Chapter Summaries

Jessica spotted fast-moving trails beneath the canal as Peter and Felicia toured Venice, and Hydro-Man rose from the water to attack civilians while calling for Spider-Man. Peter rescued the people who fell into the canal and regrouped with Cindy and Silvia, preparing to fight Hydro-Man.

• Jessica noticed strange white trails moving through the canal and warned the students aboard her boat to turn toward shore.
• Hydro-Man emerged from the canal, shouted for Spider-Man, and attacked nearby people.
• Peter changed into his stealth suit and rescued tourists and students from the water while Felicia went to get the bombs from his room.
• Peter pulled Jessica from the canal and set her down safely on a bridge.
• Silvia reported that her helicopter's specialized rounds were ineffective, while Cindy confirmed everyone who had fallen into the canal had been rescued.
• Peter joined Cindy near the clock tower and prepared to fight Hydro-Man.

Spider-Man used high-energy materials and bioelectricity to electrolyze Hydro-Man’s water body, triggering explosions that defeated him. Peter discovered a message saying Hydro-Man and Sandman would surrender if their safety was guaranteed.

• Felicia searched Peter’s suitcase, asked Venom which tubes were bombs for Hydro-Man, then took both tubes to the battlefield.
• Spider-Man, Silk, and Wild Pack attacked Hydro-Man, but he replenished himself from Venice’s canals and resisted their weapons.
• Black Cat delivered Peter’s bombs, and Peter asked Silk to be ready to pull him out before he launched himself into Hydro-Man’s body.
• Peter crushed the tubes and used bioelectricity to spread their contents through Hydro-Man’s water, causing electrolysis and a chain of explosions.
• Silvia prepared to attack again, but Peter stopped her after finding a message that Hydro-Man and Sandman would surrender if their safety was guaranteed.

Silvia, Spider-Man, and S.H.I.E.L.D. discussed how to handle the Elementals’ possible surrender as Nick Fury prepared a plan to disrupt Hydra. Fury sent Spider-Man to negotiate with Hydro-Man, though Peter suspected the negotiations were a smokescreen.

• Silvia argued that dangerous supercriminals such as the Elementals should be killed unless they had valuable intelligence, and worried Hydra might have infiltrated Wild Pack.
• Nick Fury arrived and told the group that the tour would skip Athens and go directly to Budapest, a change intended to catch Hydra off guard.
• Fury said S.H.I.E.L.D. could likely keep the Elementals alive but needed time and a rough estimate of how much intelligence they possessed.
• Fury assigned Spider-Man to negotiate with Hydro-Man, offering the possibility of pardons, plea deals, or informant arrangements in exchange for useful information.
• Spider-Man guessed the negotiation was a smokescreen, and Fury declined to explain further.

Hydro-Man and Sandman decided to seek protection from S.H.I.E.L.D., and Hydro-Man secretly negotiated with Spider-Man while offering Hydra intelligence. After the talks, Hydro-Man learned that Spider-Man's team had changed course for Budapest, but Arnim Zola told him Hydra had other plans for him.

• Hydro-Man and Sandman agreed to contact Spider-Man and negotiate surrender only if S.H.I.E.L.D. could protect them from Hydra and the curse.
• Jessica teased Felicia about entering a man's bedroom, then told her she had decided not to uncover Spider-Man's identity.
• Peter noticed Hydro-Man's water signal and, while invisible, negotiated with him through messages written in water.
• Hydro-Man revealed limited intelligence about Hydra and the Weapons Expansion Program, securing concessions in exchange for cooperation.
• Hydro-Man learned that Spider-Man and the others were heading to Budapest, but Arnim Zola said he would not go there and that Hydra had other matters for him.

Arnim Zola discovered Hydro-Man’s secret dealings with Spider-Man and killed him, then ordered Sandman to go to London and kill Spider-Man if he arrived alive. After Hydro-Man never contacted Peter again, Fury’s suspicions were confirmed, and the journey moved toward Budapest.

• Arnim Zola confronted Hydro-Man about secretly helping Spider-Man and revealed that Hydra had monitored his actions.
• Zola declared Hydro-Man an enemy, and green flames burned away Hydro-Man’s spirit body as Sandman watched.
• Zola revealed Sandman’s identity as William Beck and ordered him to go to London and kill Spider-Man if he reached the city alive.
• Fury outlined three possible outcomes of Hydra’s response to Hydro-Man and predicted that silence from Hydro-Man would mean Hydra had killed him.
• Hydro-Man never contacted Peter again, and the journey continued toward Budapest.

