Wasp's Nest

The Gloom Room A Go-Go bar and nightclub looked to Gwen like something out of an Austin Powers movie. Pictures of the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix competed for space on the walls with hula hoops, Nehru jackets and replica Andy Warhol paintings. All of the furniture was in dark green, orange, yellow and pink hues, colors that flowed together in vibrant patterns. Everything combined to give it a distinctively retro feel, albeit with a modern flavor that would appeal both to nostalgic boomers and younger, trendy hipsters.

Gwen herself conveyed a similar feeling with her attire. Like many other fashionable young women, she'd made good use of vintage clothing, and had come to the audition in a black-and-white patterned miniskirt and matching blouse, along with a pair of white go-go boots she'd bought from a vintage clothing store. Several of the other women who'd come hoping for jobs had come similarly dressed, and their expressions revealed their confidence.

Gwen was still slightly bemused by it all. Looking at photos of 1960s fashion, like the Swinging London and hippie movements, it seemed almost like another world, rather than merely another time. That said, she definitely respected the likes of Mary Quant for the daring innovations they'd made in fashion, innovations that continued to affect the fashion world down to today.

I wonder what people forty years from now will say about my generation, Gwen wondered, as she saw Jonathan Caesar emerge from a back room and come towards them.

Will they think that this era looked like another world, too?

SPIDER-WOMAN #68

"WASP'S NEST"

"Nice to see you all," Jonathan Caesar grinned as he looked approvingly at the girls. "In case you forgot, I'm Jonathan Caesar, one of the club's main investors. Is everybody ready?"

"We're a retro club, but we're looking for our staff to show the same youthful spirit the youth of the '60s did in their heyday," Caesar continued, once the girls had given their assent. "It was a time of optimism and change, the feeling that anything was possible. That's what why we're going to start by your showing me your dance moves. You all checked the YouTube video links we mailed you, right?"

Several of the girls looked discouraged, and when the time came for them to dance it was clear they hadn't practiced. Caesar politely but firmly told them that would be all, and that they didn't need to worry about being called again.

Gwen did well to hide her smile as her turn came. She had spent hours practicing the routines, and combined with her natural stage presence and dance talent she had the routine down cold. Several of the girls burst out in applause as she finished her dance, and Caesar was already typing furiously on his smartphone, an approving look on his face.

The next step involved Caesar asking the girls questions about the menu, something that most of them were better prepared for, including Gwen. After her experience working at the Empire State Coffee Shop, she knew how important it was to have the bar's menu memorized.

Finally, Caesar invited the remaining girls into the back room for a personalized chat one at a time.

"What makes you want to work here?" Caesar started out by asking Gwen.

"It seems like a really nice place," Gwen replied. "It's definitely got an interesting theme to it, and some really good music. It doesn't hurt that I love to dance, either," she finished with a wide smile.

"What's your favorite '60s band, and why?" Caesar followed up.

"The Beatles," Gwen explained, "just because of the sheer influence they had on the world of music. Their impact is still being felt today…"

Gwen was more indifferent than anything else to the music of the 1960s. However, she knew the advantages of learning about the place she planned to work for, and had made an effort to study some of the culture and music of the '60s.

"What can you bring to this establishment?" Caesar asked, looking up from his papers at Gwen.

"Like you saw, I've got great stage presence, and I'm a fantastic dancer," Gwen replied. "I'm also very friendly and accommodating, and I'm always more than ready to help the customers when they run into problems or ask questions."

Caesar typed something into his smartphone, before looking up at Gwen with an approving smile on his face.

"Well done," he smiled. "I have to say that I'm impressed. We'll let you know in the next few days whether you made it."

"Thank you very much," Gwen replied, bowing courteously before shaking his hand.

As she left the club, Gwen felt a sense of excitement.

I nailed this, she thought to herself, and I'm going to knock them dead when the place opens.

No matter what strange situations he encountered, Dr. Karl Malus was known for his cool façade. His rounded glasses and plain trim haircut made him look fairly nondescript, matching his demeanor well. However, the strangeness of the questions posed to him frequently matched his bizarre interests. He was a brilliant geneticist and biochemist, hired by the Kingpin to increase the addictiveness of the drugs the crimelord peddled. Dr. Malus had been as good as his word, lacing the Kingpin's drugs with additional chemicals that made the users physically dependent on them, literally dying if they went with another crimelord's merchandise or tried to clean themselves up.

