Madame Web
Encyclopedia
Madame Web is a fictional supporting character
in the Spider-Man
comic book
series
.
. She is a paralyzed
, blind
, telepathic
, clairvoyant, and precognitive
mutant
, allowing her to work as a professional medium. She was originally stricken with myasthenia gravis
and was connected to a life support system
designed by her husband Jonathan Webb, which included a series of tubes shaped like a spider-web.
When Spider-Man approached her to help find kidnapped Daily Globe
publisher K.J. Clayton (actually an impersonator), Madame Web used her powers to help him locate and rescue both the real and the fake Clayton, but disclosed to him that she had divined his secret identity. In the "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!
" story arc, she contacts Spider-Man for assistance when Black Tom Cassidy
dispatches the Juggernaut
to capture her in the hope that her psychic powers would help them defeat the X-Men
, only for her to nearly die after Juggernaut separated her from her life-support system. This triggered a vicious fight between Spider-Man and the Juggernaut, who was subsequently trapped in a construction site's wet cement foundation. From the shock to her system, however, Madame Web apparently lost her memory of Spider-Man's secret identity.
Web is the grandmother of the fourth Spider-Woman
, Charlotte Witter
. She participated in an arcane ritual known as the "Gathering of the Five", gaining immortality; she was restored to youth and had her myasthenia gravis cured. At one point in time Webb served as a mentor of sorts to the third Spider-Woman, the young Mattie Franklin, although Franklin eventually retired.
Madame Web has resurfaced and her psychic powers are intact after Decimation
. However, since House of M (in which she did appear young) she seems to have regained her aged appearance, though the myasthenia gravis remains gone; this could indeed be taken as an effect of Decimation.
Madame Web again returns in a back-up feature in The Amazing Spider-Man #600. She looks into the future, showing what are apparently quick looks into Spider-Man's future, only to see someone "unravelling the web of fate", and fearfully exclaiming "They're hunting spiders." After that, she is attacked by Ana Kravinoff
and her mother, Sasha. The pair incapacitate her and then claim "we now have our eyes". She is seen still captured by Ana and her mother, as they inspect their new quarry, Mattie Franklin. While still bound in a chair, she apologizes to a then-unconscious Mattie, who is later killed by Sasha Kravinoff.
At the conclusion of "Grim Hunt" Madame Web has her throat slashed by Sasha Kravinoff in retaliation, as Sasha believed that Madame Web was deceiving her and knew the outcome of the events that transpired. Before dying, she reveals she is no longer blind, and passes her psychic powers over to Julia Carpenter.
that possesses psychic sensory powers including telepathy, clairvoyance, prescience, precognition, and the ability to sense the presence of psionic powers in others. She can also perform psychic surgery and appear to others in spirit (astral) form. She has a gifted intellect.
Madame Web was a victim of myasthenia gravis
, a disorder of neuromuscular junction transmission. As a result, she was an invalid entirely dependent on external life support for survival. This is no longer the case as she was cured of the condition some time ago. She is also blind. Madame Web is cybernetically linked to a spider-web-like life support chair which attends to all of her bodily needs.
as "the Widow of the Web", a spider-goddess who grants Webswinger (the Spider-Man parallel) his powers.
as a therapist employed by S.H.I.E.L.D.
.
. In issue #102, she is part of the psych team that plans to change Ultimate Spider-Woman's memories (who fills the role of Ben Reilly
). She appears in a wheelchair (implying paralysis) and blind, similar to the classic version. However, she is younger than that version of the character.
Supporting character
A supporting character is a character of a book, play, video game, movie, television or radio show or other form of storytelling usually used to give added dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character...
in the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series
Book series
A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publisher....
.
Fictional character biography
Cassandra Webb was born in Salem, OregonSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. She is a paralyzed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
, blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
, clairvoyant, and precognitive
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
, allowing her to work as a professional medium. She was originally stricken with myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability...
and was connected to a life support system
Life support system
In human spaceflight, a life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in space.US government space agency NASA,and private spaceflight companies...
designed by her husband Jonathan Webb, which included a series of tubes shaped like a spider-web.
When Spider-Man approached her to help find kidnapped Daily Globe
Daily Globe (comics)
The Daily Globe is a fictional New York City newspaper in the . It was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #27 , and for a long time its Editor was Barney Bushkin.-History:...
publisher K.J. Clayton (actually an impersonator), Madame Web used her powers to help him locate and rescue both the real and the fake Clayton, but disclosed to him that she had divined his secret identity. In the "Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!
Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!
"Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!" is a two-issue Spider-Man story arc written by Roger Stern with art by John Romita, Jr. and published by Marvel Comics. The arc appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #229-#230.-Plot summary:...
