The Spider-Verse films were many fans’ first introduction to the world of Spider-Folks in the expansive lore of the comics. Everyone knew Peter Parker and most readers could name Miles Morales, but dozens of other heroes with similar powers slipped through the cracks. These Spider-Folks are unlikely to earn solo films, but they could fill the void in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. Mattie Franklin, the third Spider-Woman, has the most striking appearance of the new batch.
The Sony Spider-Man Universe has struggled to deliver on an ill-conceived premise. They’ve made several superhero movies about supervillains, often attempting to elevate minor foes to starring status. Venom should have been easy, but his outings were messy. Morbius was one of the modern era’s most hilarious flops. Kraven the Hunter seems questionable, but at least Madame Web represents a new direction.
Who is Mattie Franklin?
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Full Name |
Martha “Mattie” Franklin |
|---|---|
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Creators |
John Byrne and Rafael Kayanan |
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First Appearance Date |
August 26, 1998 |
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Most Recent Appearance Date |
February 15, 2017 |
Mattie Franklin was born to wealthy businessman Jerry Franklin and his wife, Bernice. Bernice’s brother was John Jonah Jameson, the editor and owner of The Daily Bugle. Mattie’s early life was comfortable, but her father was always distant and busy with other duties. One night, she overheard Jerry discussing a ceremony with genius scientist and fellow business magnate Norman Osborn. Mattie quietly took her father’s place at the Gathering of Five, an ancient ritual that confers gifts or curses onto its participants. The event disguises its results, convincing the winners they’ve lost and vice versa. The possible outcomes included power, knowledge, immortality, insanity, and death. Each participant risked a 40% chance of disaster.
Norman Osborn lost the draw, receiving insanity while believing he was blessed with knowledge. Cassandra Webb, a psychic medium confined to a life support system, won immortality and regained some of her youth. Gregory Herd, a brilliant engineer, received death and lost his body to demonic possession. Local antiques dealer Morris Maxwell wins knowledge, but his newfound omniscience paralyzes him. Finally, Mattie Franklin pulls power and immediately gains superhuman strength, speed, durability, reflexes, and the power of flight. Shortly after Mattie won her superpowers, Spider-Man gave up his mantle, leaving New York City defenseless. Mattie donned a similar blue and red suit to keep her home safe. Peter Parker was back a few months later, reluctantly returning to his heroics to fight the possessed Gregory Herd. Mattie decided to forge her identity as the third Spider-Woman with the blessing of the first iteration, Jessica Drew. Things quickly went downhill. Mattie’s story after Spider-Man’s return is a miserable decline into addiction and sexual abuse, culminating in a gruesome death. It is safe to assume her narrative will not follow that path in the films.
When did Mattie Franklin first appear?
Mattie Franklin’s debut came in Amazing Spider-Man Vol 2, Issue 1. Initially, she’s a mysterious character, introduced wearing Spider-Man’s costume and fighting crime. She’s less effective than Peter Parker, but her goals are the same. Her name and backstory are revealed in the following issue. She technically appears in shadow in The Spectacular Spider-Man #262 during a shot of the Gathering of Five. She donned the Spider-Woman name in The Amazing Spider-Man #5. That three-part crossover event led to a solo franchise that ran for 18 issues before being canceled because of mediocre sales. Mattie was consigned to awful storylines in Alias, followed by a brief resurgence in Loners. Mattie died in a 2017 issue of Silk, and though characters rarely stay dead in comics, she’s been quiet for six years.
Who will play Mattie Franklin?
Celeste O’Connor steps into the Spider-Woman suit to play Mattie Franklin. Born in Kenya and raised in Baltimore, O’Connor made their cinematic debut in the 2017 crime thriller Wetlands. Their most celebrated performance came in Selah and the Spades, where they played a new boarding school drug gang member. O’Connor is also well-known for their role as Lucky Domingo in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and its upcoming sequel. They were the carhop Finn Wolfhard’s character developed a crush on. Madame Web will be their first foray into superhero cinema. They can be seen in the trailer wearing Mattie’s iconic iteration of the Iron Spider limbs.
Mattie Franklin received mistreatment on a level that is almost unheard of. Comic book superheroes die or suffer tragedy all the time, but her decline after the apparent sin of unimpressive sales numbers is truly staggering. Mattie barely received a chance to become an iconic hero. In a world with countless Spider-Folks, why does this one have to become a drugged slave for her most notable comic run? Madame Web has a lot to introduce with its title character and three new superheroes. It may be too much to ask for a proper showcase for Mattie Franklin, but anything would be preferable to her current presentation. The third Spider-Woman deserved better.
