Spider-Woman #23 — Nick Peron

Feb 13

Feb 13 Spider-Woman #23

Enter the Gamesman

At the start of his day, Alexander Walsh finds another delivery from the bounty hunter Spider-Woman. There she gets some leads on the next wanted man the police are looking for, a criminal known as the Gamesman. As Walsh tells Spider-Woman about the case, they are unaware that the police station's janitor calls the Gamesman's men and warns them of Spider-Woman's interest in capturing him. Leaving the police station, Spider-Woman is cornered by a gang of thugs. She fights them off but is assisted by Timothy Braverman, an L.A. Times reporter who happens to be on the scene. Leaving in his car, the two hit it off, and Braverman invites her out to a picnic the next day. Returning to her associate Scotty McDowell's home, Jessica is given the third degree about being out late and is suspicious of Braverman.

That night, Jessica goes out undercover to try and find any leads to the location of the Gamesman or his current plans and turns up nothing. The next day she meets up with Braverman and the two share a kiss, and some information. Later, when she tells Scotty that she was out with Braverman, Scotty expresses his continued suspicion over Braverman and tells her that he learned that the L.A. Times doesn't have an employee by that name, a fact that Spider-Woman chooses to ignore.

Jessica decides to go after Braverman's lead that the Gamesman will target the Rajah Ruby at the Los Angeles Civic Auditorium. She stakes out the location and sure enough, the Gamesman and his men break in and try to steal the jewel. Scotty, believing that Jessica is walking into a trap, goes out to try and help. He arrives just as the Gamesmen's men (having incapacitated Spider-Woman) flee, having set the Auditorium on fire with Spider-Woman on fire tied up inside. As Scotty goes to her rescue, the Gamesman decides to go back to the Auditorium.

At gunpoint, the Gamesman unmasks, revealing himself to be Braverman, who admits that he came back because he realized that he's in love with Spider-Woman. These romantic feelings are shared by Spider-Woman, much to Scotty's chagrin. The police arrive and arrest Braverman. When Scotty suggests that Spider-Woman help round up the Gamesman's goons, she refuses, deciding that she wants to be left alone.