As fun a challenge as that had been, Dr. Malus was in fact more interested in the wide variety of abilities animals had, from breathing underwater to producing deadly toxins. More particularly, he was interested in imbuing humans with those often deadly abilities. The Kingpin had been a willing supporter of Malus's research, which had produced deadly supervillains like the Scorpion and the Rhino. His early successes had led him to be hired by other parties to imbue them or their agents with superhuman abilities, such as the electrically-powered psychopath Supercharger.

Another client was knocking on his door today, one who wanted him to replicate one of his earlier successes.

"Let me get this straight, my dear," Dr. Malus said, pausing only to take a sip of coffee, "you want me to imbue you with powers similar to that of the Scorpion's?"

"That's right, Doc," Elaine Coll smirked at Dr. Malus. "I always admired Mac Gargan-he was a real fucking psycho, you know-and I want powers like his!"

Dr. Malus merely finished his coffee and poured himself another cup. Much like Boomerang, the Scorpion's reputation as a supervillain mercenary and assassin had dramatically risen in recent years after a long string of successes in the employ of crimelord Philippe Bazin. Most notably, he'd recently defeated Darkhawk in a vicious battle that led to the Scorpion destroying a large collection of police evidence that he'd been hired to wipe out. The loss of the evidence had crippled the DA's cases against several of Bazin's lieutenants, and preventing the crimelord from suffering some serious damage.

The eager look in Elaine's eyes, the twitching of her hands and the excitement in her voice suggested to Dr. Malus what the results would be if he fulfilled her request.

"I'm not an engineer, you know," Dr. Malus pointed out to her. "The Scorpion's tail was-"

"The Tinkerer's already working on it," Elaine interrupted. "Cash up front, delivery in about a week or so."

"…Really," Dr. Malus raised an eyebrow.

He took another sip of coffee.

"Young lady, you should know that I don't come cheap," he pointed out to her. "I charged Supercharger $5 million for his electrical powers. And I don't give rookie supervillains a payment plan option the way the Tinkerer does," he continued, referring to the special offer the Tinkerer had whereby supervillains could pay him for his work with part of the take from their successful crimes.

"So what?" Elaine scoffed. "Whatever it is, I'm good for it. So, can you do it or not?"

Dr. Malus raised an eyebrow yet again.

He took yet another sip of coffee.

"What the hell do you mean, I'm evicted?" Felicia Hardy screamed at the landlord.

"Look, sweetie, your sugar daddy is up to his neck in trouble, and somehow I don't see any more rent payments in your near future. I've already got half a dozen tenants who are chomping at the bit for this place," Ernie frowned.

"So what?" Felicia scoffed. "I'm good for it!"

"You just lost your job, sister," Ernie reminded her. "You think I don't pay attention to the gossip that goes on around here?" he smirked.

Ernie managed one of the most high-class apartment buildings in New York, providing homes to everyone from actors to artists to businesspeople. He didn't miss much of what went on in his building, and he paid close attention to what was happening among New York's upper crust.

Roderick Kingsley had set Felicia up in one of the most sought-after apartments in the building, paying for all her lodgings and living expenses. Unfortunately, Roderick's legal and financial troubles had cut off Felicia's money supply-he was looking at a lengthy prison sentence, years of civil suits, and a costly divorce from his cuckolded wife Rebecca.

"So I'll just get another job," Felicia shot back. "What's the big fucking deal?"

"Uh huh," Ernie rolled his eyes. "In the meantime, I'm not getting paid rent, which means I'm going get my boss pissed off at me. You realize that if you'd saved more of your own money instead of just blowing it all on coke, you might not be in this mess?" he pointed out.

"Well, I…" Felicia stammered. "I mean, come on…surely there's another way I can pay you?" she purred enticingly, flashing a winning smile.

"Nice try," Ernie grinned, "but I've been married for thirty-four years, and Lindsay's been all I'll ever need. You've got three days to get your stuff out of the apartment, or I'm tossing it out in the street."

"FUCK YOU!" Felicia screamed, before she slammed the door in Ernie's face.

Ernie just rolled his eyes and marched off down the hall.

He had several other things to do before he could call it a day, and he didn't intend to waste any time.

The glass mirror shattered into a thousand pieces, broken by the expensive vase that struck it.

The chair broke apart as it was smashed against the wall.

