Mattie Franklin

Mattie Franklin, born Martha Franklin, burst onto the Marvel Comics scene in The Spectacular Spider-Man #262 (1998), and her debut is one of the more fascinating and underappreciated keys of the late 90s Spider-Man era. She entered the story through the Gathering of Five ritual, a mystical ceremony in which her father unknowingly participated on her behalf. Mattie was granted what was interpreted as the gift of power — and with it, she would go on to claim one of Marvel's most iconic mantles, becoming the third major character to carry the Spider-Woman name.

What makes Mattie especially compelling from a collector's perspective is her unusual power set. Unlike many spider-themed heroes, she operates with a genuinely god-level origin, blending her mystically enhanced abilities — including psionic powers, flight, super strength, and a danger sense — with the classic wall-crawling and web-slinging fans expect. She also briefly operated under the alias Spider-Girl, adding another layer of identity complexity that ties her to multiple corners of the Marvel Universe. Her time with the Loners, a Marvel team made up of former teenage heroes trying to leave their costumed lives behind, gave her some of her most emotionally resonant stories and connected her to a broader network of cult-favorite characters.

Mattie's history took some genuinely dark turns in the pages of Alias, where Brian Michael Bendis used her story to explore gritty, street-level consequences in the Marvel Universe. Her appearances in that series are considered among the more mature and harrowing uses of a legacy Spider-character, and Alias back issues have become perennial collector favorites. That storyline helped cement Mattie as more than a footnote — she became a symbol of the risks and costs of living in the Marvel Universe as a young, overlooked hero.

For collectors, Mattie Franklin represents a deep-cut opportunity in the Spider-Man corner of Marvel. Her first appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man #262 remains affordable compared to other late-90s keys, making it an accessible pickup with real upside. Her subsequent appearances as Spider-Woman and her role in the Loners and Alias story threads give collectors a satisfying trail to follow. As interest in legacy heroes and overlooked female characters continues to grow, Mattie's key issues are well worth tracking down before the broader market catches up.