PREVIOUSLY: In Spectacular Spider-Man #139, Joe "Robbie" Robertson left a tape recording and some files for Peter Parker revealing his connection with the mobster known as Tombstone (a.k.a. Lonnie Lincoln). While Peter/Spider-Man listened to the tape, which described how Robbie first met Lonnie and how Lonnie intimidated Robbie into silence about a murder he committed some 20 years ago, Tombstone and the Arranger – the Kingpin's assistant – kidnapped Roland Rayburn, a mutant with the ability to persuade others to do his will, and subjected him to drugs so as to brainwash him to do their bidding using said abilities. At issue's end, Robbie met Tombstone at Battery Park and tried to kill him but Tombstone broke Robbie's back, leaving him to be found by Spider-Man.

In Spectacular Spider-Man #140, Joe Robertson is lying in a hospital bed and there is chance that he may have suffered irreversible damage to his spinal chord. Friends and family are in shock and Peter Parker blames himself for what happened. Once everybody is gone, Joe gets an unpleasant visit from Tombstone who threatens him into keeping his secret or else.

Peter and Mary Jane pay another visit to Joe Robertson at the hospital. While MJ tries to comfort Martha, Robbie’s wife, Peter has a talk with Joe who tells Peter to burn the tape he gave him back in SPSM #139. Peter refuses but Robbie explains how Tombstone came in his hospital room and threatened him and his family. As Peter exits the room, Robbie implores him to burn the tape. Peter and MJ make their way out of the hospital, discussing the whole tape situation and Robbie’s connection with Tombstone. Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure hidden in a nearby room is eavesdropping on their conversation.

While at the Daily Bugle, Peter is given a phone number that he has to call back. He calls the number and the shadowy figure seen earlier tells him to meet him on Liberty Island in one hour. Peter switches to his Spider-Man costume and makes his way there. He arrives at Liberty Island and within minutes, he is being shot at presumably by the shadowy figure (the individual was waiting for Peter Parker and seeing that Spider-Man was there instead of Peter, he decided to scare off Spider-Man, but the wall-crawler doesn't scare easily). Using his amazing web-slinging abilities, Spidey manages to tackle the gunman who happens to be The Punisher. The Punisher pulls a gun out and points it at Spidey, telling him to hand over the tape and demanding that Spidey tells him where he can find Tombstone, or else.

Outside on the wharf, a black car pulls behind The Punisher's van. Inside the car, Tombstone and his goons are gloating that their informant proved right about The Punisher's secret hideout. Tombstone tells them that they are only there to attract The Punisher's attention and that Persuader will do the rest. Back inside the yacht, The Punisher explains why he's after Tombstone: a friend of his from the Corps, Harold Ullman, a Deputy District Attorney in Saint Louis, who convened a grand jury to investigate mob influence backing the street corner "mini-mall" boom, was senselessly murdered by Tombstone and that's why he wants the Robertson tape. Spidey asks him how he found out Tombstone was in New York. The Punisher replies that he has friends in very low places that, with a little bit of convincing, provided him with the address to Aggie's Pub. He explains that he went to Aggie's Pub but once he arrived there, he found him, Spider-Man, breaking heads, wanting to know who'd put a contract on Joe Robertson. He goes on explaining how he heard the bartender tell him that Tombstone was the person he was looking for and how it was him, The Punisher, that prevented the thug from shooting him in the back. Spidey replies that his spider-sense had already warned him about the thug getting ready to shoot him and that shooting him was unnecessary. The Punisher replies that this is where their opinions differ and goes on explaining how he overhead Peter Parker talking about the Robertson tape back at the hospital and consequently set up a meeting with him on Liberty Island. The Punisher tells Spider-Man that everything was going to work out fine until he showed up instead of Peter Parker. Of course, now he wants that tape more than ever. Spidey replies that it is not his to give and that Peter Parker is the one who has it. The Punisher replies that he'll ask Peter personally then and he takes his leave. Spidey runs after The Punisher and tells him that Peter won't make a move until Robbie says so. The Punisher asks Spidey if perhaps he should talk directly to Robbie Robertson to which Spidey replies that Robbie has enough on his mind right now, that he needs not worry about this. Spidey tells The Punisher that he will talk to Peter Parker, Peter will talk to Robbie and they'll get the tape. As Spidey web-slings away, The Punisher tells him that he has until sundown that night or else he'll take matters into his own hands. Back in the car, Tombstone orders his men to take care of The Punisher and he'll handle Peter Parker and the Robertson tape.

Meanwhile at Midtown Hospital, Ben Urich pays a visit to Robbie Robertson. Robbie's son, Randy, is there with his dad and when Ben enters the room, Randy enthusiastically tells him the good news, which is that there was no permanent damage to his dad's spine. Ben replies that he's glad to hear the good news then asks Randy if he could have a word with his dad alone. Once Randy is gone, Ben confronts Robbie about the tape but Robbie denies everything. Ben tells Robbie that he knows what it's like to be scared – having come close to dying at the hands of the assassin known as Elektra – and that he's always going to be there for him if he ever needs someone to talk to. As the door shuts behind Ben Urich, the silence that envelops Robbie Robertson is as complete as that of a crypt. If he dared, Robbie might smile at the irony. Ben Urich was wrong, Robbie isn't afraid of dying. In his heart, he is already a dead man, and his bedridden body is nothing more than a breathing grave.

