Spider Society

CURRENT MEMBERS: Ted Mankowski, Mr. Sanderson, Nina Smith, Phil, Alice, many others unidentified

FORMER MEMBERS: Araña, Sophia Corazon (deceased), Spider-Woman (I), Miguel Legar (deceased), Todd Matheson, Smitty McJameson, Roberto Ramirez, Paulo Ramistas, Gabe Roberson, Ezekiel Sims (deceased), Ralph Thompson, Theodore Whitefoot

FIRST APPEARANCE: Amazing Spider-Man #30 (2001)

BASE OF OPERATION: New York City, New York

HISTORY: In the year 1099 AD, a group formed in Castile pledging to act as self-appointed guardians of peace while operating from the shadows. Their league, named the Spider Society, engaged in combat during the medieval Crusades. They discovered the ancient writings of the Arabs, instructing them in arcane secrets and offering protection from totemic (i.e. animal-linked) magical resources. In time, the Sisterhood of the Wasp became an offshoot from the Society of the Spider. While the Spider Society preferred more peaceful methods, the Wasps opted for lethal attacks. After fighting over the true meaning of power, the two groups soon became mortal enemies and have remained so to this day.

The Spider Society operates with a mystically bonded pair at the vanguard of their team: the Mage and the Hunter. When they are together, the power of each individual is enhanced. Hunters are born with special powers, and the affinity to become a future Hunter is passed through bloodlines. Activating the Hunter persona is a transformative process which increases the prowess for fighting to an animalistic, near-intuitive level, while temporarily dulling the Hunter's cognitive abilities, leading to potential for acts of savagery. The ritual to select an initiate replacement Hunter if a Hunter retires or is killed can only be performed once a year. In modern times, the Spider Society has often covertly operated within a shell corporation acting as a front. The corporation, managed under the direction of Ezekiel Sims, funded the Society for 22 years. Sims used his illicitly obtained spider-powers for personal gain, his heart focused on the corporation's profits while avoiding the debt he owed for the powers. When supernatural forces sought to claim Ezekiel's life to pay the debt, Sims tricked Spider-Man into taking his place in a ritual sacrifice at a Peruvian temple; however, the mystical ritual linked Sims to Spider-Man, enlightening Sims as to the errors of his ways. Sims saved Spider-Man, allowing himself to be killed instead.

After Sims' corporation folded, the Spider Society moved their operations under the name of WebCorps, run by Mr. Sanderson. Anya Corazon (Araña), a descendant of one of the first Hunters, Benicio Del Corazon, was initiated to become the next Hunter, paired with mage Miguel Legar. Although the true Hunter was supposed to be Miguel's love, Nina Smith, Miguel made Araña a Hunter to both save her life, and attempt to avoid a premonition of Nina's death if she were selected to be the Hunter. Though impetuous and immature, Area proved to be a formidable adversary to the Wasps and their soldiers (the Drones), aiding Miguel twice in interrupting the Wasp ceremony to summon their Hunter (a ritual that can only be performed once a year). In the second such interruption, both Miguel and Nina were killed, but Araña resurrected Nina by surrendering the Hunter's power to her. Araña retained many of her powers, and left WebCorps to become a government-sanctioned superhero.

Spider-Woman IV

REAL NAME: Charlotte Witter

ALIASES: None

IDENTITY: Known to authorities

OCCUPATION: Fashion designer, criminal

CITIZENSHIP: U.S.A.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Sublimity Oregon

KNOWN RELATIVES: Cassandra Webb (Madame Web, grandmother), Jonathan Webb (grandfather, deceased)

GROUP AFFILIATION: Former associate of Dr. Octopus (Otto Octavius)

EDUCATION: B.A. in fashion and merchandising

FIRST APPEARANCE: Amazing Spider-Man #5 (1999)

HISTORY: The granddaughter of the clairvoyant Madame Web, Charlotte Witter was a reputable fashion designer who also dealt in illegal markets, which brought her into contact with Dr. Octopus. Sensing latent psychic powers in Witter that could further his plans, Octopus kidnapped her and conducted genetic testing using spider DNA, altering Witter's physical appearance and transforming her into a spider-human hybrid. Witter despised what Octopus had done to her and tried to kill him several times, but Octopus conditioned her through torture, sensory deprivation and starvation until she obeyed his every command, so long as he provided her with a steady diet of human blood. Taking the name "Spider-Woman," Witter orchestrated attacks on other women who had previously used that name and absorbed their powers, with orders to kill Spider-Man once the powers of all the other Spider-Women had been absorbed.

In the island-nation of Madripoor, Witter ambushed and defeated private investigator Jessica Drew (who had temporarily given up her "Spider-Woman" identity at the time) as she walked home from work. Shortly after, in Los Angeles, California, Witter overpowered former Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter in her home as she waited for her daughter to return from school. Learning of the attacks on the other Spider-Women, who were both left in critical condition, Spider-Man set out to protect 15-year-old Mattie Franklin, the current holder of the "Spider-Woman" title at the time. Witter attacked them both, but Spider-Man escaped with the injured Franklin, whom he brought to the apartment of the Black Cat. Following the trail of Franklin's power, Witter tracked her down but was forced to retreat by Black Cat and Spider-Man, who placed a Spider-Tracer on Witter to follow her movements. Witter next resurfaced on a New York rooftop battling the NYPD until Spider-Man arrived, causing Witter to reconsider her actions and feel momentary remorse for attacking the other Spider-Women. But Witter soon reverted to Octopus' programming, defeating Spider-Man and bringing him to Octopus's lair under the East River before Spider-Man escaped, driving off Octopus and Witter.

Days later, now operating from an abandoned Greenwich Village brownstone, Witter began kidnapping men on which to feed while Madame Web assembled the heroic, depowered Spider-Women to capture her granddaughter. Tracking Witter's psychic emanations, Franklin and Drew battled her, and Witter was rendered unconscious when Franklin mystically absorbed all of the power that Witter had stolen from the others. Reuniting with Octopus, Witter realized that she still had psychic control over the spider legs that were now attached to Franklin's back, and she forced Franklin to attack Spider-Man against her will until Madame Web severed the psychic link and subdued Witter. Witter was placed in Web's care as she slowly siphoned her powers back, eventually escaping and using her psychic powers to learn Spider-Man's true identity. Witter's powers were finally rendered dormant after Spider-Man and Franklin defeated her.

HEIGHT: 5 ft. 10 in.WEIGHT: 128 lbs.

EYES: (Witter) Green; (Spider-Woman) red

HAIR: (Witter) Blonde; (Spider-Woman) platinum with black streaks

ABILITIES: Fully powered, Spider-Woman had superhuman strength, speed and agility; the ability to adhere to virtually any surface: the power of flight; and the ability to generate bio-electric "venom blasts." strands of psionic force that could be woven into adhesive "psi-webs." and psionic spider legs that emanated from her back. She also has inherent precognitive abilities, telepathy and psionic detection. Spider-Woman can hypnotize males using eye contact, and she can absorb the powers of other Spider-Women.