Peter Parker is dead. Mary Jane and Ben Reilly are totally devastated. Unable to stay in the hospital room as a result of it being too painful for them to see Peter lying there, they head outside, where the tears continue to flow heavily.
Back inside the room, something totally unbelievable takes place. Peter Parker’s body starts to spasm uncontrollably, his hands rip through his mattress, and then he suddenly awakens. But the spasms continue and send him crashing violently into a wall.
Out in the hall, Ben and MJ hear the commotion so they rush into the room to investigate what is going on. As they open the door, they find Peter lying on the floor amidst what is left of the room. He smiles at them.
Meanwhile at the Daily Bugle, somebody has broken into J. Jonah Jameson's office. Joe Robertson and Gloria Grant are in there trying to find clues as to why somebody broke in and as to the whereabouts of Jonah, who has been missing for more than 48 hours. Joe can't shake the feeling that Jonah is in serious trouble, and hopes to find clues in his files. While this takes place, Dr. Curt Connors rides the subway and walks across the city, pondering existential matters.
Elsewhere, Ben Reilly has switched into his Spider-Man costume and is web-slinging across the city, totally ecstatic that Peter is not dead after all. Ben comes to rest on a rooftop overlooking the site of a recent robbery presumably committed by Stilt-Man. Ben wonders if this theft is related to other robberies that have taken place recently all over the city by the Ringer, the Shocker and the Trapster. Suddenly, Ben overhears a police radio request for all units to head over to Pier 71 where a giant reptile is destroying a warehouse along the waterfront. Within second, Ben is on his way in that direction.
When Ben, as Spider-Man, arrives at the waterfront, he discovers that the Lizard (a.k.a. Dr. Curt Connors) is responsible for the destruction of the warehouse. Wasting no time, he swings down and attacks the reptilian behemoth. His webbing doesn't hold up however as the Lizard rips through it and proceeds to smack him with a backhand that sends him flying into a nearby wall. Before Ben can get back up on his two feet, the Lizard takes off. Just then, Ben realizes that the Lizard is heading for the hospital where Peter is recovering.
Meanwhile at the hospital, Peter Parker is thanking none other than Dr. Curt Connors for coming to New York to help him out. Suddenly, a loud noise is heard coming from the other side of the window. Peter and Dr. Connors rush to the window to see what is going on. On a rooftop across the street, the Lizard and Spider-Man are engaged in a ferocious battle. Coming to the realization that Ben is not fighting the real Lizard, Peter turns to Dr. Connors for an explanation. Frightened, Dr. Connors utters that "it" found him and takes off running before Peter can find out what is going on from him. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to see if his powers have returned (he lost them in Spider-Man: The Final Adventures), Peter heads out to help Ben.
Ben, as Spider-Man, as his hands full with this new Lizard. The giant reptile gets the upper hand, sends him flying into a nearby concrete wall and then prepares to finish him off. Thankfully, Peter, wearing a surgical mask, arrives on the scene and tackles the giant reptile. The creature quickly retaliates, causing Ben to push Peter out of harm's way. However, by doing so, Peter is sent flying towards the building across the street. As he lands against the wall, Peter quickly realizes that he cannot adhere to the wall like he used to – meaning that his powers are not completely back – and he starts to plummet towards his imminent death, screaming Ben's name. Ben hears him and swings away from his fight to save Peter's life, providing the new Lizard with the perfect opportunity to take its leave. When Peter is hoisted back onto the rooftop, he reveals to Ben that the Lizard he was fighting was not Dr. Connors.
To be continued.
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