Marvel’s Jessica Jones has a brand-new superpower, and typically for her terrible relationship with her powers, Marvel has confirmed it’s one of the grossest around.
Debuting in 2001, Jessica Jones gained superpowers after a car crash simultaneously doused her in mysterious chemicals and killed her family. The experience granted her mid-tier superstrength, a minor healing factor and unreliable flight (Jess later trained herself to have impressive telepathic defenses following her harrowing experiences with the Purple Man.)
Jess has always had stereotypical, mid-level ‘superhero’ powers, since part of the point of the character is she’s a ‘failed’ hero who turned private investigator. Now, Marvel is breaking that pattern with a rare, incredibly gross new ability.
Jessica Jones Debuts New Spider-Powers
Jessica Jones’ new power comes courtesy of What If…? Jessica Jones #1, from Justina Ireland, David Messina, Brian Reber and Joe Sabino. The comic explores a reality where Jess is bitten by the spider that empowered Peter Parker (having been present for the bite in mainstream lore) and became Spider-Girl.
The comic picks up later in her career where she’s ditched the Spider-Girl identity, depicting the return of the Green Goblin and Jess being forced to fight him. While Jessica uses traditional spider-powers for most of the story, she takes the Goblin down with an unusual ability – the power to spit acid.
The acid is so powerful that it melts the Green Goblin’s glider, allowing Jess to restrain him and reveal him as Peter Parker, who is looking to recapture the reflected glory of Jess’ superhero days. No fan was expecting Jess to wield acid vomit as part of her spider-powers, but it’s on trend with how Marvel has been expanding the abilities of its arachnid heroes…
Marvel’s Spider-Powers Are More Varied Than Ever Before
Since 2014’s Spider-Verse event, Marvel has been actively expanding its roster of Spider-Heroes with a vengeance. Initially, these heroes all had versions of Peter Parker’s powers, however Marvel quickly grew more and more ambitious.
This ambition is on show in the ongoing Spider-Versity series, where Norman Osborn and Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman are training the pick of young spider-heroes. From Miles Morales’ camouflage to Spider-Boy’s control over spiders, the once-simple concept of ‘spider-powers’ now covers a huge variety of abilities.
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The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity Team Members |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Hero |
Powers |
Additional Abilities/Details |
First Appearance |
Role |
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Norman Osborn (formerly Green Goblin and Gold Goblin) |
Enhanced physiology and superstrength |
Genius scientist, utilizes inventions including Goblin Bombs and Goblin Glider |
1964’s Amazing Spider-Man #14 |
Teacher/Founder |
|
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) |
Enhanced physiology, pheromone control and powerful ‘venom’ blasts |
Trained spy and fighter |
1976’s Marvel Spotlight #32 |
Teacher |
|
Spider-Man (Miles Morales) |
Classic Spider-Powers + ‘venom’ energy blasts and camouflage/invisibility |
Recently learned to forge ‘venom’ energy into a sword. Can focus spider-sense to see through walls. |
2011’s Ultimate Fallout #4 |
Student/Founder |
|
Silk (Cindy Moon) |
Classic Spider-Powers + organic webbing |
Can sense Peter Parker anywhere in the world, due to being bitten by the same spider |
2014’s Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #1 |
Student |
|
Araña (Aña Corazón) |
Classic Spider-Powers + magic |
Skilled hacker, utilizes unique grappling hooks/bolas |
2004’s Amazing Fantasy Vol. 2 #1 |
Student |
|
Ghost-Spider aka Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy) |
Classic Spider-Powers |
Experienced at traveling the multiverse |
2014’s Edge of Spider-Verse #2 |
Student |
|
Spider-Boy (Bailey Briggs) |
Classic Spider-Powers + venomous fangs, spider-like physiology, control over spiders, precognitive spider-sense |
Spider-Boy’s spider-sense is so advanced, he can sense who will need help before danger occurs |
2023’s Spider-Man Vol. 4 #7 |
Student |
|
Spider-Girl (Makawalu Akana) |
Classic Spider-Powers + can mimic powers and knowledge of anyone she makes eye contact with |
Trained as an assassin by Bullseye |
2024’s Spider-Boy Vol. 2 #11 |
Student |
Even Peter Parker is getting in on the fun, having recently unlocked a new level of Spider-Sense in Amazing Spider-Man #30 (Joe Kelly, Pete Woods.) After training with Daredevil, Spider-Man realized he could fight on pure instinct, foreseeing his enemy’s strikes to deliver a brutal beatdown.
This power is still being explored in canon, but shows how everything from instinctive fighting to pheromone control to mechanical arms now fall under the heading of spider-powers in Marvel lore.
Jessica Jones’ Webbing Needs to Make It Into Mainstream Continuity
While Jessica Jones’ acid spit is a unique take on spider-powers, one of the coolest elements of the comic is her take on the Spider-Man franchise’s organic webbing. Rather than swinging through the city, Jess can create webs by clasping her hands together, then weaving a shape. She uses this to create web parachutes to glide rather than swing (something the Joro spider does in real life.)
Jess is also able to hurl net-like webbing bundles, capturing her villains in a similar way to Peter Parker. This is a unique way of depicting webbing powers, and while What If…? Jessica Jones is a oneshot with no continuation officially planned, here’s hoping this type of webbing is given to another character, as the image of a hero carefully spinning a web shape is a great visual.
Marvel’s new What If…? comics have offered up surprising takes on classic characters, and Jessica Jones’ issue confirms that wherever her superhuman status comes from, she’s destined to draw the short straw when it comes to powers.
What If…? Jessica Jones #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
