Julia Carpenter in the MC2

 

With Sony Pictures Madame Web movie right around the corner, now is a good time to take a look at one of the film’s main cast of characters as she appears in our favourite comic imprint. Today, we will cover Spider-Woman aka Julia Carpenter in the MC2.

 

First appearing in 1984's Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6 in shadow and making her first full debut in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #7, Julia Carpenter was introduced as the second Spider-Woman, and the inspiration for Spider-Man’s own black-suit design, though her origin would remain a mystery for quite some time. 

 

Born Julia Cornwall in Los Angeles, California to Elizabeth and Walter Cornwall , Julia befriended fellow college student (and later federal agent) Valerie Cooper before she met, fell in love with married Larry Carpenter. Julia dropped out of college, working to support Larry as he studied for a career in public relations (Avengers West Coast #84). 

 

After graduating college, Larry Carpenter (who first appeared in Iron Man #214) often focused his time and attention on his work and extra-marital affairs, rather than Julia despite the two having a young daughter- Rachel Carpenter-together. Rachel Carpenter (who also made her debut in Iron Man #214) was five years old when Julia divorced Larry and the courts granted custody of Rachel to Julia. Now a single mother struggling to make ends meet, Julia moved Julia to Denver, Colorado. 

 

Unbeknownst to Julia, a seemingly chance meeting with Val Cooper would lead to Julia gaining her spider-powers. Val hired Julia as a test subject for a secret government project, telling Julia it was for exercise research when the experiments were to create government-controlled super humans for the Commission of Superhuman Activities (CSA). After being subjected to weeks of intense athletic training, Julia was secretly injected with a large dose of a special spider-serum. While Dr Napier claimed this was an accident, the researchers had been dosing Julia with higher and higher amounts over time. The 'accident' yielded the desired results and Julia quickly discovered she had developed her own unique set of spider-powers including the ability to generate psionic 'webbing' (Avengers West Coast #84).

 

Despite appearances, Val Cooper had not encountered Julia by mere luck. Julia would learn much later that the story she had believed was fabricated. The CSA's ambition to have government super-agents had led to them hiring lead scientist Dr Carter Napier. Napier and his team of scientists had sought out rare plants and spider venoms only found deep in the Peruvian Amazon. The expedition had been led by jungle guides Elizabeth and Walter Cornwall, Julia's own long-absent parents. It was through this connection that Val Cooper learned of Julia's financial struggles and combined with her prior knowledge of Julia's athletic prowess, found the perfect candidate for the experiments (Spider-Woman Vol.2 #2).

 

After the events of Secret Wars, Julia spent time working for the CSA, being assigned to work alongside Freedom Force in battling the X-Men and later capturing the Avengers. Feeling it was not right, Julia freed the Avengers and was declared a fugitive by (Uncanny X-Men #206, X-Factor #8-9, Avengers Annual #15). With Julia absent for long periods of time, Larry successfully sued for custody of Rachel. Aided by Iron Man, Julia turned herself in to the CSA, working as an undercover agent under the orders of Mike Clemson, a man who was openly hostile toward her. Meanwhile, the general public continued to believe she was a wanted criminal (Iron Man #214).

 

Julia encountered the Avengers in California after moving there to be close to her daughter again. After aiding the team in their battle with the Pacific Overlords, Julia joined the West Coast Avengers team, finally allowing Julia to officially clear her name and quit the CSA. Around this time, Julia revealed her superhero identity to Rachel. Julia would serve with the Avengers West Coast branch until the team was disbanded. (Avengers West Coast #70-102). 

  

When the West Coast branch of the Avengers disbanded, Julia joined the newly formed Force Works alongside with several other former-West Coast team members. Rachel moved into the teams headquarters- The Works- alongside her mother. However, in the wake of the events of The Crossing, the Force Works team disbanded (Force Works #1-22). After this, Julia next appears in a back up story in Sensational Spider-Man Annual '96, which takes place after the events of Onslaught. In this adventure, Julia is operating solo in Los Angeles when she encounters the animated Spider-Woman costume of Jessica Drew. It leads her into an encounter with Shadowoman and Lindsey McCabe where they save Jessica Drew from the other dimensional Void-Eater. The story concludes by implying Jessica may want her old super hero moniker back, and an editorial box tells readers to look for a follow up story in the pages of Spider-Man Team-Up. Sadly, this would never come to pass as this story was writer Mark Gruenwald's final published work before his death. 

