Chapter Summaries

Ben ended negotiations with Nick Fury by demanding payment for his ruined sofa, while planning to use the serum and Antarctic research site as leverage. At Hammer Industries, Ivan prepared his unmanned armor and secretly tampered with the Iron Patriot before Ghostfreak entered the dark factory.

• Nick Fury left Primus without an agreement, and Ben called to demand 140,000 for the damaged sofa.
• Nick Fury reasoned that he could accept Ben’s Antarctic research proposal but could not offer the Tesseract, while Ben threatened to raise the serum price if Fury refused to pay.
• Ivan completed his unmanned armored soldiers at Hammer Industries, each fitted with a self-destruct system for the Stark Expo.
• Justin Hammer showed Ivan the modified Iron Patriot armor, which had been bulked up and fitted with Gatling guns for its military display.
• Ivan altered the armor’s program, activated the Iron Patriot, and left the factory, where Ghostfreak then slipped inside.

Ben prepared to acquire Hammer Industries by sabotaging its Iron Robots’ reputation, while Norman Osborn pledged major financial backing for the plan. At the expo, Peter teamed up with Gwen, and Ben met scientist Otto Gunther Octavius.

• Ben infected Hammer Industries' systems with a program that would make its Iron Robots look like ridiculous failures.
• Ben and Norman divided Stromm’s wealth, and Norman agreed to put Osborn’s available funds behind acquiring Hammer Industries after learning Tony Stark would support Ben.
• Norman announced that Connors had been found and was receiving treatment with Primus Technology, helping restore Connors’ reputation.
• Peter arrived at the expo on a Daily Bugle assignment and agreed to explore it with Gwen Stacy.
• At the expo venue, Ben saw Felicia with Mrs. Hardy and met Otto Gunther Octavius.

Benny attended a technology exhibition with Otto Octavius, who learned that Benny had invented the Self-Healing Serum and spoke about their mutual friend Connors. As Justin Hammer courted Norman Osborn, Benny took Felicia to the Primus venue, where Mary Jane greeted her warmly instead of treating her as a rival.

• Benny recognized Otto Octavius and confirmed that he had invented the Self-Healing Serum, while Otto praised Benny and discussed Connors's work and recovery.
• Justin Hammer arrived at the exhibition, boasted about Hammer Industries' military partnership, and approached Norman Osborn to build a relationship with him.
• Benny declined to appear onstage and took Felicia to the Primus venue, where he had arranged an Energy Shield around the perimeter for safety.
• Benny and Felicia joined Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben, and Mary Jane greeted Felicia happily rather than acting jealous.

At the Stark Expo, Tony Stark warned Rhodey that Justin Hammer was working with Ivan Vanko, who took control of the Iron Patriot armor and Hammer’s robots. As the machines opened fire and the panicked crowd fled, Spider-Man swung in to help.

• Ben learned from Uncle Ben that Peter had gone to take photos for the Daily Bugle while Mary Jane and Felicia chatted with Aunt May and Uncle Ben.
• Harry introduced Primus’s future car as Hammer Industries displayed its robots and Rhodey wore the Iron Patriot armor.
• Peter sensed danger and disappeared just before Tony Stark landed at Hammer’s exhibition and warned Rhodey that Hammer was working with Vanko.
• Vanko remotely seized control of Rhodey’s armor and Hammer’s robots, which locked onto Tony and opened fire through the exhibition hall.
• The crowd panicked as glass rained down, and Spider-Man swung into the hall to help.

Peter rescued people during the expo attack while Benny protected Primus Pavilion and helped Tony and Rhodey fight Hammer Industries’ robots. Ivan Vanko escalated the attack, and Peter joined Captain America against a ground-combat robot.

• Peter used webs and his loudspeaker to rescue people and direct the crowd while Gwen evacuated safely.
• Harry activated Primus Pavilion’s energy barrier, and Benny arranged for Eunice to text Aunt May that Peter was safe.
• Tony asked Benny to help with War Machine, and Benny revealed he had tampered with its system so Rhodey could regain control.
• Ivan Vanko ordered the remaining armors to attack indiscriminately and prepared to enter the fight in his own armor.
• Steve protected a spectator from a missile with his shield, and Peter pulled him clear of another blast before attacking the robot.

