Suddenly...the Shroud!

Leaving for Las Vegas, Magnus bids farewell to his friends Jessica Drew and Jerry Hunt. After Magnus's departure, Jerry informs Jessica that SHIELD wants him back on assignment and drops Jessica off at home. Jessica begins to ponder over what she should do for employment. After a night out as Spider-Woman, Jessica begins job hunting and finds that people's negative reactions towards her make the jobs she applies for not last. Wondering what's wrong, she decides to go to the Hatros Institute for Emotional Research to try and figure out why. As a stroke of luck, after her first session, she is offered a job as a receptionist at the Institute.

As Jerry Hunt receives mission orders to find two missing SHIELD agents, Jessica begins her job as a receptionist. Hearing a strange noise, she goes to investigate and is knocked out by the Shroud, who is investigating the Hatros Institute because he suspects they are tied with the Cult of Kali.

Reviving, Jessica changes into Spider-Woman and counter-attacks the Shroud, and after a brief battle, she easily defeats him, knocking him out with a venom blast. Carrying his unconscious body through a therapy room, she is shocked to find it filled with members of the very cult that the Shroud had come looking for.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Woman, Shroud, Jerry Hunt, “Adrienne Hatros”, Laura Brown, Doctor Doom (Flashback), Captain America (flashback)

Continuity Notes

• Jessica mentions how Magnus helped her learn the truth about her father's death. Magnus has been by Jessica's side since Spider-Woman #2. She also recounts how she was once a member of Hydra, as seen in Marvel Spotlight #32. What Jessica doesn’t know is that Magnus has to leave because he is actually a spirit that is possessing the body of a stage magician. There is a limitation to how long he can possess someone, hence why he leaves here. This is all detailed in Avengers #240-241.

• Jessica recalls how the last time she went job hunting did not go very well. This was in Spider-Woman #1.

• One of the staff members states that the Hatros Institute was founded in 1974. Since the institute was later revealed to be run by Nekra, this should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• The Shroud recounts his attempts to take down Doctor Doom. This was chronicled in Super-Villain Team-Up #5-12.