Spider-Woman is Pregnant and I Am Freaking Out

I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but when that’s all I have to go off what choice do I have? I know my reaction is knee-jerky especially considering the team’s previous — positive! — track record. But that cover… It’s just not sitting right with me.

The cover, if by chance you haven’t seen it yet, shows Jessica Drew in her Spider-Woman uniform and heavily pregnant. She is looking directly at the reader and flexing her bicep. She is still strong, still in control, still Jess. While the artwork is in no way sexualized, I still get this weirdly fetishistic feeling from it. It’s not as obviously inappropriate as the famed Milo Manara variant cover (Spider-Woman #1, 2014) but there is still something about it that makes me feel physically uncomfortable.

Spider-Woman_1_Promo

Now, there is no real reason why Spider-Woman couldn’t be pregnant. People get pregnant all the time. However, most of those people don’t share Spider-Woman’s history. They were never kidnapped, experimented upon, or used. Their sense of bodily autonomy was never compromised or removed. It is in part this history that led me to think the worst — to panic that I would have to watch another of my heroes become a victim in order to gain the courage or motivation she needs to overcome whatever it is that stands in her way. But then again, this is all speculation. The worst case scenario — which, it seems too often, is the only scenario.

Taking some time out to respond to fans (me) on Twitter, Dennis Hopeless has assured us that the story will be handled in a sensitive manner. While that provides some relief, it doesn’t answer the real question of how the hell did that baby get in there? And why? I’m past caring if it would be considered a spoiler. I want to know what I am getting myself into when I pick up issue #1 in October.

You see, Jess has always struck me as the kind of person who, in the event that something like this should occur, would get it taken care of. I say that as someone who would do that same and I don’t have any of the great power or great responsibility that Jess is dealing with on the day to day. She is an actual super-hero dealing with actual super-villains. This is not a safe environment to be carrying a child, let alone raising one.

That said, I trust this team to make it right, to be mindful of their story and their readership. I do not expect to find an unpleasant story in the origin of Jess’s pregnancy, nor do I expect one to follow the birth. I mean, maybe she’s not even pregnant and I’m all worked up over nothing. Maybe it’s a dream, maybe she’s had a court order to wear one of those fake pregnancy bellies until she is more sensitive to the plights of pregnant people. Maybe whatever happens it’ll all work out fine and Squirrel Girl will be the live-in nanny and I’ll be able to look back and laugh at past me for being such a tightly wound, worry wart.

As a final point and because I am incapable of letting things be: Parent by day, hero by night? – Can someone please tell Jess that it’s like 4000% easier to find childcare during the day than it is at night? Unless of course, Squirrel Girl is going to be the nanny.

[Editor’s Note: I, too, have faith in the continuing creative team on Spider-Woman, but I can’t help gristle at the idea that Jessica might one day split open to reveal hundreds of spider-babies crawling out. Brrrrr.]

 

Authors

Related posts

One Comment;

  1. VenomMelendez said:

    The question of how the baby got in there is probably just that Jessica had sex with someone and got pregnant.

    That does raise the question of who the father is an will he help Jessica support and raise this kid.

Top