REVIEW: The story opens with a flashback to a scene taking place years ago, between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. The scene in question is that of their first confrontation at Doc Ock's old lab at the Atomic Research Center. Narrated, in present time, by the evil doctor, he indicates how it was his first case of traumatic brain injury, as a result of being bested by Spidey. In the years that came to pass after this first encounter, Doc Ock received many more injuries at the hands of other super-powered individuals. The person, with whom Doc Ock is speaking with in the present, a female doctor, asks Doc Ock if he's superhuman. Doc Ock replies that he isn't. She goes on asking him about his mental capacities. Doc Ock reveals that his IQ is preternaturally high but his most extraordinary gift is his ability to control his mechanical limbs mentally. She explains that his problems are directly related to just that – the additional radiation in his system, which is preventing his body from healing itself. According to her, Doc Ock's condition is degenerative and he has, more or less, eighteen months to live. Furious at the news, Doc Ock refuses to dwindle away into nothingness. He swears to leave his mark upon the world so that, when he's gone, no one will ever forget the name of Doctor Octopus. His tentacles surround the doctor – whether she survives is not revealed. This was four months ago.

At the Bar with No Name, the amazing Spider-Man and fellow hero Daredevil are dishing out a barrage of beatings to the villains holed up in there. Despite their greater numbers, the villains are unable to stop them. Just then, the cops arrive on the scene, prompting the bad guys to scatter like flies. It turns out that Daredevil was the one that called the police. It seems he has some kind of arrangement with Captain Watanabe of the NYPD. The owner of the Bar with No Name complains to Watanabe that Spider-Man and Daredevil thrashed his place and scared off his clientele. Watanabe tells the owner that, as he was running a secret bar for super-villains, she is forced to shut it down. The owner argues that there are no super-villains around; therefore, she has no proof of anything illegal. He changes his tune, however, when she asks to see his liquor license.

On a nearby rooftop, Spidey and Daredevil come to rest after a job well done. Spidey thanks his colleague for allowing him to come. As they converse, Spidey offers to reveal his secret identity to Daredevil, since he knows his. Daredevil tells Spidey that he does not want to know, seeing as there seems to be something stopping even his heightened senses from telling him who he is; he cannot understand why Spidey would want to throw that protection away. Spidey tells Daredevil that he trusts him and thinks revealing his identity would be advantageous to the both of them. Daredevil insists that he not do it, as mistakes happen and people slip up; therefore, the fewer people who know, the safer he and his loved ones will be. Daredevil tells Spidey to keep it that way, as he knows from personal experience the terrible losses that can result from one’s identity being no longer private. Having said that, Daredevil swings away, leaving Spidey to his thoughts.

At the offices of the Front Line, Ben Urich is asking his staff to come up with a front page headline that doesn't feature J. Jonah Jameson, when Peter Parker walks in, yelling to "stop the presses". With Urich's attention on him, Peter tells his boss that he has a memory card full of pictures of Spider-Man and Daredevil busting up a super villain hangout. Peter tosses the card to Urich and tells him to contact Captain Watanabe at the 5th precinct to receive confirmation. Urich thanks Peter for the pictures but suggests he hurry up if he wants to make it to his aunt's rehearsal dinner. He wouldn't want Peter to arrive late. Peter tells Urich not to worry, as he's mastered New York City.

Minutes later, Peter finds himself inside a subway car wall-to-wall packed with commuters. He regrets having chosen that moment to start conserving web-fluid. Across town, the rehearsal dinner comes to an end. Aunt May and J. Jonah Jameson Sr. are thanking their guests for coming over, outside the restaurant, when Peter finally arrives. He immediately apologizes for being late, explaining that he had to stop by the Front Line offices to file in a story. Norah Winters, who had been attending the rehearsal dinner with Randy Robertson and Joe "Robbie" Robertson, mocks Peter for using the newspaper as an excuse, seeing as both Robbie, the City Editor, and she, the Front Line's ace reporter, are standing right there. Aunt May, knowing he did his best to attend, tells Peter to not mind them. JJJ Sr. concurs and tells Peter that what matters is that he's there now. His son, JJJ Jr. told him he wouldn't come, even if he had the time. Not that he blames him; after all, he was missing in action for the better part of his life. JJJ Sr. can understand why he wouldn't want to come. With that said, JJJ Sr. excuses himself and takes his leave, telling May and Peter that he’ll see them later. Aunt May feels bad for her soon-to-be-husband and has Peter promise to be there to walk her down the aisle, as she knows the wedding is very important to JJJ Sr. Peter promises to be there, telling her that nothing is going to get in his way this time.

