Spiders, Spiders Everywhere

With the “spider-plauge” spreading across Manhattan, Mister Fantastic and the scientists at Horizon Labs continue to work around the clock on containment efforts and the development for a cure. Present among them is mayor J. Jonah Jameson who has just been told that people in the city are starting to grow fangs, hair, and extra appendages. This is very upsetting Jameson who demands that the scientist work harder to stop his city from becoming what he is calling a spider hellhole.

At the Daily Bugle, Joe Robertson checks on his son after his recent battle with the Hobgoblin.[1] Randy admits that he is more upset about breaking up with Norah Winters than becoming a Spider-Man when suddenly, he and other members on the staff suddenly start transforming into spider-creatures. While at Avengers Mansion, Ms. Marvel, Power Woman and Hawkeye are about to go back out on patrol when suddenly, Hawkeye undergoes a similarly horrific transformation.[2] While at Riverside Parker, Mary Jane finds herself among citizens in mid-transformation. As she flees for her life, she wonders if she is the only person in the city not to get spider-powers and wonders where Peter Parker is in all of this.

At that moment, Spider-Man was attempting to stop the Shocker from robbing a bank when suddenly both he and Carlie Cooper began undergoing the same transformation happening all over the city. Spider-Man falls to his knees in helpless to stop this from happening and watches as New York becomes filled with giant spiders. In Central Park, the Queen and her minions have emerged from the Jackal’s secret hideout. When the Jackal questions the safety of doing so, the Queen explains that she has spent far too much time in hiding and wants to come out and address her new subjects.[3] As a gathering of spiders bow before her, the Jackal is amused how Adriana Soria has become the queen of Manhattan. The Queen corrects him, reminding him that the woman she once was is no more after she was experimented upon during World War II and abandoned. She recalls the last time she attempted to conquer the world and was thwarted by both Spider-Man and Captain America.[4]

She then recounts how she went hiding at the old Project: Rebirth facility where she was trained. It was a stroke of luck when Steve Rogers went looking around the facility allowing her to take him prisoner for the Jackal’s experiments turning him into the Spider-King. As she speaks of this, it appears that the Spider-King has returned, however she is unaware that this is actually Agent Venom in disguise. Maintaining this ruse, Agent Venom assures her that her plan to unleash a horde of infected spiders on the rest of the world was a complete success.[5] This pleases the Queen who believes everything is going according to plan.

At that moment, in Alphabet City, Anti-Venom has taken up residence at the Our Lady of Saints Church.[6] Word has quickly spread that Anti-Venom can cure those infected by the spider-plague and the desperate peoplefrom all over Manhattan have come seeking it now that they are transforming into spider-creatures. While in Battery Park, Wolverine, Gambit, Storm, and Emma Frost of the X-Men are setting up the last of the spider-sense jammers, one of the efforts to contain the spider-plague to the island. However, as they finish their work they are suddenly attacked by a swarm of spider-monsters.

Back at Horizon Labs, there are only 20 minutes left before the entire island of Manhattan is infected with the spider-plague. That’s when he is told that the blood work has come back and it might provide a few more answers as to how the plague works. Overhearing this angers J. Jonah Jameson who feels that the gathering of scientists aren’t working fast enough to restore things to normal. He has decided that he has had enough and orders his aides to bring in his contingency plan. When the scientist try to contain Jonah, who has also been infected, he easily swats everyone aside with his newly acquired spider-strength. As the mayor leaves in a convoy, Spider-Man is trying to get through the city but is being attacked by the army of spiders. He happens upon Madame Web who unfortunately can’t tell him the future as the spiders are overwhelming her powers. All she can tell him is the mayor’s convoy on the road could use his help before disappearing.

When Spider-Man swings down to help the convoy, J. Jonah Jameson refuses to stand by and let Spider-Man save him and gets out and starts using his own spider-powers to help fight back the spider-creatures attacking his limo. Spider-Man can hardly believe it and feels like he’s going to lose his mind from all the jokes that keep coming to mind.[7] As they battle, they are unaware that the Queen can see events through Jonah’s eyes due to his on-going transformation and begins to contemplate taking control of him. Hearing this, Agent Venom — still disguised as the Spider-King — fears that she might force the mayor to drop the quarantine around the city so she can spread the infection all over the world. As Flash tries to figure out the best way to kill the Queen, words gets to her about how Anti-Venom is curing people at the church. She sends the “Spider-King” to eliminate Anti-Venom, and once clear, Agent Venom drops his disguise and reports back this new development to Kate Glover, one of his handlers.

