ACT 1: Hovering above one of the bridge’s towers – Mary Jane in his arms – the Green Goblin threatens to drop her. Infuriated, Peter/Spidey accuses (with reason) his nemesis of having killed Aunt May, thus there is no need to kill off MJ too. The Goblin, arrogant as ever, replies that Aunt May has been anaesthetized and “sleeping in her own mess for the last few months”, and that she will run out of drugs in forty-five minutes, at which time she will choke on her own vomit and die. Sarcastically, the Goblin adds that “she’s hardly down among the dead men yet”. Even more furious than before, Peter/Spidey asks what he can do for this to stop to which the Goblin replies that he has to forfeit his life in exchange for the life of an innocent (it is safe to assume that the innocent is MJ). Perplexed, Peter/Spidey asks the Goblin to explain what he’s talking about. The Goblin replies that heroes need villains to keep them in check and that’s why he gave all the other super-villains a facelift and why he helped to install the Owl where the Kingpin used to sit. Just then, Doctor Octopus, last seen escaping from a holding cell on Riker’s Island, shows up atop the bridge tower to kill Norman (Doc Ock was brainwashed by certain authority figures of the ruling class to assassinate Norman because of his involvement with and knowledge of the super-villain programs of the late forties, as explained in earlier issues). Using his deadly tentacles, Doc Ock strikes at the Goblin, who drops MJ atop the bridge tower (fortunately, considering he was holding her over the water seconds before), where she lands with a thud. Totally pissed off, the Goblin retaliates with a bunch of pumpkin bombs that send Doc Ock flying off the tower and towards the water down below. Just then, Peter/Spidey snags the goblin glider with a webline and throws the Goblin off of the glider and then slams him into the bridge tower. The falling Doc Ock, meanwhile, has gotten hold of the side of the bridge tower using one of his tentacles. Back on top of the tower, Peter/Spidey starts pummeling on his nemesis as if he were a punching bag. All the while, the Goblin torments him with the fact that he paid only a thousand dollars to some down-at-the-hell mystic to stop the X-Men psychics from locating Aunt May’s whereabouts. Meanwhile a dazed and confused MJ regains consciousness and pulls a gun out of her jacket, and then she screams for Peter. Peter is distracted by her bellowing, which the Goblin uses to his advantage by grabbing Peter/Spidey in a chokehold. As he strangles the wondrous wall-crawler, MJ shows up, gun in hand, and shoots the Green Goblin in the chest. The Goblin lets go of Spidey and MJ is send flying off of the bridge à la Gwen Stacy due to the backlash created when she fired the gun. Reliving this moment frozen in his mind and time, Peter/Spidey jumps near the edge of the bridge tower and shoots multiple strands of webbing, and catches Mary Jane securely (no neck-breaking this time around!). Peter/Spidey hoists her back on top of the bridge tower but just then, the Goblin shows up, holding his glider above his head, getting ready to strike at Peter/Spidey and Mary Jane with it. Just then, Doc Ock reappears behind the Goblin and grabs hold of him using his tentacles. The Goblin orders Doc Ock to release him and prepares to drive his glider into his opponent’s head when lightning suddenly strikes the glider. The two villains are immediately electrocuted and thrown off the bridge; they then disappear into the river down below. Back atop the bridge tower, Peter and Mary Jane hug each other heavily, as the rain starts pouring down on them. MJ asks Peter what they are going to do about finding Aunt May to which Peter replies that he has failed and does not know where she is. Suddenly however, a light bulb goes off in his head and he realizes where Osborn has been keeping her. Telling MJ to stay there and wait for the police (when did he call them?), Peter/Spidey swings away.

