Mattie Franklin aka Spider-Woman III

This page is not intended as a complete synopsis of Mattie Franklin's character, rather, an overview of the events that were directly impacted by the Gathering of Five ritual.
 
Martha "Mattie" Franklin first appeared in the Spiderverse as an unknown eavesdropper on a phone conversation between Norman Osborn and her father Jeremy "Jerry" Franklin in Spectacular Spider-Man #262.  Jerry was slated as an original member of the Gathering of Five ritual, but he had last minute second thoughts causing him to reneg on his committment.  However, Mattie stepped up to bring the shard to Norman and particpate in the ritual.  Mattie and Norman collide from the onset as Mattie when she reveals her love for Spider-Man and once Mattie is bestowed the gift of power from the ritual she is able to act on that admiration.  Her new power set provides her with the increased speed and strength as well as the ability to fly.
 
At the conclusion of the Final Chapter story arc, Peter Parker retires (once again) from being Spider-Man.  However, a new Spider-Man appears and battles a newly refashioned Scorpion in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #1.  However, in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #2, during a battle with Shadrac (aka Dr. Greg Herd), this new Spider-Man is almost defeated and is saved by Peter who happened to be nearby.  Peter unmasks the new Spider-Man revealing fifteen year old Mattie Franklin as the new hero.  Mattie informs Peter that she recieved the gift of power from the Gathering and that when the original Spider-Man did his disappearing act, she stepped in to play that role. 
 
In Amazing Spider-Man V2 #6, J. Jonah Jameson and his wife Marla visit Mattie in the hospital after a recent battle with the Evil Spider-Woman.  It turns out that Marla and Mattie's father Jeremy are long time friends, so much so that Mattie refers to Marla as her aunt and Jonah as her uncle.  Mattie soon moves in with the couple who do their best to help raise the teenager.  In that same story, Mattie is recruited by Madame Web, who solicits the young hero's help to stop the Evil Spider-Woman. 
 
In Spider-Woman V3 #1, Mattie confronts the Evil Spider-Woman and is able to re-absorb the powers that the villainess had stolen.  After doing so, Mattie is able to "grow" four spider-like appendages from her back.  These appendages remain under the control of the Evil Spider-Woman at first, but soon Mattie is able to attain control over them.  Unfortunately this "power re-absorption causes a power unbalance that leads to Madame Web losing her "gift" from the GatheringThis act ultimately brings about the discovery that all of the powers distributed during Osborn's ritual were linked together and when that link is altered all of the participants are affected.  Doc Ock soon retaliates though, since he created the Evil Spider-Woman, when he captures Mattie and places her under his mind control in Spider-Woman V3 #2.   Mattie is eventually able to overcome the mind control and defeat Doc Ock with the help of Spider-Man.
 
Mattie's crush on Peter Parker/Spider-Man reaches a new level when she discovers that MJ has died in a plane crash in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #14.  After yet another battle with the Evil Spider-Woman, Mattie kisses Peter, catching him off guard.  Peter immediately squashes her teenage attempt at romance.  In the process of doing so, however, Mattie is able to uncover the Peter's ID as Spider-Man. 
 
In Spider-Woman V3 #9, the Evil Spider-Woman is defeated once and for all and the power balance established by the Gathering is restored.  One interesting facet to this story is that at its conclusion Spider-Man requests that Mattie's knowledge of his ID be removed from Mattie's memory.  Madame Web obliges, and performs a p"sychic surgery" on Mattie, removing her knowledge of Spidey's ID.  This tactic is eerily similar to the one utilized by Spider-Man that inevitably precipitates the events of Brand New Day.  Losing the knowledge of Spider-Man's ID takes an emotional toll on on Mattie due to the fact that she had a crush on him and that he apparently feels like he cannot trust her with the information.
 
Mattie goes on to continue her career as Spider-Woman and battles classic villains such as the Rhino and new villains like Flesh and Bones, Nighteyes, and Dolman.  She even teams up with iconic hero Captain America.  
 
After one final battle with villains Miss Itch, Mr. Scratch, and Flesh and Bones, Mattie seemingly retires from her role as Spider-Woman III.  Mattie's current status as well as her whereabouts are unknown at this point.
 
 
 


 
 
Mattie Franklin, disguised as Spider-Man, battles the Scorpion, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #1
 
 
Left:  Peter unmasks the "new" Spider-Man only to discover that it is the teenager Mattie Franklin, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #2
Right:  Mattie is visited by J. Jonah Jameson and his wife Marla at the hospital, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #6
  
 
 
Left:  A youthful Madame Web recruits Mattie to aid against the new Evil Spider-Woman
Right:  Doctor Octopus and his genetically altered Evil Spider-Woman (aka Charlotte Witter) prepare to kill Spider-Man, both panels are seen in , as seen in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #6
 
 
Left:  Mattie confronts the Evil Spider-Woman and re-absorbs her power set from the villainess, seen in Spider-Woman V3 #1
Right:  Mattie fights alongside Doc Ock while under the mind control of the villain, as seen in Spider-Woman V3 #2
 
 
Left:  Mattie, while sharing quarters with Marla and Jonah, learns of the news of MJ's death in a plane crash
Right:  After a battle with the Evil Spider-Woman, Mattie forces herself onto Peter, both panels are seen in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #14 
 
 
Madame Web uses "psychic surgery" to remove the knowledge of Spider-Man's ID from Mattie, as seen in Spider-Woman V3 #9