Dry Bones

Having had the curse of flesh and bones passed on to her, Spider-Woman is brought to the grandmother of Rosa and Marie Esteves. However, the elderly witch woman tells Mattie that she’s doomed to die since the curse was meant to be placed upon twins since Mattie Franklin doesn’t have a twin the curse will completely consume her body. However, Spider-Woman wants to know how she got the curse since she didn’t kill Flesh and Bones.

At that same moment, Bess Bliss is enjoying her renewed humanity thanks to the attempts of Miss Itch and Mister Scratch — who have convinced the Bess and Donna that they are their long lost parents. However, her sister, Donna, is still unhappy as she is still stuck in her Flesh form. They explain that they had to work with the materials they had at hand and could only cure one of the Bliss twins, and decided to cure Bess because she wanted to help their obese sister Bonnie years earlier, however, Donna allowed her sister to die.[1] When Flesh tries to protest this, Itch and Scratch blast her into submission. However, Miss Itch and Mister Scratch insist that they still have one final task to complete, something that involves ritual cannibalism. By this time, the Esteves sisters have been driving Spider-Woman around the city, since all those who have shared the curse of skin and bones share a connection. Soon enough they sense the presence of the Bliss twins. As they follow this feeling, they explain that the curse is intended to punish those who have committed sufficient acts of evil, leaving them to ask what Mattie may have done in her past that would allow the curse to infect her independently.

Meanwhile, J. Jonah Jameson and his wife Marla Madison are having a quiet evening at home when there is a knock at the door. It turns out to be Mattie’s classmate Cheryl Lansing who is deeply upset. She tells them how during their encounter with a werewolf in New Orleans she was scratched by the creature.[2] She is concerned that something happened to her and shows them that a pentagram has formed on her hand.[3]

Soon, Spider-Woman and the Esteve sisters have arrived outside the hotel where the Bliss “family” has been hiding out since escaping the warehouse. Spider-Woman comes crashing in as Bess Bliss is refusing to eat her sister, per the orders of Miss Itch and Mister Scratch. In the ensuing battle, Miss Itich tries to blast Spider-Woman but the hero evades causing the bolt of energy to strike Bess, incapacitating her. As Spider-Woman knocks out Mister Scratch, Itch rushes to Bess and cradles her body. That’s when the Esteves sisters enter the room and condemn both Donna and Bess for their callous attitudes toward their sister Bonnie and that they are to be condemned with the curse of flesh and bone. When is starts to get cold in the room, Spider-Woman asks what’s going on and is told by Rosa that their souls are going to be sent to hell. Not wanting things to end this way, Spider-Woman tries to stop them, Rosa tosses Spider-Woman aside. Suddenly, her body is filled with energy and Spider-Woman realizes that she is back to normal. Pulling off her mask and looking in the mirror she is brought to tears when she sees that her face is also back to normal.

However, this has come at the price of the Bliss sisters becoming Flesh and Bones again. To get some kind of answers, everyone is taken back to Rosa and Marie’s grandmother. She explains that the curse only affects those who have inflicted death upon a family member. It chose the Bliss twins because they left their sister to die while Rosa and Marie were previously cursed because they murdered their father in retaliation for his killing their mother. All the old crone can say about Spider-Woman getting cursed is that it had something to do with a connection she made during her first battle with Skin and Bones. However, that’s all she can say as knowing too much could drive Mattie mad. Spider-Woman doesn’t like the idea of having to leave things without any answers but decides to leave it be. Returning home, Spider-Woman wishes that she could have normal villains like Spider-Man, but remembers how Jessica Drew — the original Spider-Woman — had fought a lot of strange foes during her career and figures it probably has to do with the Spider-Woman name. Changing out of her costume and going down to the kitchen for something to eat she finds J. Jonah Jameson sitting at the table. He’s glad to see she has come out of her room, telling her that he was concerned. Mattie is flattered that he cared, and he admits that he cares about everyone who is close to him but tells her to keep it secret since he has a reputation to maintain. Mattie promises her not to say a word and goes back up to her room.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Woman, Flesh, Bones, Miss Itch, Mister Scratch, J. Jonah Jameson, Marla Madison, Cheryl Lansing, Rosa Esteves, Marie Esteves

Continuity Notes

1. The Bliss sisters were forced to look after their obese sister Bonnie who suffered a heart attack. Bess wanted to get help while Donna left her to die. This was all detailed in Spider-Woman (vol. 3) #16-17.

2. Cheryl joined the Jamesons and Mattie on a trip to New Orleans where there was a werewolf on the loose. This took place in Spider-Woman (vol. 3) #12-13.

3. This plot thread was dropped because the Spider-Woman series was canceled. What happened to Cheryl after this has not explained.