ACT 2: A few minutes later, we find Peter/Spidey at the cemetery digging the new turf freshly covering his Uncle Ben’s grave (a result of Ben’s headstone having been demolished back in Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1). As Peter digs, he explains how he figured out where she was buried based on what the Green Goblin told him as they were fighting each other earlier: “I think you’ve buried enough friends, Spider-Man.”, “…enough dead friends to fill a cemetery by yourself.”, “May’s just been anaesthetized and sleeping in her own mess for the last few months.”, “She’ll run out of drugs in forty-five minutes and choke on her own vomit…”, “She’s already down among the dead men, young sir.” After digging for what seemed like hours, Peter finally reaches a coffin inside which he finds Aunt May seemingly dead. Peter grabs May and hoists her out of the casket. He frantically tries to find a pulse and desperately prays that she does not die when she finally opens her eyes and calls his name. He grabs her in his arms.

ACT 3: Hours later, Doctor Octopus is fished out of the river by the Avengers, half-drowned and stinking of brine. Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, wakes up in a private room at the Beth Israel Memorial Hospital where she has checked in under the name Julie Newmar. As Peter/Spidey checks up on her, he realizes how alone she is and how she is still smitten as a kitten. Meanwhile on Riker’s Island, Mac Gargan, the old Scorpion, and now the new Venom, is locked up in Norman Osborn’s old cell and promises Peter/Spidey never to tell anyone about his secret identity, revealed to him by Norman Osborn. In another part of town, the costume, name and powers of the Scorpion are put up for auction. Meanwhile at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, believing that his own son, John Jameson, is Spider-Man (as orchestrated by Peter back in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #8), advises his staff that the Daily Bugle will now only print positive stories about Spider-Man. His son John, in attendance at the meeting supports his father (It is safe to assume that he agreed to help Peter fool his old man).

ACT 4: Meanwhile, miles away, atop the bridge where Mary Jane was almost killed, we find Peter lost in thoughts. Aunt May, who had been looking for him, finds him and starts talking to him about the old Parker house having been sold (she will rent from the buyer) as well as Peter and Mary Jane’s fancy apartment having been sold in order to pay their debts. Realizing that Peter is not listening to her, she asks him what is wrong with him. His eyes tearing up, Peter turns around to face his aunt. He goes on another one of his famous guilt trips and explains that she shouldn’t have to live in that moldy old place and that he should be looking after her and making more money to support her. May replies that he is doing a job that means a lot more than making money: shaping the futures of children, not to mention what he does as Spider-Man every night. Peter replies that all Spider-Man does is sell newspapers. May retorts that Peter saves lives every day and that according to a research she did on the Internet, he saved over ten thousand lives since he became Spider-Man. Peter replies that if it weren’t for Spider-Man, she never would have been kidnapped. She tells Peter that if it weren’t for Spider-Man, she never would have been rescued either. She goes on telling him not to let Osborn get his fingers on his mind and she pulls open her giant purse, revealing a newly sown Spider-Man costume in it. She hands it over to Peter and tells him to wear it under his clothes because of all the bad weather New York’s been having lately. Feeling better about himself, Peter puts his arms around his aunt they walk away.

ACT 5: A few days later, Peter receives a letter from Norman Osborn. It reads as follows:

My dear Peter,

If you’re reading this, it can only mean that I have failed in my latest endeavor and so I wish to offer my most heartfelt congratulations.

Obviously, this is one of several letters I had prepared and you have my word, as an old friend that the assistant mailing this has no idea about the rather remarkable secret we both share.

I want to thank you for what I assume was both a fair and exciting battle and assure you that you can enjoy a period of relaxation regardless of whether I have survived or not.

It must be stressed that these fights are by no means a sign or any real enmity. On the contrary, I hold you in enormous regard and am always grateful for your attentions.

Were it not for you, I would be just another boring businessman running another boring chemical-manufacturing business.

Your intelligence and resourcefulness has given my life both structure and meaning and I apologize for any doubts I have placed in your mind as a result of our latest meeting.

As you know, your marriage, your reputation and your passion for preserving the status quo are all very important to me and I can only hope that no seeds of doubt or uselessness have been planted in any way.

Take care and sleep well. I shall keep you in my prayers and trust that you shall always keep me in yours.

Forever,
Norman

The End.