Soon after, a new creature emerged from the corpse shell that Peter had shed and told Spider-Man that she was the counterpoint – the living, breathing answer – to his unorthodox return. Before he could learn more, she escaped to an unknown location and concealed herself within a cocoon.

While Spider-Man has sought counsel from those closest to him, anxieties have plagued him – specifically the consequences of his miraculous resurrection and his wholehearted embrace of the totemic spider god.

In last issue of Amazing Spider-Man, Peter had the opportunity to put his new abilities to the test and the results were...well...amazing. At issue's end, after a lengthy conversation with Mary Jane, Peter seemed to fully embrace the notion that he was given a second chance at living and that he must make the best of it.

ACT 1: Peter and Mary Jane are lying down in bed sleeping when a voice calls for Peter from somewhere in the room. Peter sits up and starts looking around the room to pinpoint where the voice is coming from. On the dresser across from the bed stands a sculpture of a bald eagle; that's where the voice – revealed to be that of Tony Stark – is originating from. Tony apologizes to Peter for disturbing him and asks if he could come down to the laboratory, as he needs to see him. Peter agrees and heads for the shower. Mary Jane gets out of bed and asks Tony – through the bald eagle – if he can see in the room or if he can only hear them. Tony replies that he cannot see in the room and then tells her that she has a nice tan. The next shot shows her bra covering the head of the bald eagle and Tony telling her that he was only kidding.

ACT 2: Peter heads down to the laboratory where he finds Tony at work on his new costume (Peter's). Tony explains that he's incorporated, in the costume, mesh webbing that can allow Peter to glide for short distances, heat resistant Kevlar micro-fibre that can resist small-calibre bullets, built-in fire, police and emergency scanner, audio and visual amplification, including infrared and ultra-violet, carbon filters in the mouth area to keep toxins out, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system, all routed through a computerized control system in the titanium chest piece. Peter is impressed and quickly agrees to take it out on a spin when Tony offers.

ACT 3: Two armed miscreants are leading the police on a car chase through the Manhattan streets and they have a hostage onboard the vehicle, most specifically in the trunk. One of the thugs is able to get rid of a few police cars when he unloads his semi-automatic weapon at them. But things start to go from bad to worse for the thugs when Spider-Man shows up on the scene. The felon in the passenger seat tells his fellow thug not to worry about him, citing that there are no buildings tall enough, between him and them, for him to swing from. Standing on a nearby rooftop, Spider-Man decides to test his new costume's flying capabilities – so as to catch up with the fleeing car – and throws himself off the building. He heads towards the pavement at great speed, however, the webbing stranding from his biceps to his inner thighs starts to flutter and Spidey starts to glide on air current. He comes to rest atop the fleeing vehicle and rips the roof off as if it were a can of sardine. The thug in the passenger seat picks up his gun and starts to shoot at him. Spidey dodges the bullets – unbeknownst to the felon – and hangs on for the ride. Using his costume's built-in police scanner, he overhears a radio call confirming that units are in place at the 59th street exit in case the suspects try to get off there. Utilizing his costume's vision amplifier, he spots the 59th street exit, and – at the opportune moment – shoots two strands of webbing that snag the car's steering wheel and he directs the vehicle onto the off-ramp where he forces it to a halt (after disarming the thug in the passenger seat), a few meters from the police roadblock at the end of the ramp. While the police, with their weapons drawn, order the thugs to freeze, Spidey takes care of freeing the woman in the trunk. But one of the thugs will not go down easy and he picks up a gun (from his buddy's pants) and takes a shot at Spidey and the woman. Spidey is unable to get her clear so he simply turns around and takes the shot in the back. While being subdued by the police, the thug revels in the fact that he has killed Spider-Man but he changes his tune when the bullet falls to the ground and Spider-Man simply turns around, facing him. He cannot believe that the bullet did not hurt him so one of the cops explains that there are rumours going around that something went down at the hospital and that Spider-Man is dead; therefore, he doesn't think he should do anything to upset him. The thug exercises his right to remain silent.

ACT 4: Peter, Mary Jane and Tony Stark are having dinner together. Peter explains that the test drive of his new costume was a success and how everything went down. However, he has one question for Tony: "why?". The three of them make their way out to the balcony overseeing the City and Tony explains that there are some potentially difficult times coming and he hopes to have him on his side because he needs someone that he can depend on. Peter appreciates the compliment and tells Tony that he can depend on every single member of the Avengers and that each one of them would put his or her life on the line for him. Tony replies that, in normal times, he would agree with him, however, he is not sure that it is going to be true over the long haul. He then tells Peter that he wants to hire him out in the open, full-time, as his second, his protégé, and that he wants him to go where he goes, see what he sees and hear what he hears. In short, he needs someone he can trust implicitly to back him up; he needs his help and his word that he will stick with him through what is coming, no matter what. Peter comments that it sounds like a blood oath to him and Tony boldly admits that it is exactly what it is. Peter turns to MJ and she tells him that the call is his to make. Peter asks Tony to tell him more about what it is all about but Tony replies that he cannot tell him anything until he has his word to keep this secret, from the rest of the group…even from Captain America. Peter tells Tony that he owes him a lot, for everything, and that he trusts him. Peter goes on explaining that he's taken a vow to help people who need him and to be there for the people who have always been there for him, so whatever it takes, in time or in blood, he is there for him. Peter goes over to Tony and extends his hand out and the two of them shake hands. Tony thanks Peter for his support and hands him a letter for him to read. As Tony heads back in, he tells Peter to read it over, give him some feedback, and pack his bags because they are going to Washington. The letter is from the Metahuman Investigations Committee of the United States Senate and it requests that Tony appear before the Senate to testify on matters of national security.

To be continued.