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Marvelous May – Ms. Marvel vs Spider-Gwen
Welcome back to Marvelous May! Sorry this is a little late, but I got maybe just a little distracted by the reveal of the new Pokémon yesterday. Also, I kinda donated my hair. Basically, you put your hair into a ponytail once it’s long enough to make an 8 inch ponytail, cut it off, and then mail it to have it and a few other ponytails converted into a wig for people that have had chemotherapy. And I felt so good after doing that, honestly, I think I might just do it again, although it’s going to take a LONG time to get it back to that length again… … …Anyway, Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, vs Gwen Stacy, AKA Spider-Woman!
This is actually a bout that I wish could’ve been saved for at least the semi-finals, if I can be 100% honest. And here’s why: We’re currently in the middle of a new age in Marvel. Regardless of why they chose to do so, whether it was out of a genuine desire to be more inclusive for the sake of new readers or out of wanting to make more money, the fact is that we’re seeing a lot more diversity in Marvel’s starring roles, and a lot of new heroes being pushed to the top. Admittedly, not all of these have been perfect attempts. I still think there have been some serious missteps with the new Thor books, for example, and while I appreciate Sam Wilson being pushed as a big deal and keeping the more traditional shield, the fact that we’ve got two Captains America is weird and I honestly don’t think anyone would REALLY be offended if Sam was referred to as Lieutenant America. But, for me, the two books that have really gotten this formula right are Ms. Marvel and Spider-Gwen. For me, these are the two who, when the old guard eventually hangs it up and calls it a day, will be the ones we look to as the heroes of our age.
I’ve gone on and on and on about what I like about Ms. Marvel in the past, so I’ll try to keep it brief here. Put bluntly, she is both a shining role model and heroine to all Muslim people in the real world, as well as someone that the average reader can identify with and love. She has trouble fitting in with both her family and her peers, she has a great sense of humour and wit, she likes a lot of geeky stuff, she writes fanfiction, she loves heroes, and she oftentimes makes mistakes that requires either quick thinking or the admission to her peers that she needs help to get out of. In a lot of ways, she’s the modern-day Peter Parker in that she’s immediately identifiable to the reader. Hopefully, though, when she eventually grows up, she actually acts like an adult, as opposed to the mainstream Peter Parker, who is a man-child, even after obtaining his own international business.
Speaking of being like Peter, though, Spider-Gwen works as a great alternate take on the mythology of Spider-Man. While this version of Gwen Stacy isn’t exactly like the one we knew way back when, she nonetheless is a great and likable character who finds herself in similar dilemmas to the mainstream Peter. She’s being pulled in a lot of different directions and is seen by some as an outlaw, and has to try to find out for herself what the right thing to do in each scenario presented is. And I love how her Peter is the Uncle Ben of her story: The one whose death ultimately taught her that with great power comes great responsibility. It was something that was done with Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man (which I don’t know why they dropped the Ultimate part of his name, even with the loss of his old universe, just to further keep his book distinct from Peter’s), but it’s done in a new way that honestly makes me wonder if things would’ve been any different in the mainstream universe if Peter WASN’T the one to get the spider bite.
But here’s the really big reason why this match means something to me personally: Currently, due to money constraints, G. Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel and Jason Latour’s Radioactive Spider-Gwen are the only two Marvel books I’m buying. Well, okay, I’m not actually buying either one right now, but that’s because I switched over to buying the trades when they come out. My point is, these are the only two properties by Marvel that are earning my money, not counting the movies (speaking of, Captain America Civil War was AMAZING, and I FAR prefer it to the event comic Civil War). So, should voting for this match end in a tie, I have no idea who to break the tie for. But hey, that’s all part of the excitement, am I right?
Anyway, time to begin voting! Make sure you get your votes in before May 17th, when we’ll learn who the winner of this match-up takes on in the semi-finals. Also, feel free to click the links below to learn more about these two heroines, and check back in tomorrow for the final match-up of the second round. Ja né!
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Kamala_Khan_(Earth-616)
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Gwendolyne_Stacy_(Earth-65)
https://ladygeekgirl.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/spider-gwen-is-back-and-its-everything-i-wanted/
Marvelous May – Spider-Gwen vs Mayday Parker
Welcome back to Marvelous May! I’d just like to point out that I set up this tournament using a generator I found online, and I didn’t know which seeds would face each other, so this is actually completely random. Nonetheless, we do in fact have a battle between alternate universe Spider-Women: Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 vs Mayday Parker of Earth-982!