Huge gashes appeared in the expensive couch, the results of frenzied hacking by a kitchen knife.

By the time Felicia was done, the apartment looked more like it was part of an abandoned slum building than a posh, upscale establishment. Screaming like a madwoman, Felicia Hardy finished venting her rage before she slumped down in a corner, breathing heavily.

She could no longer see the wrecked apartment around her, the only thing in her mind's eye being that blonde skank Gwen Stacy, who had taken her job as Kingsley Cosmetics' lead model.

The thought made Felicia scream, clenching her fists and punching the walls on either side of her before she slumped down again, this time putting her head in her hands.

Gwen…Felicia thought to herself.

It's her fault…

It's all her fault…

"Trust me, you can't go wrong with Converse," Gwen told her cousin Jill Stacy as they entered into the Stacy townhouse, each weighed down with shopping bags. "They're stylish, they're sexy, they're suitable for any kind of occasion."

"Just the boots, though, right?" Jill asked. "I mean, you wouldn't wear high-tops to a wedding or something like that."

"You'd be surprised, actually," Gwen replied. "There are lots of celebrities out there who wear Converse at all kinds of events. I mean, if Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez do it, who are we to judge?"

They laughed at that as they put down the bags, before Gwen's phone rang. To her delight, she saw that it was the Gloom Room A Go-Go calling.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hi there!" a chipper female voice on the other end said in reply. "My name is Renata-I'm the manager here at the Gloom Room. I'm calling you back about the interview."

"Yeah?" Gwen asked eagerly.

"You passed the audition with flying colors, and we'd love for you to join our team," Renata replied. "Are you still interested?"

"You bet!" Gwen said with delight.

"Great!" Renata beamed. "If you could come down on Wednesday, we'll get you fitted for a uniform and start training you for opening night. Would you be able to come by at, say, 3 o'clock?"

"Sure thing," Gwen grinned. "See you then!"

"So now we can start charging you rent?" Jill quipped, when Gwen had explained the call to her.

"Only if it means you don't get to borrow any more of my outfits," Gwen shot back. "And you have to do more of the housework around here."

"Hey, whose mother do you think owns this place?" Jill scowled in mock annoyance.

"I happen to know that mother wouldn't appreciate anyone else deciding who can live here," Gwen shot back. "Don't forget that you're 18 now, too-Mom and I aren't the only ones Aunt Nancy can legally kick out!"

They laughed at this.

They hate you all, don't they? Buck Mitty thought. You're seen as parasites who produce nothing of value, spiteful creatures who attack humans for no reason, never mind that you play an important role in pest control, or that you have to defend yourselves from humans who attack you and make your lives miserable!

The wasps' songs reinforced Mitty's thoughts, confirmed to him that he was correct.

Misunderstood and hated…attacked for who you are and what you do…you're the insects I sympathized with most of all…

The wasps' songs were one with his own.

All my life…I was like you all my life…I couldn't sting back…

The wasps' songs were entrenched in his mind.

Fire and hate…poison and torture…

The wasps' songs were contained within his heart.

Bees sting only once, and then they die…but wasps can sting again and again…

The wasps and he were one.

"I thought you'd have everything approved by now, Nancy," Fritz Von Meyer said, a stern look on his face as he accepted the signed documents from Nancy Stacy. "We're running against the clock, here!"

Nancy did her best to keep the disgruntled look off her face until she left Von Meyer's office. She hated dealing with the uptight manager, who frequently insisted on double-checking other departments' work along with his own. Never mind that their department had been warmly praised for its efficiency and profitability by the Richmond Industries brass for years before he'd ever come aboard-no, it was due solely to his ambition and drive that things were going as well as they had.

Von Meyer was rather unpopular among his coworkers, and his humiliation of Buck Mitty a few days ago hadn't done much to improve their opinions of him. Mitty might have been an eccentric weirdo, but if he had to be fired, Nancy thought he should have just been quietly dismissed, instead of openly embarrassed and yelled at the way he was. Several people had been struck by the look of humiliation and rage on Mitty's face as he stormed out, and Nancy was no exception.

I hope he gets that promotion he's angling for soon, Nancy thought to herself as she shook her head. The sooner he's out of here, the better.

Sitting back down at her desk, Nancy booted up her computer. Glancing through her purse, she searched for the memory stick that she'd used to take some important files to work on at home. She spent several moments looking before she cursed her bad luck, realizing that she'd probably forgotten it at home.

