The story then cuts to a recap of the last few pages of Amazing Spider-Man #551. It goes like this: Spider-Man visits Sara Ehret, whom he believes is Jackpot sans costume. Sara, who looks nothing like Jackpot, appears to be confused and has no idea what Spidey is talking about. A puzzled Spidey explains what happened and asks Sara if she's the super-hero known as Jackpot. Sara blurts out a weird response, telling Spidey to keep out of "this", whatever that means. She then closes the curtain on him so Spidey resorts to web-slinging away, more confused than before. Unbeknownst to Spidey, Sara goes right to the phone and calls a friend of hers, named Alana, and tells her they have to meet later that night.
Back in the present, Spider-Man and Jackpot are trying to stop Blindside from getting away with money he just stole from the bank. In the ensuing battle, Spidey is left blind by his and Jackpot's common adversary. Rather than trying to catch Blindside before it's too late, Jackpot decides to help Spidey out instead.
A short time later, the pair is sitting on the ledge of a building rooftop, sipping on some hot java (it is assumed Spidey is no longer blind). Jackpot suggests that Spidey ought to register with the government, like she did. Spidey responds negatively to the suggestion, accusing Jackpot of lying to him about her secret identity being Sara Ehret. Jackpot retaliates by accusing Spidey of having lied about his secret identity as well – he said his name was Flash Thompson – as it turns out that Flash is on tour in Iraq (as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #574). Jackpot had hoped that, by registering, it would give her legitimacy but that hasn't stopped the media from smearing her reputation any chance they get. Spidey understands that too well. Jackpot goes on explaining that, after Menace's glider killed councilwoman Lisa Parfrey (in Amazing Spider-Man #551), she thought she should use her powers to fight regular bad guys, as opposed to the super-powered kind. Upon finding out about Walter Declun's very shady business ventures, she took it upon herself to try and find a way to gather evidence against him but she's been unsuccessful at it, mainly because of Declun's many connections with the media and nearly everybody else. Spidey tells Jackpot that not everything is some kind of conspiracy; sometimes, people just don't like superheroes, for no apparent reason. Having said that, he once again questions Jackpot about her true identity. Taking her leave, Jackpot tells Spidey to register and she’ll reveal it to him. Looking at the coffee paper cup she left behind, Spidey talks to himself and says that he has other ideas (think DNA).
Spidey heads to the Baxter Building, home of the Fantastic Four to see if Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic can figure out how Blindside's blinding powers work. Having drawn blood from Spidey's bloodstream and having analyzed it, Reed concludes that Blindside "poisons" his victims with some kind of neurotoxin, which he found traces of in Spidey's blood. He also concludes that a special antidote would have to be developed to counteract the effects of the toxin. Reed’s analysis of the toxin also reveals that it contains a chemical compound called "Oedipus" manufactured by Declun International, owned by none other than Walter Declun.
A short time later, Peter meets Betty Brant at the Coffee Bean to see if she is interested in teaming up with him to dig some dirt on Walter Declun. Betty doesn't know why Peter is so interested in Declun – he won't tell her why – but she agrees to work with him. Peter then asks Betty if she would do him a favor and run the fingerprints on the coffee paper cup left behind by Jackpot, though he keeps that last part to himself. Betty takes the paper cup and tells Peter she’ll see what she can do.
Later, Peter and Betty meet with Walter Declun, under the pretense that they are doing a story on him. Betty first asks the question that everybody has had in their minds (including the reader): how can he still be alive after having been stabbed in the eyes by Wolverine? Declun explains that he underwent several hours of reconstructive surgery, including cybernetic implants in both eyes. Snapping pictures of Declun, Peter asks the reason for Wolverine so-called unprovoked attack, cleverly implying that there was more than meets the eye. Declun responds that Wolverine is a stone-cold and uncontrolled killer who doesn't need a reason to do anything. Declun deduces that he just got in his way somehow. Betty asks Declun about the cloud under which he left "Damage Control". Declun responds that he got a one-hundred million severance package when he left; as far as he's concern, if that's a cloud, that's one with a platinum lining. Betty proceeds to ask about his newest ventures, the purchase of media companies and radio stations, prompting Declun to explain his dissatisfaction with the media and their incorrect news accounts. To Betty's angry stare, Peter asks Declun if he's involved in the field of biochemistry, specifically research in neurotoxins. Declun answers that one of his recent acquisition does research in the general field of biochemistry but has no idea of the specifics of this research. The conversation ends with Declun telling them that he does not expect them to understand high finance.
Later that night, Peter has returned home and is on the phone with Betty, who's still at work. Betty thinks Peter is involved in something, because he asked her to run those fingerprints earlier. Peter reassures her that he is not involved in anything and asks that she tell him what she found out. She reveals that the prints belong to one Alana Jobson, arrested three years ago for a DUI. Peter thanks her and hangs up the phone.
