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Tuesday 16 June 2020

SPIDER-WOMAN READING ORDER: Jessica Drew (1977-1984)

Let's face it, Spider-Woman was created for copyright reasons. Archie Goodwin and Marie Severin put the initial concept together and introduced her as an agent of Hydra with a completely different codename in her first story. Despite a bizarre backstory that explained how she'd been evolved from a spider by the High Evolutionary, Jessica Drew soon gained her own series, a new origin and developed into one of Marvel's more interesting characters. Especially when Chris Claremont took over as writer on her series with issue 34. Ann Nocenti wrapped up the final four issues in a story intended to kill Jessica off. And while we would see see a new character take the role, Jessica would eventually make her inevitable return as Spider-Woman.

This initial entry covers Jessica Drew's first stint as Spider-Woman (as well as her time as a costume-free private investigator) and includes her complete chronology from this time. Every appearance is listed in order and, as always, the better stories and key moments in her history get the spotlight. Expect to see more Spider-Woman entries in the future!

As always, I'd like to thank the guys over at the Marvel Chronology Project which I use as a basis and work out my own order based on the vast back catalogue of comics I've read over the last several decades.

MCG Notes:
  • Issue listings in blue & black: The must-read Spider-Woman stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
  • Issue listings in grey: Cameo appearances or stories that are non-essential, not as strong or no longer considered 'required reading'.
  • Chronology: Every appearance of Spider-Woman from this time period is included in chronological order, mapping out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
  • Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
  • WANT TO KEEP IT SIMPLE? Scroll down to THE CORE LIST to see a version of this reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns or less important appearances - just a list of the essentials.
Punisher Annual #1[3/3] (1988)
Silver Surfer Annual #1[4/4] (1988)
New Mutants Annual #4[3/3] (1988)
Web of Spider-Man Annual #4[3/3] (1988)
The origin is Jessica Drew is updated to explain Jonathan Drew's connection to the High Evolutionary and explain away her bizarre origins as an evolved insect during
SAGA OF THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY.

Spider-Woman: Origin #1-5 (2006)
Spider-Woman's origin is updated again, introducing much closer links to Hydra in her history; there are many elements in this story that contradict her history and are hard to reconcile.
Marvel Spotlight #32 (1977)
First appearance of Arachne (Jessica Drew); Hydra send their newest super-powered agent, Arachne, to assassinate Nick Fury; Arachne is revealed to be a spider that was hyper-evolved by the High Evolutionary, becoming one of his New Men but realising she didn't fit in; when Arachne realises Hydra is a terrorist unit, she rebels against her masters, aborts her mission and goes on the run.

Marvel Two-in-One #29-33 (1977)
First appearance of Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman; first appearance of Chauncy (Heinrich Buerer); having recaptured Jessica Drew and renaming her Spider-Woman, Hydra manipulate her into attacking the Thing in London; she turns against Hydra again and joins him and the Invisible Girl in turning Alicia Masters back to normal when they mutate Alicia into a human-spider; Spider-Woman is taken under Modred the Mystic's wing when he offers to help her create a new life for herself.
Spider-Woman #1-2 (1978)
First appearance of Jonathan & Meriem Drew (in flashback), Black Knight/Excaliber, Jerry Hunt and Magnus; Jessica Drew strikes out on her own after learning her true origin from Modred the Mystic (she was infused with spider DNA by her parents in an effort to cure her radiation poisoning) and sets up shop in London; SHIELD agent Jerry Hunt becomes infatuated with Spider-Woman; Spider-Woman first clashes with Morgan le Fay.

Spider-Woman #3-5 (1978)
First appearance of Priscilla Dolly; Spider-Woman clashes with the sorcerer Charles Magnus, the Brothers Grimm and the Hangman; Spider-Woman relocates to Los Angeles. 
Spider-Woman #6 (1978)
Spider-Woman first encounters the Werewolf by Night (Jack Russell); Morgan le Fay seeks revenge on Spider-Woman for her earlier defeat; Jessica Drew begins a relationship with Jerry Hunt.