Unbeknownst to either Peter or Aunt May, tiny tentacled robots are filming the two of them hugging and sending that information back to none other than the infamous Doctor Octopus. Now equipped with not four but eight tentacles, Doc Ock is barely recognizable; his head shaved, his face riddled with lines. The evil doctor is manipulating thousands of small robots that have been dispersed all over New York City – it seems – to gather information and fresh data. As the information pours in from all four corners of the city, a newspaper article pops up on one of the screens – the article in question makes reference to Spider-Man and Daredevil's recent super-villain bar bust. Angry to see this, Doc Ock smashes the screen it appears on, calling Spider-Man irrelevant. He then instructs that all references to the wall-crawler be filtered out of the system, as he has no time to waste on the likes of him. He continues perusing the various articles showing up on the screens and comes across the wedding announcement of May Parker and J. Jonah Jameson Sr. He recalls how he once almost married May Parker and wonders how different things would have been if they had gone through with it. Realizing that dwelling on the past is a waste of time, he continues to gather data.

At the Parker residence in Forest Hills, Queens, May Parker and soon-to-be husband JJJ Sr., along with Peter Parker and Anna Watson (i.e. Mary Jane's aunt), are putting together the final details of the wedding reception. On the phone, Peter is told that the reception hall for the wedding has been double-booked. Later, Aunt May receives a phone call, telling her that the catering service their hired has been shut down because of health code violation. Anna is on the phone next and receives the bad news that the minister is no longer certified to perform the wedding ceremony. JJJ Sr. is later told that their marriage license is nowhere to be found. Peter reassures Aunt May that everything will work out. JJJ Sr. concurs and, on his way out of the house, tells them he knows exactly where to start.

At Bryant Park, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, J. Jonah Jameson Jr. is launching his latest stroke of genius as he calls it – the NYC Summer Swimsuit Special. Covering the event for the Front Line, Norah Winters asks Jonah what the point of this is, other than cheap pandering to horny, imbecilic men. Jonah starts to respond to her question when his own father shows up and interrupts him in mid-sentence, accusing him of being selfish. Immediately, all cameras at the event turn toward JJJ Sr. to hear what he has to say. JJJ Sr. tells his son to stop trying to sabotage his wedding by using his connections at City Hall, or else he's going to have to put "him across his knee". Needless to say, the media loves every minute of this confrontation.

A short time later, JJJ Sr. arrives at his penthouse in Atlas Towers, off Central Park West. The doorman comments that he hasn't seen him around much lately. JJJ Sr. explains that he's been staying with his girlfriend (Aunt May) over in Queens and that he just stopped by to pick up his (golf) clubs. He goes into his apartment to retrieve said clubs. He takes one of his irons out to practice his swing when, suddenly, small tentacled robots start surrounding him. He yells at them to get back...

At Flushing Cemetery, Aunt May is visiting the graves of her late husband. She needs him to give her a sign that her marriage to JJJ Sr. is meant to be, that things will be okay. She can't help the feeling that there are signs, that maybe they are not meant to be together.

Dateless for his aunt's wedding, Peter calls up Carlie Cooper to ask if she would come with him. Before she can answer, Peter gets a call from Aunt May on the other line. Aunt May is worried about JJJ Sr. She's been trying to reach him but hasn't been able to – she asks if he could swing by his place to see if he's there. He tells her that he will and hangs up with her. He gets back to Carlie and explains that he has to check in on the groom. Carlie tells Peter that she'll meet him there, as she is not presently that busy. Peter hangs up the phone and transforms into Spider-Man – he then heads out.

