Spider-Woman #3

Spider-Woman vs. Brother Grimm! Crime sprees in Los Angeles have left the city unstable. Will Spider-Woman take the law into her own hands, including uncovering the plot of a corrupt senator? And just how is Senator Wyatt connected to the demise of Jessica’s father, Jonathan Drew? Spider-Woman’s demanding answers, and based on her vigilance, she’s due to get some!

A shadowy masked man has snuck into a local playhouse and is hiding above, amongst the lights. He is watching Hansel and Gretel. Suddenly, a cloud of amber smoke explodes from the stage and the masked man appears. He identifies himself as Brother Grimm.

As the smoke clears, the actors materialize behind the monloguing Brother Grimm, all dehydrated, all dead. A cop rushes the stage, gun drawn. Brother Grimm laughs, unconcered, and shoots the policeman with an energy bolt from his index finger, killing him. He turns to the members of the audience and demands that they hand over their valuables if they want to live. The jewels and money are collected, but Brother Grimm abruptly changes his mind. He disappears without taking a single thing and reappears almost instantaneously in the bedroom of Congressman James T. Wyatt.

The Congressman pulls a gun, which Brother Grimm easily knocks away. He explains why he's there--he has photos of the congressman's latest "business trip" and the female company he kept. He tells Wyatt that if he wants those photos to stay hidden, he's going to have to pay $50,000 in cash immediately. The congressman protests, but Brother Grimm is adamant. The money now or the congressman's reputation is ruined. Together they break into the congressman's bank vault. Wyatt gives Brother Grimm the money, and Brother Grimm rewards him by locking him in the vault.

The next morning finds Jessica Drew and Magnus trying to settle down in America. The front page of Jessica's newspaper announces "Congressman Wyatt Found in Bank Vault", but Jessica is more concerned with apartments for rent in Los Angeles. She laments that they won't be able to afford any apartments, but Magnus tells her not to worry--he's already found one. Jessica doesn't believe him, as he hasn't looked through any newspapers since arriving in America, but Magnus has indeed found a house with rooms for rent. He meets with the owner--Priscilla Dolly--who eagerly rents out two rooms to Magnus and his "niece". Once the two are alone, Jessica asks why Magnus lied to Dolly. Magnus explains that it's simply easier than the truth. He then changes the subject, telling Jessica that they can visit her father if she's ready.

What Magnus does not tell her is that her father is dead. He brings Jessica to Jonathan Drew's gravestone, and the discovery that her father is dead does not go over well. Jessica accuses Magnus of stringing her along, using her as a puppet--he knew that her father was dead before they ever left London. Magnus promises that he would never play games with her and insists that he knew she would not believe him had he told her sooner. He also thought she would want to know who killed Jonathan. She does.

Later that night, Spider Woman glides gracefully to the roof top of the Los Angeles police department. She carefully makes her way through the builidng to the records room and begins searching the filing cabinets for records pertaining to her father's murder case. She discovers that his murder is unsolved with investigations still pending under Detective J.R. Bullitt. Jessica decides to have a word with Detective Bullitt, but as she reads further she becomes aware of someone else having a conversation in the office next door. She steals herself to flee, then hesitates. She overhears a discussion concerning Brother Grimm between Congressman Wyatt, the bank manager, and one of the detectives. Jessica shrugs their problems off--she has her own issues to deal with--and takes flight, her father's file in tow. Back at the house, she goes over the file with Magnus and discovers that her father had a run in with Congressman Wyatt--a name she recalls hearing at the police station.

Spider Woman drops in on Senator Wyatt the next morning at his office in the Capitol Building. She demands he answer her questions, to which he replies that he doesn't deal with terrorists--especially not another costume wearing weirdo. He pulls a gun and Jessica deals with him easily. She demands to know what happened to Jonathan Drew. Wyatt insists that he doesn't know what happened to Jonathan. He worked for Pyro-Technics and came to the Congressman about some discovery he'd found, but the Congressman had him shooed away. He promises Jessica that he hasn't seen Jonathan in nearly two months. Jessica wants to know why Jonathan would come to a politician with a scientific discovery, but before Wyatt can answer Brother Grimm smashes through the office window. He demands real money--not more conterfeit bills the Congressman tricked him into taking the other night. Jessica tells Brother Grimm to back off. Brother Grimm responds by producing an axe and attacking her.

As the two battle it out, Wyatt calls the police. Spider Woman manages to gain the upper hand and knocks out Brother Grimm with one well placed venom blast. She turns her attention back to the congressman, demanding to know everything Wyatt knows about Jonathan Drew. But as sirens fill the air, Jessica is forced to take her leave before her question is answered. She promises to be back.

The police arrest Brother Grimm and Wyatt breathes a sigh of relief. His secret--that he's passing "funny money"--should be relaitvely safe, since no one would believe the psychopathic Brother Grimm. The only loose end now is Spider Woman, who overheard the entire exchange.

Spider Woman tails the congressman over the next few days, but Wyatt has surrounded himself with body guards. She decides to move on to the next lead in her investigation--Pyro-Technics, Inc.

As she soars through the night sky, Spider Woman suddenly finds herself unable to stay afloat. She has inhaled some sort of gas and is now plummeting to earth. She lands at the feet of Brother Grimm. Shocked, she demands to know why he isn't in jail. Grimm laughs at her--it's a secret, he says--before flying away on a cloud. Jessica pursues, but Grimm disappears in a flash of red smoke.

Frustrated, Jessica returns to her new home just in time to hear a startling news broadcast--Brother Grimm escaped from police custody after the 6:30 cell check. But a dumbfounded Jessica informs Magnus that she fought Grimm at five o'clock.