The Spider-Queen

A gang of crooks have just robbed a bank and are now attempting to flee the scene. That’s when the Spider-Queen arrives on the scene and uses her webbing to incapacitate one of the crooks. Abandoning their loot, the crooks get away while the Spider-Queen waits for the authorities to arrive. to her chagrin the only officer to come is Mike O’Bell, a plain-clothes detective. Examining the bank robber passed out on the ground, he finds webbing on his person and deduces that this is the work of the Spider-Queen. O’Bell takes the money to the chief of police, who is unhappy that the female vigilante interfering with police investigations. After learning that Mike hasn’t told anyone about the recovered satchel of money, the chief of police takes it from him and tells the detective to keep quiet about it. Mike complies, unaware that the chief is actually in league with the bank robbers. As he leaves his office, the chief of police is unaware that his secret confession was overheard by the Spider-Queen.

She then begins to follow Detective O’Bell to tell him and overhears the detective wondering about the origins of the Spider-Queen. This causes the mystery woman to think back to events two years prior. In those days, the Spider-Queen was merely Shannon Kane, the wife and assistant to Harry Kane, a brilliant scientist who worked for the government. While working on a new steel formula, Doctor Kane was murdered by some thieves who then stole the formula. While still grieving, Shannon discovered a formula for synthetic webbing and decides to use her husband’s invention to fight crime and thus developed web-shooters and the costumed identity of the Spider-Queen.

With her recollection over, the Spider-Queen returns home and the following day she reads the newspaper and learns that the stolen money was never reported as recovered. Shannon Kane then seeks out Detective O’Bell and faints in front of him. When he takes her home, she invites him in for coffee. Mike accepts and after excusing herself to the kitchen, Shannon changes into the Spider-Queen and goes back into the living room through the window. There she tells the detective that the chief is involved with the bank robbers and that where he is going to drop off the stolen money. Before the detective can stop her, the Spider-Queen swings out the window and gets away so she can change back into Shannon Kane. After politely drinking his coffee, Detective Mike O’Bell excuses himself to go and look into this lead, just as Shannon expected. O’Bell goes to the scene of the crime, and catches his boss.

As the robbers fight with Mike, more police officers arrive on the scene prompting the chief to try and make a run for it. However, once outside he runs into the Spider-Queen who webs him up with the authorities. With everyone arrested, Mike finds evidence of the Spider-Queen’s presence but keeps it a secret. However, despite this, he wonders what the mystery woman’s connection to this crime was and why she showed up in Shannon Kane’s apartment. He begins to fear for her safety unaware that Shannon is actually the very vigilante he is concerned about.

Recurring Characters

• Spider-Queen

• Detective Mike O’Bell

Continuity Notes

• In Invaders (Vol. 2) #3 it is revealed that the men who killed Shannon’s husband were actually Russian spies.