PREVIOUSLY: In last issue, the deadly mercenary known as the Tarantula surfaces in New York City and begins hunting down all those that fled the regime of his native lands, which are located somewhere in South America. The Tarantula kills Armando Ruiz, a janitor at the Daily Bugle, because he, like many others of his and the Tarantula's nationality, has fled said regime. Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, happens to be swinging nearby when the killing occurs and confronts the Tarantula, as he tries to escape through the basement entrance. A quick scuffle ensues but with the help of his trusty henchmen, the Tarantula manages to get away.

Furious that someone killed one of HIS employees in HIS building, J. Jonah Jameson asks Joe Robertson to ask Peter Parker and Ben Urich to cover the story of Armando's murder. Joe Robertson appears lost in thoughts as he struggles with the fact that he might have seen somebody from his past that he wish he hadn't see: a man named Tombstone.

Back at his headquarters, the Tarantula meets with Gullivar South, some kind of secret agent for the government. Special Agent South gives him FBI documents that contain information about some of the people that have fled the regime of their native lands, just like Armando Ruiz did. One of the pictures in the file shows Elvira and her family.

While Peter contemplates going back to university to get his degree, Joe Robertson confirms his worst fear: Tombstone is back in New York City. The two somehow know each other but no further information about their connection is revealed here. Only that Tombstone and Joe agreed to stay away from each other many years ago for some unknown reason.

Peter and Ben Urich meet Maggie Michaelson, a legal aid lawyer for refugees to try and get some information about Armando's murder and its possible connections with South American death squads. While there, a passerby triggers Peter's spider-sense so Peter follows him. The trail ends up cold and Peter almost gets killed by a mob of angry refugees who think that he's working for the INS. His spider-like powers save him.

Later, back at their apartment, Peter and Mary Jane receive a phone call from Elvira who is under attack by the Tarantula. Peter switches to his Spider-Man costume and makes his way to Saint Jude's Church where Elvira and her family have taken refuge. The Tarantula shows up at the church first but Spidey soon arrives and saves Elvira and her family from the Tarantula and his henchmen. Unfortunately, the police also arrive on the scene, accompanied by Agent Dunphy of the INS, and Elvira and her family are detained until their deportation hearing. Spidey is furious and swings away towards his apartment. The Tarantula, who has managed to flee the church before being captured, returns to his secret headquarters where he gets a visit from Special Agent South who introduces him to his new ally in the fight for justice: Captain America.

This is where this issue picks up.

REVIEW: The story opens up with the Tarantula day dreaming about killing Spider-Man with the help of Captain America. Back in reality, Captain America informs the Tarantula that they should get going if they want to find Spider-Man before sunrise. After shaking hands with Special Agent South, Cap and the Tarantula make their way out of the garbage barge. As they track Spider-Man down, the Tarantula tells Cap that it is an honor for him to work alongside the great Captain America and that he was the model for his country's original Tarantula. Cap asks him what happened to the original Tarantula and the new Tarantula replies that he was killed by Spider-Man (the original Tarantula actually committed suicide after an experiment he took part in transformed him into an eight-limbed, spider-like creature with limited intelligence – back in Amazing Spider-Man #236). Cap asks the Tarantula to be briefed as he was only told by the Commission on Super Human Activities that he was to join forces with him and track down Spider-Man as he is being suspected of having helped known terrorists. The Tarantula concurs with Captain America and recounts his own twisted version of the whole Saint Jude's Church incident. In it, he makes Elvira look like a terrorist and implicates Spider-Man. The Tarantula asks Cap why he's asking all these questions to which he replies that he's wondering why Spider-Man got involved with all of this in the first place. The Tarantula replies that he must have been hired by the traitors and that once they talk to Elvira Corona, they'll ask her. He tells Cap that she is being held in a nearby Federal Building and the two make their way there. As they make their way there, Cap wishes he knew more about Spider-Man, as the original Captain America did, because something just doesn't feel right about the whole thing.

A few miles north in Spanish Harlem, Peter and Mary Jane Parker are meeting with Maggie Michaelson, the legal aid lawyer introduced in last issue to see what can be done to allow Elvira and her family to stay in the United States. Mary Jane suggests that Elvira apply to the Illegal Alien Amnesty Program but Maggie replies that unless Elvira can prove that she has been in the country since 1981, she will be deported; her kids and husband qualify but she doesn't. Furious, Mary Jane lashes out at Maggie – though there is nothing Maggie can do that will change anything – and then MJ and Peter take their leave. As they walk away from Maggie's office, Peter realizes that even his superpowers can't help Elvira stay in the United States.

Meanwhile at the offices of the Daily Bugle, Joe "Robbie" Robertson stares blankly into space, unaware of the room around him until a soft voice calls him back to the present. Kate Cushing, the Daily Bugle's editor, is standing in the doorway. Kate tells Robbie that he should go home, as it is very late and the morning edition is already gone to bed. She then asks him if there's anything she can do to help since he seems very preoccupied about something. Robbie replies that he is going through some personal and private stuff that he doesn't want to talk about and putting his jacket on, he leaves his office. Kate sticks around in his office for a few extra minutes and peruses through his files to see exactly what he has been investigating on the side. She finds a file about Tombstone and wonders why Robbie is interested in him.