Grumbling to herself, Nancy reached over and picked up her phone, dialing it and hoping that there was someone still at home.

"Hello?" Gwen asked on the other end.

"Oh, good, Gwen!" Nancy exclaimed in relief. "Are you busy right now?"

"No," Gwen replied, concern creeping into her voice as she realized how flustered Nancy sounded. "What's the problem?"

"I forgot an important memory stick I need for work at home," Nancy explained. "I left it in the computer room-it should be there on the desk, next to the mouse. It'll have Richmond Industries' logo on it."

"Just a second," Gwen replied, before falling silent. Over the phone, Nancy could hear Gwen's footsteps as she walked into the computer room and began rifling through the things left on the desk.

"I've got it," Gwen confirmed. "Did you need me to plug it into the computer here?"

"No," Nancy said in embarrassment. "I really hate to ask you this, Gwen, but could you bring it down here? It's only about twenty minutes by bus. I'd come back to get it myself, but I have some important e-mails to finish writing."

"I don't mind doing it," Gwen replied, "but isn't there going to be security or something?" she pointed out.

"I'll come down and meet you in the lobby," Nancy assured her. "Thanks for doing this, honey…"

"It's fine," Gwen assured her. "See you soon!"

Nancy gave a relieved sigh as she resumed writing her e-mails.

Checking her watch, Gwen smiled to herself as she realized she was right on time. Conveniently, the bus stop was right in front of the Richmond Industries building, and it wasn't long before Gwen was in the lobby, looking for Nancy.

Hearing Nancy's voice calling out to her, Gwen turned around and saw Nancy approaching her.

"Have you got it?" Nancy asked urgently.

"No problem," Gwen assured her, opening a pocket on her tote bag and taking the memory stick out. "That's about got it?"

"You bet," Nancy nodded. "Thanks so much, sweetie," she continued, hugging Gwen.

"It's all good," Gwen smiled. "I'll see you-what's that noise?" she said, looking up in alarm at the loud buzzing sound she heard.

Everyone in the lobby was soon looking at each other, some covering their ears at the loud buzzing. Cries of alarm were added to the noise at the chilling sight that soon surrounded them, as the large lobby began to fill with wasps.

They emerged from the heating ducts, they entered through the plumbing, they flew in through open doors and windows. Soon the entire lobby was filled with an entire miasma of the things, resembling nothing so much as a plague of angry, buzzing, poisonous locusts. Their buzzing filled the ears of Gwen and the other humans present, sending chills down their spines at the same time.

The sounds of screams and stampeding feet were added to the mix, coming from above as Gwen realized that the upper floors of the building were also being infested with wasps. Her heart pounding, she looked at Nancy, who was shaking with terror. Gwen remembered that Nancy had a terrible phobia of bees and wasps due to an unfortunate incident in her childhood, and she could only imagine what her aunt was going through.

That was disturbing enough, but what was even more chilling was what happened next. A large cloud of wasps began to gather, forming into what looked disturbingly like a giant human face. The screams of the humans in the room became all the louder, and to Gwen's dismay Nancy simply keeled over in shock.

What the hell's going on here? Gwen wondered, trying to fight off her own rising sense of panic. What in God's name is that thing?

She couldn't have imagined that things would get any more bizarre, but then they did. The wasps began buzzing in a strange, fluctuating pattern that sounded to Gwen and the others almost like human speech.

Looks like I have a captive audience, the buzzing seemed to say. The office hasn't changed much, has it?

Gwen heard cries and shouts coming from the upper floors. Although she couldn't quite make out what they were saying, it seemed almost as though they recognized the face of this creature, whatever it was...

That's right, it's me, the creature seemed to say, apparently in response to the questions people on the upper floors were asking. Buck Mitty, your old shitbucket, the messed-up failure, the nutty crackpot!

Look at me, look what I've achieved with my insect friends! the buzzing continued. You've hated them all, just like you hated me-you gassed them, swatted them and burned them, just like you spat on me, insulted me, made me feel worthless.

Now look at you-all scared seeing what we're really capable of! I was always going on about the power and potential of the insect world, and now you're going to learn about it firsthand!

There's no more Buck Mitty, no more wasps. We're now one.

We're the Swarm! the face exclaimed in triumph, even as his buzzing shifted into what sounded like hysterical laughter.

