Chapter Summaries

Ben established the Galactic Plumbers on Sakaar, assigned his allies roles in rebuilding the planet, and arranged to return to Earth for school. Meanwhile, Peter worried about Ben and faced the Green Goblin and trouble in Hell’s Kitchen.

• Ben declared the Galactic Plumbers established and appointed Looma, Brunnhilde, Bill, Caiera, and Loki as Security Officers while making Sakaar’s recovery the priority.
• Ben reassured Bill that finding the Korbin people was part of their duty, while Looma planned to search for engagement gifts and Brunnhilde refused to work without alcohol.
• Loki agreed to help rebuild Sakaar rather than return to Asgard immediately, and Ben announced he was going back to Earth for school.
• Caiera explained that Sakaar’s distorted time was mostly limited to areas near the Great Portal, and Loki contacted Heimdall to arrange Ben’s return.
• Ben distributed Plumbers badges and suits, then prepared to leave Sakaar for Earth.
• Peter thought about Ben’s absence and recalled that the Green Goblin had attacked Norman and Harry Osborn while Peter was also dealing with trouble in Hell’s Kitchen.

After returning from Sakaar, Ben secured the Casket of Ancient Winters and learned that a new Green Goblin had attacked Norman Osborn. Ben prepared to confront the threat and debuted a new suit as Hacker Spider-Man.

• Ben recovered the Casket of Ancient Winters from underground and decided to carry it with him while planning to invent an interdimensional teleportation device.
• Ben returned to New York and saw Spider-Man being dragged through the air by a Green Goblin, so he went to Primus to learn what had happened.
• Connors explained that Norman and Harry were safe, and that they suspected former Osborn shareholder Mendel Stromm had become the Green Goblin using a modified Lizard Serum.
• Connors told Ben that Felicia, Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben had all worried about him during his month away.
• Ben made a black-and-white suit with arm chains and neurotoxin discs for his Web Shooters, then named himself Hacker Spider-Man.

Peter and Ben confronted the Green Goblin after Bullseye tried to shoot Peter during their aerial fight. Ben saved civilians from falling glass, then stayed behind to fight the Green Goblin while Peter went after Bullseye.

• Stromm joined forces with Kingpin to eliminate Spider-Man, and Bullseye fired at Peter from several blocks away.
• Peter dodged the bullet but dove to stop falling glass from hitting pedestrians; the Green Goblin cut through his webs and rammed him with the glider.
• Ben arrived and used an electrified chain to shatter the falling glass, saving the pedestrians and allowing Peter to break free.
• Ben told Peter to pursue Bullseye and faced the Green Goblin alone.
• The Green Goblin attacked Ben with Pumpkin Bombs, but Ben charged through the flames, struck him, and grabbed his mask.

Ben captured the Green Goblin, revealed that he had spent the past month conquering a planet, and advised Peter on how to ensure the captured villain faced public scrutiny. He then brought Norman evidence against Mendel Stromm and agreed to help frame Stromm for additional losses, while Harry watched his admiration for his father fade.

• Ben subdued the Green Goblin, discovered he was Mendel Stromm, and secretly planted a Subjugation Disc inside him.
• Peter returned, and Ben told him to publicize the Green Goblin's capture so the police would face pressure not to let him go.
• Ben told Peter he had conquered a planet, then left him to take the Green Goblin to the newspapers and reveal his identity.
• Harry and Norman saw videos of the Green Goblin's capture, and Norman eagerly welcomed Ben when he arrived at Osborn Manor.
• Ben gave Norman evidence of Stromm's crimes, and they discussed blaming Stromm for even more missing Osborn assets.
• Harry watched Norman and Ben inflate Stromm's alleged losses to hundreds of millions of dollars and felt his admiration for his father shatter.

Ben discussed Primus’s growing serum and phone businesses, then told Uncle Ben and Aunt May that he had started a company and reassured them about their finances. The chapter ended with Bullseye returning to Kingpin after failing to deal with two Spider-Men.

• Ben urged Norman to increase Connors’s lizard breeding to keep up with Self-Healing Serum orders and recommended Matt Murdock for the case against Mendel Stromm.
• Harry reported strong phone sales, and Ben decided to let him manage Primus’s lower-tech communications business.
• Ben met Mary Jane outside his home, then told Uncle Ben and Aunt May that he had started a company.
• Ben’s family celebrated his success, but Uncle Ben and Aunt May said they wanted to stay in Queens, so Ben considered improving the neighborhood’s security instead.
• Bullseye returned to Kingpin after failing his mission, and Kingpin noted that his opponent had been two Spider-Men.