Minutes later, Peter – as Spider-Man – enters Alana Jobson's apartment and starts snooping around for no specific reason; that is, until he finds a drawer full of drugs and drug paraphernalia. As he ponders what Jackpot has gotten herself into, his spider-sense suddenly starts buzzing mildly, warning him of danger. Hiding by hanging from the ceiling, Spidey watches as Jackpot returns home and starts removing her costume. When he notices what appears to be weird burn marks on Jackpot's back, after she takes off her jacket, a shocked Spidey is unable to remain hidden and thus reveals himself. Ticked off, Jackpot punches Spidey, telling him she should kill him. Spidey retorts that she wouldn't get very far fighting him, as his powers are real, not manufactured like hers. Jackpot tells Spidey to get out of her apartment, threatening to call S.H.I.E.L.D. on him. Unfazed by her threats, Spidey knows she wouldn't call them, as he's pretty sure the drugs she has in her possession are likely not all that legal. When asked what she's doing with the drugs, Jackpot reveals that she's taking human growth hormones, mutant growth hormones, anabolic steroids, amphetamines, epinephrine, paracetamol and a cox-2 inhibitor, all so she can have powers like real superheroes. She registered with the government as Sara Ehret, from whom she bought the Jackpot identity. When the government questioned her as to how she obtained her powers, she simply lied and said she had gotten them from a genetic enhancement experiment gone awry. Spidey is in disbelief over Jackpot having bought Sara Ehret's identity. Jackpot indicates that the real Sara Ehret enrolled in the Initiative, took the training, but then she changed her mind and didn’t want to be a hero anymore. That's when she stepped in and offered to take up her identity. Having heard enough, Spidey instructs Jackpot to give him all she's got on Declun. Jackpot complains that Declun is her case but Spidey threatens to tell S.H.I.E.L.D. about her. Cornered, Jackpot hands him a file containing all the information she has on Declun. As Spidey prepares to leave, Jackpot apologizes, telling him she only wanted to make a difference. Swinging away, Spidey tells Jackpot that she can make a difference by volunteering at the F.E.A.S.T. centre.
Going through the files on Declun, Spidey finds out what he was looking for: the name of the scientist suspected in the theft of the Oedipus compound from Declun International: Nick Chernin. Spidey heads to Port Washington, New York, straight to Chernin's residence. He knocks on the door and Chernin, in a bathrobe, answers the door. Upon seeing Spidey hanging upside down in front of him, Chernin takes off running towards the living room where he quickly dons his Blindside gauntlet. When Spidey catches up to him, Chernin grabs hold of his arm and uses his blinding powers. It turns out, however, that Spidey has ingested an antidote that fends off the effect of Chernin's blinding neurotoxin. Realizing the trouble he's in now, Chernin grabs a hidden pistol and starts shooting erratically. Spidey dodges the incoming bullets and manages to grab hold of Chernin by the collar. Things look good for Spidey until Chernin's girlfriend, the villainess known as Commandra, shows up and takes Spidey down (using her super-powered armor). She is about to deliver the deathblow when Jackpot arrives on the scene and attacks her, saving Spidey. Teaming up, Spidey and Jackpot take on Chernin and Commandra. While Spidey quickly neutralizes Commandra, Jackpot confronts Chernin, who uses his blinding powers on her. Coming to her rescue, Spidey punches Chernin away and tosses a pill containing the antidote into her mouth, instructing her to swallow it. Needless to say, Chernin is stunned that his neurotoxin didn’t work.
Moments later, Chernin and Commandra are webbed up and hanging from the ceiling. Spidey and Jackpot start to make their way out of the house when Jackpot suddenly starts experiencing severe abdominal pains. She falls into Spidey's arms and then collapses to the ground. Spidey tries to comfort her, telling her she is going to be all right. Sadly, seconds later, she passes away.
Spidey takes Jackpot's body to Reed Richards to determine what caused her to die so unexpectedly. Reed indicates that she died of a heart attack, the result of a fatal combination of all the drugs in her system. Spidey asks Reed if the antidote was what killed her; Reed answers that it was the neurotoxin that killed her, not the antidote. Reed reassures Spidey that it wasn’t his fault.
A short time later, Spidey visits Sara Ehret to tell her about what happened to Jackpot but also to blame her for Alana's death. Spidey's position is that Sara should have been the one wearing the costume. After all, she has real powers and she got the training with the Initiative; Alana didn't. Sara argues that she didn't want that life – Alana did. Spidey retorts that Alana no longer has a life anymore and goes on telling Sara, before leaving, that super-powered people like them don't have a choice; they must accept the responsibility associated with having powers. Sara picks up the Jackpot costume and the reader is left wondering if she might pick up the Jackpot identity after all.
The end.
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