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Spider-Woman (TV series) facts for kids

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Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman (intertitle).jpg
Genre Superhero
Action
Adventure
Developed by Stan Lee
Voices of Joan Van Ark
Bruce Miller
Bryan Scott
Narrated by Dick Tufeld
(Opening)
Composer(s) Eric Rogers
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 16
Production
Executive producer(s) David H. DePatie
Friz Freleng
Producer(s) Lee Gunther
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) DePatie–Freleng Enterprises
Marvel Comics Animation
Release
Original network ABC
Original release September 22, 1979 (1979-09-22) – January 5, 1980 (1980-01-05)

Spider-Woman is an animated TV show based on the Marvel Comics character, Spider-Woman. The show was made by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation. It was shown on ABC from September 22, 1979, to January 5, 1980.

Meet Spider-Woman: The TV Show

Jessica Drew's Secret Life

The TV show's opening tells us about Jessica Drew. When she was a child, a venomous spider bit her. To save her life, her father gave her an experimental "spider serum." This serum also gave her amazing superhuman powers!

As an adult, Jessica works as an editor for Justice Magazine. She works with two other people:

  • Jeff Hunt: A photographer who likes to brag but is sometimes a bit scared. He thinks he's a clever crime-solver.
  • Billy: Jessica's teenage nephew.

When trouble starts, Jessica secretly changes into her superhero identity: Spider-Woman!

Cartoon vs. Comic Book Powers

The cartoon version of Spider-Woman has some different powers compared to the original comic book character.

  • Her super strength from the comics seems to be missing. In the show, she can be held back by simple things like rope.
  • She can stick to walls, just like in the comics.
  • She can shoot white energy blasts from her hands called "venom blasts." In the comics, these are green.
  • She has powers similar to Spider-Man:
    • A "spider-sense" that lets her see dangers before they happen. She can close her eyes and see a vision of the danger, shown as an image inside a spider-web.
    • She can shoot "weblines" from her palms or fingers. These seem to come naturally from her body, unlike Spider-Man's web-shooters. However, she can run out of "web fluid" sometimes. She can also control where her weblines go.
  • The animated Spider-Woman can change into her costume just by spinning around. This idea came from the live-action Wonder Woman TV show.
  • In the comics, she could only glide on air. But in the cartoon, she can fly whenever she wants, though her costume still has glider wings.
  • Sometimes, the cartoon Spider-Woman would suddenly show new "spider-powers" that helped her in tricky situations. These included:
    • "Spider-telepathy": This allowed her to talk to spiders with her mind and ask them for help.
    • A "spider-bubble": This protective bubble let her go underwater without needing diving gear.

Interestingly, Paul Soles voiced Spider-Man in this series, just as he did in the 1960s Spider-Man show.

Episode Guide

Number Episode Title Air Date
1 "Pyramids of Terror" September 22, 1979 (1979-09-22)
Spider-Man joins the Justice Magazine crew. They investigate an alien invasion in Egypt led by a mummy named Khufu.
2 "Realm of Darkness" September 29, 1979 (1979-09-29)
The powerful demon Dormammu appears on a Pacific island. He plans to make all humans his slaves.
3 "The Amazon Adventure" October 6, 1979 (1979-10-06)
Gold is stolen from Fort Knox. The Justice Magazine team follows clues to the Amazon. There, they find a plot by the Amazon leader Shanna to take over the world.
4 "The Ghost Vikings" October 13, 1979 (1979-10-13)
A "ghost" Viking ship appears off the coast of Norway. The Vikings plan to steal the world's treasures and return to their own time. Spider-Woman travels back to the year 952 AD to stop them.
5 "The Kingpin Strikes Again" October 20, 1979 (1979-10-20)
Spider-Woman fights Kingpin and his helpers as they rob a bank. Kingpin later steals an invisibility ray and tries to get revenge on Jessica Drew for an article she wrote. He then learns her secret identity!
6 "The Lost Continent" October 27, 1979 (1979-10-27)
United States Air Force planes disappear in the Bermuda Triangle. The Justice Magazine team investigates and finds a hidden world where dinosaurs still live.
7 "The Kongo Spider" November 3, 1979 (1979-11-03)
Spider-Man guest stars. While covering a movie filming, the Justice Magazine team finds a giant spider. This episode is inspired by the movie King Kong.
8 "Games of Doom" November 10, 1979 (1979-11-10)
Athletes at the World Athletic Games in Moscow are being kidnapped and replaced by robot copies. Jessica Drew goes undercover as a long jumper to find out what's happening.
9 "Shuttle to Disaster" November 17, 1979 (1979-11-17)
The Justice Magazine team ends up on a hijacked space shuttle heading to the moon. A villain named Steeljaw wants to make humans dig for valuable gems there.
10 "Dracula's Revenge" November 24, 1979 (1979-11-24)
The world's people are in danger of being turned into vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein's Monsters. Spider-Woman discovers that Dracula is behind it.
11 "The Spider-Woman and the Fly" December 1, 1979 (1979-12-01)
Jessica faces a former assistant of her father, who became the Human Fly after a lab accident. He figures out her secret identity and creates a formula to take away her spider powers.
12 "Invasion of the Black Hole" December 8, 1979 (1979-12-08)
A UFO tries to swallow Earth into a black hole. Aliens from the planet Graviton plan to invade.
13 "The Great Magini" December 15, 1979 (1979-12-15)
A magician called "The Great Magini" tries to steal the world's most famous landmarks.
14 "A Crime in Time" December 22, 1979 (1979-12-22)
An experimental time machine releases an invasion of creatures similar to Wookiees. Jessica has to reveal her secret identity to her friends to save everyone.
15 "Return of the Spider-Queen" December 29, 1979 (1979-12-29)
Spider-Woman is brainwashed by alien spider-like creatures. They believe she is their long-lost queen.
16 "The Deadly Dream" January 5, 1980 (1980-01-05)
An alien threatens the world with her powers that make people fall asleep.

Voice Cast

  • Joan Van Ark as Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman
  • Bruce Miller as Jeff Hunt
  • Bryan Scott as Billy Drew
  • Larry Carroll as Detective Miller
  • Lou Krugman as Police Chief
  • Vic Perrin
  • Tony Young
  • John Milford
  • Paul Soles as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
  • Ilene Latter
  • Karen Machon
  • Paul Winchell
  • Dick Tufeld as Opening Narrator

See also

Learn more about Spider-Woman! In Spanish: Mujer Araña (serie animada) para niños

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