The Fangs of Werewolf by Night

Escaping Spider-Woman, the Hornet (secretly her partner Scotty McDowell) returns to his home to find Karl Malus there waiting for him. Malus wishes to continue his experiments on the Hornet, and the increasingly unstable McDowell agrees to it, and to test out his powers on Spider-Woman once more. Tricking Spider-Woman into a trap, by having a "lead" on the Hornet's location as McDowell, the Hornet briefly battles Spider-Woman over a beach. However, she is forced to break off her counter-attack to save some tourists, allowing the Hornet to escape.

Reporting back to Malus, the doctor orders him to rest while he mulls over what to do with the increasingly unstable McDowell. He decides to initiate a new part of his plan and gets in touch with Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night. Malus offers a solution to Russell's problem of changing into a werewolf and sets up a meeting. As Jessica meets with Scotty and notices his erratic behavior, Malus meets with Russell. He fits Russell with a device that is supposed to cure him. It is, however, a trick that puts Jack under Malus' control. He then sends the Werewolf out to do his bidding. Additionally, Malus has McDowell stage his own kidnapping in the guise of the Hornet, leaving a note for Spider-Woman to meet him at the old Metro-Movies studio.

Malus has both the Hornet and the Werewolf attack Spider-Woman, but the plan goes awry due to the Hornet's continued instability. This allows Spider-Woman to disable the device controlling the Werewolf and she and Jack Russell team up to stop Malus and the Hornet. As the Werewolf easily deals with Malus, Spider-Woman incapacitates the Hornet and unmasks him, revealing to her that it's really her friend Scotty. Five days later, the effects of Malus' drugs have begun wearing off and Scotty begins to change back to normal. Spider-Woman informs him that Malus has been returned to jail and that in a few more days, Scotty should be well enough to leave the hospital.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Woman, Werewolf by Night, Hornet, Karl Malus

Continuity Notes

• The calendar on Jessica's fridge states that it is the year 1980. This date should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• Spider-Woman wonders if he was shaken after being cryogenically frozen by the Enforcer this happened in Spider-Woman #27-29.

• Jessica tries to get through to the Werewolf's human identity as they had previously met in Spider-Woman #6 and 19.