" story arc, she contacts Spider-Man for assistance when Black Tom Cassidy
Black Tom Cassidy
"Black Tom" Cassidy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, and archenemy of Banshee. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, he first fully appeared in Uncanny X-Men #101...
dispatches the Juggernaut
Juggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
to capture her in the hope that her psychic powers would help them defeat the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, only for her to nearly die after Juggernaut separated her from her life-support system. This triggered a vicious fight between Spider-Man and the Juggernaut, who was subsequently trapped in a construction site's wet cement foundation. From the shock to her system, however, Madame Web apparently lost her memory of Spider-Man's secret identity.
Web is the grandmother of the fourth Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Marvel Comics' then-publisher Stan Lee, said in 1978, shortly after Spider-Woman's debut in Marvel Spotlight #32 Spider-Woman is the codename of several fictional characters...
, Charlotte Witter
Spider-Woman (Charlotte Witter)
Charlotte Witter, the fourth Spider-Woman, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #6 .-Fictional character biography:...
. She participated in an arcane ritual known as the "Gathering of the Five", gaining immortality; she was restored to youth and had her myasthenia gravis cured. At one point in time Webb served as a mentor of sorts to the third Spider-Woman, the young Mattie Franklin, although Franklin eventually retired.
Madame Web has resurfaced and her psychic powers are intact after Decimation
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
. However, since House of M (in which she did appear young) she seems to have regained her aged appearance, though the myasthenia gravis remains gone; this could indeed be taken as an effect of Decimation.
Madame Web again returns in a back-up feature in The Amazing Spider-Man #600. She looks into the future, showing what are apparently quick looks into Spider-Man's future, only to see someone "unravelling the web of fate", and fearfully exclaiming "They're hunting spiders." After that, she is attacked by Ana Kravinoff
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
and her mother, Sasha. The pair incapacitate her and then claim "we now have our eyes". She is seen still captured by Ana and her mother, as they inspect their new quarry, Mattie Franklin. While still bound in a chair, she apologizes to a then-unconscious Mattie, who is later killed by Sasha Kravinoff.
At the conclusion of "Grim Hunt" Madame Web has her throat slashed by Sasha Kravinoff in retaliation, as Sasha believed that Madame Web was deceiving her and knew the outcome of the events that transpired. Before dying, she reveals she is no longer blind, and passes her psychic powers over to Julia Carpenter.
Powers and abilities
Madame Web is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
that possesses psychic sensory powers including telepathy, clairvoyance, prescience, precognition, and the ability to sense the presence of psionic powers in others. She can also perform psychic surgery and appear to others in spirit (astral) form. She has a gifted intellect.
Madame Web was a victim of myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability...
, a disorder of neuromuscular junction transmission. As a result, she was an invalid entirely dependent on external life support for survival. This is no longer the case as she was cured of the condition some time ago. She is also blind. Madame Web is cybernetically linked to a spider-web-like life support chair which attends to all of her bodily needs.
Avataars
A version of Madame Web makes a brief appearance in the heroic fantasy world of Avataars: Covenant of the ShieldAvataars: Covenant of the Shield
Avataars: Covenant of the Shield is a three-issue comic book mini-series, published by Marvel Comics in 2000. The series is written by Len Kaminski and pencilled by Oscar Jimenez and Javier Saltares....
as "the Widow of the Web", a spider-goddess who grants Webswinger (the Spider-Man parallel) his powers.
House of M
Webb also appeared during House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
as a therapist employed by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
.
MC2
Madame Web has died in the MC2 universe, but her reputation has inspired an entire temple of prophetic acolytes.Ultimate Madame Web
Madame Web has appeared in Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
. In issue #102, she is part of the psych team that plans to change Ultimate Spider-Woman's memories (who fills the role of Ben Reilly
Ben Reilly
Benjamin "Ben" Reilly is a fictional character in the . He is a clone of Peter Parker , and is prominent in the "Clone Saga" story arc...
). She appears in a wheelchair (implying paralysis) and blind, similar to the classic version. However, she is younger than that version of the character.
Television
- Madame Web appeared in the Spider-Man animated seriesSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
voiced by Joan Lee (the wife of Stan LeeStan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
). On the cartoon, she had a recurring role giving Spider-Man cryptic yet always vital advice and eventually led him to the BeyonderBeyonderThe Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
. Spider-Man's relationship with Madame Web was reluctant as he wanted to live his life autonomously, whereas she insisted he would need her knowledge for the upcoming difficulties. Instead of being a mutant, Madame Web was a cosmic entity of great mystical power (dwarfing Doctor Strange's powers). So apparently, she had no human origin. In the series, her role was typically to act as cryptic adviser to Spider-Man, offering him strange clues and riddles that would ultimately help him, as well as supposedly training him for the upcoming 'Ultimate Battle'. Madame Web's first appeared in a cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the third season's premiere episode "Doctor Strange". She made a full appearance in the next episode "Make a Wish" introducing herself and revealing her knowledge of Spider-Man's life and secret identity. In "The Ultimate Slayer," she saves Spider-Man from Alistair SmytheAlistair SmytheAlistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
giving Spider-Man the cryptic riddle on why Alistair Smythe is attacking on Kingpin's behalf. In "Tombstone," Madame Web gives Spider-Man a cryptic riddle that would help Robbie Robertson save his son Randy RobertsonRandy RobertsonRandy Robertson is a supporting character in Marvel Comics's Spider-Man series. Created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #67 .-History:...