Spider-Gwen
In the mainstream universe, Gwen Stacy is probably best remembered as one of Peter Parker’s most prominent love interests (which is saying something, considering how many of them there are, and that even Captain Marvel can be counted among them), whose life tragically came to an end the day Green Goblin threw her off a bridge. However, in an alternate universe, things happened very differently. Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy of Earth-65 was once an ordinary girl with a love for music, acting as the drummer for a band called The Mary Janes. But her life was changed the day she was bitten by a radioactive spider and was granted superpowers. She can cling to and crawl along walls, she has superhuman speed, strength, agility, and balance, but most amazing of all is the Spider Sense, a sixth sense that warns her of danger and can grant her omnipresent detection of her surroundings, though it’s up to Gwen to react appropriately to it. She was also given a costume and web-shooters from her world’s Janet van Dyne, allowing her to web-swing across town or ensnare targets in webbing. At first, Gwen saw being Spider-Woman as a thrill only, loving her newfound fame, until the day her best friend, Peter Parker, depressed from a life of everything constantly going wrong for him (so I guess that’s one thing that’s universal no matter which Peter Parker it is) and in awe of Spider-Woman, decided to make a change. He was transformed into the Lizard, but lost control and ended up in a fight with Gwen, which resulted in his accidental death. Through this event, Gwen realized the lesson that all those with the Spider name must inevitably learn: With great power comes great responsibility. With that lesson in mind, Gwen opted to become a better hero, one that her city deserved. Having learned a lot about detective work from her policeman father, and possessing an analytical mind, she put these to use with her new gifts to make herself a better Spider-Woman, one who would protect her city from any threat that came its way.
Mayday Parker
May ‘Mayday’ Parker is the daughter of her world’s Peter and Mary Jane. Yeah, remember back when Mary Jane was pregnant during the Clone Saga? Well, in this universe, she actually had the baby, though she was abducted as part of a plan by Green Goblin. Eventually, a fight broke out between Spider-Man and Green Goblin, which resulted in the Goblin’s death and Peter losing his leg. With a new bionic leg given to him by Mr. Fantastic, Peter decided to quit being Spider-Man and keep his life as a hero a secret from his daughter. As it turned out, though, Mayday began developing spider powers as well, genetically passed down through Peter’s DNA. One day, she was attacked by a new Green Goblin, Norman Osborn’s grandson, as a message for Peter. Overhearing her parents talk about it and learning that her father was Spider-Man, Mayday began experimenting with her powers, and seeing that her parents were going to confront this new Green Goblin, she took up Ben Riley’s old costume and became Spider-Girl, saving her parents and beginning a new life as a superheroine, whether her parents liked it or not. Eventually, though, they did come around and helped their daughter, who eventually became a reserve member for A-Next, the new team of Avengers. Unfortunately, one day, an inter-dimensional life sucker named Daemos, who had been hunting down Spider-Men across the Multiverse, attacked and killed her father, sending May on a journey with all the remaining Spiders throughout the Multiverse to stop this new threat. After they succeeded, May was given her father’s old costume, and re-branded herself as the Amazing Spider-Woman.
And let the voting begin! You have until May 10th to get your votes in, at which point, we’ll find out which of these two Spider-Women will take on the winner of Scarlet Witch vs Ms. Marvel. Until then, check out the links below to learn more about these other-dimensional Spiders, and be sure to check in next time as Storm battles Gamora. Ja né!
Radioactive Spider-Gwen #6 Preview
Well, since I’m gonna be switching over to the trades, and I won’t be buying the Spider-Women crossover, I guess this will be the last issue of Spider-Gwen I personally buy in a while. It’s been one hell of a ride, though, so let’s close this out in a badass way: Spider-Gwen and Captain America vs the Green Goblin! Here’s the preview for Radioactive Spider-Gwen #6!
- THE FIRST ARC OF RADIOACTIVE SPIDER-GWEN REACHES ITS CONCLUSION!
- CAPTAIN AMERICA JOINS FORCES WITH SPIDER-GWEN AGAIN TO TAKE DOWN THE GREEN GOBLIN!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/spider-gwen-6-marvel-comics-2016
Radioactive Spider-Gwen #5 Preview
Hoo boy, I had a feeling the situation with George was gonna turn ugly sooner or later. For now, though, I present the preview for Radioactive Spider-Gwen #5.
- Captain George Stacy has always been a big force in Spider-Gwen’s life.
- But knowing that his daughter is the Spider-hero swinging around the city has taken its toll on him. Can he come to grips with the knowledge?
- Can she handle her police captain father if he can’t?
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/spider-gwen-5-marvel-comics-2016
Radioactive Spider-Gwen #4 Preview
Radioactive Spider-Gwen #4 preview. ‘Nuff said. lol
- GWEN TAKES ON THE GOBLINS!
- ‘Nuff said.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/spider-gwen-4-marvel-comics-2016
Radioactive Spider-Gwen #3 & Gwenpool Special #1
Double the Gwen, double the fun! Here are the previews for Radioactive Spider-Gwen #3 and Gwenpool Special #1!
- Still reeling from the events of SPIDER-VERSE, Gwen Stacy decides to pay a visit to Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman!
- Gwen learns about her Earth-616 counterpart, and sees that the lesson that with great power, there must also come great responsibility applies in any reality.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/spider-gwen-3-marvel-comics-2015-2015
- AN ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL!
- She-Hulk throws a holiday party and invites the entire Marvel U!
- Deadpool teams up with both Hawkeyes — Kate and Clint — to…stop a pickpocket?!
- Ms. Marvel takes on her most dangerous threat yet: the holiday blues!
- And then there’s the reason for the season(al special): GWENPOOL!
- Yup, you read that right — Gwen. Pool. C’mon, you know you’re curious.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/gwenpool-special-1-marvel-comics-2015-2015
Jyger's Rant 