—SYou see the large spider on my chest? It isn't just a random decoration. I'm a hero. Heroes save lives -- and that includes even the lives of people we don't like.
Appearing in "A Taste for Treachery!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Peter Parker
- Elektra
- Chesbro
- April
- Black Tarantula (Fabian LaMuerto)
- Courtney Duran
- Davida Kirby
- Sandra Healy
- Chris Jarkoer
- New Warriors
- Special Agent Arthur Weadon's Team
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- June (Only in flashback)
- Big Ben (Barruski) (Only in flashback)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "A Taste for Treachery!"
Spider-Girl is jolted from sleep by a bad dream of June being shot and wounded by Big Ben. Her thoughts on waking are of how big a shift she has made in focusing on capturing bad guys over protecting lives since allying with the Black Tarantula.
Downstairs, Peter Parker greets May with a coffee. He tells her that she has the trust of her parents, even though she hasn't confided in them about what is going on lately. May says there is something she could use from Peter.
Lady Octopus meets with a Mr. DeWells on Canis's behalf, trying to persuade him that Canis is the heir to Wilson Fisk. She urges DeWells to meet Canis in person to avoid being on the outs with Canis if he truly does succeed Kingpin.
Spider-Girl continues some intense combat training with Elektra. Elektra uses a variety of hurled saw blades against a blindfolded Spider-Girl, yet continues to deride Spider-Girl's hesitation in battle. Spider-Girl avoids all of the blades, but Elektra remains sparing in her praise. They step into the Team Spider command center in Black Tarantula's hideout, and Spider-Girl is briefed by April that there is a crime summit happening somewhere that day, but they do not have a location yet. Spider-Girl decides to go out on her own, despite protests from April and Chesbro. When Spider-Girl tells Chesbro that Black Tarantula can back her up if she runs into trouble, Chesbro coyly suggests maybe his master isn't even in town - but Spider-Girl knows better. Black Tarantula would not want to be absent from the 'big finale.' Privately, Spider-Girl wonders if Elektra, June, and April will go to jail, too, if she captures Black Tarantula.
Chesbro warns Black Tarantula of the likelihood of Spider-Girl's betrayal after she leaves, but Black Tarantula knows this. He believes her attachments to Elektra, April, and June are wearing down Spider-Girl's principled resolve.
At school, May hears from her friend Courtney that her boyfriend Moose is acting strange and distracted lately. May assures Courtney that it does not mean Moose is seeing someone else, but suggests Courtney talk to Moose to find out. Moose, though, keeps brushing Courtney off when she tries.
May tries to speak to Sandra Healy again, expressing concern for her safety now that she is back with her abusive boyfriend, Howard. Sandra still will not heed May's warnings. Sandra hits close to home when she asks May if she ever took a risk for someone or something she believed in.
Chris Jarkoer tries to talk to May again, but she has to brush him off to answer her phone again. He patiently understands and leaves her to it.
The phone call summons Spider-Girl to a rooftop meeting with Darkdevil and Kaine. Kaine informs them that the feds know Canis is about to consolidate his power, but that they expect Black Tarantula to try to interfere with that. Spider-Girl wonders why Kaine and his handler, Weadon, are so focused on Black Tarantula when the arguably more dangerous Lady Octopus and Canis are at large. As a matter of federal interest, Kaine says Black Tarantula as an international threat gets their attention - and that he has orders to bring him in, dead or alive. Darkdevil and Spider-Girl question Kaine's moral integrity for going along with government kill orders. After Kaine leaves, Darkdevil tries to suggest Kaine's history shows he will follow through, and urges Spider-Girl to stay out of his way. Spider-Girl cannot do that, though. She asks Darkdevil for a favor.
While swinging away, Spider-Girl checks in with April, but there is still no word on the crime summit. Spider-Girl heads to another contact.
At Handsome Richie Valentine's garage, Spider-Girl tries to persuade the mid-level crime boss, who was recently beaten by one of Canis's enforcers for tribute, to help her find Canis. Valentine wants Canis dead; Spider-Girl cannot promise that, but she can make sure he goes to jail for life.
At a riverside warehouse, Canis meets with his criminal network alongside Lady Octopus. But there is a problem: Canis does not recognize some of the men attending, noting it is a crowd of underlings. Lady Octopus reveals her treachery when she leaves through a trapdoor, abandoning Canis to dozens of criminals who intend to kill him. She confesses as much when Spider-Girl confronts her in the sewer under the warehouse, in order to get Spider-Girl to abandon Lady Ock and go try to save Canis before he's slain.
Elsewhere, Black Tarantula - dressed in formal black sue and tie, but still masked, addresses the real crime bosses and proclaims himself the new head of the New York underworld. He shares a vision of New York being part of an untraceable, international ring of crime that will benefit them all, under his leadership.
Back at the warehouse, Canis has been subdued after a long fight with the enforcers, and is about to take a bullet when Spider-Girl arrives to save him. Canis is astonished that she would try to save him despite everything, but she declares herself a hero, and heroes save lives. Canis helps cover Spider-Girl's flank as they fight off the gangsters. They soon get an assist from the backup Spider-Girl asked Darkdevil to bring: Green Goblin, Ladyhawk, Buzz, and Darkdevil himself. The other heroes deal with the gangsters, while Spider-Girl departs on other business.
Black Tarantula has a standing ovation from the crime bosses at his banquet presentation. He steps out of the hall, and is met by Lady Octopus. Their dialogue reveals that she was always on Black Tarantula's side, and set up Canis. She wishes Tarantula had let her eliminate Spider-Girl, but Tarantula says he invested a lot into her because he hopes to lure her into his organization. Spider-Girl overhears that and voices her displeasure - she followed Lady Ock using a spider-tracer she borrowed from her father, and planted on Lady Ock earlier.
On a nearby rooftop, Weadon's team, led by Kaine in the field, prepares to enter the fray on orders to take Black Tarantula down, no matter who gets in their way - including Spider-Girl.
Notes
- This issue has a 'Spider-Girl and her Amazing Friends' profile on Moose Mansfield at the end.