Game Set

At the offices of Webcorps, Ted Mankowski has his VR gaming session interrupted by Miguel Legar who says they need the information he has for a meeting. Ted assures them that he has plenty of time until he gets a look at the clock and realizes that he’s running late. However, the meeting is interrupted by Simon Sanderson, the head of Webcorps. He calls Miguel into his office and demands to know why their new initiate is a fifteen-year-old girl. Simon reminds Miguel that things have changed since Ezekiel ran the company and wants some answers before he has to bring this to the board of directors.[1] Miguel explains that she was there when he was looking for the new initiate and she was fatally stabbed and he healed her. Despite what everyone is concerned about, Miguel can assure them all that Anya Corazon is the chosen one.

At that same moment, Anya Corozon has arrived in the lobby of Webcorps and is instantly given a visitors pass and told to go up to the seventeenth floor when she presents Miguel’s business card. She ends up riding the elevator with Nina Smith, who thinks that Anya is one of Miguel’s groupies until Ted Mankowski confirms that she is the new initiate. Ted introduces himself as Webcorps’ resident hacker and apologizes for Nina, who was passed up the role of initiate a year ago. That’s when Miguel comes storming out of Simon Sanderson’s office having had enough with the third degree. Both he and Simon adjust their tone when welcoming Anya to Webcorps. When she asks what Webcorps does, Simon says that they are an information-gathering organization gathering intel on criminal organizations and work with various sources to counteract them. When Anya begins questioning if Webcorps is licensed to operate under the State, Simon finds himself on the defensive. That’s when she reveals that she did a search on the internet and was able to learn that Webcorps has a questionable legal background. Simon Sanderson is made speechless, but thankfully Ted returns and he has her escort Anya out before she can ask any more complicated questions.

On the way out, Ted hands Anya a smartphone telling her that she’ll need it to keep in touch but cautions her about letting anyone know she has it as she could be arrested. Anya finds this all too much, and leaves thinking everyone at Webcorps is crazy. That’s when Ted gets a text message alerting him that the Sisterhood of Wasps are active at Pier 19 and contacts Miguel to tell him. Miguel decides to do some reconnaissance, deciding that Anya doesn’t need to get involved right now.

That evening, down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, Anya heads toward Accela, a club that plays, in her opinion, some of the best underground hip-hop in the world. Anya is looking forward to reuniting with all of her old friends from junior high. Unfortunately, the only person who showed up was Lynn. That’s when they spot Paul Townsend, Anya’s school crush, and Lynn convinces her to go up and talk to him. However, Paul quickly brushes her off, saying they'll talk later. That’s when she gets a call from Webcorps and goes outside to take the call. The call is from Ted who tells Anya that Miguel is in trouble, and even though he was told not to contact her, he thinks that Anya is the only one who can help him. That’s when Ted arrives in a helicopter and drops a rope ladder for her to climb up in. Once inside the chopper, Ted and Nina tell Anya that they need her abilities, but she has no idea what they are talking about. This convinces Nina that Anya isn’t ready for any of this and that her inclusion will prove to be a liability. However, they don’t have a whole lot of choice. Ted explains that Miguel is trapped in a hive belonging to the Sisterhood of the Wasp, the rival organization that attacked Anya when she first met Miguel. While Nina insists that they do it by the book, Ted disagrees. At the same time, Anya wants to do something to help because Miguel previously saved her life.[2] Anya convinces them to go through with Ted’s plan because Miguel chose her to be his partner and they shouldn’t be doubting his judgment. Realizing they have no other choice, Anya tells Ted and Nina to fill her in on what she needs to know on the way.

By this point, Miguel has been spotted and has to duck for cover. When Nina calls in, Miguel tells them to do whatever it takes to save him. Running up to the roof of a building, Anya is lowered down to Miguel’s position on the rope ladder in order to keep it steady. Miguel leaps onto the ladder just as Wasp soldiers arrive on the roof, and casts a spell to shield them from the oncoming bullets. As they are being carried away by helicopter, Miguel tells Anya to not look down and welcomes her to Webcorps.

Recurring Characters

Araña, Webcorps (Miguel Legar, Ted Mankowski, Nina Smith, Simon Sanderson), Sisterhood of the Wasp, Paul Townsend

Continuity Notes

1. This would be Ezekiel Sims, whom we first met in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #30. His activities with Webcorps is mostly unrecorded.

2. Miguel saved Anya’s life in Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #1.