in their "33 Classic Cartoons To Stream On Disney+ All Weekend Long" list and called it the "cartoon you didn't know you needed", saying, "It's a great chance to show your kid what superhero cartoons were like way before they (and in many cases their parents) were born."