Spider-Woman #7-12 (1978-1979)
First appearance of the Gypsy Moth (Sybil Dvorak) and Needle (Josef Saint); first appearance of Priscilla Dolly as Madame Doll; Spider-Woman investigates her past; Priscilla Dolly continues to manipulate her when she investigates the Needle, Gypsy Moth and the Brothers Grimm; the Brothers Grimm's connection to Quicksilver and the Scarlet WItch's adoptive father is revealed as they meet their fate; Magnus becomes an ally of Spider-Woman.

Spider-Woman #13-16 (1979)
First appearance of Lindsay McCabe; Spider-Woman discovers a sinister operation run by the Cult of Kali and faces the Shroud as an enemy before teaming up with him against the Cult and their leader, Nekra; Spider-Woman first meets Lindsay McCabe and breaks up with Jerry Hunt when he leaves Los Angeles.

Spider-Woman #17-18 (1979)
First appearance of Waxman; Spider-Woman clashes with the sinister Waxman.
Spider-Woman #19-21 (1979)
First appearance of Scotty McDowell and Alexander Walsh; Jessica Drew becomes good friends with Lindsay McCabe; Spider-Woman gets in the Enforcer's way when tries to capture the Werewolf by Night for the Committee; a brawl breaks out between Spider-Man and Spider-Woman when he mistakenly believes she's a thief; Spider-Woman becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down criminals for the LAPD with the help of criminologist Scotty McDowell.

Spider-Woman #22-26 (1980)
First appearance of Rupert DockeryGamesman (Timothy Braverman) and Grinder (Brute Bashby); Spider-Woman apprehends the serial killer Killer Clown; Jessica Drew's ex-boyfriend starts messing with Spider-Woman's life and manipulating her friend Lindsay McCabe to get to her; Rupert Dockery starts exploiting Spider-Woman to sell papers, attracting Spider-Man's attention.

Spider-Woman #27-30 (1980)
First appearance of Dr Karl Malus; Rupert Dockery helps break the Enforcer out of jail to create more Spider-Woman stories to boost his newspaper's circulation; the Enforcer drugs Spider-Woman's friend, Scotty McDowell, and forces Spider-Woman to commit crimes alongside him; Spider-Man returns to LA to take down Spider-Woman; Spider-Man realises his mistake and helps defeat the Enforcer, but the two spiders don't part on good terms; Spider-Woman confronts Dockery and battles the Fly (Richard Deacon) in order to get a cure for Scotty from Karl Malus.
Astonishing Tales #3[4/4] (2009)
Spider-Woman battles vampires in California.

Marvel Team-Up #97 (1980)
Dr W Lee Benway creates monsters specifically designed to take down the Hulk, only to lose control of them; Spider-Woman and the Hulk defeat Benway's creatures.

Amazing Spider-Man #209 (1980)
Spider-Woman cameo; Spider-Woman learns Rupert Dockery has been hired by the Daily Globe in New York.


Spider-Woman #31-32 (1980)
First appearance of Scotty McDowell as the Hornet; Karl Malus' 'cure' transforms Scotty McDowell into the Hornet and decides to use his new powers to become a costumed hero; he soon loses control of his emotions and goes on a rampage, eventually running into Spider-Woman; Malus tricks the Werewolf by Night into attacking Spider-Woman as well, though she manages to overcome both and cures Scotty.

Spider-Woman #33 (1980)
First appearance of the Forever Man and Turner D Century (Clifford Michaels); Spider-Woman battles the old-timey-obsessed Turner D Century.

Spider-Woman #34-36 (1981)
Spider-Woman stops a kidnapping by Hammer & Anvil, fends off hallucinations caused by Angar the Screamer and encounters aliens; Jessica Drew and Lindsay McCabe leave Los Angeles and head to San Francisco.

