Real name: Leigh Meadows (#englishjoke)

Leigh Arnold is a 22 year old recent college graduate with a degree in Music Theory, currently working part time as a convenience store clerk while she looks for something full time.

In her senior year at the city college, Leigh was on the floor, reaching behind a computer looking for a place to plug in her phone when she was bitten by a spider. The genetically engineered spider had escaped confinement weeks before. It had been modified so its venom would capable of carrying gene-matched medications for human use. It had also wandered through the Physics Department’s research reactor, further changing its genetics. The graduate student who had been in charge of the spider panicked when she discovered it missing and claimed that it’d died when she found it missing.

The venom caused her hand to swell painfully and she lay in bed for several days with a fever. Unknown to her, the venom was altering her genetic code, mixing spider genes into her own. Over the next few weeks, she started noticing changes in her body, she was getting stronger and lighter on her feet. Occasionally she’d put something down, only to find it was still attached to her hand. After experimenting with her best friends, Andrea and Teo she discovered she was a lot stronger, like flipping over a car no problem, stronger. She could also climb walls and extrude spider silk-like webbing from her wrists. They debated on what she should do between classes and band practice. Andrea thought she should keep everything on the down low until they understood what was going on, while Teo encouraged her to do something with her powers.

Not long after, Teo had graduated from the police academy and just started his second week as a rookie cop. Teo and his senior partner were responding to a  call about a strange creature in a scrap yard when they were ambushed by a lizard-like humanoid creature. Teo managed to call for help over his radio. Leigh’s father, a police lieutenant got the call while they were eating dinner and rushed out. Leigh hesitated for a couple of minutes, unsure of what to do before making a decision. Not wanting anyone to know she was changed, Leigh rushed to her room and threw on a pink hoodie and black ski mask before rushing out to help. By the time she arrived, three officers were seriously wounded.

Leigh immediately joined the fight while the remaining officer, her father called for more help. The fight with the lizard didn’t go her way at first. While she was stronger and faster, he was a much better fighter. Finally, she caught a lucky break and pulled down a pile of compacted cars on top of him with her webbing. It was enough to knock out the lizard so he could be captured.

In addition to the two injured officers, a civilian was killed by the lizard. Teo’s legs had to be amputated and his father David Martinez, a popular radio personality blamed the police for not being able to protect his son, but mostly he blamed the mysterious spider woman and he isn’t afraid to let his listeners know.

In the aftermath of the fight with Teo’s encouragement, Leigh decided she had a responsibility to use her new powers the right way. She compromised with Andrea and kept her true identity secret. Between the three of them, they designed a suit more appropriate to her new role made of a more durable material while still keeping the look of the original.

Meanwhile, after almost being caught by her father while sneaking out in costume, Leigh decided it would be best if she moved out and went in with Andrea on an apartment a couple miles from home. Her part-time job barely covers her half of the rent while Leigh tries to balance looking for a job, keeping up with gigs and practice with the band, and patrolling around the city.