 

Following this, Julia Carpenter next shows up post-Heroes Return for cameo appearances in Avengers Vol. 3 #1-4 and Captain America Vol. 3 #3. As I've mentioned in prior posts, it's unclear what parts of this era occurred or did not occur in the history of the MC2. Around this time in the Spider-Man books, Doctor Octopus' Spider-Woman (Charlotte Witter) was taking the powers of the various other Spider-Women. However, things appear to have played out differently in the MC2, as this is where events had already begun to diverge.

 

Julia Carpenter makes her MC2 debut in Spider-Girl #37 where she seeks out Peter Parker for assistance finding the original Spider-Man's family so she can bring in Jessica Drew's son, Gerry Drew aka the new Spider-Man before Gerry comes to harm as a result of his rare blood disease.

 

In Spider-Girl #39, Julia mentions that Jessica, herself, Mattie Franklin, and Cassandra Webb aka Madame Web had all previously used Peter to get messages to Spider-Man. Julia also appears to have detailed knowledge of Jessica and Gerry's history, implying the two Spider-Women have maintained contact until recently.

 

 As with the previous issue, the connection between the three Spider-Women is reinforced with a flashback in Spider-Girl #40 showing Julia in her Spider-Woman costume meeting up with a costumed Mattie Franklin and a plain clothed Jessica Drew. It’s notable that Jessica is in plain clothes and apparently depowered while Julia seems to retain her abilities, judging by her costumed appearance.

 

Julia and Peter track down Jessica at her home and confront her, with Jessica telling the two that Gerry won't stop his reckless behaviour as superhero without a good reason. Peter approaches Gerry in costume as Spider-Man and convinces him to retire until he can get treatment from Reed Richards. Julia notes that despite being believed dead, the original Spider-Man returned when needed (Spider-Girl #42-43). 

 

Julia’s appearances in the MC2 raise a lot of unanswered questions, such as whether she retained her spider-powers (it seems likely, though it’s never stated) and we get no mention of her own daughter Rachel who would surely be an adult by this point. Maybe someday we’ll learn more.

 

Until I discover Dr Napier was in the Amazon with my parents researching rare plants and spiders, right before they… didn’t die, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

What's the Deal with Deacon's Den?

 

Every now and then I like to shine a light on some of the more obscure MC2 characters. In that tradition, today’s post we will be taking a look at the mysterious and magical mentor of Doc Magus, the man known only as Deacon.

 

First appearing alongside the young Sorcerer Supreme, Doc Magus in A-Next #3, Deacon is the one to suggest Doc Magus aka Dormagus recruits the recently reassembled new team of Avengers to counter Doctor Strange and his Defenders team comprised of the Incredible Hulk aka Bruce Banner and Namor the Sub-Mariner. While it’s not identified in this issue, we can presume this location is Dormagus’ ‘Sanctum Sanctorum’.

 

The following month over in the pages of J2’s own title, we learn that Deacon too possesses magical ability when he aids Doc Magus by casting Zane Yama aka J2’s astral form into a strange nightmare dimension. He is relieved when the pair of heroes return unscathed, having seen their unconscious bodies spasm while they were in peril (J2 #4).

 

It’s not until J2 #12 we learn that the Doc Magus operates out of his ‘Sanctum Sanctorum’ which is really just the back room of Deacon’s Den, a comic book store owned and operated by Deacon. When J2 and Doc Magus ignore Doctor Stange’s warning and journey into a pocket dimension via the Crossroads of Infinity to rescue Cain Marko aka The Juggernaut they discover it’s a trap too late and become trapped when their gateway back to Earth is destroyed by Nemesus. Notably, the energy backlash from this is shown to surround Deacon and his eyes glow red as he senses what has happened.

