Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
From Marvel Database
Contents |
History
A secretive government group called The Commission decided to create their own superhero. Val Cooper met college friend Julia Carpenter in Denver, and convinced her to be part in an "athletic study". She was unknowingly a test subject in their experiments. During the experiment, they "accidentally" injected Julia with a mix of spider venom and exotic plant extracts, which gave Julia powers very similar to those of Spider-Man. Not long after she was given identity of Spider-Woman, she was drawn into the first Secret Wars. After returning to Earth, Julia joined Freedom Force but, much like her predecessor, found herself on the wrong side of the law. She teamed up with Spider-Man occasionally, but eventually found herself as a freelance hero. When one of her assignments led her to California looking for a team of Asian super-villains, she met and assisted the West Coast Avengers several times.
She then found her place with the West Coast Avengers and once they disbanded, joined their spin-off team Force Works. Julia's main enemies were the arachnid-based team called Death Web, which consisted of three super-villains who were created by The Commission, using a variation of the same serum which transformed Julia. When Mike Clemson, founder of Death Web, captured Spider-Woman's daughter Rachel, he blackmailed her into fighting Spider-Man, even though she nearly killed Spider-Man, she couldn't commit murder, and Spider-Man helped her rescue Rachel. Eventually, Julia walked away from the superhero business to concentrate on raising her daughter. Like Jessica Drew (the original Spider-Woman), Julia was also attacked by Charlotte Witter and had her powers stolen. After the loss of her superpowers, Julia returned to the life of a normal mother.
Julia was paralyzed for several months after she lost her powers, even though all of her other injuries had healed. The Shroud's company synthesized a duplicate of the serum that originally provided Julia with her powers, and these returned several days after it was administered to her. With the Shroud's help, Julia underwent intense physical therapy and was soon able to walk again. It was during this time that she and the Shroud fell in love.
Civil War/Initiative
Her powers now restored, Julia returned using the codename "Arachne" (which she originally intended to use). During the Super-Human Civil War, Julia registered under the Superhuman Registration Act, and she and Wonder Man aided Ms. Marvel in the training of novice superheroes.
However, Julia was actually a double agent; when she first responded to Iron Man's request, she thought they would be helping people escape registration. She tipped off several targeted superheroes who had refused to register with the government, such as the Prowler. She was romantically involved with the Shroud, an opponent of the Superhuman Registration Act.
Julia was found out when a captured Prowler revealed under interrogation that she had tipped him off. A government strike team led by Ms. Marvel, including Wonder Man and Araña, attacks Julia at her home just as she was about to flee the country with her daughter. Julia was captured and summarily incarcerated. However, Julia escaped captivity during the Negative Zone prison break, and returned to Colorado in search of Rachel.[1] A S.H.I.E.L.D. Psy Ops team telepathically traced her to Brooklyn, where she furiously confronted Araña, demanding to know where her daughter has been taken.[2]
Recently she was living in Canada and working on Canadian goverment acting in Canada's new superhero team Omega Flight.She was given the option of having outstanding charges dropped in exchange for her participation on the team. After a battle against the Wrecking Crew, Julia decided to stay on the team.Powers and Abilities
Powers
Superhuman Strength: Julia possesses superhuman strength enabling her to lift at least 10 tons.
Superhuman Speed: Julia is capable of running and moving at speeds considerably greater than the finest human athlete.
Superhuman Stamina: Julia's musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. She can physically exert herself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to impair her.
Superhuman Agility: Julia's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
Superhuman Reflexes: Julia's natural reaction time is enhanced to a level that is beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
Superhuman Durability: The tissues of her body are somewhat harder and more resistant to injury than those of an ordinary human. While far from invulnerable, Julia is able to withstand impact forces that would severely injure or kill an ordinary human with only mild to moderate discomfort.
Accelerated Healing Factor: If injured, Julia is able to recover from mild to moderate injuries somewhat faster and more efficiently than an ordinary human. She is capable of fully healing on her own in a matter of days that would require an ordinary human to undergo surgery. Julia is also physically immune to all known types of poisons.
Psionic Powers: Some of Julia's spider-like abilities are the results of latent psionic capabilities rather than her physical attributes.
- Wall Crawling: She can stick to walls in a manner similar to Spider-Man, however, her ability is psionically based.
- Psychokinetic Webbing: ability to utilize psionic-based webbing (psi-webs), although it requires a lot of concentration to manifest (at least it did at first, as she seems to have no such problems with this power now). By using psychokinetic energy, she can bind ambient free-floating molecules into strands of solid force. Her psi-webs can be used to wrap enemies, or focused into narrow web-lines that she can swing from. Due to its psychic nature, her psi-webs can be used in ways Spider-Man's webbing never could, such as causing webs to form from a distance, or controlling the movement of her webbing mentally.She can create webs of psionic energy able to hold up to 10 tons. The web must be anchored by at least two surfaces.
Abilities
Strength level
10 tonsParaphernalia
Equipment
Formerly Avengers IdenticardTransportation
Formerly Avengers Quinjet, Freedom Force Helicopter.Notes
- The appearance of Spider-Man's black costume and Venom is based on Julia's costume.
Trivia
- Is a fan of Dazzler's music. (See Ms Marvel Vol 2 #7)
Appearances in Other Media
Television
Julia Carpenter appeared regularly, both in and out of costume, in the 1994 Iron Man animated series as part of the team loosely based on the comic and super team, Force Works. In the cartoon, Julia Carpenter eventually married Tony Stark. However, this remains out of continuity with the regular Marvel Universe. She was voiced by Jennifer Hale.
Links
- Appearances of Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
- Character Gallery: Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
- Images that feature Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
- Fan-Art Gallery: Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
- Quotations by Julia Carpenter (Earth-616)
- Julia's Profile at Spiderfan.org
- Julia's Profile at Women of Marvel Comics
- OHMU AVENGERS 2005, 2005, MARVEL COMICS GROUP ©
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Deluxe Edition #12 (Nov, 1986)
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