Spider-Woman #37-38 (1981)
First appearance of David Ishima and Siryn (Theresa Rourke); Spider-Woman and Lindsay McCabe start setting up shop as private investigators in San Francisco with help from Nick Fury; Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut utilise the powers of a new mutant called Siryn to steal a Vibranium shipment; the X-Men help Spider-Woman defeat the villains and learn Siryn is Banshee's daughter during AND THE DEAD SHALL BURY THE LIVING.
Uncanny X-Men #148 (1981)
First appearance of Caliban; Siryn is brought to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters; Spider-Woman helps the X-Men rescue Sprite (Kitty Pryde) when she's kidnapped by Caliban; Spider-Woman meets Dazzler (Alison Blaire); Angel leaves the X-Men during AND THE DEAD SHALL BURY THE LIVING.

Spider-Woman #39-40 (1981)
First appearance of Death-Stroke (Tani Uiruson) & his Terminators, Flying Tiger, Sabrina Morell and the Dragon Clan; Spider-Woman protects David Ishima from Death-Stroke and battles General Nguyen Ngoc Coy's agent, the Flying Tiger.
Avengers Annual #10 (1981)
First appearance of Rogue; the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants' newest member, Rogue, robs Ms Marvel (Carol Danvers) of her powers and takes the Avengers down single-handedly; Spider-Woman helps the Avengers defeat the Brotherhood and takes Carol into the X-Men's care during AND THE DEAD SHALL BURY THE LIVING.

Spider-Woman #41 (1981)
Morgan le Fay explains Spider-Woman's link to the Darkhold when she returns for a rematch. 

Marvel Graphic Novel #1: The Death of Captain Marvel (1982)
Spider-Woman cameo; Spider-Woman is among those who pay their respects to Mar-Vell.

Marvel Two-in-One #45 (1982)
Spider-Woman and the Thing team up against the Atom Smasher; Giant-Man (Bill Foster) learns he has cancer; Spider-Woman gives Bill Foster a blood transfusion to cure his cancer, but it costs her her 'immunity factor' powers.

Dazzler #15 (1982)
Dazzler hires Spider-Woman to help her find her long-lost mother but continues her own investigation; Dazzler's mistrust in Spider-Woman almost gets them both killed when they fall into a series of deathtraps at a SHIELD training facility during.
Spider-Woman #42-44 (1982)
Spider-Woman clashes with Viper and the Silver Samurai when they try to obtain the Judas Man - the result of the Red Skull's experiment to create a human disease carrier; Jessica Drew realises she looks remarkably like Viper and uses this to her advantage, saving the Judas Man; Jessica reveals to Lindsay McCabe that she's Spider-Woman; Cthon attempts to claim Spider-Woman when she seeks revenge on Viper; Viper reveals herself to be Spider-Woman's mother, Meriem Drew.

Avengers #221 (1982)
The Wasp offers a number of female heroes a place among the Avengers; after defeating the rampaging Fabian Stankowicz and his Mecho-Marauder armour, Spider-Woman, Dazzler, Black Widow and the Invisible Girl turn down the Wasp's offer; She-Hulk and Hawkeye accept membership instead.
Spider-Woman #45-46 (1982)
The Impossible Man decides to becomes Spider-Woman's sidekick when he has a falling out with the Impossible Woman; General Coy tries to assassinate Jessica Drew; Spider-Woman thwarts his partnership with the Kingpin who he turns to for help when he plans to kidnap his niece, Karma, from the New Mutants; Spider-Woman turns down an offer to join the Dragon Clan.

Contest of Champions #1 (1982)
Spider-Woman is snatched in the middle of a clash with Gypsy Moth to stand among the heroes selected by the Grandmaster and the 'Unknown' (aka Death) as possible contenders in the Contest of Champions.


Captain America #281 (1983)
Spider-Woman tracks down Viper who reveals she's not Spider-Woman's mother and was tricked by Morgan le Fay into believing she was; Spider-Woman escapes Viper's deathtrap.