As he swings toward JJJ Sr.'s place, he suddenly starts to feel his spider-sense tingling, with danger coming at him from every angle. Just then, a nearby electrical transformer erupts into a ball of fire right next to him. Spidey dodges the explosion, grabbing a nearby light pole in the process. The light pole electrifies itself, causing Spidey to let go. He lands (safely) atop a passing car and thinks he's out of the woods, but he's way wrong. People are losing control of their cars, slamming into the one that Spidey has landed on. Spidey manages to leap from car to car, until he comes to rest along the side of a building. But, no sooner has he landed there that a nearby fire hydrant explodes, water rushing out of it. Spidey has no idea what is going on, or who is behind it, but he needs to figure that out before finding the missing groom.

Making her way to JJJ Sr.'s penthouse apartment, Carlie Cooper is kind of angry that Peter waited at the last minute to invite her to his Aunt May's wedding. She feels like a backup in case no one better comes along. She reaches JJJ Sr's apartment, only to find Norah Winters in the process of breaking in. Norah explains that she decided to follow up on JJJ Sr.'s angry tirade at his son (at Bryant Park) and was told by his neighbors they heard sounds of struggle coming from his apartment earlier, so she's checking it out. Before Carlie can even try and stop her from going in, she and Norah find themselves inside the apartment, which has been completely trashed and shows definite signs of struggle. Carlie picks a golf club off the floor and notices the remains of one of the miniature tentacled robots on the club's head. She mentions seeing something like that before.

In his lair, Doctor Octopus has completed amassing information from all corners of New York City. He (vocally) instructs his computer to bring the system online and initiate the master planner program. He tells said computer to use a simulated image of himself, as he does not wish to be seen in his current decrepit form. He then gives the "go-ahead" to transmit his message on all channels and frequencies. Hacking into every television set, cell phones, computer monitors, Doc Ock starts his transmission. Appearing to the citizens of New York City, he tells them to not be alarmed, as he does not wish them any harm. He's come before them to make amends for his past transgression and bestow upon them all a most amazing gift, that of a new New York City, a smart city of the future. Doc Ock explains that he intends to use the same science that allows him to control his mechanical arms to take control of every mechanism in Manhattan.

At City Hall, J. Jonah Jameson (Jr.) sees this announcement and tells one of his assistants that someone should call the national guards. The men replies that he has a direct line to the governor so he may call the guards if he wants to. Realizing that it might be too hasty a response, JJJ Jr. tells his assistant to ignore him for the time being. In reality, Jonah is terrified of the costs coming out of his budget.

Across town, Spidey sees the same message as everybody else. Needless to say, he is very worried about this. He knows it's just a matter of time before things go wrong – though Doc Ock reassures everyone that it won’t be the case. Just then, a huge explosion destroys the TV screens Spidey was watching. Spidey dodges the explosion and comes to rest on the side of a building. Spidey understands that Doc Ock might have his heart in the right place but the same cannot be said of his head (i.e. mental stability). Spidey thinks that, consciously, Doc Ock might actually want to help out but, subconsciously, he thinks that Doc Ock might be trying to ruin his ex girlfriend’s wedding by getting rid of her groom and meddling in her wedding preparations, as well as bump him (Spidey) off. As he ponders what to do next, more and more explosions continue getting closer. Suddenly, Spidey's spider-sense kicks in, warning him of danger. Looking up, he sees a window washer platform dropping toward him. Spidey swings out of the way and grabs hold of the window washer with a well-placed webline. He then lowers the terrified man to the ground with some help from nearby pedestrians, who – unfortunately – quickly turn on Spidey, pointing out that it's his fault if all the machines are out of whack. Spidey can't say he blames them, as they have quite a point.

