Spider-Who Part 123: Spider-Man, Mattie Franklin

You thought we were done with Mattie Franklin? Guess again! Hahaha! We have one last date with Mattie before we’re free. There was a time in Peter Parker’s history were he actually did retire as Spider-Man. As a massive Spider-Man fan, Mattie decided to fill her favorite hero’s shoes, or tights as the case may be, by taking up the costume and name herself. That’s right, one time Spider-Man was a woman!

Mattie Franklin flying around as Spider-Man

Peter Parker even chanced across a fight between Spider-Man and some villains and commented how much easier it was to just be the one taking the photographs rather than the punches to the face. But even as he says that, he witnesses Spider-Man get hit and what looks to be hurt pretty bad. Rushing over to “his” side, he removes Spidey’s mask only to find the face of a young teen girl staring back at him.

This of course was all before she took on the Spider-Woman name and before being attacked by Charlotte Witter. Mattie’s run as Spider-Man lasted for about 4 issues, as her identity was kept a secret for a couple issues.

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Spider-Who 111: Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin (8th costume)

Mattie Franklin finally comes across her final costume 12 issues into her solo series. 12 issues! That’s a year of comics! Her series only lasted a total of 18 issues. And really, there’s not much to say. To be honest, I’m glad all this Mattie Franklin business is over. I was always dreading having to cover all of her various costumes, especially when she just changes for no real reason, so there’s not really anything to talk about regarding them other than “here’s the next one.”

The character appeared briefly in the Alias series (which introduced the Jessica Jones character) though it was in her first costume thus retconning/inserting that bit of story into what would be between several issues of her solo series. She was later seen in the Grim Hunt storyline where she was murdered by Sasha Kravinoff as a sacrifice to resurrect Vladimir Kravinoff.

Spider-Who Part 108: Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin (7th costume)

So this one is a bit confusing to me. On the cover her new costume is red and blue, but inside the issue it’s silver/white and blue. So I don’t know which is supposed to be the proper one. Probably the the one inside the pages, but then why was it drawn so oddly on the cover? All I know is that I’m not counting these as separate costumes.

You know what the best part of all this is? There’s only one Mattie Franklin costume left!

Spider-Who Part 104: Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin (5th costume)

Mattie dons her 5th costume in issue 7. It appears she’s back to the full body suit, and has inverted the placement of red and black on her legs and arms. She still has that little red spider on her chest but now it’s less of a little sheriff’s badge and more of an emblem.

Never before have I seen a comic character change their costume so fast, so frequently. In case you’re wondering, we still have a few more to go before we’re done with Mattie and her seemingly bottomless super hero costume closet.

Spider-Who Part 102: Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin (4th costume)

In issue 5 of the new Spider-Woman series we find Mattie has made herself yet another costume. Similar to the previous one, she has reduced the amount of red on her legs and arms and changed the main body of the suit to black instead of blue. The legs also feature a complicated spider leg pattern on the thighs, as you can see. Can you guess how many issues she has this costume for? It’s a new record at two whole issues!

Spider-Who Part 97: Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin (3rd costume)

So like I said before, Mattie changed her costume in the very next issue. Ditching the green and the boots, Mattie goes back to the classic red and blue colour motif of a full body suit. It’s a little hard to tell in this image, but her legs are entirely red, matching her forearms. She’s also put a little red spider logo over her heart.

Despite the near complete overhaul, this costume will only last a short time as well before we see her sport something different.

Spider-Who Part 95: Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin (2nd costume)

We’re going to need a bit of an intro into this, so bear with me. Shortly after becoming Spider-Woman and gaining all her new powers, Mattie’s new psionic spider legs sprouted out of her back and carried her away on their own. They took her to Doctor Octopus and Charlotte Witter where it was revealed Witter still had control of the legs with her mind even though they now were a part of Mattie. Doctor Octopus brainwashed Mattie to try and use her against Spider-Man just as he had used Witter, having her dress up in Witter’s green costume, but also putting on a green mask. Ultimately Spider-Man, Madam Web, and the other past Spider-Women were able to save Mattie. It was then that, regarding her new skimpy green outfit, Spider-Man suggested Mattie get a new costume.

It was these words that then stuck in Mattie’s head, and from then on she constantly kept making new costumes, never quite satisfied with them. The second costume Mattie made was this blue and green number with the thigh-high boots. Mattie had to put it together quickly and states that she really isn’t satisfied with it. She only wears it for a short time, and changes it again in the next issue.