Peter and Captain America fought Hammer’s robots while Natasha disabled them with Ben’s signal jammer, leaving Justin Hammer fearing the collapse of his company and his own arrest. Ben discussed taking over Hammer Technology with Norman Osborn and asked whether Norman wanted to become mayor.

• Peter and Captain America joined forces against the robots, impressing Steve with Peter’s strength as they found the machines surprisingly easy to destroy.
• Natasha used Ben Parker’s signal jammer to disable the mechanical suits, and Coulson saw an opportunity for S.H.I.E.L.D. to benefit from the military’s likely budget cuts.
• Justin Hammer hid in Primus Pavilion and realized Ivan Vanko’s attack could destroy Hammer Industries and leave him facing a long prison sentence.
• Ben told Norman Osborn that taking over Hammer Technology would let Primus expand its Ecopark and fill orders faster.
• Ben asked Norman whether he wanted to be mayor.

After the expo attack, Ben’s allies dealt with the fallout while Norman considered entering politics and Primus acquired Hammer Industries’ assets. Half a month later, Ben surveyed Primus Technology Tower as school was about to reopen.

• Ben suggested Norman become mayor, and Norman appeared genuinely tempted by the idea.
• Natasha’s signal shielding helped end the expo attack, and Justin Hammer was imprisoned while Norman took charge of acquiring Hammer Technology.
• Nick Fury discussed the military’s losses, the Avengers Initiative, Spider-Man, and Thor, who was working at a construction site.
• Natasha told Nick that Tony was unfazed by the revelation about Howard and Vanko because Ben had discovered a New Element.
• Half a month later, Ben settled into the former Hammer Industries building, while Primus recovered ninety Iron Soldiers and Hammer’s production lines.
• Ben gave Connors two floors for research and animal care, then reflected that school was about to reopen.

Ben discussed Spider-Man’s heroism and merchandise with Flash on the school bus, then arrived at a lavishly rebuilt Midtown High and offered to back Mary Jane’s ambitions. The chapter left Ben planning to make Primus the official seller of Spider-Man merchandise while Mary Jane accepted his offer of support.

• Ben explained that his upgraded Iron Robots would protect Aunt May and Uncle Ben, using alarms to summon them in an emergency.
• On the bus, Ben said Spider-Man was stronger than Hacker because Spider-Man helped ordinary New Yorkers, and Flash defended Spider-Man as a true hero.
• Ben learned Flash’s Spider-Man shirt was unauthorized merchandise and told Eunice to have Primus sue the company; he also claimed Spider-Man had partnered with Primus.
• Ben, Peter, Mary Jane, and Flash arrived at the rebuilt Midtown High, where Ben explained Norman Osborn had funded renovations and planned to transfer Harry there.
• Mary Jane said she had given up on becoming an actress because of the casting couch, and Ben offered to back her as a performer; she accepted.

Nick Fury linked Peter Parker’s parents to Hydra and revealed to S.H.I.E.L.D. that Peter was Spider-Man and Ben was another Spider-Man. Meanwhile, Kingpin decided to target Spider-Man’s loved ones, leaving Ben’s family and friends in danger.

• Nick Fury told Hill, Coulson, Natasha, Barton, and Captain America that Richard Parker and Mary Parker had been killed in a plane crash he suspected Hydra had attacked.
• Nick Fury explained that Hydra had survived and infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., then identified Peter Parker as Spider-Man using the Parker files and Peter’s history.
• Nick Fury claimed Ben had gained powers and founded Primus to protect Peter, arguing that Ben’s intelligence, wealth, and abilities made him a valuable Avenger recruit.
• Kingpin complained that Spider-Man and Daredevil had disrupted his criminal operations in Hell’s Kitchen and ordered his men to find Spider-Man’s family, friends, or brothers to force him to submit.

Looma left Bill and Korg to search for the missing Korbin People in Knowhere while she headed to Jotunheim. The chapter ended with Kraven the Hunter attacking the Daily Bugle and demanding information about Spider-Man.

• Loki warned Looma that the Collector might have taken the Korbin People and sent her Knowhere's coordinates.
• Loki redirected Looma to Jotunheim by telling her about its Ice and Snow Creatures, and she set off to conquer the planet.
• Bill and Korg headed for Knowhere, while Loki asked them to bring back soil from the planet-sized Celestial head.
• Loki and Caiera discussed whether Knowhere's soil or ores could contain Celestial genes.
• Kraven the Hunter burst into the Daily Bugle, grabbed Jameson, and demanded to know who had photographed Spider-Man and who knew his identity.