Spidey looks on, as the city's mechanisms are purposely putting people in jeopardy, knowing full well he will do whatever it takes to save them; it is learning, so to speak. Spidey wonders what he can do to stop it. Just then, the Avengers arrive on the scene, with Wolverine telling Spidey to step aside and let the pros take care of things. Accompanying him are Spider-Woman, Captain America, Luke Cage and Ronin. They tell Spidey to leave immediately before things get worse – they'll take care of things and try and figure out what is causing this.

Moments after swinging away, Spidey (Peter) gets a call from Carlie Cooper, who reports on what she and Norah Winters have discovered when they checked up on JJJ. Sr. Carlie explains that they found a spider-like machine back at JJJ Sr.'s apartment and it was emitting a signal, so she reconfigured her tracking device to home in on the signal, which has led them to their current location. When Carlie is asked to explain what she means by "spider-like", she answers that it had eight legs like a spider. Just then, Norah hears some weird noises. At the other end of the line, Spidey tells Carlie that the eight legs represent an octopus and not a spider and advises them to get out of there immediately. But his advice is not heard by the female duo. The next panel shows Carlie's and Norah's cells phones, and the tracking device, on the ground, surrounded by dozens of the small machines, with neither woman to be found. Putting his cell phone back underneath his shirt, Spidey swings away once more. He needs a moment to think and he might just have figured out the one spot Doc Ock would never try to take over.

At the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four are readying themselves to make a play against Doc Ock by using a device created by Mr. Fantastic that'll send out a stronger brain wave pattern and override Ock’s signal. Just then, Spidey arrives and asks them for help. Sue (Storm-Richards) tells Johnny (a.k.a. the Human Torch) to go over and see what Spidey needs. Spidey explains to Johnny that two of his (female) friends are in danger and the only way to find them is to trace the last call made to his cell phone. Seeing as it involves women in distress, Johnny is more than wiling to help out.

Staring at the back of Doctor Octopus, Carlie Cooper and Norah Winters try to arrest him and get him to tell his side of the story, respectively. An unnerved Doc Ock could care less for either woman's offering, valuing their efforts as a foolish waste of time. He's deduced, since they were captured by his octo-bots, that they are either obstacles in his way or new appendages he can use. Having said that, he pulls his coat off and reveals his new form to them. He now has eight mechanical limbs coming out of his body, his two arms – useless flesh as he calls them – are folded on his chest, in a bizarre straight-jacket kind of way. His face is covered with what looks like a breathing mask and sunglasses still cover his aging eyes. Small octo-bots crawl all over his body. Doc Ock explains that is octo-bots are out into the world in the millions, spreading across the globe. With every moment, his reach grows further and soon, all of Earth shall be his body, every aspect of it shall be under his influence and it shall be perfection; his parting gift to all of them – the world of Doctor Octopus. Oh boy!

Spidey and the Human Torch trace Carlie's call to the old Atomic Research Facility, the location of Doctor Octopus first base. After leaving the Fantastic Four ship, they find Carlie and Norah's cell phones and Carlie's tracking device. As the device is still operational, Spidey suggests they follow the signal and see where it leads them. Moments later, they come face-to-face with a large vault-like steel door. Using his spider-strength, Spidey rips the door off its hinges as if it were made of glass. The twosome enter Ock's lair, walking cautiously. Spidey's spider-sense suddenly kicks in, warning him of danger. Just then, a tentacle zooms past his head. Johnny flames on and turns around, only to come face-to-face with JJJ Sr., Carlie Cooper and Norah Winters, all shackled in strange suits with mechanical limbs just like Doc Ock's. The suits appear to have a mind of their own, attacking Spidey and the Human Torch. Dodging the dozens of tentacles flying in his direction, Spidey locates the power source of the octo-suits; it is located on the back. Wasting no time, he smashes JJJ Sr.'s and instructs Johnny to do the same thing with Carlie’s and Norah's suits. Moments later, the captives are free. Spidey tells Johnny to take Jameson Sr. and the girls to safety while he goes after Doc Ock. Unbeknownst to him or Johnny, Doctor Octopus is watching them on a closed television circuit. Doc Ock anxiously awaits Spider-Man's arrival.

