And Crept Up Beside Her…

Spider-Girl has been brought to the Kingpin. On top of discovering that he also has spider-powers, Spider-Girl is surprised to learn that he wants to hire her to stop the Society of Wasps. He tries to appeal to her sense of loss, telling her that the Wasps are attacking all spiders and many people stand to lose their parents just as she lost her own.[1] When she asks why the Kingpin cares, he points out that his minions have families that are becoming targets as well and he has a responsibility to protect them.

He admits that she is not his first choice, but he doesn’t have any other options. The Kingpin then offers her his full resources to destroy the Society of Wasps. He points out that she can’t do this alone because it didn’t take him very long to figure out her secret identity because she is too careless, offering to teach he how to be more discreet. He has found the Wasp’s hideout and when he offers her his resources again, Spider-Girl flatly rejects it and leaves deciding to recruit her own team to take down the spiders.

One Hour Later

Spider-Girl has just arrived following a major battle in Bryant Park,[1] but unfortunately, the other heroes are too busy with containing the spider-plague to help her with the Society of Wasps. Even her former allies Ms. Marvel and Firestar turn her down.[2] With nowhere else to turn, Spider-Girl returns home to tell Rocky everything that happened. As she tries to figure out her next move, Anya is visited by Madame Web who has had a vision of the future and tells Anya that the only way she can defeat the Society of the Wasps is to work with the Kingpin.

Realizing that she has no other choice, Spider-Girl makes her way back to the Kingpin’s home. However, she stops along the way to stop a bunch of thieves from using their spider-powers to rob a building. She then runs into the Hobgoblin who was ordered to find her and bring her back as the two of them are to work together to battle the Society of Wasps. He has already slaughtered a bunch of them and has learned that they have a leader they call the All-Mother. He then shows her that the All-Mother is out leading a swarm of Wasps. She is a massive wasp-like creature just like the other members of the group.

Before Spider-Girl can figure out a plan of attack, the Hobgoblin races down to attack the Wasps on his own. The Hobgoblin is quickly downed as the All-Mother can fire energy from her stinger. When Spider-Girl races to his side, the All-Mother accuses Spider-Girl of being responsible for all of the spiders awakening in Manhattan. Anya denies that this is her doing but since the Society of the Wasps now considers the island her domain, she decides it is time for them to be evicted and punches the All-Mother in the face with all her might. When the others start swarming her, Anya tosses Hobgoblin into the air so he can get away on his glider wings. He responds to this kindness by unleashing his sonic laugh, which affects both Spider-Girl and the Wasps.

Anya tells Hobgoblin to stop but he refuses, not caring if he kills her as well. However, the All-Mother stops him by blasting the Goblin with her tail stinger. When the All-Queen prepares to kill Spider-Girl she is saved by the Kingpin who has come to join the battle. Getting to safety, the All-Mother warns them that she and her hive are creating a toxin that they will use to kill all the spiders in New York City. They then resume their attack and this time Spider-Girl and her would-be allies are overwhelmed and forced to retreat.

Once they are safely away, Spider-Girl realizes that she has no other choice but to work with the Kingpin to stop the Society of the Wasp. She is reminded by something her father once told her about a reporter can only get a good story by getting their hands dirty. She then agrees to work with the Kingpin and shakes his hand.

… Spider-Island continues in Venom (vol. 2) #6.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Girl, Kingpin, Society of Wasps (All-Mother), Hobgoblin, Madame Web, Mister Fantastic, Thing, Ms. Marvel, Firestar, Cloak, Dagger, Spider-Woman, Rocky Flint

Continuity Notes

1. Anya’s parents are both dead. Her mother, Sofia was murdered by drug dealers in Mexico as explained in Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #1. At the time of this story, Anya’s father Gil had just recently been murdered by the Raven Society in Spider-Girl (vol. 2) #1.

2. The battle in Bryant Park was depicted in Amazing Spider-Man #667.

3. Spider-Girl used to be the sidekick to Ms. Marvel from Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #6-20. She and Firestar were teammates on the Young Allies from Young Allies (vol. 2) #1-6.