Kraven learned Peter Parker's identity and seized him at Midtown High School, where Flash tried and failed to intervene. Kingpin then ordered Kraven to capture Peter's brother as well, but Kraven mistakenly targeted Ben, who faced him without fear.

• Kraven threatened Jameson until a Daily Bugle employee revealed that Peter Parker was Spider-Man's friend, and Kraven knocked Jameson unconscious before leaving.
• Eunice alerted Ben to the attack, while Kingpin used Kraven's information to identify Peter and ordered him captured.
• Kraven broke into Midtown High School and grabbed Peter, who tried to offer a way to contact Spider-Man.
• Flash attacked Kraven to protect Peter but was knocked down, and Kingpin ordered Kraven to bring Peter's brother too.
• Kraven carried Peter into Ben's classroom and identified Ben as Peter's brother, while Mary Jane and Felicia urged Ben to escape and Gwen called her father.
• Ben realized Kraven had come for him and remained amused rather than frightened.

Kraven kidnapped Ben and Peter to lure out Spider-Man, prompting Harry to don the Green Goblin Armor and head to their location. At an abandoned factory, Ben and Peter faced a group of villains while Harry raced to rescue them.

• Kraven abducted Ben and Peter from school, and Mary Jane, Felicia, and Gwen realized he intended to use them to lure out Spider-Man.
• Harry arrived too late to stop the kidnapping, contacted Primus to locate Ben, and opened a case containing a lightweight Green Goblin Armor.
• Ben agreed to let Eunice share his location with Harry, and Harry put on the armor and flew out on his glider.
• Nick Fury learned that Ben and Peter had been captured and that Harry had become Green Goblin II, and he welcomed the news of another potential hero.
• Kraven brought Ben and Peter to an abandoned factory, where Bullseye, Shocker, and Rhino Aleksei joined him, and Shocker crushed an oil drum to threaten them.

Harry arrived in the abandoned factory and attacked the villains to rescue Peter and Ben, but Shocker and the others quickly put him in danger. Ben argued that the criminals had to be stopped permanently, then transformed into Stinkfly as Peter prepared to join the fight.

• Peter pretended to fear Shocker, but Kraven demanded both Spider-Men as prey until Harry burst into the factory and bombed the villains.
• Harry fought Rhino, Bullseye, Kraven, and Shocker while Peter and Ben freed themselves and discussed whether to retreat or stop the criminals for good.
• Ben told Peter that the villains kept escaping justice and urged him to eradicate evil completely.
• Ben ordered Eunice to hack the factory's surveillance and communications, then used the watch to transform into Stinkfly.
• Peter recoiled from Stinkfly's foul smell as Ben declared that the alien's strength would be enough to face the villains.

Benny transformed into a Stinkfly whose powers were enhanced by the Mutated Radioactive Spider Gene, joining Peter and Harry in the fight against the criminals. The heroes divided up their opponents, and Benny charged at Kraven.

• Bullseye shot the Goblin Glider's turbine, sending Harry crashing down, but Kraven's attack was interrupted by Benny's slime.
• Benny evaded Shocker's blast with his 360-degree vision and sprayed sticky slime at the villains, while Harry and Peter recognized him as Benny and Spider-Man.
• Peter webbed Bullseye's gun, pulled him in, and kicked him away.
• Benny realized the Spider Gene had enhanced his Stinkfly form, while Harry offered to fight Bullseye and Shocker and Peter chose Rhino.
• Benny charged at Kraven, intending to fight him and ask him questions.

Ben defeated Kraven and killed him after learning he could not provide Vibranium or Heart-Shaped Herb, leaving Peter shocked by Ben’s willingness to kill. Ben and Harry then attacked the remaining villains as they tried to flee.

• Ben overwhelmed Kraven with Stinkfly’s slime, speed, and strength, then cut through Kraven’s Vibranium-dusted dagger and wounded him.
• Ben offered to spare Kraven in exchange for Vibranium or Heart-Shaped Herb, but Kraven said he could not obtain either.
• Ben pierced Kraven’s chest with his tail despite Peter’s plea to stop, and Peter confronted Ben about killing him.
• Ben told Peter that villains should face the consequences of their actions, while Peter struggled to accept Kraven’s death.
• Ben bound the remaining three villains with slime as Harry threw Pumpkin Bombs at Shocker and Bullseye, triggering explosions.

