Spider Society
The Spider Society is a secret society that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Spider Society was a group that was originally founded in the year 1099 AD where it was formed in Castile where its members pledged to serve as the self-appointed guardians of peace though vowed to do so from the shadows. They were wielders of the arcane that operated as benevolent kingmakers who served a powerful protectors. (Araña: The Heart of the Spider v1 #5) It was said that 909 years ago they came to pledge their blood to protecting the world from the shadows. This secret society were noted to had waged battle during the medieval Crusades and had discovered the ancient writings of the Arabs that instructed them in the arcane arts as well as instructed in the ways of protection from totemic magical forces. A splinter formed in the faction when an aggressive group moved away from the society to form their own offshoot that became known as the Sisterhood of the Wasp. Unlike their parent body, the Sisterhood believed in more aggressive overt and lethal attacks leading to fighting between the two groups over the true meaning of power which led to the two becoming mortal enemies that waged their war for centuries. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #1)
By the modern age, the Spider Society operated covertly through the use of shell companies that acted as a front for their activities. One such corporation was managed by Ezekial Sims who funded the secret group for 22 years who used the profits to benefit himself as well as empower himself with spider-like powers. This in turn led to supernatural forces being brought into play that sought to claim his life as part of the debt he owed but he tricked Spider-Man into taking his place in the sacrifice site at a Peruvian temple. However, the ritual instead linked Sims to Spider-Man thus showing Ezekial the error of his ways whereupon he saved Spider-Man's life by sacrificing himself.
Fang created a splinter group of the Spider Society that had sought out Silk for years. (Silk v2 #19)
With the death of Sims, his company was folded and the Society created a new shell company called WebCorps that was managed by Mr. Sanderson.
Overview
They were described as being a cult that worshipped the Spider-Totems. (Amazing Spider-Man v3 #13) The Society were tasked with combating the threat posed by the Sisterhood of the Wasp. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #4)
In terms of organization, the Society operated through the use of mystically bonded pairings of Mages and Hunters who served as the vanguard for their operations. These pairs work in unison leading to their powers being enhanced by working together. One member served as the Hunters who were born with special powers and their descendants had a natural affinity for these abilities in their bloodline. The activation of a Hunter persona is a transformative process and increases the prowess for fighting to a more animalistic and near intuitive level. Such actions temporarily dull the Hunter's cognitive abilities but allows them to engage in acts of potential savagery. If killed or retired, a ritual was needed to initiate a replacement Hunter though this can only be performed once a year.
They pledged themselves to governing the darkness with peace being held by their black hands. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #1) The Society collected information on threats to peace and acted on them. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #4)
Publicly, they operated as a company known as WebCorps. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #2) In reality, hey were a shell company within another shell company inside an offshore private company incorporated in Brazil by three people whose death certificates read a year earlier that the business's certificate of incorporation. It was managed by a Board of Directors consisting of senior members of the organization. They claimed to be an information gathering organization that researched criminal organizations whereupon they worked with multiple sources to counteract them. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #3)
They were divided between teams consisting of a hunter and a mage. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #1) A mage served as a guardian to a hunter charged with protecting them and guiding them. Initiates chosen to be hunters went through a transformative experience where they were encased in a web-like cocoon. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #2) There was only one hunter that were marked by the sign of the spider that manifested on their bodies. Hunters were born with their powers with the society simply discovering these initiates and activating their abilities by marking. After activation, the hunter began to manifest their powers over time. They were tasked with hunting the 'wasps' with information being provided by the Spider Society. A mage was tasked with initiating their charge and having them undergo difficult trials. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #4)
From the writings of the Arabs, their forebears discovered mystical secrets and protection from forgotten, totemic resources deep underground. (Araña: The Heart of the Spider v1 #5)
Member were familiar in certain mystical techniques such as creating summoning circles that could be used to find initiates and make protective barriers to defend them from attacks. When a protective barrier was made, it turned the land into a sacred ground that meant no weapon could be used in the area or suffer being mystically removed from the scene. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #1) They could also cast spells that shared their life with another in order to heal them of injuries. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #2)
They had in their possession a number of mystical scrolls relating to the Web of Life and Destiny. These spoke of various prophecies of future events along with key figures involved in them. Among the figures mentioned in them were the Other, the Bride, the Scion and a new figure known as the Pattern-Maker. The Scrolls had the ability to open portals into the Web into other worlds. (Spider-Girls v1 #3)
The front company of the organization was seemingly based at their corporate headquarters located at 200 John Street in New York City. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #3)
Members
- Benicio del Corazón :
- Simon Sanderson : a white haired male who came to be Chief Executive of Operations of WebCorps and the new leader of the Spider Society after the death of Ezekiel Simms. (Amazing Fantasy v2 #3)
- Paulo Ramistas :
- Roberto Ramírez :
- Ralph Thompson :
- Smitty McJameson
- Todd Matheson :
- Gabe Roberson :
- Theodore Whirefoot :
- Ezekiel Sims :
- Jessica Drew :
- Sofia Corazón :
- Anya Corazón :
- Nina Smith :
Notes
- The Spider Society was created by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr. where they made their first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man v2 #30 (April, 2001).
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v2: (2001)
- Amazing Fantasy v2:
- Spider-Girls v1:
External Links
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