Homing in on the octo-bots signals, Spidey soon locates what appears to be the silhouette of Doc Ock, standing in the open, in a large room. Without any hesitation, Spidey attacks. He gets quite a shock when, upon impact, what he thought was Doc Ock reveals itself to be thousands of small octo-bots that had taken the shape of their master. His spider-sense ringing alarmingly, Spidey tries to identify the source of danger, other than the octo-bots, but as the small machines operate near the same frequency as his spider-tracers, his spider-sense is all out of whack. Just then, Spidey is attacked from behind by the real Doctor Octopus and sent crashing into a large computer screen. Before he can retaliate, Doc Ock grabs hold of him with his tentacles, all eight of them, and throws him across the room once more. Spidey lands on top of a pile of various parts and gizmos. All the while, Doc Ock gloats about his plans to run his city of the future. Getting back to his feet, Spidey throws a handful of electronic parts he picked off the ground toward his opponent. As he does so, he comments that Doc Ock's perfect city is out of control. Ock dodges the debris tossed at him and argues that there are minor setbacks that soon will be fixed, that he's in complete control of everything. Spidey continues to disagree – mostly because he loves making fun of Doc Ock – and causes a humongous piece of machinery to fall down on top of his opponent. Temporarily mobilizing Doc Ock, Spidey locates the device used by Ock for his neuro-interface, as he wishes to use it to transmit a stronger brainwave pattern. Extracting himself from under the pile of debris, Doc Ock laughs at Spidey's attempt to overthrow his brainwave pattern. Ock gets the shock of his life when his hold on the city starts slipping, Spidey's brainwave pattern overpowering his. He is even losing control of his own arms. Ock cannot believe this; his mind is supposed to be stronger than Spidey's. He was, obviously, wrong to assume that it was. Defeated, humiliated, Doc Ock falls to the ground. Using Ock's neuro-interface helmet, Spidey proceeds to notify the population of New York City that the city is no longer under Doctor Octopus mind control. The Avengers and Fantastic Four, both of whom helped Spidey earlier, are delighted (and in disbelief) to hear that Spidey succeeded in defeating Doc Ock. Meanwhile, J. Jonah Jameson praises himself, and not Spidey, for resolving the situation. If only Spidey could hear now, he would probably vomit.

Some time later, in Forest Hills, at the Parker household, aunts May (Parker) and Anna (Watson) get some good news. It appears the caterer (for the wedding) is back in business and the florist has found their missing order. They are still missing someone to perform the ceremony but, other than that, everything is back on track. Aunt May is glad but won't be fine until she hears her future husband's voice. On cue, Aunt May receives a phone call from JJJ Sr., informing her that he's safe and sound. Needless to say, May is ecstatic and thanks her guardian angel – her late husband Ben – for allowing JJJ Sr. to survive.

Back at Doctor Octopus' lair, Spider-Man prepares to take Doc Ock into custody when he comes under attack from Ock's small octo-bots. While Spidey fends his small attackers, several other octo-bots surround Doc Ock and proceed to lift him off the ground to take him to safety. As Ock is pulled away and disappears through an escape hatch, he informs Spidey that his octo-bots operate on a closed system independent of his arms and control signal. Spidey tries to rid himself or the octo-bots but there are too many. Thankfully, he gets some unexpected help from the Human Torch, who followed him inside after ensuring JJJ Sr., Carlie Cooper and Norah Winters were safe and sound. Johnny helps Spidey up and the two heroes try and see if they should follow Doc Ock. But they soon discover that he's escaped through the hatch and he's probably long gone. As a matter of fact, Doc Ock is on his way to an undisclosed location. His thoughts reveal that he's come to the realization that Spider-Man is not irrelevant and that he'll always be there to spoil his plans, even when they are something great for the entire world. Ock vows to do something great and terrible to exact his revenge on the wall-crawler.

