In the comics, Cassandra Webb possesses a power unique among spider-powered heroes. Thanks to the Web of Life and Destiny (yes, that’s actually what it’s called), a high-dimensional network or construct that allows for multiversal travel, Madame Web boasts physic abilities that puts her in the same league as the X-Men’s Professor Xavier, as opposed to an even playing field with any of Spider-Man’s animal-based friends or foes. The film, directed by S.J. Clarkson, puts its own spin on the character by tying her powers to her mother Constance’s (Kerry Bishé) research in the Amazon jungle, where she searched for a rare spider that (we eventually learn) could cure her unborn daughter’s degenerative neurological disease. But, somehow, this results in a power that can only be described as clairvoyance.
Although not depicted with the most effective filmmaking ever committed to screen (to put it mildly), we get the idea that Cassie can receive bursts of information laying out possible future events. Once Cassie has her near-death experience early on, we see a version of the Web of Destiny imbue her with the ability to perceive dangers and threats that haven’t actually happened yet — confirmed through, of all things, an experiment with an open window and a New York City pigeon. It’s sort of like being stuck in a time loop “Edge of Tomorrow”-style, providing an advantage over how to best approach a situation without it ending in disaster. In a better movie, such a neat twist on the usual Spidey Sense would make this stand out from the pack. Here, it only ever scratches the surface of its visual-storytelling potential.
But that’s nothing compared to the reveal of the full extent of her powers later on.