Spider-Woman #42

Spider-Woman number 42, released in 1982, arrived during the twilight of Jessica Drew’s original ongoing series. By this stage in the character's publication history, the editorial direction had shifted significantly from her 1977 debut, with the creative team focusing on moving the protagonist from her traditional San Francisco setting to a new life in Los Angeles. This issue serves as a late-run installment that reflects the evolving tone of Marvel’s supernatural and detective-themed superhero books of the early 1980s.

The cover and interior work from this era often highlighted the efforts of artists attempting to balance established continuity with the experimental storytelling trends of the time. Like many books in the final stretch of a series before its temporary cancellation in 1983, the creative execution focused on wrapping up long-standing subplots. While this issue remains a part of the foundational lore for the character, it is largely viewed by historians as a quintessential example of the transitional period that preceded the character's extended absence from the spotlight.