Kingpin delayed a plan to free Stromm until he could make the Green Goblin prove his value, while Norman Osborn and Matt discussed the case and the future of the stolen serum. Ben learned the Stark Expo was two months away, agreed to attend with Felicia, and still needed to choose what to exhibit.

• Kingpin rejected Bullseye’s suggestion to arrange a prison break and ordered his disguised officer to make Stromm prove his value before offering help.
• Norman Osborn hired Matt to represent him, and they discussed Stromm’s crimes, the serum, and Norman’s decision to stop pursuing Lizard Serum research.
• Ben reflected on the dangers of Animal Totems and explained why he did not want to develop animal enhancement serums.
• A disguised officer told Stromm that Kingpin was disappointed and demanded that he prove his value, but Stromm refused to hand over the serum.
• Felicia told Ben that the Stark Expo was two months away, and they agreed to attend together as Ben prepared to choose an exhibit for Primus.

Ben prepared Primus Technology for growth by choosing an anti-gravity car for the expo and reviewing job applicants, while keeping Natasha Romanoff and other potential spies away from the company's secrets. Elsewhere, Bullseye visited Madame Gao as a conspiracy against Spider-Man began to take shape.

• Connors questioned whether Primus would launch an upgraded Self-Healing Serum, and Ben said the company would present a random invention instead while he pursued Hammer Industries.
• Ben chose to develop an anti-gravity car for the expo, and Connors questioned whether its technology could work.
• Connors argued that Primus needed more employees, and Eunice showed Ben resumes that included Natasha Romanoff.
• Ben stopped Eunice from inviting Natasha to an interview and said Primus had to protect the secrets in the Little Broken Watch.
• Bullseye visited Madame Gao in Hell's Kitchen as the Hand's operations faced trouble from Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Peter’s Spider-Man work had improved safety in Queens, while Kingpin and Madame Gao plotted to free Green Goblin and target Spider-Man and Daredevil. At Primus Technology, Peter found Ben and Grey Matter turning an old bus into an anti-gravity vehicle for the Stark Expo.

• Peter worked more closely with Daredevil as they fought gangs and disrupted Kingpin and The Hand.
• Madame Gao agreed to help Kingpin rescue Green Goblin in exchange for two doses of Lizard Serum, while Kingpin demanded that The Hand deploy its ninjas.
• Kingpin planned to stage the breakout during Green Goblin’s trial, expecting Hacker Spider-Man to appear, though Ben had no intention of attending.
• Jameson rejected Peter’s Spider-Man photos and demanded pictures of Hacker, but Robbie and Betty assured Peter that Jameson would retrieve the photos and pay him.
• Peter went to Primus Technology hoping to photograph Ben as Hacker, where he found Grey Matter and Connors working on a rusty bus for the Stark Expo.

Peter helped Connors with failed Chameleon serum experiments while Ben worked on the Rust Bucket RV and discussed Connors's chances of clearing his name. At Green Goblin's trial, Peter watched the defense challenge the charges and learned that profit, not justice, shaped the courtroom battle.

• Connors brought Peter into the lab to help test a serum based on Chameleon cells, but their calculations produced abnormal data and the experiment failed.
• Ben continued modifying the Rust Bucket RV, considered Antarctic Anti-Metal, and told Connors that Norman could clear his name by releasing the complete evidence.
• Peter asked Ben to pose for photos, but Ben refused and explained that the exhibition vehicle would be a separate futuristic design.
• Peter attended Green Goblin's trial with Norman, where Matt recognized Peter as Spider-Man but kept his identity secret.
• Green Goblin's lawyer challenged the evidence and claimed his green skin came from a disease, leaving Peter confused as Matt recognized that profit drove the defense.

Matt Murdock presented evidence against Stromm in court, but Kingpin’s villains attacked to rescue the Green Goblin. The assault left the courthouse in chaos, and Spider-Man appeared just in time to save George Stacy from Prowler.

• Matt Murdock used video evidence and Chief Stacy’s testimony to challenge Stromm’s claim that he was not the Green Goblin.
• Stromm lost his temper and shattered the table, while Kingpin ordered Bullseye to prepare a rescue operation.
• Bullseye gathered Prowler, Kraven the Hunter, and the Hand’s ninjas near the courthouse.
• Explosives blasted through the courtroom wall, and Peter knocked Harry unconscious before moving him to safety.
• Prowler charged at George Stacy after Stacy fired at him, but Spider-Man intervened before Prowler’s claws could strike.