Spidey and Johnny join the rest of the Fantastic Four and Avengers, assembled atop a building. Spidey points out that Daredevil was right about him being too unmask-happy lately. Both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers know his secret identity and, now, he's downloaded his brain patterns into every machine in the City. Reed Richards reassures Spidey, telling him that he already has an algorithm at work wiping them out. Spidey breathes a sigh of relief, thanking them for their help. Sue (Storm-Richards) tells Spidey that it is the least they can do, considering he's saved the entire city. The Thing comments that they should start cleaning up the city. Spidey offers to help but Sue (and Reed) tell him to hurry off to his aunt's wedding before he gets there too late. With that, Spidey swings away, accompanied by Johnny, who reveals that he has a date with Carlie Cooper. Spidey cannot believe his luck.

Some time later, Peter is donning his formal suit, in preparation for his aunt's wedding. His roommate, Michelle Gonzales comments on the nasty bruises he's got on his face. Peter lies and explains that he got caught in the city when everything went haywire. Michelle doesn’t really believe him and offers to cover up his bruises with some of her makeup. She nonchalantly asks Peter if he has a date for the wedding; Peter reveals that he does not. She tells him to wait a few minutes and she heads into her bedroom to change – she is coming with him as his date.

A short time later at Bryant Park, site of the Parker – Jameson wedding, where J. Jonah Jameson Jr. is speaking to the press, telling them he's agree to officiate the wedding, free of charge. Inside a large tent, friends and family are gathered to celebrate this joyous event. In come Peter (Parker) and Michelle Gonzales, looking ravishing. She makes several men in attendance turn their heads to check her out, notably Flash Thompson and Randy Robertson, who gets a scolding from Norah Winters, his current flame. Peter introduces Michelle to his friends and vice-versa and he then disappears to check up on his aunt.

Peter finds Aunt May in her dressing room, where she is putting the finishing touches to her hair and makeup. Upon seeing Peter, Aunt May says that she wants to tell him something. She tells Peter that, despite all the bad things out there, there are also good things and he must look for them, for that chance at happiness, and once he finds those moments, he must cherish them, as it is his responsibility. Calling her "mom", Peter promises to do just that.

Moments later, Peter walks her down the aisle to be wed to J. Jonah Jameson Sr.. As the celebration proceeds, someone inside a cab is asking the driver to go faster, as he/she is already late. After exchanging vows, Aunt May and JJJ Sr. are pronounced husband and wife by JJJ Jr., who tells them they can now kiss. Next, comes the bride's flower-tossing portion of the wedding. As Aunt May prepares to throw the bouquet, the cab seen earlier pulls into the event and the aforementioned someone steps out of the taxi, telling the driver to keep the change. Aunt May then tosses the bouquet. It flies into the air, bouncing from hand to hand of hopeful women and it lands into the hands of none other than Mary Jane Watson.

To be continued.

REVIEW: The story opens with Dr. Gray Madder, noted psychiatrist, giving a speech to a bunch of students. Some time later, he heads to his office to get some rest and watch TV. That's when Spider-Man decides to pay him a visit, seeking his help to cure an identity crisis. Dr. Madder is more than happy to help, envisioning himself making the front page of newspapers for curing Spider-Man.