Back at Horizon Labs, Reed Richards is working on blood samples provided by Alicia Masters and Spider-Woman to try and get a better handle on the spider-transformations.[8] That’s when Reed gets a call from Aaron MacKenzie and General Dodge who inform him of the news about Anti-Venom. This is just the development Richards wanted to hear and says that they need to get ahold of Eddie Brock as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man both arrive at the NYC Emergency Command Center where Jonah reveals his own plan to try and resolve the crisis. Spider-Man is horrified to discover that he has brought his wife’s killer, the Spider-Slayer, out of Ryker’s Island to provide his expertise. However, Alistair Smythe quickly realizes that Jonah is only coming to him because he is at risk of becoming a spider as well and laughs at the jest.[9] That’s when the Queen establishes a mental link with Jameson and uses the image of his late wife, Marla Madison, to convince him to attack both Spider-Man and the Spider-Slayer. Giving in to her influence, Jonah then begins his final transformation.

All over the city heroes are pitching in to try and contain the spiders before they can escape Manhattan. On the Spuyten Duycil Bridge, the Heroes for Hire work with the Black Cat to hold the line[10]. At the Our Lady of Saint’s Church Agent Venom’s plans to recruit Anti-Venom and his cure has taken a turn when the Venom symbiote decides to try and kill its former host.[11] While in Alphabet City, Mary Jane is cornered in an alley by the spider-monsters but is able to escape when she develops spider-powers of her own. By this time 99.9% of the city has been infected and as Reed Richards fears the worst, he is informed that there is something outside. He finds Anti-Venom wrapped up in webbing and as he gets loose, Brock says he would have come willingly but the man who brought him didn’t give him the chance to come in peace.

Back at the Command Center, Jonah’s transformation continues as he tries to get at Smythe. Spider-Man holds him back as best he can but Jonah is becoming stronger with every moment. At that moment, the Spider-Slayer deduces a way to beat the spider-plague, but before he can explain his solution Jameson breaks free from Spider-Man’s grasp and, after sentencing Smythe to death, bites the cyborg’s throat with his newly grown fangs.[12]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic, Thing, Max Modell, Uatu Jackson, Tiberius Stone, Sajani Jaffrey, Grady Scraps, Bella Fishbach, J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane Watson, Agent Venom, Aaron MacKenzie, Brad Dodge, Kate Glover, Anti-Venom, Madame Web, Tarantula, Jackal, The Queen, Glory Grant, Joe Robertson, Randy Robertson, Ms. Marvel, Power Woman, Carlie Cooper, Shocker, Commander Steve Rogers, X-Men (Wolverine, Gambit, Storm, Emma Frost), Alicia Masters, Spider-Slayer, Heroes for Hire (Silver Sable, Misty Knight, Paladin), Black Cat

Continuity Notes

1. Randy fought the Hobgoblin with his new spider-powers in Spider-Island: Deadly Foes #1.

2. Power Woman mentions their most recent activities at the UN Building. That was in Spider-Island: Avengers #1.

3. The Jackal who appears here is actually a clone sent at the behest of the original Miles Warren as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #673.

4. The Queen’s origins and previous battle with Spider-Man and Captain America were chronicled in Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #15-20.

5. Venom battled, defeated, and took the place of the Spider-King in Venom (vol. 2) #6.

6. This location has significance for Eddie Brock as this is where he first became Venom, as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #300.

7. One of Jameson’s security details mentions the recent attack on the city by the Slayer Swarm and the death of Jonah’s wife, Marla Madison. See Amazing Spider-Man #652-654.

8. Alicia was once turned into a spider-creature herself. See Marvel Two-in-One #29-32.

9. Smythe blames Jonah for ruining his father’s life. Spencer Smythe was hired by J. Jonah Jameson to construct the first Spider-Slayer robot in Amazing Spider-Man #25. This led to an obsession that led to Spencer’s death due to exposure to the radioactive materials used to build his robots. He died of radiation poisoning in Amazing Spider-Man #192. Alistair has been following in his father’s footsteps since Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19.

10. For more on the Heroes for Hire’s battle on the bridge, see Spider-Island: Heroes for Hire #1.

11. The Venom symbiote used to be bonded to Eddie Brock from Amazing Spider-Man #299 until he auctioned it off in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #7. It had since changed hands until Flash Thompson became its most recent host in Amazing Spider-Man #654. For more on the clash between Venom and Anti-Venom see Venom (vol. 2) #7.

12. Spider-Island continues in Spider-Island: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #2-3.