Then, in Spectacular Spider-Man #213-214, to make matters worse, Spidey has a run in with a woman with deadly personalities: Mary Walker, a.k.a. Typhoid Mary, a.k.a. Bloody Mary. This battle takes him closer to the edge than he's ever been and also seems to take a toll on his marriage with Mary Jane Parker.

In Spectacular Spider-Man #215, Mac Gargan, most commonly known as the Scorpion, resurfaces in New York City and runs into Phillip Cussler Sr., an old man seeking vengeance on his own flesh and blood: his son. At the same time, at the offices of the Daily Bugle, Phillip Cussler Jr. enlists the help of J. Jonah Jameson and his staff to help him find his missing father. Peter Parker is called upon by Kate Cushing to lay a helping hand. Resilient at first – he's already dealing with the recent hospitalization of Aunt May after she suffered a stroke – he finally agrees.

Cussler Sr. and the Scorpion go from one Cussler's Fine China Shop to the next – which Cussler Sr. technically owns except that his son runs them – and they delete financial records of the stores' computers and steal the content of their safes. The following day, Cussler Jr., J. Jonah Jameson and cub photographer Angela Yin investigate the break in and Jameson realizes that he can exploit the situation when Yin mentions that the Scorpion has been seen in the area (Jameson was a key figure in the creation of the Scorpion, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #9).

While web-slinging erratically through the City, Spidey runs into Mighty Mouth Martin a two-bit hoodlum and informant. Martin reveals to Spidey that the Scorpion has been gathering a gang together for a big job.

Cussler Sr. and the Scorpion get started on the next phase of their plan and go to another Cussler’s Fine China Shop to delete its financial records and steal money from the safe. Cussler Sr. logs into the store's computer database, unaware that miles away, at the Daily Bugle, his son and J. Jonah Jameson are tracking him using Jonah's computer. While Jonah, Cussler Jr. and Angela Yin make their way over there, Spidey arrives at the shop and takes on the Scorpion's goons that are standing guard outside. As part of the plan, the Scorpion exits the store via another door and heads into the sewers. Spidey becomes aware of that and follows him in. Spidey has been tracking him down when a couple dozen miscreants, hired by his rival, attack him. Spidey takes them down one by one. As he takes out the last one of them, the Scorpion shows up and attacks him. The battle is brutal but brief and Spidey defeats his opponent.

Meanwhile, something happens to the goons that attacked him; some blob-like creature, which had been crawling through the sewers since the beginning of the issue, attacks them and somehow absorbs them. Spidey hears their scream and heads their way to further investigate. By the time he gets there, they are all gone so he continues his search for Cussler Sr., whom he believes was kidnapped by the Scorpion, which we all know is not true. Cussler Sr. is at street level, peeking down a manhole to see what is happening, when Cussler Jr., Jameson and Yin arrive on the scene. Cussler Jr. tries to convince his dad to come with him but Cussler Sr. brandishes a wrench at them and tells them to stay away from him. Just then, Spidey emerges from the same manhole, his back to them. Spotting Spidey, Cussler Sr. goes ballistic and tries to whack him with his wrench. Spidey's spider-sense kicks in – warning him of danger – so he instinctively reacts with a solid back hand that sends Cussler Sr. flying into a wall; of course, Spidey is unaware that the attacker was in fact Cussler Sr., as he had his back turned to him. This is caught on film by Yin, which is not good news for Spidey since Jameson sees the whole thing with his own two eyes and now he's got proof to back it up. Feeling like crap, Spidey takes off into the night; for the first time in his life, he's failed his motto that "With great power must come great responsibility". Cussler Sr. is taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Mac Gargan spent part of last issue pondering about whether or not he should give up a life of crime and violence as the Scorpion or live a peaceful and blissful normal life as Mac Gargan. He seems to have made up his mind, as he sits in Cussler Sr.'s hideout, sipping on a cappuccino. And he owes it all to the old man. If you must know, Gargan has decided to give up being the Scorpion.

Meanwhile at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson is ecstatic, as he holds up the latest edition of the Bugle with a picture of Spider-Man (accidentally) hitting Cussler Sr. (as seen in last issue) with the headline: "Spider-Man attacks helpless civilian". Cussler Jr. is quick to point out that his father was no saint during this whole situation, though he still thinks Spidey used excessive force on his father. Jameson tells him not to worry about all those details and suggests he goes to the hospital to visit his father and he'll join him later. Cussler Jr. agrees and leaves. Jameson turns to Gloria Grant, his secretary, and tells her to have some flowers sent to Cussler Sr. as well as to Daily Bugle photographer Nick Katzenberg, who happens to be at the same hospital. Gloria interrupts Jonah and informs him that Nick has passed away the night before; Jonah is flabbergasted.

In order to clear his name in the whole Cussler fiasco, Spider-Man criss-crosses the City, hoping to find some clue as to the whereabouts of the Scorpion. As he web-slings above an alleyway, he comes across a couple hoodlums in the process of stealing a car. He drops down and, anger in his voice, tells them to step away from the car. Both men are so afraid of him – probably because they read the Bugle article about him (supposedly) attacking Cussler Sr. - that they throw their crowbars to the ground and surrender. Spidey is perplexed.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Cussler Jr. confesses his love to his unconscious father; a love that was inadvertently obscured by his passion for his work. As he leaves the room, his father awakens, seemingly distraught.