Spidey begins by telling Dr. Madder that he feels as though he is not in control of his own life. Dr. Madder asks what he means by that. Spidey answers by asking Dr. Madder if he's the same man today as he was last month or last year, or even a few years ago. Dr. Madder responds that he is and wonders who else he would be. Spidey replies that he's not; his problem is that he's not sure who's the "real him. Dr. Madder asks Spidey how many "him's" there are. Spidey replies that it's hard to explain and proceeds to ask Dr. Madder how many arms he has. Dr. Madder quickly answers two but then, Spidey suddenly grows an extra pair of arms. Before Dr. Madder can even start making sense of that, Spidey's extra arms disappear and his classic red and blue costume is replaced with his black costume. Dr. Madder looks on incredulously, just as – once again – Spidey changes; this time, into the Spider-Hulk. Dr. Madder slams his notebook into the ground and accuses Spidey of playing a trick on him (and using special effects to do that). Spidey grabs Dr. Madder and explains that there are no special effects and that what he’s seeing is real. He then tosses the doctor into a nearby couch. When Dr. Madder gets back on his two feet, Spidey is nowhere to be found. But then, a tiny voice is heard coming from the ground down below. Spidey is now shrunk down to the size of Ant-Man on the way to the micro-verse. Dr. Madder thinks he's hearing things, and wonders if he's gone crazy. As he ponders that thought, he gets the shock of his life when Spidey now appears to him as a giant lizard, followed by a humongous spider and none other than Spider-Ham. Needless to say, Dr. Madder has no idea what to do. He does conclude that Spidey does indeed have an identity crisis, though he admits that perhaps Spidey is imagining all of it. Spidey replies that he's not imagining anything and goes on talking about the Green Goblin, his deathly Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson. Spidey just doesn't know wha'ts real and what isn't anymore. Overwhelmed, Dr. Madder tells Spidey that there is something he has to do – an emergency of sort – and he must therefore leave immediately. He grabs his coat and runs out of there.

A short time later, Dr. Madder lies on the couch of another psychiatrist, telling him about his visit from Spider-Man...

The end.

REVIEW: This story takes place several years ago. Standing outside Peter Parker's bedroom, Aunt May and Uncle Ben are discussing why Peter has a "Do Not Disturb" sign on his door. May thinks Ben said something to him, but Ben swears he didn’t. May thus tells Ben to make it right and tell him he’s a good boy. As Ben prepares to enter Peter’s room, his thoughts flash back to years prior, to his brother Richard and sister-in-law Mary, Peter's birth parents. He remembers how great they were and how they always seem to know what to do, as a mother and father. After their passing, he and Aunt May took Peter in and tried to raise Peter like Richard and Mary would. It was not easy. The older Peter got, the more it seems they were drifting apart. Uncle Ben always made sure to tell Peter that his father would be proud of him, of his accomplishments. Uncle Ben thinks Peter might resent him because he's not his real father, and is afraid that, if that is the case, they will never heal their relationship. With that, he enters Peter's room.

Uncle Ben sits on the bed next to Peter, whose head is buried in his lap. Peter immediately asks Uncle Ben if he gave enough money to a Mr. Sanders to pay for his camera. Uncle Ben responds that he did and that Mr. Sanders knows he didn't mean to break it when he borrowed it. In fact, Mr. Sanders has said that he probably doesn't even use it enough to have noticed. Uncle Ben tells Peter he did the right thing – using his own money, which he had saved to buy a model rocket. Uncle Ben goes on telling Peter that his father would be proud of him. Peter sighs heavily. Uncle Ben asks to know what is wrong with Peter. Peter responds that he wants him – Uncle Ben – to be proud of him. Realizing that this was the reason for Peter's mood, Uncle Ben gives him a huge hug and tells him that he could not love him more and that he never meant for him to think otherwise. He kisses his forehead and proceeds to ask him what he's got under his microscope. Peter answers that he has bug's wings and he and Uncle Ben spend the night away, looking into the microscope. Uncle Ben's thoughts reveal that he's going to stop worrying about how somebody else would raise Peter and just do it his way. Uncle Ben wished his brother could see them, as he knows Richard would be proud of them both.

The end.