Captain America #282 (1983)
Spider-Woman cameo; Spider-Woman updates Nick Fury on her encounter with Viper.

Spider-Woman #47-50 (1982-1983)
First appearance of Daddy Longlegs (Ramsey Kole), Locksmith and Tick Tock; Ramsey Kole uses untested formulas in Bill Foster's lab, transforming himself into Daddy Longlegs; Spider-Woman battles Daddy Longlegs, Gypsy Moth and Digger; Spider-Woman cuts through her hair to escape Gypsy Moth's deathtrap; Spider-Woman discovers Locksmith is behind the disappearance of Tigra, the Shroud, the Werewolf by Night and a number of villains, though they're just the pawns of Morgan le Fay; Spider-Woman travels to the past where Morgan le Fay is disintegrated at the end of their fight; Spider-Woman opts to have all memory of her existence removed from everyone in the present day and heads into the Spirit Realm with Magnus.

Avengers #238 (1983)
Spider-Woman cameo; Tigra calls on the Avengers for help in rescuing Spider-Woman's soul as she lies comatose in a hospital bed in San Francisco.

Avengers #240-241 (1984)
Spider-Woman's closest friends discover her lying in hospital on life-support and remember who she is; the Avengers, the Shroud and Doctor Strange learn Morgan le Fay survived their fight and trapped Spider-Woman's spirit on the astral plane with Magnus; Morgan's attempt to transported herself to the present day, inhabiting Jessica Drew's body is thwarted and she is left stranded on the astral plane while Jessica returns to life without her powers.
The now-powerless Jessica Drew returns to her role as a private investigator...

West Coast Avengers #1 (1984)
First appearance of the West Coast Avengers; Jessica Drew gets help solving cases from Tigra and asks the Shroud to look out for her during
WEST COAST AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Doctor Strange #67 (1984)
Jessica Drew continues to solve cases with help from the Shroud.

Uncanny X-Men #203 (1986)
Jessica Drew puts the X-Men up at her place while they stay in San Francisco during
SECRET WARS II.

Uncanny X-Men #206 (1986)
Jessica Drew confronts the new Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) for using her former identity; the X-Men fend off the new Spider-Woman's Freedom Force team mates and leave San Francisco.

Wolverine #2-3 (1988-1989)
First appearance of Chief Tai; first appearance of Wolverine as Patch; in Madripoor, Wolverine discovers Jessica Drew and Lindsay McCabe's latest investigation is a trap set by the Silver Samurai.

Marvel Age Annual #4[1/4] (1988)
Jessica Drew cameo.

Wolverine #4-8 (1989)
First appearance of the Prince Baran, Bloodsport & Roughouse, Archie Corrigan and the Harriers (Battleaxe, Hardcase and Shotgun); Jessica Drew and Lindsay McCabe's cases continue to involve Wolverine while they set up shop in Madripoor.

Wolverine #10 (1989)
First appearance of Silver Fox; Jessica Drew cameo.

Wolverine #11-16 (1989)
First appearance of Ba'al/Hadad and Burt Corrigan; Wolverine and Jessica Drew deal with a vampire infestation in Madripoor, getting caught between Ba'al and Burt Corrigan's efforts to obtain the Gehenna Stone.

Uncanny X-Men #261 (1990)
Jessica Drew cameo; Jessica leads a rescue party to free Wolverine from the Harriers' trap during
SCARY MONSTERS.

Wolverine #27 (1990)
Jessica Drew is caught spying on Prince Baran; Wolverine seeks revenge on Baran for almost killing Jessica.


Sensational Spider-Man '96[2/2] (1996)
Jessica Drew teams up with the second Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) and Sepulchre (Jillian Woods) against the Void Eater; in the conflict, Jessica regains her Spider-Woman powers; Julia offers Jessica her old identity back.