Captain and Logan investigated Hydra’s presence in Budapest, while Peter and Silvia waited for a mole to lead them to Hydra’s hidden base. Peter went invisible and prepared to follow the saboteur.

• Captain reviewed intelligence from Kraven and concluded that Budapest’s listed Hydra sites formed a defensive deployment around an unmarked location.
• Nick Fury told Captain to wait for Spider-Man and Black Cat’s help before acting against Hydra.
• Peter and Silvia trained the Wild Pack on Budapest’s outskirts as rumors about their mission spread among the mercenaries.
• A Wild Pack mercenary sabotaged equipment and disabled uniform tracking signals, and Peter let him go so he could follow him to Hydra’s base.
• Silvia confirmed the Wild Pack had not been exposed, and Peter entered an advanced invisible state to pursue the trail.

Peter followed a Hydra saboteur to a hidden underground facility in Budapest and discovered a concealed city used for military training. After watching Hydra troops defeat simulated US forces, he followed them into the larger base.

• Peter tracked the saboteur to a roadside gas station, discovered the dining area was a holographic projection, and followed him through a hidden passage.
• Peter evaded surveillance and descended into a vast underground complex, then found a concealed city beneath an artificial moon.
• Peter saw a Hydra emblem and a statue he believed depicted Baron Strucker, and noticed the city was deserted despite its bright lights.
• Peter dodged an ambush and watched Hydra soldiers defeat mechanical soldiers in a combat simulation.
• Peter followed the Hydra troops out of the training city and reached the larger Hydra base.

Peter discovered Hydra’s vast underground base beneath Budapest and learned that its origins were tied to the god Set. After Baron Strucker revealed his life-draining power and the base began a ten-minute self-destruct countdown, the Avengers fought to stop the destruction as Captain awaited Wild Pack reinforcements.

• Peter found Hydra’s enormous base beneath Budapest and discovered that its central temple held a statue of Set, also known as Tiamat, Apocalypse, and Leviathan.
• Baron Strucker confronted Peter, drained a Hydra soldier to restore his youth, and threatened to destroy the Avengers as part of Hydra’s rebirth.
• Captain, Logan, Tony, and the others arrived through Sling Ring portals, and Tony warned that the base’s destruction could devastate Budapest.
• A self-destruct countdown began at ten minutes, and the Avengers attacked while Tony, Pym, and the Ultron robots raced to find the central control room.
• Captain revealed that the Wild Pack was coming to reinforce them.

The Avengers and the Wild Pack attacked Hydra's strongholds, while Captain pursued Baron Strucker and learned he had targeted Bucky and Jim. Captain defeated Strucker, stopped him from draining his life force, and declared the fight against Hydra an extermination of fascists.

• Silvia ordered the Wild Pack to bombard Strucker Castle, then led the assault underground with Agent Web scouting ahead.
• Felicia joined the attack despite not knowing which Hydra agent had killed her father, and she killed every Hydra agent she encountered.
• The Avengers overwhelmed Hydra's forces, and Captain ordered Thor to clear a path for Tony and Pym to disable the self-destruct system.
• Captain chased Strucker's hovercar, boarded it, and confronted him as Strucker claimed the operation was a trap and Hydra would endure.
• Strucker drained Captain's life force through his prosthetic and revealed that Hydra had made Bucky and Jim value order over free will.
• Captain knocked Strucker down and severed his prosthetic with his shield, ending the drain and leaving Strucker an old man.

Captain fought Strucker and rejected his argument that people would surrender freedom for safety, but Strucker challenged him to face Jim Hammond, who appeared in flames. As the battle against Hydra spread, Peter’s group confronted new enemies and reinforcements while Peter sensed something calling to him.

• Captain argued with Strucker about freedom and order, then knocked him unconscious after Strucker pointed out that Jim Hammond might be difficult to kill.
• Jim Hammond descended in flames, and Captain asked whether his old friend was still inside.
• Peter, Logan, and Hulk moved after Captain while Wasp, Black Panther, Peter, and Hulk’s remaining allies faced thousands of Hydra soldiers.
• A giant skull-headed robot launched four Hydra robots toward Pantheon, and Wild Pack operatives, Silvia, and Felicia arrived as reinforcements.
• Peter gave Venom to Felicia, noticed that Cindy had disappeared, and felt his Spider-Sense react to something calling him.