from joining up with TombstoneTombstone (comics)Tombstone is a supervillain in the fictional Marvel universe. The character was created by Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36 .-Fictional character biography:...
. In "Venom Returns" and "Carnage," Madame Web tells Spider-Man that the only way to stop Baron MordoBaron MordoBaron Karl Amadeus Mordo is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by Marvel Comics and appearing as an enemy of Doctor Strange...
's plot to release Dormammu is to keep his friends close but his enemies closer. This resulted in Spider-Man working with Iron Man and Venom to stop Baron Mordo and CarnageCarnage (comics)Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
. In "Turning Point," Spider-Man tells Madame Web that he wants to end their relationship as Madame Web states that he will one day yearn for her wisdom on the day when the "two-headed monster" rises from the Netherworld. After Mary Jane and Norman Osborn's disappearance, Spider-Man calls Madame Web and she instantly appears after saying out loud it cannot end like this. He asks her if she can bring both of them back and that he promises that he will do anything she wants. Madame Web says she is unable to help and says this is path for himself and once this decision is made, there is no turning back. She also says this is yet another thing that he will have to learn. Spider-Man unmasks himself yelling he's tired of Madame Web, her riddles, her lessons and her supreme arrogance, and she doesn't ever enter his life again. Madame Web tells Peter he's still the Chosen One and when the time comes for the Ultimate Battle, she will return and send for him. Madame returned at the end of "The Return of Hydro-Man" Pt. 2 to tell Spider-Man that the "Ultimate Battle" (analogous to the Secret WarsSecret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
) will begin and stating that if he cooperates, she will tell him where the real Mary Jane WatsonMary Jane WatsonMary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
is. In "Arrival," she takes Spider-Man to an asteroid and introduces her to the Beyonder who holds his "Secret Wars" on a nearby planet. In "I Really Really Hate Clones," she revealed that she and the Beyonder had been testing multiple alternate Spider-Men to help resolve a crisis caused by the Spider-Carnage of an alternate universe, whose actions had led to the destruction of all reality. Madam Web and the Beyonder had managed to rewind time to stop the destruction from ever taking place, but required the aid of the Spider-Men to stop it happening again. In "Farewell Spider-Man," Madame Web continues the mission with the Spider-Men after Beyonder returned to his world following him sending the Man-Spider back to its reality. Madame Web transports Spider-Man from Ben Reilly's reality to the high-tech Spider-Man's reality where Spider-Carnage escaped to. After the Spider-Carnage had been defeated, Web briefly took Spider-Man to the real world to have a brief conversation with Stan Lee (who was stricken by her beauty, possibly an allusion to the relationship of the voice actors) and subsequently departed with him to search for Mary Jane Watson (who had vanished into a dimensional rift back in "Turning Point").
Video games
- Madame Web appears in the Spider-Man QuestprobeQuestprobeQuestprobe is a trilogy of graphical adventure computer games featuring Marvel Comics characters. The three games are Questprobe featuring The Hulk, Questprobe featuring Spider-Man and Questprobe featuring The Human Torch and The Thing....
game. - In the video game Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man (video game)Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released for most sixth generation consoles, including PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows, as well as a mobile phone...
, the Human TorchHuman TorchThe Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
may mock Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
during the game's races by saying, "Madame Web is faster than you, and I don't even get the reference!", an allusion to the fact that Madame Web did not exist in the Ultimate universe at that point. - Madame Web appears in the video game Spider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four universes from the Marvel Comics multiverse, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men...
, voiced by Susanne Blakeslee. She tells Spider-Man about the Tablet of Order and Chaos, and orders him and three other dimension counterparts to retrieve each of its pieces in their respective universes and repair the damage MysterioMysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
has done. She provides instructions to the Spider-Men about their powers, including new ones given by her such as Spider-Man's spider sense upgrade which allows him to see through objects, Spider-Man 2099's spider-sense, and Spider-Man Noir's web-swinging, and uses her telepathic powers to keep Ultimate Spider-Man's symbioteSymbiote (comics)In the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
from overwhelming Peter (although he still has outbursts of rage now and then).