Wolverine #125-126, 128 (1998)
Viper brainwashes Jessica Drew, Psylocke and others into acting as her pawns; Wolverine reveals Viper is now his wife, but works against her to free Jessica and the others.

Heroes For Hire #18-19 (1998-1999)
Jessica Jones aids Shang-Chi and the Heroes For Hire against the pirate Lionmane; Jessica Drew reveals she no longer trusts Wolverine; the Heroes For Hire disband.

Amazing Spider-Man #5 (1999)
Spider-Woman #1-2 (1999)
First appearance of Spider-Woman (Charlotte Witter); first appearance of Mattie Franklin as Spider-Woman; having relocated to America, Jessica Drew is attacked by one of the two new Spider-Women during
THE AMAZING SPIDER-WOMAN.

Spider-Woman #3-8 (1999-2000)

First appearance of Cluster, Flesh & Bones (Donna & Bess Bliss), Cheryl Lansing and Shadowcaster; Jessica Drew becomes a mentor to the new Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin; Spider-Woman gains new powers and takes on the other Spider-Woman (Charlotte Witter), Doctor Octopus, Shadrac, Flesh & Bones, Shadowcaster and Cluster. 

Amazing Spider-Man #14 (2000)
Spider-Woman #9 (2000)
Jessica Drew continues to mentor Mattie Franklin as she teams up with Spider-Man in a rematch with Charlotte Witter during
BREAK OF HEARTS.

Spider-Woman #10-11 (2000)
Jessica Drew ends her role as Mattie Franklin's mentor following a battle with the Exomorph.

Iron Man: Legacy #1 (2010)
Jessica Drew cameo.

Alias #19-21 (2003)
Fellow private investigator Jessica Jones calls on Jessica Drew when her former charge, Mattie Franklin, is mined for Mutant Growth Hormone by drug dealers.
A version of this reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns or less important appearances - just the primary Spider-Woman stories:
  • Marvel Spotlight #32
  • Marvel Two-in-One #29-33
  • Spider-Woman #1-38
  • Uncanny X-Men #148
  • Spider-Woman #39-40
  • Avengers Annual #10
  • Spider-Woman #41
  • Marvel Two-in-One #45
  • Dazzler #15
  • Spider-Woman #42-44
  • Avengers #221
  • Spider-Woman #45-46
  • Captain America #281
  • Spider-Woman #47-50
  • Avengers #240-241
The chronology of the various characters who've taken on the Spider-Woman identity will be added here:
  • 1984-1999: Julia Carpenter
  • 1999-2009: Mattie Franklin
  • 2005-2011: Veranke
  • 2004-2011: Jessica Drew
  • 2012-2015: Jessica Drew
Other reading orders that feature Spider-Woman:
Marvel Masterworks: Spider-Woman vol.1
Marvel Spotlight #32
Marvel Two-in-One #29-33
Spider-Woman #1-8

Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men vol.7
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus vol.2
Both include... 
Avengers Annual #10
Uncanny X-Men #148

Avengers: I Am An Avenger
Avengers: The Trial of Yellowjacket
Women of Marvel vol.1
All include... 
Avengers #221


Avengers: Absolute Vision vol.1
Includes... 
Avengers #240-241

X-Men: Ghosts
Includes...
Uncanny X-Men #206

Wolverine Classic vol.1
Wolverine Omnibus vol.1
Both include... 
Wolverine #1-3

Wolverine Classic vol.3
Includes..
Wolverine #11-16.

Wolverine Epic Collection vol.1: Madripoor Nights
Includes...
Wolverine #1-3, 11-16

Luke Cage, Iron Fist & the Heroes For Hire vol.2
Shang Chi: Earth's Mightiest Martial Artist
Both include...
Heroes For Hire #18-19

Alias vol.3: The Underneath
Alias Omnibus
Alias: Ultimate Collection vol.2
Jessica Jones: Alias vol.3
All include... 
Alias #19-21

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