Looking around in alarm, Gwen frantically looked for a place to change costume. She had been backing away from the face, but this Swarm creature, whoever he was, only seemed to be interested in people he actually seemed to recognize.

She managed to find an unoccupied washroom, although her heart was pounding as she retrieved her costume from her tote bag.

I've only ever fought human supervillains before, Gwen thought to herself.

How the hell am I going to fight this thing?

As Spider-Woman emerged from the bathroom, the air was filled with human screams and buzzing that replicated Swarm's insane laughter. Coming back into the lobby, she was confronted with the most disturbing sight yet-humans running, writhing and screaming as the wasps stung them, even as Swarm's face stood over them, watching the scene like a perverted master of ceremonies.

Anger overcame Spider-Woman's initial trepidation as she fired a double shot of her webbing at Swarm's face. Swarm's laughter suddenly let up as a large clump of the wasps that made up his face were suddenly entangled, falling to the ground. As he turned around, he further recoiled in pain as Spider-Woman's sting blasts struck and killed several more of the wasps.

Swarm's laughter turned to screams of pain and anger as he turned around to contemplate Spider-Woman, who only stared back at him, hoping to draw his attention away from the other humans.

Aren't we a brave little girl? Swarm snapped back, drawing more wasps to heal himself. I suppose you think you can stop me?

"What did these people ever do to you?" Spider-Woman demanded, firing another stream of webbing at him.

I was nothing but a dysfunctional freak, Swarm shot back, as a wall of wasps came up to deflect Spider-Woman's webbing. Everybody laughed at me-they laughed at me as a child, they laughed at me as a professor, they laughed at me as Humbug, they laughed at me here!

NOW WHO'S LAUGHING? Swarm continued, the buzzing becoming almost deafening as the wasps abandoned many of their victims and now surrounded Spider-Woman. Buzzing angrily, they attacked her from all sides.

Leaping and dodging, Spider-Woman fired alternate streams of webbing and sting blasts through the air, entangling or killing many of the wasps. Unfortunately, despite her speed and agility, many of the wasps got past her defenses and stung her, filling her with searing, white-hot agony. Soon, her screams were added to the cacophony, even as Swarm resumed his insane laughter.

Hurt my friends all you want, Swarm taunted her. It only makes us all the angrier, and all the more eager to kill you! For every wasp you take out, I can summon a thousand more!

Spider-Woman's entire body was on fire from the wasps' stings, and her head spun as she tried to figure out what to do. Despite her best efforts, the creatures just kept on coming, and she was no closer to attacking the manifestation of Swarm's face. She was convinced that the face was the main point of his control, given how badly he'd reacted when she'd first struck it. Unfortunately, Swarm was able to raise his wasps as protective barriers to deflect her attacks.

Adrenaline and her own innate resistance to injury were helping Spider-Woman keep the effects of the wasps' poison at bay, but she knew she couldn't hold out much longer. She began to wonder if she'd finally bitten off more than she could chew, as she looked around for something, anything to help her.

As her gaze passed over the ceiling, one last, desperate possibility occurred to her.

Gathering her strength, Spider-Woman sprang into the air, webswinging towards the ceiling. As she swung up, she used her free hand to fire sting blasts at the ceiling, strategically aiming for a spot near one of the water dispensers that formed part of the building's sprinkler system. The heat from her sting blast activated the dispenser's sensors as it passed by, causing a shower of water to begin pouring out.

Dampened and weighed down by the water, the wasps fell to the ground, giving Spider-Woman some breathing room. Springing up next to the dispenser, Spider-Woman began firing sting blasts at other water dispensers, activating them as well and causing a further flood of water to pour down from the ceiling.

Damn you! Swarm cursed, as his minions began to fall. You're going to be the last one to die, spider-bitch…and I'm going to make you watch every other one of these people go before you!

Soon, all of the wasps in the lobby were concentrated on Spider-Woman, attacking her from all sides. Many of them were being knocked down by the water jets, but the ones that got through resumed stinging her.

Spider-Woman felt faint, and it was all she could do to keep her grip on the ceiling. A bitter feeling rose up within her, as she realized she had failed…

…when all of the wasps suddenly fell away at once.

The entire sprinkler system had been activated, drenching all of the wasps in the room, even as she heard Swarm screaming. Looking down, Spider-Woman was astonished to see the composite face of Swarm being blasted apart by the concentrated water from a fire hose wielded by one of the janitorial staff, who continued to pour on the pressure despite the obvious pain he was in.