 

Found and assisted by Zane’s curious school associates, Deacon reveals he instinctively raised a protective shield around the gateway. With the help of the highschooler’s they manage to create a trail for the heroes to follow home…using Dormagus’ comic book collection. The bizarre events are explained away by Cain Marko as a temporal anomaly, and we learn via Zane’s closing monologue that Deacon’s Den closed down within a week and was replaced by a dry cleaner business (J2 #12).

 

While Zane believes Deacon’s Den to have closed down, it’s possible it makes an off-panel appearance as a target of Mr. Abnormal’s crime-spree. The super stretchy criminal notably steals a complete collection of Police Comics from a comic shop, so perhaps it was Deacon’s Den? Either way, Mr. Abnormal is defeated by the combined efforts of Speedball and Spider-Girl (Spider-Girl #15).

 

Deacon’s Den is definitely open and running again by the time the events of Spider-Girl #71 take place, with a ‘New’ sign and different appearance. Deacon is seen working the counter when J2 and Spider-Girl come seeking Doc Magus, who is once again using the store’s back room as his Sanctum Sanctorum. The three heroes thwart an invasion of invisible Darklings sent by Nemesus, though Deacon, sadly, isn’t an active participant in events this time around.

 

A little while later, during the events of Last Hero Standing, we get a confirmation that Deacon’s Den is located in Manhattan when Doctor Strange unsuccessfully attempts to recruit his son Doc Magus to his Defenders team so they can find the growing number of missing heroes. Deacon tells Dormagus he shouldn’t have turned down the assistance but gives up when the young Sorcerer Supreme brushes him off too. Shortly afterwards, Doc Magus is captured by the mastermind behind the plot, the Asgardian god of mischief Loki, leaving behind nothing but a smoking crater in the ground for the intestinally distressed Deacon to discover (Last Hero Standing #2).

 

When up and coming comic creators Jimmy Yama and Reynard ‘Wes’ Westin approach Deacon in the hope he’ll stock their Spider-Girl comic in his store, he initially declines but is convinced when Jimmy promises an appearance from the super heroine (Amazing Spider-Girl #4).

 

Of course, Jimmy asks his girlfriend Heather Noble to dress up as the fictional version of Spider-Girl from the comic he and Wes developed together. The promotional event at Deacon’s Den is advertised in the newspaper which draws the attention of the villainous Hobgoblin (Amazing Spider-Girl #5).

 

Sure enough, with Heather in costume as Spider-Girl, the Hobgoblin descends on Deacon’s Den (which also stocks MC2 comics, dontcha know) and kidnaps her. The Hobgoblin uses Heather as bait to draw out the one, true Spider-Girl. While the promotion had a good turn out, Deacon picks the perfect moment to ask if Jimmy and Wes obtained Spider-Girl’s permission to use her in their comic which, of course, they did not. Spider-Girl manages to save Heather and fight off the Hobgoblin with some unexpected assistance (Amazing Spider-Girl #6).

 

This next one isn’t an appearance of either Deacon or his Den but I’ve included it for the sake of completeness. Wes is seen with a newly bought comic (complete with carry bag) heading for a bus stop before a surprise encounter with April Parker. Does Wes frequent Deacon’s Den and why does he fold his precious comics? (Spectacular Spider-Girl vol. 1 #4/Amazing Spider-Man Family #8).

 

We get our last glimpse of Deacon in a fleeting cameo many overlooked in the MC2 story published as a back-up feature in the Secret Wars: Spider-Island mini-series. Yes, that’s Deacon carrying a sign decrying this Battleworld of Doctor Doom’s as a lie. So, once again, Deacon can see things beyond those of normal men. Thanks to Ron Frenz for confirming this appearance! (Secret Wars: Spider-Island #1)

 

Deacon is something of an enigma, he appears to live a mundane existence as a lowly comic book store owner, while displaying mystic abilities and being involved with events that are far more bizarre. Perhaps we’ll learn more about him someday? Thank you to arias-98105 for help with this post!

 

Until I buy a comic book store rather than buy from them, I remain

 

frogoat