Under my Skin Part 2

Spider-Man has been defeated by a new menace who calls herself the Queen. He finds himself webbed to a wall inside a bank that the Queen has taken over with little resistance. As Spider-Man takes stock of his situation, the enthralled office employees are working to construct a throneroom for their master. Spider-Man senses the Queen as she enters the room. She tells him that she didn’t remove his mask because she doesn’t want him to consider her an enemy and that she is more interested in the spider than she is of the man. As she comes closer he tells her that he’s already seeing somebody else. The Queen — insisting that Spider-Man call her Adriana — tells him not to fight her as this is nature’s way. She then pulls up Spider-Man’s mask just enough so she can kiss him on the lips. Spider-Man’s mind is suddenly flooded with the image of a freshly spun spider’s web on a farm. The scene makes him feel fully alive and realizes that she only wants him and that such a distinction is an honor. However, Spider-Man re-asserts his control and pulls back, telling the Queen to back off. She is insulted by this rejection, telling him that nobody dares to treat her like this. She then slaps the web-slinger across the face a number of times. She tells him that it is only a matter of time before she breaks through his strong will and then he will learn to love him. As he begins to blackout, Spider-Man tells her that he doubts it.

Meanwhile, Mary Jane is out grocery shopping with Flash Thompson and his nurse Helga when they are joined by Aunt May who is looking for her.[1] May, having seen the Queen kiss Spider-Man on the news, asks Mary Jane if she is all right with what’s happening.[2] Realizing that Mary Jane hasn’t seen the news yet, May realizes that she may have said too much and leaves. Meanwhile, Joe Robertson and J. Jonah Jameson are trying to make sense of the situation. Particularly why the Queen, after beating Spider-Man senselessly would suddenly start kissing him. Nick Fury also reports this to his superior, who wants a full report on what’s going on. Fury tells him that he has SHIELD’s best and brightest looking into this and that Captain America is also on the inside, although they haven’t heard from him in a while. When asked, Fury is certain that they are prepared for whatever will happen next as a battalion of tanks and military helicopters arrive on the scene. However, Fury’s superior is convinced that Captain America will handle the situation, and won’t answer any more of Fury’s questions about the nature of the Queen.

At that moment, Captain America is strung upside down in one of the offices. Ana enters the room and says she’ll make this quick since neither of them was really big on goodbyes.[3] She tells him that while Spider-Man is resisting her advances he’ll soon succumb to her. When she thinks about how Steve had a chance with her in the past, she doesn’t think he could stop her now after what she has become. While the Queen is distracted, Cap has been using a shard of glass to cut through the webbing keeping him tressed up. When Cap breaks free, he grabs his shield and tosses it across the room, freeing Spider-Man as well. The Queen orders her thralls to kill Captain America, but she tells them to spare the spider. As they fight off the Queen’s mind-controlled slaves, Spider-Man asks Cap when he first met and he tells Spider-Man that they dated a few times back in 1945. Cap then explains that he has orders to stop Ana no matter what, but first he must know what has caused her to become active again after so many years. As the pair retreat from the Queen’s slaves, the web-slinger explains that she intends to mate with him for some unknown reason. The situation is worse than Cap feared and he and Spider-Man are soon ambushed by the Queen who uses her telekinetic abilities to hurl projectiles at her. When Spider-Man tries to lunge himself at her, the Queen is able to throw him back with a thought. When asked how she pulls this off, Captain America explains that Ana has the ability to control individuals with the so-called “insect gene”. As the Queen leaves the battle, Captain America warns Spider-Man that she can control every aspect of him, but the web-slinger refuses to listen and leaps go after her while Rogers is busy with her thralls.

The Queen is amused that Spider-Man is still trying to stop her, and decides a show of power is required. Upon her command, a number of her thralls climb up onto the ledge of the building and jump to their deaths. She then orders Spider-Man to his knees, and although he fights her the whole way, he eventually complies. Watching this, Nick Fury decides he can’t stand back any longer and goes against the General’s command and orders one of the fighter jets to fire a missile at the Queen. Unfortunately, she is easily able to deflect the missile into another building with a wave of the hand. This does, however, distract her long enough for Captain America to ambush Ana and knock her over the edge of the building and tells Fury to send men to capture her before she can getaway. Helping Spider-Man up to his feet Cap begins lecturing Spider-Man about fighting against a foe he couldn’t defeat, but Spider-Man points out that Captain America used to be the same way once upon a time. This observation silences the Star-Spangled Avenger. Spider-Man then tells Cap that he needs to go and catch a nap and swings away. Concerned, Captain America asks Spider-Man what he means, but gets no reply.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Captain America, the Queen, Nick Fury, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Nurse Helga

Continuity Notes

1. Flash Thompson is in a catatonic state requiring a nurse to look after him following a car accident in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #44-47. He will remain in this state until Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3.

2. At the time of this story, Aunt May has just learned that Peter is secretly Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #35.

3. Captain America and the Queen’s past history is explored in more detail in Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #17.

Topical References

• Spider-Man states that the Queen wants to mate with him like a version of the Bachelorette for weirdos. Although the Bachelorette has been on the air for (yuck) sixteen seasons as I write this, it’s a real-world show and its reference here should be considered topical.

Avengers Disassembled Reading Order

Iron Man (vol. 3) #84-85, Thor (vol. 2) #80-81, Captain America and the Falcon #5, 6, 7, Captain America (vol. 3) #29, Avengers #500, 501, 502, 503, Iron Man (vol. 3) #86, 87, 88, 89, Captain America (vol. 3) #30, 31, 32, Fantastic Four #517, 518, 519, Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Thor (vol. 2) #82, 83, 84, 85, Avengers Finale #1, New Thunderbolts #1