Peter and Daredevil fought Green Goblin, Kraven, Prowler, Bullseye, and the Hand ninjas at the courthouse. After Green Goblin nearly unmasked Peter and threatened everyone he knew, Peter unleashed his full strength and turned his fury toward Green Goblin.

• Peter captured Prowler and traded jokes with him before Kraven attacked and declared that Spider-Man was his prey.
• Daredevil stopped Prowler, but the Hand ninjas ambushed him and their attack helped Green Goblin break free from his handcuffs.
• Peter and Daredevil faced the villains without reinforcements, and Prowler joined the fight after Bullseye offered a hundred million dollars for Spider-Man or Daredevil's death.
• Kraven and Green Goblin pinned Peter down, damaged his Web Shooter, and Green Goblin began pulling off Peter's mask while threatening his loved ones.
• Peter released his suppressed strength, flung Green Goblin and Kraven away, and focused his rage on Green Goblin.

Peter refused to kill the Green Goblin and tried to capture him, but Kingpin’s forces rescued him during the courthouse battle. Norman explained that the rescue still proved Stromm was the Green Goblin and secured his legal goals, while the stolen Lizard Serum remained a danger in villainous hands.

• Peter resolved to defeat the Green Goblin and imprison him after stripping away his powers, then webbed him and struck him hard.
• Peter left the Green Goblin to help Matt fight Bullseye and the Hand’s ninjas, overwhelming the attackers around Matt.
• Kingpin ordered his forces to retreat, and Prowler seized the Green Goblin and escaped while the criminals and ninjas withdrew.
• Peter helped Harry reunite with Norman, and Matt appeared unharmed after the battle.
• Norman told Peter that Stromm’s rescue proved he was the Green Goblin and that the courthouse attack had already secured Norman’s demands.
• Norman warned Peter that the Lizard Serum could be dangerous in anyone’s hands, including the military’s.

After Peter told Benny that the Green Goblin had escaped, Benny gave him a controller that could release a lethal neurotoxin and challenged him to decide the villain’s fate. Peter refused to kill him, but Benny secretly activated the toxin himself, determined not to let the Green Goblin threaten Peter’s loved ones.

• After the courthouse attack, Peter went to Primus and found Benny modifying the Rust Bucket RV for his movie date with Felicia.
• Peter told Benny that the Green Goblin had escaped and might target Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
• Benny revealed that he had implanted a neurotoxin chip in the Green Goblin and handed Peter a controller that could trigger it.
• Benny questioned Peter about killing criminals, and Peter crushed the controller, saying he would not cross that line.
• Benny told Peter he was joking about the toxin activating when the controller broke, then watched Peter leave to find Connors.
• Benny used a function built into his Web Shooter to activate the toxin, deciding the Green Goblin could not be allowed to threaten Peter’s family and friends.

Kingpin’s plan to obtain the Green Goblin serum collapsed when the Green Goblin died from a hidden neurotoxin, which Kraven traced to Hacker Spider-Man. Kingpin vowed revenge and worried about his debt to The Hand, while Ben and Felicia went to see a movie.

• The Prowler quit after receiving his payment, and Bullseye and Kraven brought the unconscious Green Goblin to Kingpin.
• Kingpin welcomed Kraven and demanded that Stromm reveal the serum’s location.
• The Green Goblin began convulsing and died after a hidden neurotoxin spread through his body.
• Kraven found a tiny disc on the Green Goblin’s corpse and concluded that Hacker Spider-Man had killed him.
• Kingpin vowed to make Hacker Spider-Man pay and worried about explaining the missing serum to Madame Gao and The Hand.
• Ben took Felicia to the theater, where she bought tickets for Superman: Man of Steel.

Ben welcomed Pepper Potts, Coulson, and Natasha to Primus Technology, where S.H.I.E.L.D. hoped to learn more about its secrets. He revealed Primus’s new levitating car for the Stark Expo, leaving Coulson eager to have the technology fitted to older vehicles.

