Introduced in Marvel Spotlight #32 back in 1977, Jessica Drew was injected by her father with a serum derived from the blood of several different breeds of spiders. Developing powers remarkably similar to those of Spider-Man, Jessica is also capable of producing venom which directly attacks her opponents nervous systems; she is also capable of pheromone secretion, allowing her to illicit fear or sexual attraction in others. Initially a private investigator, Jessica soon developed the persona of Spider-Woman and joined the crime fighting business, eventually joining up with The New Avengers, as well as eventually becoming an agent of S.W.O.R.D. How To Introduce Her Though there have been several Spider-Women over the years, Jessica Drew would be the best option here. The characters tragic origins as a downtrodden experiment gone wrong, chased from her home by an angry mob, raised by an agent of Hydra and conditioned from a young age, Jessica is just the most interesting of the Spider-Women. Shes browbeaten and constantly questioning her own humanity, exploited or abandoned by nearly everyone in her life thus far. The character could be introduced as a plainclothes superhero without a sense of direction or purpose. Costumeless, Jessica Drew could slowly be brought into the fold as a fully-fledged member of The Defenders, perhaps eventually becoming the most important character in the whole show. At that point, shed get her own accompanying series (which would be appropriate considering the fact that several of The Defenders will be reaching their fourth and fifth seasons by that point), at which point shell adorn the costume, and thatll be that. Just as were getting exhausted with the constancy of characters like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, well have Spider-Woman to take over the reins and carry the show. Shell represent a breath of fresh air; the show will have fresh legs, and everything can move forward without seeming stale or repetitive. Which superheroes would you like to see added to The Defenders line up? Share your favourites below in the comments thread.
