Slightly Misplaced Comic Book Characters Case File #471: Anya Corazon

Well, I covered one of the Spider-Women last time in “honor” of the Madame Web movie.  I suppose it’s only fair that I do another.  As such, here’s Anya Corazon, a young woman who may or may not be called “Spider-Girl”.

Anya first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #1 in August of 2004.  Created by the combination of then Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, writer Fiona Avery, and artist Mark Brooks, Anya was a normal high school girl when one day there was a fight breaking out between the magical groups the Spider Society and the Sisterhood of the Wasp.  Caught in a blast that nearly killed her, a mage named Miguel transferred spider-power into Anya to save her life.  She initially took the name Araña and went out to fight the forces of evil, particularly the Sisterhood of the Wasp, and eventually did meet Spider-Man.

Yes, Spidey taught her that with great power comes great responsibility.

It’s probably worth noting that, as Araña, Anya had the standard Spider-Man powers plus a blue exoskeleton that she could use to protect herself.  That last power wasn’t exactly a gift of the Spider-Society, but Anya’s newfound power did have some drawbacks like something called “the Spirit of the Hunter,” a side power that made her almost kill someone if she accessed it without Miguel the Mage to guide her.

However, despite some promise and a growing rogue’s gallery of her own, Anya did give up the powers to another member of the Spider Society, and that would have been the end of the road, except she decided to just try a new costume, one where she would try to do good for others as best she could.

It was in this identity that she was eventually dubbed “Spider-Girl,” a name she didn’t care for at first but later came to embrace.

Oh, and then there was some crossover called Spider-Island, during which the Jackal gave everyone in the city spider-powers.  A cure was developed, and though Anya took it, she somehow retained the spider-powers because, I dunno, she just did.  That means her initial magical powers were replaced by science-based ones, only without the exo-skeleton she had as Araña.  Anya, it should be noted, is something of a joined.  She was on the pro-Registration side during Civil War, part of the Avengers Academy, one of the Young Allies, and yes, involved with a whole lot of Spider-verse stuff.

Oh, and she was played by actress Isabela Merced in that awful Madame Web movie where she did…not a whole lot, actually.

So, that’s two of the three Spider-Women from that movie.  Does that mean I am covering the third and final one next?  Nope!  I already covered her.