REVIEW: Peter Parker is sitting at a Park in Queens, sipping on a cup of coffee. He is watching a couple of kids playing on a jungle gym and eavesdropping on their conversation, which revolves around how cool it would be to be Spider-Man. One of the kids mention that he would unmask, if he was Spider-Man, because he'd want to be a celebrity and his parents, by association, would be celebrities too. The other kid doesn’t think that would be a very good idea, seeing as his parents would be worried about him all the time and it would make them a public target for all the bad guys that would be trying to get revenge on Spider-Man. Plus, as they are friends, their lives would too be in jeopardy. The first kid admits that unmasking is probably not a good idea after all. The other kid agrees and goes on saying that it could also lead him into being in trouble at school for cutting classes to be Spider-Man. He would likely get expelled and be sent to one of those special schools for bad kids where he would get beat up all the time, or else he'd give away his secret identity. The first kid admits that he would have to be Spider-Man only after school. One of the others mentions that he would not be able to be on the soccer team. The other mentions that it would be hard for him to try and clean his costume without alerting his parents to his "extracurricular" activities and that he would probably have to go to some dark Laundromat filled with weirdos in the middle of nowhere. The kids all agree that Spider-Man is cool but being Spider-Man is not cool. Having heard enough, Peter throws his coffee cup away and heads to the Laundromat to pick up his laundry...

The end.

REVIEW: Aunt May is visiting the grave of her late husband, Ben Parker. She apologizes for not coming by as often in the recent weeks – her life has been busy. She points to the engagement ring on her finger and goes on to explain that she feels as though she should have gotten his blessing beforehand. She tells Ben that her fiancé is a good man, a kind man, who reminds her so much of him. She worries, deep down, that perhaps she is trying to replace him somehow. She also worried about Peter, who's been distracted lately, as if there is some burden he's been carrying, the weight of the world on his shoulder, one would say. That's still no excuse for not coming by to see him, she admits. The real reason is that she feels guilty, like she's betraying him by committing to another man. Though her friend Anna (Watson) keeps telling her that she's foolish to think that way, she can't help what she feels, even when she knows she shouldn't. And she wants his blessing, even when she knows that she can't have it. She begins tearing up. Suddenly, unexpectedly, it starts to rain – a downpour. Aunt May looks up at the sky and realizes that Uncle Ben is sending her a message, giving her his blessing to go ahead with the marriage. Looking back at Uncle Ben’s tombstone, Aunt May smiles and thanks him.

The end.

REVIEW: Peter Parker, accompanied by reporter Norah Winters are attending the opening of a new super hero exhibit at the Smithsonian National Design Museum in New York City. As Peter and Norah check things out, they are suddenly drawn to an area of the museum where visitors are roaring in laughter. They check it out and figure out the source of the commotion. People are making fun of the Spider-Mobile, which is on display as part of the aforementioned exhibit. Upon seeing the vehicle, even Norah gets in on the throwing of insults. Peter stands nearby, fuming. It was, actually, his vehicle for a while, several years ago. Two kids in particular are poking fun at the spider-mobile non-stop. It takes Peter all his will not to speak up and say something to them. But he cannot risk revealing his secret identity, so he remains mum. Fortunately for Peter, one of the kids' mother shows up and gives him hell for making fun of Spider-Man after he saved his father from a burning building. Dragging him out of there by one arm, she mutters to him that she raised him better than that and that he should not be making fun of a national hero. Norah comments that the mother is really giving it to the kid and asks Peter if he's okay – Peter is sniffling. A tear streaming down his cheek, Peter tells Norah that it's nice to see some good parenting...

The end.

REVIEW: Madame Web returns to the place of her birth, having been summoned there by forces not understood by the common man. Grabbing a small spider in her emancipated fingers, she asks it to show her why she was brought there. Thus begins a series of flashes showing Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, the Rhino, Arana, the Lizard, what appears to be Vermin and another obscure character resembling Kraven the Hunter. There is also a flash to a knife driven into Spider-Man's chest emblem. She concludes that someone is hunting spiders. Just then, a nearby door explodes, making way for a scraggly-looking blonde girl, whose face is partially hidden in the shadows. Madame Web orders the girl out but it doesn’t work. The girl attacks Madame Web and quickly incapacitates her. The girl is not alone. She is accompanied by another woman, whose identity remains a secret. This woman is proud of the girl's accomplishments and comments that the hunt may begin, as they have "their eyes" now.

To be continued...