Back aboard his yacht, The Punisher has just gotten out of the shower and is preparing breakfast for himself when Tombstone's henchmen suddenly appear in the cabin entrance. Swiftly, The Punisher turns around and sends the content of his pan flying in one of the goons' face. His face burned and in extreme pain, the goon trips and falls on top of the other goon, causing both their guns to unload in a chaotic fashion. The unscathed goon tries to stand back up to defend himself but The Punisher renders him unconscious before he's able to do so. The Punisher asks the burned goon to tell him how many more men there are to which he replies that there are two more on deck. On that note, The Punisher takes the goon’s gun and starts shooting through the ceiling of the cabin, gunning down the two henchmen, who fall into the Hudson River. The Punisher then grabs the burned goon and asks him who paid their contract. The goon answers that it was Tombstone and that they were only suppose to scare him so that he wouldn't try to follow them. The Punisher asks him where it was that he wasn't supposed to follow them. The goon replies that it was Cloisters on the West Side. The Punisher grins slightly and it is apparent that he is thinking about making a move, against Spider-Man's wishes.

Meanwhile, at Peter and Mary Jane Parker's apartment, Peter is making MJ listen to the tape recording made by Robbie. Once the tape reaches its end, Peter asks MJ what her thoughts are about what he should do with the tape. Resilient at first to answer his question, MJ tells him that she would burn the tape and throw the ashes down the deepest hole she could find. Peter is stunned at her answer, and cannot believe that she would let a killer go loose. MJ replies that Peter should do what he thinks is right and not ask her to decide what to do because she can’t handle it. Peter apologizes for putting her on the spot and tells her that either way, it is not their decisions to make but Robbie's. Peter takes his leave and heads over to the hospital to meet with Robbie while MJ contemplates her life as the wife of a superhero. Mere minutes after Peter leaves their apartment building, Tombstone shows up at the building and enters into the lobby where he checks the mailboxes and confirms that the Parkers live in apartment 302.

A short time later, The Punisher arrives at the Cloisters, a Medieval Monastery brought in New York from Europe, and using a pair of binoculars inspects the grounds of the monastery. He observes that two armed goons are guarding the gate. The story switches to the two henchmen who are casually discussing one of them murdering a woman and dumping her body at her brother’s house. Suddenly, as one of the goons is snorting coke up his nose, a noise is heard and he falls to the ground. The other goon turns around to see what is going on and he too suddenly falls to the ground. Both goons have been shot by The Punisher, who, standing atop the brick fence behind them, is taking the silencer off of his gun. The Punisher jumps down from his position and has a hard time believing that Tombstone would have set up two losers like that to guard the gate. He starts making his way across the lawn when he decides to use a fresh clip in his weapon. But as he does so, a half-dozen professionals ambush him.

Back at the Parker residence, MJ is busy putting makeup on and pondering about the whole tape situation when Tombstone suddenly appears in the mirror behind her. Tombstone grabs her by the hair and lifts her completely off the ground. MJ screams at him to let her go and tries kicking him but Tombstone remains unscathed. Tombstone tells MJ that one way or another, she will tell him where Peter Parker is, and how much pain she suffers before she does is up to her.

Back at the Cloisters, The Punisher is getting pummeled to the ground by his assailants. However, that doesn’t last long. The Punisher suddenly goes sadistic and starts cracking jaws and necks and breaking heads. Soon, only one assailant remains but after looking at the Punisher in the eye, he drops his knife and runs away. The Punisher picks up his gun and heads towards a black sedan parked nearby. He opens a door, thinking that Tombstone his inside the vehicle, but the sedan is occupied by none other than the Arranger and Roland Rayburn, now referred to as Persuader. The Arranger apologizes to The Punisher for the goons attacking him outside but explains that it was necessary because Persuader is at his most effective when his subjects' adrenalin levels and pulse-rate are both elevated. On that note, the Persuader's eyes begin to glow and he tells The Punisher that he doesn't want to hurt him. Promptly, The Punisher drops his gun but still tries to fight the persuasion. But the Persuader's powers of persuasion are way too strong for the Punisher to handle and his entire body starts to glow, causing The Punisher to hold his head in agony. The Persuader tells The Punisher that he is his and that he should craw. Meanwhile at Midtown Hospital, Peter tries to convince Robbie Robertson to change his mind about destroying the tape. Robbie still wants to go ahead with destroying it, which angers Peter. Suddenly, a nurse enters Robbie's room and asks if he is Peter Parker, to which he replies that he is. The nurse explains that his wife has just been brought into the emergency room. Screaming her name, Peter runs off towards the ER, while Joe Robertson is left behind, tears filling his eyes.

To be continued.