Spider-Woman #44
Vengeance!
Determined to get revenge against the Viper for injuring her friend Lindsay McCabe, Spider-Woman first goes to Sabrina Morrell and confronts her about the Yakuza tattoo on her back. However, this proves to be a dead end. Jessica departs, unaware that Sabrina Morrel believes that Spider-Woman is a threat to her clan. Terrorizing the underworld, Jessica gets a lead on Viper's location, and, borrowing David Ishima's motorcycle, she rides to the Viper's hideout. There she is confronted by the spirit form of Morgan le Fay who warns Spider-Woman that she will face a great adversary.
Spider-Woman tracks down the Viper and the two end up in a pitched battle, separating the two combatants from her legion of mercenaries. During the fight, Spider-Woman realizes that the Viper is a pawn of the demon Chthon. Partially transforming Spider-Woman into a demon, Chthon seeks to claim Spider-Woman for his own. However, the Viper, believing herself to be Jessica's mother (an idea that Chthon allows Jessica to learn also) breaks free of Chthon's control and helps Spider-Woman fight the ancient demon off.
Defeating Chthon, Jessica is restored back into human form, and, both women still believing that the Viper is really Merriem Drew, the Viper explains that Chthon used her as a pawn to try and free himself. With her role in this plot revealed, the Viper tells Jessica that whatever is left of Meriem Drew is dead, and teleports away.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Woman, Sabrina Morrel, Lindsay McCabe, David ishima, Morgan le Fay, Viper, Chthon
Continuity Notes
The narrative recounts Spider-Woman's last battle with Morgan le Fay in Spider-Woman #41.
Viper's claims of Jessica Drew's mother is a deception as Jessica's mother was murdered decades earlier by a werewolf as seen in New Mutants Annual #4. In Captain America #281, Viper claims that she was manipulated by Spider-Woman herself. However, the reality of the situation is that Viper was under the spell of Morgan le Fay and Chthon as revealed in the Viper entry of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #14 and Mighty Avengers: Most Wanted Files #1.
Chthon's connection to Spider-Woman is due to the fact that his essence is trapped on Wundagore Mountain as explained in Avengers #187. His presence there led to encounters with the High Evolutionary and Jessica's father during their time there as seen in the High Evolutionary back-up stories featured during the Evolutionary War event. See Silver Surfer Annual #1, Punisher Annual #1, X-Factor Annual #3, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22, New Mutants Annual #4, Web of Spider-Man Annual #4, and Uncanny X-Men Annual #12.
