Hell is the Hangman!

Spider-Woman is pondering her lot in life atop the Hollywood Hills when she spots Brother Grimm attacking a car being driven by a diamond dealer. Confronting Brother Grimm, he blasts her off the side of a cliff. When she gets control of her gliding and swoops back up, she finds Grimm and the diamonds gone. The diamonds are given to one of Grimm's thugs, who plants them in another man's car, douse the unconscious driver with alcohol and dump him off a cliff. However, before he can complete his task, he's confronted by the Hangman, who is told of the scheme. After learning of the plot, the Hangman decides to dispense his brand of justice by hanging the thief. Deciding that Brother Grimm is an affront to true justice, the Handman decides to put the villain at the top of his list for execution. Elsewhere, Brother Grimm is apparently arguing with himself, adopting different personalities that are apparently in competition with each other. Getting fed up with the argument, Brother Grimm decides to get out of costume and douses his face with a chemical that dissolves the adhesive that keeps his mask on his face.

The next day, as she is having lunch with Magnus, Priscilla Dolly and her boys, Jessica learns that her father Jonathan Drew, briefly boarded in their home and that William Dolly worked at Pyro-Technics with him. She explains to them that Jonathan is her father and that he was murdered and she is looking for his killer. When Jessica presses William for more answers, he excuses himself from the table. Changing into her Spider-Woman costume, Jessica decides to go and check out the connection between her father, Pyro-Technics, and Congressman James Wyatt. Wyatt, meanwhile, dismisses his wife and begins making calls to try and eliminate Spider-Woman. At that same time, Jerry Hunt arrives in Los Angeles from London. He is picked up at Los Angeles International Airport by Bill Foster, who was sent out at the request of his employer, Tony Stark. After making acquaintances, Jerry begins asking Bill if he has seen any appearances of Spider-Woman in the area. Unfortunately, Foster has not, and the two leave the airport to grab some Mexican for lunch.

Meanwhile, Spider-Woman breaks into the Pyro-Technics building to learn the truth of her father's death. She can't help but notice how nervous William Dolly was when she questioned him. That's when she spots his car in the parking lot and goes inside the building. Deciding to follow William to see what he knows, she is lured into experimental wind tunnel and locked inside. As soon as she realizes she is trapped, the massive wind turbine inside the tunnel begins to whirl to life. While at a warehouse on 5th Street, diamond thieves under the employ of Brother Grimm nervously wait for the return of their boss. They are ambushed by the Hangman, who demands to know everything about their employer. At that same time, Spider-Woman is being sucked toward the spinning blades of the turbine. She tries to stop the fan with her venom blasts but they have no effect. Quick thinking, she manages to save her life by ripping a strut off the wall and toss it into the turbine, wrecking it. As she recovers from this brush with death, she begins to wonder -- not for the first time -- what Magnus really knows about her father, finding the fact that they are renting a room in the same home her father once stayed at.

Breaking out of the wind tunnel, she wonders if Magnus was involved in her father's death. When she finds William Dolly he is surprised to see her in the building, but she is ambushed by Brother Grimm. As the two fight, Spider-Woman blasts Brother Grimm, causing him to drop some volatile chemicals on the ground, causing a fire. With the building turning into an inferno, William Dolly flees the scene. Before Spider-Woman can resume her attack on Brother Grim, the Hangman arrives and decides to "save" her. To do so, he hogties her with his noose and drags her outside. Once they are outside, the Pyro-Technic building explodes. However, the Hangman isn't finished with Spider-Woman yet, telling her that he will keep her in his dungeon where he can keep her safe forever.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Woman, Magnus, Jerry Hunt, Bill Foster, Brothers Grimm, Hangman, Priscilla Dolly, Jacob Dolly, William Dolly, James Wyatt

Continuity Notes

• Jessica once more ponders her origins. See Spider-Woman #1 and Marvel Spotlight #32 for details.

• How Jonathan Drew died is ultimately revealed in Spider-Woman #7.