Issue(s): Spider-Woman #41
Cover Date: Dec 81
Title: "La morte de Jessica"
Credits:
Chris Claremont - Writer
Stephen Leialoha - Penciler
Bob Wiacek - Inker

Review/plot:
After several issues of mystical snipes and dream appearances, Morgan Le Fey finally attempts her attack on Spider-Woman this issue by taking over a Renaissance Fair that Jessica and Lindsay are attending.

Morgan Le Fey calls Spider-Woman a "child of the Darkhold". She mentions that Spider-Woman was in suspended animation "for over 30 years" at Wundagore, and implies that Spider-Woman was corrupted by Ch'thon at that time.

Morgan claims that her attack is actually meant as an invitation for Spider-Woman to join her and battle Ch'thon. Spider-Woman refuses.

Early in the issue, Le Fey tricks Jessica into zapping Lindsay with her venom blast. Lindsay is surprisingly cool about it.

I know this book has always had a lot of mystical elements to it, but Morgan Le Fey just seems to outmatch Spider-Woman so much that she doesn't make a great arch-rival. The ex-Hydra agent/detective part of Spider-Woman is more interesting than the mystical stuff. But Claremont can write a good (if text heavy) story, and Leialoha always delivers good art on this book.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - that 30 years reference

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Jessica had a premonition about the events of this issue in Spider-Woman #39.
  
• Morgan Le Fey and Spider-Woman first crossed paths in Spider-Woman #6, where Le Fey sent Spider-Woman after the book of the Darkhold.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I've so desperately wanted to know where Claremont intended to take his revelation that Jessica was a "Childe of the Darkhold" since it seems almost identical to the origin of the Scarlet Witch?

Perhaps Wanda's origin recycled from this plot!

Then there's Claremont's other revelation that Viper was Jessica's mother, Merriem, who was also an agent of Chthon. What was his intention regarding the circumstances surrounding her falling under his spell?

Then there's his later story where Jessica comes to move her detective agency to Madripoor.

Given Claremont's revelation that Wolvie married Viper as a promise to Seraph, did Jessica move to the island in an effort to unearth her true origins? Was a particular mutant her true father?