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Arachne
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Alias:
Julia Cornwall Carpenter
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First Appearance:
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6
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Base of Operations:
Mobile
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Occupation:
Former Government Agent
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Place of Birth:
Los Angeles, California
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Issue Activated:
West Coast Avengers #74
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Recruited:
39th recruit
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Classification:
Human
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Marital Status:
Divorced
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Membership Status:
Inactive
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Powers / Abilities:
Julie Carpenter currently has no superhuman powers.
She formerly possessed abilities similar to that of Spider-Man including superhuman strength, enhanced speed, enhanced reflexes, and enhanced agility. Her endurance and stamina were heightened as well, though to a lesser degree. She also had the ability to cling to vertical surfaces (though, unlike Spider-Man, her ability was psionic-based).
Julia also had an ability that Spider-Man did not possess: the ability to utilize psionic-based webbing, although it required a lot of concentration to manifest. This webbing could be controlled in ways Spider-Man's webbing never could.
In addition to her natural superhuman advantages, she was extensively trained by the Commission on Superhuman Activities, presumably in espionage and hand-to-hand combat.
Background / History:
As yet nothing has been revealed about the origin of the second Spider-Woman; even her true identity remains a mystery so far. (The original Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, has retired from her career as a costumed adventurer.
The second Spider-Woman was present in a suburb of Denver, Colorado when it was transported to a distant location in outer space by the alien Beyonder to become part of the Battleworld he created as the setting for the first of the so-called "secret wars". Spider-Woman has claimed that she has "good friends" living there; it is not known whether or not she herself made her home there. Seeing evidence of the fighting taking place on Battleworld among the superhuman beings whom the Beyonder had brought to the planet. Spider-Woman, in costume, sought out the team of superhuman champions from Earth and offered her assistance, which they accepted. She served as an effective member of their team, and, at the conclusion of the "secret war," was, like most of her teammates, teleported back to Earth.
Spider-Woman was highly impressed by the Avengers and other superhuman champions beside whom she fought during the "secret war," and wanted to be a costumed adventurer like them. Hence, she became a member of Freedom Force, the United States federal governments team of superhuman agents, most of whom had formerly been wanted criminals belonging to the second Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. National Security adviser Dr. Valerie Cooper insisted that Freedom Force accept Spider-Woman as a member, despite the reluctance of the Freedom Force, Spider-Woman observed and disapproved of the cruelty of her new teammates.
After Quicksilver framed the then active members of the Avengers as criminals, Freedom Force was assigned to arrest those Avengers. Spider-Woman, who greatly admired the Avengers, was severely troubled by seeing the treatment they received from the Freedom Force, Cooper, and National Security agent Henry Peter Gyrich. Gyrich had the Avengers incarcerated in a special prison for superhuman beings called the Vault. Spider-Woman went to the Vault wondering if she should do something to help the Avengers. She worried that doing so would mean that she would have to leave Freedom Force, and that Freedom Force would retaliate against her. Spider-Woman had decided not to intervene until she saw how the Avengers were treated at their trial, but then she accidentally set off an alarm. Now that her presence was known, thinking she would never get another chance to do so, she decided to free the Avengers. She destroyed the controls for the feeding mechanisms in the teams cells, enabling the Wasp to escape. All the Avengers were soon free and escaped the Vault. The Avengers finally cleared their names of wrongdoing, but Spider-Woman has fled. She later joined the Avengers West Coast as well as Force Works.
Eventually Julia walked away from the superhero business to concentrate on raising her daughter Rachel. Like Jessica Drew (the original Spider-Woman), Julia was also attacked by Charlotte Witter and had her powers stolen. Recently, Arachne regained her powers through a duplicate serum whose effect remains in question. Apparently she has regained her whole powers, but she hasn't shown all of them.
Please note that Arachne was also known as Spider-Woman (II).
Weapons / Paraphernalia:
[not on file]
Team Affiliations:
Commission on Super Human Activities
Force Works
Freedom Force
Omega Flight
Secert Defenders
West Coast Avengers
 Arachne Profile Corrections |
