The issue opens at the offices of the New York Now magazine, where Peter Parker is trying to convince the editor-in-chief (EIC) to give him a job as photographer. Unfortunately, Dexter Bennett is an acquaintance of said EIC and has already given Peter a bad rep, distorting the truth behind his firing from the DB. Under normal circumstances, the EIC would hire him, but he doesn't want to worsen his relationship with Bennett, which is already not very good. Peter tries to argue his case, but to no avail. When Peter asks the EIC if Bennett remembered his name when the two spoke, the EIC reveals that Bennett never recalls the name of his employees, but he never forgets the names of his enemies. Peter is therefore on the "list", which – it seems – is not a good thing at all. The only way to get off the list is to have money and power, or at least friends with someone like that. Peter walks away dejected.
Later, Peter relates what happened to Betty Brant. Peter is not happy with Bennett; he thinks he's an evil man with no scruples. Betty would love to side with him on the issue but she still works at the DB and Bennett seems to like her crime reporting. Peter apologizes to Betty for making it sound like she should quit in protest and goes on asking her what the most recent developments are in regards to the spider-tracer killer. Betty explains that, until a few days earlier, she didn’t think Spider-Man was involved but the latest victim, Roy Dreimeyer was a well-known crusader against masked vigilantes. Peter mentions that he remembers him and comments that he was quite old. Betty concurs that he was seventy-three and explains that the cops believe Spider-Man confronted Dreimeyer and the anxiety caused him to have a stroke. Peter replies that it doesn’t make sense, seeing as Dreimeyer was old news and was no threat to Spider-Man. Betty retorts that Dreimeyer’s daughter told her that her father had planned to come out of retirement to join the Randall Crowne campaign and that he even wrote a new set of anti-Spider-Man tracts, which he gave to her – Betty – and which Dexter Bennett plans to publish. Betty concludes that Dreimeyer was the second victim to have serious problems with Spider-Man. Peter argues that two out of six is really not that conclusive. Betty retorts that she thinks the events of the so-called Civil War took their toll on Spider-Man and he snapped. She thinks it's only going to get worse.
At the Bar with No Name, a herd of D-List super-villains are watching unknown criminal – the Basher – live on television, as he issues a challenge to Spider-Man, whom he calls coward and gutless because it appeared he ran away from Menace, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #558. Spidey is to meet him the following day, on the roof of the tenement at 39 West Fulton, or else the world will know that the Basher owns him. In charge of handling bets at the Bar with No Name, the Bookie starts tossing odds around and the villains place their bets.
In the new apartment of Peter Parker and Vin Gonzales, Peter happens to be surfing the net when he comes across the video of the Basher issuing his challenge to Spider-Man. Peter asks Vin why the NYPD won't arrest the Basher. Vin replies that there is no file on the Basher, nor is he wanted for anything. As there is no law about parading around in a costume, there is nothing they can do, otherwise half the city would be in jail. Vin figured the story might be of interest to Peter, seeing as he hasn't noticed any of his pictures in the DB as of late. Peter's thoughts reveal that he's considering telling Vin he was fired but he’s afraid Vin will think he's a flake. Trying to cover his recent firing, Peter tells Vin that he just hasn't been at the right place at the right time lately but he's working on it. Surprisingly, Vin understands what Peter is talking about and compares it to trying to catch bad guys. Peter asks Vin if the NYPD will be staking out the (Basher) tenement in hopes of catching Spider-Man. Vin replies that they most likely won't, as they don't believe Spidey will show up to validate the Basher. Peter's thoughts indicate that he intends to show up as Peter Parker, in case something does happen that requires him changing to Spider-Man.
Moving right along, we found ourselves at the home of the Bookie (real name: Johnny), which – it turns out – he shares with his mother and father. And what a family they are. Johnny's father, Lester, a life-smoker, is nearly coughing his lungs out whenever he speaks, whereas his mother Grace is exceptionally disgruntled and would probably be better off without Johnny or his father. Revealed during their love-lacking conversation is that Johnny owes his father twelve thousand dollars, as a result of losing bets during the Overdrive affair (as seen in Free Comic Book Day - Spider-Man Swing Shit) and the Freak business. Lester is disappointed in his son and wishes he hadn't turn his business over to him. Back in his day, things would have gone quite differently; for one, he never would have given any money back, had a stalemate taken place. Grace is quick to point out that Lester was as much a loser as his son and screwed up as many times "back in his day". Johnny tells his dad that he is working on a plan that’ll make him lots of money. Surprisingly, it appears Lester knows about the Spider-Man-Basher deal and deduces it is a scam. Johnny argues that it isn't a scam but Lester is not dumb and knows better. Lester knows the business well enough and he’s pretty confident his son will get caught fixing bets and his reputation and job will be in extreme jeopardy as a result. He advises his son to give back the money and to claim to have been hustled himself; at least that way, he will win their respect. Johnny argues again that he knows what he’s doing, but his father is convinced that he’ll get caught.
At the scene of the Basher-Spider-Man rendezvous, the Basher calls for Spider-Man to show up. A cameraman working for the Bookie is shooting the whole thing from a nearby rooftop. At the bar, last minute bets are placed. Back at the rendezvous point, Peter Parker mingles into the crowd – sort of a precautionary measure, in case something goes wrong. Just then, his spider-sense kicks in, warning him of impending danger. As he and other bystanders look up, he is stunned to see Spider-Man! Needless to say, Peter is completely taken aback and wonders who the doppelganger is. Meanwhile, at the Bar with No Name, the Bookie is quite happy with this new development, but will his happiness last? The fake Spider-Man attacks the Basher and the two engage into battle. Back at the bar, the villains notice that Spider-Man appears to be smaller and that he isn’t using his webs at all. Ox, of the Enforcers, accuses the Bookie of staging the fight, which the Bookie categorically denies. Unfortunately for the Bookie, the real Spider-Man shows up on the scene and takes off after the fake one. The Bookie continues denying that he had any involvement with the fake Spider-Man, but nobody believes him. He contends that the fake Spider-Man could have been hired by anybody else in the bar who placed a bet on Spider-Man showing up but when Ox asks his fellow villains to raise their hands if they placed such a bet, not a single one does. The Bookie is evidently in great trouble.
It doesn't take long for Spider-Man to catch up to his doppelganger. Once he does, a few well-placed webs seal the deal and the fake Spider-Man finds himself hanging upside down from a fire escape. When Spidey removes the mask of his "evil twin", he is shocked to find out that it is none other than Screwball, last seen in Amazing Spider-Man #559. She reveals some guy posted her (jail) bond in exchange for her dressing up as Spider-Man and knocking out the Basher. The guy who hired her is referred to as the Bookie, and she is supposed to meet him later that evening at the Bar with No Name.
A short time later, Spidey arrives at the Bar with No Name. As he enters the bar, he comes face-to-face with a herd of super-villains.
To be continued.
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