Ben and Peter revealed their powers to Harry and brought him to Ben’s underground facility, where Ben explained the risks of Spider powers and his work on the Super Soldier Serum. Ben then announced that he had founded the Galactic Plumbers to unite heroes against threats.

• The factory exploded after Ben’s mucus ignited, and Ben flew Peter and Harry to safety before changing back.
• Harry confronted Ben and Peter about their secrets, guessed that Ben was the other Spider-Man, and learned that Ben could transform into alien heroes.
• Ben brought Harry to his underground base beneath Primus and showed him its Spider Suits and Super Soldier Serum research.
• Peter worried that Ben’s research could lead him down a dangerous path, so Ben explained that he wanted to unite heroes to face threats together.
• Ben revealed the Galactic Plumbers symbol and announced that he had founded the Galactic Plumbers.

Ben made Peter and Harry junior members of the Galactic Plumbers and upgraded Harry’s Green Goblin armor while planning for a future battle with the Chitauri. After Spider-Man and the Green Goblin wiped out Kingpin’s attackers, Nick Fury decided to recruit Spider-Man into the Avengers.

• Ben appointed Peter and Harry junior Galactic Plumbers and explained the organization, its Security Officers, and their authority.
• Ben modified Harry’s Green Goblin armor with thought controls and laser weapons, and planned additional upgrades for Peter’s equipment.
• George Stacy found the burned crime scene and an almost-dead Rhino after the villains Kingpin had sent were defeated.
• Kingpin learned that Spider-Man had intervened, recognized the danger, and decided to avoid confronting him for now.
• Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. discussed Spider-Man’s combat strength, and Nick announced he would personally recruit him into the Avengers.

After Kraven injured Flash while targeting Peter, Ben brought Flash to Primus for treatment and learned that a Symbiote might help him recover. Peter visited Jameson, then returned home to find Steve Rogers waiting outside.

• George Stacy took statements from Ben and Peter after the attack, and Ben planned to thank Jameson for keeping Peter's identity secret.
• At the hospital, doctors warned Flash's parents that Flash might become vegetative, so Ben promised that Primus would take responsibility for curing him.
• Ben and Connors determined that the Self-Healing Serum could repair Flash's injuries but might damage his memories, so Ben considered using a Symbiote as well.
• Peter brought Jameson flowers and gifts, but Jameson scolded him about Spider-Man before sending him home.
• Peter returned to his house in Queens and found Steve Rogers waiting outside, where Steve greeted him by name.

Nick Fury told Peter Parker that Hydra had killed his parents, Richard and Mary, and tried to recruit him to fight the organization. Peter learned that Hydra remnants still posed a threat and asked what Nick planned to do, leaving Nick ready to pitch him on a team of remarkable people.

• Steve Rogers greeted Peter as Spider-Man, then introduced him to Nick Fury and Natasha Romanoff.
• Nick checked that Peter’s cousin Benny was away before entering Peter’s home with Steve and Natasha.
• Nick gave Peter documents about Richard and Mary Parker and confirmed that Hydra killed them in a plane attack.
• Nick explained that Hydra remnants were still hidden and argued that Peter’s powers made him capable of joining the fight.
• Peter asked what Nick intended to do, and Nick proposed gathering remarkable people to fight battles others could not win.

Peter refused Nick Fury’s offer to join the Avengers, choosing to remain a neighborhood Spider-Man and help with Hydra only when needed. After Nick and Natasha left, Benny learned that Hydra was tied to Peter’s parents’ deaths and decided to strike at Snake S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Nick Fury tried to recruit Peter into the Avengers, but Peter refused and offered to help deal with Hydra without joining.
• Peter argued that he wanted to focus on helping ordinary people in New York rather than handling major disasters with the Avengers.
• Nick Fury claimed S.H.I.E.L.D. would stay still to avoid alerting Hydra, and Peter said he would share any relevant information Benny found.
• Steve praised Peter’s commitment to small acts of kindness and encouraged him to become a good person rather than a successful Super Hero.
• That night, Peter told Benny about Nick Fury’s visit, and Benny revealed he had investigated Peter’s parents but found little beyond their paper files.
• Benny learned Hydra had caused Peter’s parents’ deaths and declared that Snake S.H.I.E.L.D. had chosen death.