Spider-Island: Spider-Girl #3

Dec 26

Dec 26 Spider-Island: Spider-Girl #3

The Devil You Don’t…

Spider-Island continues from Amazing Spider-Man #672…

The island of Manhattan is in the grips of a spider-plague that has given everyone spider-powers. This has caused the Society of the Wasp to come out of hiding. Their leader, the All-Mother, has decided to destroy all the spiders in the city with a powerful venom of their own creation.

The only thing standing in their way is Spider-Girl who has entered into an uneasy alliance with the Kingpin. Now she leads an army of Hand ninjas to fight off the swarm.

As she leads the Hand into battle, she reminds one of them — which she has named Mike — about the stakes that are at play. They are the only force fighting the Wasps while the rest of New York’s heroes are busy finding a cure for the spider-plague and battling its mastermind, the Queen.[1] After they repel the current invasion force, Spider-Girl orders them to press forward. On a nearby rooftop, Spider-Girl runs into Madame Web who tells her that she is getting distracted, reminding her of the prophecy that she has to work with her enemies. She doesn’t understand what Madame Web is hounding her like this as she already teamed up with the Kingpin, who is now at Union Square with the Hobgoblin thinning out the ranks of the Society of the Wasps.

This upsets Spider-Girl because she has already compromised her morals enough as it is. She then leads her army to Madison Square Park where the Kingpin and Hobogblin are already in the final battle against the Wasps. The Kingpin, who now has six arms and six eyes, tells her that the tide of battle is turning. As he and his minions begin losing their humanity they are answering the call of the Queen. They are now being attacked by massive mutated spiders that want to destroy them all.

Spider-Girl realizes that this is what Madame Web meant by allying herself with her enemies. She races to the All-Mother and proposes a truce against those who have completely transformed into spiders. The All-Mother realizes that the only chance for the Wasps survival is through an alliance and agrees. Together, they destroy the Queen’s horde of spiders but in the aftermath of the battle, the Hobgoblin kills the All-Mother. This is against the Kingpin’s orders and while Fisk is ready to kill him for his insubordination, Spider-Girl asks him to spare the Hobgoblin’s life because she has seen enough death for one day.

Two Days Later

The Queen has been defeated and the cure for the spider-plague is being administered to everyone in the city. Anya Corazon also allows herself to be inoculated, out of fear she might turn into a spider-monster like everyone else. Later, Spider-Girl answers a summons from the Kingpin who offers her a job as he was impressed by her loyalty in combat. She politely declines his offer, and the Kingpin accepts it. He also stays true to his promise and destroys all evidence he has of her true identity. Spider-Girl then leaves, web-slinging away, having somehow kept her spider-powers even though she was given the cure.

… Spider-Island concludes in Amazing Spider-Man #673.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Girl, Society of the Wasp (All-Mother), Kingpin, Hobgoblin, the Hand, the Queen, Madame Web, Captain America, Venom, Mister Fantastic, Anti-Venom, Rocky Flint