It was 25 years ago that Peter and Mary Jane’s daughter got a What If story that helped create one of the best characters in Spider-Man’s world. Mayday Parker debuted in What If? #105 and it went on sale December 17th, 1997. Writer Tom DeFalco penned the story, artist Ron Frenz penciled it and Bill Sienkiewicz inked it. Spider-Girl, would then get her own ongoing series that lasted 100 issues. DeFalco would continue to write it and Patrick Olliffe and Frenz would share pencils on the series. It is still the longest running female comic in Marvel’s history.
The Amazing Spider-Girl picked up the baton and went on for another 30 issues and wrapped up in 2009. Fans fought to get those 130 issues and the fandom is still passionate about the character. Crawlspace panelist Kelly McDaniel is the biggest Spider-Girl fan I know and even produces a podcast called Make Mine Mayday. Give it a listen with her co-host Zach Joiner.
The banner at the top of the books often said, “The daughter of the true Spider-Man.” Many fans, including myself feel she is the true legacy of Peter Parker. I think it’s a shame Marvel hasn’t done something special for our girl on her 25th anniversary, but being a Spider-Girl fan is not an easy task. Keep fighting for stories that honor her legacy, the recent Spider-Verse stories on the Marvel Unlimited app are not it.
Over the years the years the Crawlspace has had a great friendship with the creative team. In fact in Amazing Spider-Girl # 8 the Crawlspace is mentioned in the letters pages. I have interviewed Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz along with longtime inker of the series Sal Buscema several times. Here are a few of those interviews that I think you’d like.
2007 interview
2008 Interviews
2009 Sal Buscema Tribute Show featuring Stan Lee
2020 Video Interview
2022 Tom DeFalco 50 Years in Comics
If you would like to read about Spider-Girls adventures there’s a few ways to do it. You can read her past stories on the Marvel Unlimited subscription.
Here’s a link to Spider-Girl and a link to Amazing Spider-Girl. Long live Spider-Girl!
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Pandora
Amazon Music
iHeartRadio
Podbean
Amazon Alexa
Player.fm
Listen Notes
Stitcher
Haven’t been on the site for a while (to my regret), and was very pleasantly surprised to see this post!
Mayday is absolutely the truest legacy of our boy Peter and his true love/lovely bride, MJ.
I’d even go so far as to say that MC2 ought to be the true future of the Marvel Universe and that Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz are absolutely the closest thing to Stan Lee & Steve Ditko we have left.
The fact that this character and her stories are still an “underappreciated gem” is such a crime. Mayday’s various series were written, illustrated, and inked by creators at the very top of their game.
Now excuse while I go to the “Spider-Girl” section of my backissue drawers and reread this run for the dozenth time.
Long live Spider-Girl! Viva Crawlspace!
May was not only a great character and a legacy done right, but the entire supporting cast was done justice.
Peter, MJ, Phil Urich, Kaine…. So many old characters actually behaving… Well in character and growing rather than stagnating or reverting!