At the Federal Building in downtown Manhattan, all is quiet. The bureaucrats left hours ago, the cleaning lady has cleaned and departed. And in the basement deportation detention center, one lonely guard waits for his shift to end while reading a book. Suddenly, the guard hears a noise behind him. As he turns around to investigate, the Tarantula appears and attacks him. Using the retractable poison-dipped spikes on the end of his boots, the Tarantula incapacitates the guard, who falls to the ground. The guard is not rendered completely unconscious however so the Tarantula prepares to give him a second dose of poison. Captain America steps in and prevents the Tarantula from doing so, telling him that the guard was only doing his job. The Tarantula replies that he is only trying to protect Cap's involvement in the break-in by making sure nobody sees him. Cap retorts that the guard didn't see him and that either way, he is now unconscious. The two of them make their way to Elvira's cell to question her. On the way there, Cap begins to realize that what they're doing simply feels wrong. When they arrive at the cell, the Tarantula begins interrogating Elvira and asks her how to find Spider-Man. Terrified, Elvira gives him the name of the only person she knows who might be able to locate Spider-Man: Mary Jane Parker.

Somewhere in an office building on Wall Street, Roland Rayburn, is on the phone trading stocks when Tombstone enters his office and confronts him. Rayburn tries to run but Tombstone grabs him by the neck and lifts him off the ground. Rayburn tries to bargain with Tombstone but the latter replies that: "it won't work because he's ready for him". Rayburn is a mutant who somehow has the power to persuade others to do whatever he suggests and he's been using said power subconsciously to become a top-notch trader on Wall Street. The Arranger, the Kingpin's assistant, has caught wind of Rayburn's abilities and wants Rayburn to come and work for him. As a result, the Arranger has sent Tombstone to abduct him. Rayburn puts his jacket on and follows Tombstone out of the building.

Peter awakens from a very bad nightmare and his screams echo in the bedroom of his and Mary Jane's new apartment. His heart racing a million mile a minute, Peter sits up while MJ turns on the light and tries to comfort him. On cue, the phone rings so MJ answers. The person at the other end of the line is Elvira and she tells Mary Jane something about the West Side freight yard but then the line goes dead. Peter dons his Spider-Man costume and makes his way to the freight yard, although he knows that it is probably a trap.

Spider-Man arrives at the freight yard and lands atop a railway cart. Suddenly, his spider-sense warns him of danger. He turns around and comes face to face with Captain America. He thinks Cap is on his side but soon realizes that he isn't when Cap punches him with his shield. Spidey falls off the railway cart and lands on the ground, all the while wondering what is going on. Suddenly, the Tarantula appears and before Spidey can react, he drives one of his poison-dipped spikes into our hero's shoulder. The poison immediately starts coursing through Spidey's bloodstream but his enhanced metabolism fights off the effects. Spidey escapes by crawling underneath a cart and emerges on the other side. His spider-sense warns him of danger again and just as he moves out of the way, Captain America's shield comes crashing into the railway cart exactly where he was standing a second ago. Atop the railway cart, Cap struggles with the fact that he just attacked a wounded man, something that the original Captain America would never have done. He is realizing more than ever that joining forces with the Tarantula might not have been the best decision. Back on the ground, the Tarantula attacks Spidey once again. Spidey tries to fend off the attack but his foot gets stuck at the junction of two railroad tracks. Seeing this, the Tarantula jumps aboard a small two-men powered rail bogie and powers it down the tracks towards Spidey, who is struggling to free his foot. All the while, Captain America watches from atop the railway car and is starting to feel uneasy with what he is seeing. The bogie is just about to cut the wall crawler's foot off when Spidey suddenly manages to set himself free. He then performs a flip and kicks the Tarantula right in the chest. The Tarantula flies off the bogie and lands awkwardly on the railroad track, breaking his knee in the process. As Spidey slowly approaches him, the Tarantula implores Captain America to help him but Cap simply looks at him, turns around, and takes his leave.

A short time later, Captain America heads over to the Tarantula's secret headquarters where he finds Special Agent South just about to take off, having heard on the news that the Tarantula was turned over to the INS by Spider-Man. South asks Cap where he was to which Cap replies that he had some thinking to do about who he is and what he stands for and that he's found out that he, South, is a rogue agent acting with no legal authority. Having said that, Captain America knocks South out and takes his leave.

A week later, at JFK International Airport, Peter and Mary Jane watch as Elvira and her family jump onboard a plane taking them back to South America. It is revealed that Maggie Michaelson is trying to arrange political refugee status for Elvira and that there might be a chance that it'll work. The Tarantula and his men are also taken aboard the airplane and are being sent back to their country to face criminal charges.

The End...for now.