Logan confronted Mr. Sinister and his weaponized young clone, X-23, while Peter and Cindy traced a magical signal to a spider totem in a Hydra warehouse. Arnim Zola revealed the totem was bait to lure spider-powered people and trigger bombs, then detonated them.

• Logan tracked Strucker and Captain but encountered Mr. Sinister, who explained his interest in Logan's genes.
• Mr. Sinister released a red mist and introduced X-23, a young girl with Adamantium claws, ordering her to kill Logan.
• Peter joined Cindy as she fought Hydra soldiers, and she told him the signal drawing them in was related to magic.
• Peter and Cindy found an ancient spider-carved totem in a warehouse, where Arnim Zola explained its history and Hydra's spider experiments.
• Arnim Zola revealed the totem's energy had lured them while masking nearby bombs, then pressed the detonator.

Peter and Cindy escaped the destroyed warehouse with the totem pole, then confronted Taskmaster and Hydra forces in Budapest. After learning that Ultron could counter Arnim Zola, Taskmaster destroyed the Hydra robot and surrendered, revealing Hydra intended to use its exposure to its advantage.

• Peter and Cindy escaped the warehouse with the totem pole, which interfered with their Spider-Sense.
• Taskmaster and dozens of Hydra soldiers surrounded Peter and Cindy beside a massive Hydra robot, and Taskmaster explained he worked for Hydra because it paid him well.
• Peter webbed up the Hydra soldiers while Taskmaster fought through the barrage, then Peter learned Taskmaster had been willing to sell intelligence if offered enough money.
• Peter told Taskmaster that Iron Man and Ant-Man were stopping the self-destruct sequence and that Doctor Pym had brought Ultron to oppose Arnim Zola.
• Taskmaster destroyed the Hydra robot, surrendered, and revealed that Hydra wanted the world to know it had never been destroyed.

Felicia hunted for her father’s killer through the Hydra base, but her rage and Venom’s influence led her into the fight between Captain America and Jim Hammond. Scythe Reaper appeared to help Strucker escape, while Silver Sable and Felicia moved to stop them before the base self-destructed.

• Felicia slaughtered Hydra soldiers while demanding to know who had killed Spirit Cat, and Silvia followed her through the base.
• Captain America fought Jim Hammond while using the unconscious Strucker to hold the Original Human Torch back.
• Scythe Reaper attacked Captain America with his prosthetic scythe, accidentally impaling Strucker, then helped him up and urged him to evacuate before the self-destruct sequence began.
• Strucker ordered the base destroyed as Venom attacked Jim Hammond and was burned, briefly bringing Felicia back to her senses.
• Silver Sable struck Jim Hammond with a rocket and told Felicia and Captain America to stop Strucker from escaping.
• Scythe Reaper let Strucker go and prepared to fight Silver Sable and Felicia, boasting that he would bring their heads and Captain America’s as a gift.

Captain, Silvia, Peter, and Felicia fought Baron Strucker, Scythe Reaper, and the Original Human Torch, while Felicia struggled with rage over her father’s death. Peter helped her regain control, and she used Venom to remove the air around Jim Hammond and extinguish his flames.

• Captain and Silvia attacked Scythe Reaper and the Original Human Torch while trying to stop Strucker from escaping.
• Venom Black Cat tore off Scythe Reaper’s prosthetic after he taunted her about her father, Spirit Cat.
• Silvia shot Strucker in the leg when he lunged at her, then turned to help fight Human Torch.
• Human Torch overpowered Felicia until she struck him with a liquid-nitrogen rocket, and Peter pulled her back before she could injure herself further.
• Peter calmed Felicia by assuring her he was on her side, and she reverted from her monstrous Venom form.
• Captain and Silvia drew Human Torch’s attention while Felicia used Venom to remove the air around Jim Hammond and extinguish his flames.

The Avengers defeated Hydra in Budapest, while Felicia learned that the Original Human Torch who killed her father had been dead for decades. The chapter left Tony shaken by the discovery that Bucky Barnes had killed his parents, and Felicia facing life beyond revenge.

• Peter explained that Venom could deprive Jim Hammond of air, and Felicia used it to stop him; Peter told the Captain that Jim had long been dead.
• Tony and Pym brought Ultron into Hydra's network, where Ultron overwhelmed Arnim Zola and dismantled the base's self-destruct program.
• Tony found a Hydra record stating that Winter Soldier James Buchanan Barnes had killed Howard Stark in 1991, but concealed his reaction from Pym.
• The Avengers captured Strucker and Taskmaster and brought down Hydra's robot, though Logan failed to capture X-23.
• Silvia and the Captain told Felicia that revenge would leave her with nothing unless she found something else to live for.