• Norman Osborn gave Ben most of the wealth recovered from Stromm, while Connors anticipated the restoration of his public reputation.
• Peter learned from Daredevil that Kingpin’s killing of the Green Goblin had reignited a violent conflict with The Hand in Hell’s Kitchen.
• Pepper brought Coulson and Natasha to Primus Technology under the pretext of inviting Ben to the Stark Expo, while S.H.I.E.L.D. sought information about the company’s research.
• Ben recognized Natasha as someone who had submitted a résumé to Primus and then showed the visitors the company’s new levitating car.
• Ben explained that the car used a Sonic Levitation System and that Primus would offer modifications for older vehicles, which caught Coulson’s interest.

Ben visited the Stark Expo site with Pepper, Coulson, and Natasha, where he met Trevor Cole of Life Foundation and recognized the company’s connection to Symbiotes. After choosing Primus Technology’s exhibition hall, Ben learned that Tony had been absent and increasingly reckless, while Pepper did not know what was wrong with him.

• Coulson asked Ben about Primus Technology’s future biotech plans, and Ben hinted at a baldness treatment that interested him.
• Pepper asked Ben about a treatment to increase breast size, and Ben teased her before agreeing to inspect the Stark Expo site.
• Ben noticed Natasha planting a camera and warned Connors by phone not to act rashly.
• At the expo site, Ben met Life Foundation founder Trevor Cole, but his watch showed no reaction to Cole, and Ben coldly ended their conversation.
• Ben finalized Primus Technology’s exhibition hall location and asked Pepper why Tony had not appeared; Pepper admitted she had not seen Tony for at least two weeks and did not know what was wrong with him.

Ben broke into Tony Stark’s laboratory and proposed a deal after revealing that he knew Tony was being poisoned by palladium. He asked for a New Element, leaving Tony to consider the request.

• Tony woke up hungover in his armor and found Ben waiting in his laboratory.
• Jarvis identified Ben as Hacker and linked him to Peter Parker and Primus.
• Tony offered Ben money for hacking his security system, but Ben said he had come to negotiate a deal.
• Ben explained that palladium was poisoning Tony and hinted that he could help without relying on Osborn’s Self-Healing Serum.
• Ben told Tony that he wanted a New Element.

Ben showed Tony Stark the New Element Corrodium, which Tony accepted as a replacement for palladium despite his wounded pride. Ben left hoping to secure Stark Industries’ help with acquiring Hammer Industries, while Natasha reported her assessment of Ben to Nick Fury, who remained confident Tony would join the Avengers.

• Ben revealed Corrodium’s structure to Tony and said he had discovered the element himself.
• Ben left Tony with the choice to use Corrodium, intending to gain Stark Industries’ help in taking over Hammer Industries.
• Tony decided to use Corrodium to replace palladium and asked Jarvis to investigate Osborn Corporation’s accounts.
• Natasha reported that Ben seemed unusually mature, might be hiding scientific work at Primus, and should be approached gently.
• Nick Fury dismissed Natasha’s concern about Tony’s worsening condition and expected Tony to join the Avengers.

Nick Fury visited Tony Stark with Howard's relics, hoping to recruit him by offering help with his palladium poisoning. Tony revealed that Ben Parker had already provided the New Element, leaving Fury's pitch—and his plans for funding—in ruins.

• Nick Fury found Tony lounging at a donut shop and tried to recruit him, citing his palladium poisoning.
• Tony's mention of the New Element made Fury realize someone else might already have helped him.
• Fury told Tony that Howard had proposed the concept of a New Element, and Tony demanded proof before learning Howard had never discovered its true form.
• Tony dismissed Fury's appeal to Howard's circumstances and prepared to send him away.
• When Fury asked who had revealed the New Element's true nature, Tony named Ben Parker, CEO of Primus.

Nick Fury broke into Primus to recruit Ben Parker for his Avengers initiative, but Ben responded with force and refused to join. Ben asked for the Cosmic Cube instead, and Fury immediately rejected the demand.

• Nick Fury had S.H.I.E.L.D. hack Eunice and broke into Primus to speak with Ben Parker.
• Ben fired a laser weapon at Fury, who dodged the blast and argued that Ben had attacked him after he broke into the company.
• Ben revealed that he knew about Fury's hidden weapon, and Fury explained his plan to bring remarkable people together to fight threats.
• Ben refused to join the Avengers, saying he was too busy running Primus and had no interest in being a superhero.
• Fury argued that cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D. could offer benefits beyond money, but Ben still declined.
• Ben asked Fury for the Cosmic Cube, and Fury immediately refused.