Damn you all! Swarm cursed, his buzzing becoming increasingly indistinct and difficult to follow. I'll kill you…kill you all…this isn't over…

The clouds of wasps were swiftly dispensing as Swarm lost control over them. Many of the wasps that were not too wet to fly were reduced to simply buzzing around.

Cries of relief came from above, even as the buzzing further faded.

As she made her way down from the ceiling and went back to where she'd hidden her street clothes, Spider-Woman realized that somebody must have manually activated the building's sprinkler systems after seeing what she'd done.

"You'll need to take it easy," the paramedic advised Nancy as he finished bandaging her wounds. "I'd suggest taking a few days off of work."

"Thank you," Nancy breathed, still shaking despite herself. "Do you know where my niece might be? She has blonde hair, and-"

"I can take you to her," the paramedic assured her, as he helped Nancy to her feet. Leaning heavily on the paramedic, Nancy limped along for several moments until she saw a sight that pained her more than all her stings-that of Gwen lying limply on a bench, as another group of medical paramedics treated her.

"Oh no, Gwen!" Nancy gasped, forcing herself to walk up to her niece's side, pushing away from the protesting paramedic.

"Gwen, I'm so sorry," Nancy continued, tears forming in her eyes as the paramedic who'd been supporting her caught up and gave her his support once again.

"You don't need to worry," one of the paramedics treating the unconscious Gwen assured her. "Her breathing and her pulse are steady."

"Is she going to be alright?" Nancy asked urgently.

"She'll need a few days rest, but she should be alright," one of the paramedics said, not telling Nancy his amazement that Gwen was even conscious, much less alive, after all the stings she'd suffered. He had actually found her walking towards them under her own power, before she'd passed out. Even then, she should have had to go to the hospital, by all rights.

I'm so sorry, sweetie, Nancy thought to herself. This is all my fault…

And then there's Buck Mitty, Nancy thought to herself. So many people abused him, and look what happened. I'm just as guilty as anyone else…

The paramedic who'd been supporting Nancy gently set her down in a chair, before turning away to see if anyone else needed his help.

He could only sigh at the mad house the Richmond Industries building had become. Paramedics treated the wounded, police gathered up the wasps for study, and Richmond representatives came down to inspect the damage for themselves. The entire building was sodden from top to bottom, drenching papers, soaking furniture and wrecking equipment.

More than twenty people had died in the attack on the building, and hundreds more had been injured. Some guy named Fritz Von Meyer had apparently gotten it the worst, suffering more than a thousand stings before dying.

Things could have been much worse, the paramedic knew, without Spider-Woman's interference. According to one of the janitors, seeing Spider-Woman activate the sprinklers had inspired them to do the same thing on every floor, along with spraying as many of the wasps as they could with the fire hoses.

He had treated Spider-Woman once, after she'd suffered a particularly brutal beating at the hands of Jack O' Lantern, and wondered what happened to her. Now, he was less than happy that she'd disappeared, particularly when she herself badly needed medical attention.

"This Swarm thing really called himself Buck Mitty?" Sheriff Green asked as he led the NYPD detectives through Mitty's rural home.

"Yeah," Detective Lewis nodded. "He used to be a two-bit supervillain called Humbug, before he got paroled and got a job with Richmond Industries. He apparently did something to control all those bugs. That's why we were asked to come out here and investigate."

"Whatever," Sheriff Green muttered. "This was apparently his lab, where-Jesus Christ!" he gasped as opened the door.

Sitting in a chair in the center of the lab was a human skeleton entirely stripped to the bone of flesh.

"…What the hell is this?" Sherriff Green asked. "Those bugs…did they…is this Mitty?"

"We'd have to get the coroner to look at him," Detective Lewis frowned, "but…my God, did they actually eat him?"

The police officers were so busy calling the crime scene analysts and making preparations to transport the body that they did not see the single wasp sitting in the shadows of the far corner of the lab.

Perfectly still, the wasp sat.

And watched.

(Next Issue: Gwen begins work at the Gloom Room A Go-Go, even as she begins preparing for her next year of university. While everything is going Gwen's way, the same cannot be said of New York City. With three of New York's major crime lords now out of business, an ambitious new shark plans to carve out a place in the New York underworld, and is eager to make his mark on the city. All this and more in Spider-Woman #69: Kiss From A Rose!)