Spoilers for Captain Marvel #26 ahead!
Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman have been friends for many years now, first meeting after Rogue attacked Captain Marvel in Avengers Annual #10. While helping her recover from the attack, Spider-Woman learned about Captain Marvel’s assault years earlier, and her of the Captain through this difficult time led to them developing a strong bond that has persisted through the years.
After Captain Marvel is thrown forward to the year 2052, she finds a world where most heroes are dead and Ove, the son of Namor and Enchantress, rules with an iron fist. She meets future versions of many of her friends, including Spider-Woman, Magik, Emma Frost and Luke Cage. Together they try to take down Ove, but are captured, and they learn that he intends to go back in time and take over the world. After the heroes escape they get ready to fight back.
Ove is defeated in Captain Marvel #26, written by Kelly Thompson, with art by Lee Garbett and colors by Antonio Fabela. Captain Marvel is ready to return to 2021, but there is a catch: the spell that can take her back only works when someone sacrifices themselves. She has resigned herself to maybe staying in this timeline, until Magik calls for her, to inform Captain Marvel that Spider-Woman has sacrificed herself so that she can return to her time; she also warns that Ove has been sent back in time as well, and he will find her. Captain Marvel is shocked by the sacrifice, but Magik assures her Spider-Woman wanted this for her. Once she returns to her own time, she enjoys a reunion with the present-day Spider-Woman. Her reunion with her lover War Machine is less happy; in 2052, she met War Machine’s daughter—and she was not the mother. Feeling guilty for keeping War Machine from who he was meant to be with, she breaks up with him.
Spider-Woman’s sacrifice not only enabled Captain Marvel to return to her own time, it also enabled her to potentially prevent Ove and his future from coming about. Magik informs her Ove is in the past, and he will not let Captain Marvel’s victory over him stand and will most certainly be looking for revenge. She has seen Ove’s world, and she will not let it come to .
Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman are the best of friends, and their friendship has survived a great deal, and it persists for another 30 years. Ultimately, Spider-Woman gave up her life so that Captain Marvel could have a shot at preventing Ove from coming to power, and thus saving countless lives.