J. Jonah Jameson visits his wife, Marla, at her laboratory to talk to her. Marla gives Jonah a taste of his own medicine and mentions that she is too busy to talk. Jonah begs her to hear him out and goes on explaining that Nick Katzenberg died and that he never got a chance to get in to see him because he kept putting it off and off, until time ran out. Marla tells Jonah that she is sorry and asks what any of this has to do with her. Jonah explains that he knows he hasn't been the best husband but from the moment he first laid eyes on her, she became the most important thing in his life, which is something he has been forgetting to let her know. Jonah tells Marla that he loves her and that he doesn't want time to run out on them. She is taken aback.

Forest Hills Hospital. A seemingly familiar figure approaches the north entrance to the hospital but quickly changes direction when he notices that Peter Parker is heading his way. It should be noted that the figure bears a striking resemblance to Peter. Anyways, Peter doesn't even notice the familiar figure and enters the hospital.

Coincidently, Cussler Sr. is in the same hospital and has a visitor: Mac Gargan. Gargan tells Cussler that he owes him everything and that he's decided to give up on his life of crime and violence as the Scorpion. Cussler Sr. appears to be genuinely happy for him and tells him to keep his old hideout (the one in the sewer) and he'll finance his provisions and help him make a new life for himself. Gargan is speechless.

Peter is talking open-heartedly to an unconscious Aunt May when his spider-sense starts buzzing. As he turns around, he catches a glimpse of Mac Gargan walking in the hall. Realizing that Gargan must be here for Cussler Sr., Peter prepares to follow him and take care of him when he runs into J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson offers his support to Peter in this very difficult time and praises Peter for taking the time to be at her side. Peter thanks Jonah for his support and pretends to be late for an appointment so he can go after Gargan as Spider-Man.

Peter exits the hospital and soon catches up to Gargan who disappears inside a sewer manhole. Anger and frustration boiling in his blood, Peter switches to his Spider-Man costume and follows him in.

Minutes later, Spidey confronts Gargan. Gargan tells Spidey to leave him alone and asks what Spidey wants. Spidey replies that he wants him to confess and tell the authorities that he was in cahoots with Cussler Sr., that they planned the robbery together and that Cussler Sr. was a raving madman who was injured when he attacked him. Spidey adds that he wants him behind bars and that, considering how he feels right now, he wants him to put up a fight. Gargan tells Spidey that he doesn't want to fight because he doesn't want to let the Scorpion run his life anymore. Spidey doesn't believe him and attacks him. Spidey throws punches after punches after punches, while Gargan continues to implore him to let him go. Spidey prepares to punch him another time when the blob-like creature suddenly shows up next to him and stops him from doing so, to his utter amazement. Spidey struggles to break free but to no avail. The sludge creature is somehow consciously stopping him from beating Gargan who, speaking of which, uses that opportunity to get the hell out of there. Spidey's violent rage halted, he can only stare, transfixed, at the pulsating mass of slime before him and, in that instant, it shows him the cause of his problems, the force that has been driving him, controlling him, manipulating him like a puppet – it shows him his anger and, in recognizing the anger and understanding it, he has resisted it, so the creature lets go of him but not before letting him know that he needs to get help. The first person that comes to Spidey's mind is his good friend, Doctor Ashley Kafka, of the Ravencroft Institute. Having done its job, the slug oozes slowly through the sewers, directionless, without purpose, searching for some meaning to its singular existence; Spidey watches on.

Across town, at the offices of the Daily Bugle, Robbie Robertson walks into J. Jonah Jameson’s office to show him the latest headline of the Daily Globe, their main competitor. The headline reads "Spider-Man Vindicated" and shows a picture of Phillip Cussler Jr. next to the text. Robbie explains that the Globe has gotten an exclusive interview with Cussler Jr. in which he implicates his father in the store robbery, which obviously does not make the Bugle look too good. Robbie goes on explaining that he's got close to a dozen reporters working on it – tracking down Cussler Jr. for a quote – possibly getting a report on Cussler Sr.'s mental state from the hospital; in other words, anything that might help them salvage their headline. Jonah hands the paper back to Robbie and tells Robbie to handle it, because he's going out to dinner with his wife.

Peter (or so it seems) is at the hospital visiting Aunt May when a nurse walks in to give Aunt May her medication. Just then, Spider-Man happens to be swinging outside the hospital and the nurse points that out. Peter is taken by surprise and realizes that he must get out of there before Spidey catches him. Meanwhile, up on the roof, Spidey is in the process of getting his clothes out of a web-bag when he hears somebody coming up the stairs. He doesn't have time to get out of there and comes face-to-face with...himself (actually it's his clone from Amazing Spider-Man #149. If you paid close attention, the Peter Parker that was visiting Aunt May had this huge ring on and was also the one that saved that kid in Spectacular Spider-Man #215).

To be continued.