Origin
Shathra was the daughter of Mother Oshtur and Mother Gaea on Loomworld (Earth-001). They tasked Shathra with designing the “Celestial Map of Humanity.” Her design was The Great Nest, a honeycomb structure where every soul will grow and evolve in solitude until they are ready to become one with the hive. Her mothers disapproved. Instead, they were drawn to Shathra’s much younger sister’s design, The Great Web, which allowed for more free will.
Overwhelmed with jealousy and rage, Shathra transformed into a swarm of wasps and promised vengeance on anyone who sides with spiders.
Creation
Shathra debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #46
Major Story Arcs
Spider-Man
When Spider-Man went to the astral plane on a rescue mission, Shathra became aware of his presence and soon came to the real world to feed the Spider to her offspring.
She took the form of a human named Sharon Keller and claimed to be the jilted lover of Spider-Man on national television to force him out of hiding. Spider-Man showed up and angrily attacked Shathra, forcing her to reveal her true form. Shathra paralyzed Spider-Man with her venom, but he was able to escape and hide before the effects overwhelmed him. He was later saved by Ezekiel.
Ezekiel brough Spidey to Africa, to lure Shathra to a temple to the first spider-totem, Anansi. There, they fought her until she was swarmed by spiders, thanks to a blood sacrifice from Ezekiel. Struggling with the spiders, Shathra fell into a pit where she was assumed devoured, however, she survived.
Scarlet Spider
Shathra assumes the form of Annabelle Adams in order to seduce Kaine and the two sleep together. Shathra after her previous fight with Spider-Man was looking for a suitable father for her children.
Upon Kaine’s rejection she attempts to kill him and everyone around him but is thwarted when Kaine turns into his “Other” form and beats her down. It is unknown if Shathra is dead or alive after her confrontation with Kaine.
End of the Spider-Verse
Shathra had plans to turn the Great Web of Destiny into the Great Nest, her initial idea for the construction of reality. To do so, she sent spider-wasps into the multiverse to turn spider-hero variants into new drones so she could take on the prime timeline, Earth-616. Arming one of her drones (Spider-Man Noir) with a knife made with totem magic, she set out to wipe any spider-hero who couldn’t be turned from existence. When it was successfully used on the chosen one, Spider-Man of Earth-616, Shathra believed her victory was imminent.
Shathra revealed her plans to combine the multiverse into a single universe under her control. With her reach finally making it to Earth-616, she was interrupted by Web Warriors in disguise as drones, including Morlun, rival turned ally of the spider-heroes. He stabbed her with the totemic knife they had retained, but it was ineffective against her. It seemed to work on Morlun though due to all the spider-totems he had fed on. When Silk sliced him open, the former spider-totems were released, ruining Shathra’s plans.
Powers
Totemic Hunter: She has the totem of a Spider-Wasp, so she is driven by instinct to eat the totem of a Spider (namely Peter Parker).
- Superhuman: Shathra seems much stronger than Spider-Man, almost to that level of Morlun. She is also very agile.
- Stingers: She can shoot stingers from her wrists, that are coated with paralyzing venom.
- Healing Factor: During her fight with the Scarlet Spider she demonstrated incredible healing by taking one of Kaine’s stingers through her head and healing instantly.
- Transfiguration: She also showed the ability to transform into a swarm of wasps.
- Manifestation: Designed The Great Nest used as a power source by the Sisterhood of the Wasps.