Captain warned Tony that Hydra’s defeat at Strucker’s castle was only the beginning, while Zemo gathered Hydra’s surviving leaders at its hidden Pacific headquarters and organized their response. Zemo left Viper in charge of Hydra Island and set out to deal with the Avengers.

• Tony told Captain that Hydra’s leaders had been arrested, its secrets exposed, and its bases uncovered, but Captain predicted that the war would continue within a week.
• Zemo arrived at Hydra Island and heard Gorgon report that the Hand was infiltrating New York and recruiting Kenichi Harada, a mutant who could destroy metal, including Adamantium and Vibranium.
• Zemo entered Hydra’s High Council meeting, ordered Zola, Doctor Faustus, Hive, Gorgon, Kraken, and Alexander Pierce to manage Hydra’s losses and operations, and proposed that Viper take charge on the island.
• Zemo told the council that he would deal with the Avengers.

Peter checked on Felicia as she sat awake on the hotel rooftop, and she explained that she was prepared to pursue revenge while still having time to imagine a life afterward. After questioning why Peter helped people without expecting anything in return, Felicia kissed his cheek and left, wishing him a good rest of his trip.

• Peter brought Felicia coffee and told her Venom needed chocolate and rest, while acknowledging that the symbiote’s weaknesses were becoming a problem for them.
• Felicia told Peter that she had long considered what life might be like after revenge and was glad she was only seventeen and still had time to decide.
• Felicia said she had agreed to help a boy keep from losing his mind when he got revenge.
• Peter explained that he helped others because doing the right thing did not need a reason.
• Felicia kissed Peter on the cheek as a reward, said she did not like younger boys, and left the rooftop.

Peter met Madame Web in Vienna, where she explained that Ezekiel Sims had brought his father to Taranto to fulfill the Web of Destiny. She warned that Spider-Man would die and be reborn, and that the Master of Time would erase Peter from history, leaving him to find his own way back.

• Peter read reports claiming the Avengers had nearly destroyed Hydra, but suspected the organization had hidden much of its strength.
• Cindy sensed someone nearby and led Peter to Julia Carpenter, who introduced herself as Madame Web.
• Madame Web said the man who took Peter's father to the temple was Ezekiel Sims, who had become a spider totem and sought a destined warrior against their natural enemies.
• Madame Web told Peter that Spider-Man would die and be reborn, then warned that the Master of Time would erase him from history because he was the greatest uncertainty in the Master's plan.
• Peter thanked Madame Web and left, believing he understood whom he would face when the warning came to pass.

Peter spent his European vacation thinking about Kang’s plan to erase him, then met the Order of the Sacred Sword in London after they received a prophecy that Sandman was preparing to kill him. The group had a spell from Merlin that could lift Sandman’s curse, and Peter suspected Sandman would attack him at a place where he was vulnerable.

• Peter reasoned that Kang might use the Cosmic Cube to erase him and considered seeking magical protection, but decided to wait until the danger became clearer.
• During Peter’s two-week vacation, reports about Hydra faded, and he visited the Sherlock Holmes museum at 221B Baker Street in London with Senior Jessica and Felicia.
• Silvia contacted Peter, who went to Scotland Yard and found her and the other members of the Order of the Sacred Sword.
• Captain Britain explained that Merlin had given them a spell to lift Sandman’s curse, but they had been unable to find Sandman.
• Captain Britain told Peter that Merlin’s prophecy placed Sandman in London and said he was preparing to kill Peter.
• Peter suggested Sandman might attack at a place where it would be easiest to kill him.

Peter prepared to stop Sandman before he could endanger the students’ flight, but Sandman appeared outside the terminal as a giant and attacked Spider-Man. Peter struck him with lightning and used iron filings and magnetic rotation to destabilize his sand body, leaving their battle underway.

• Peter decided to confront Sandman alone before the plane took off, while Psylocke tracked his location.
• Psylocke found Sandman hiding inside the plane, and Peter prepared to make his move as the students began their trip home.
• Sandman reconsidered Hydra’s orders and chose not to destroy the plane in midair, then emerged as a giant sandstorm outside the terminal.
• Peter glided toward Sandman and hit him with lightning, scattering sand across the ground.
• Peter spread iron filings into Sandman’s territory and used magnetic rotation to make the grains of sand tear at one another.