It's hard when you're around Ben. It really is. It feels like I'm being asked to share my life. And I don't know that there's enough of that to go around in the first place. And that makes it real easy to ignore that this is all even harder for you. Because you deserve to be who you are. You deserve to do what makes you happy. And you deserve to be Spider-Man. 
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Peter Parker (Main story and recap)
- Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) (Impersonates Peter Parker)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Dr. Burdick (First appearance)
- Dr. Ashley Kafka (Mentioned)
- Dr. Curt Connors (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and recap)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
Synopsis for 1st story
When Aunt May gets a call from "Peter" at the ER in McCarthy Medical Institute, she knows it wasn't her nephew. At McCarthy, Dr. Burdick asks Ben what happened to his brother given the toxicosis and signs of radiation poisoning. When Ben confirms it was ionizing radiation, he flees when the doctor intercepts a worried Mary Jane, who came after a call from Ben posing as Peter. As the ER team race to treat Peter convulsing, his Spider Sense warns him of danger and he realizes something within his body is the danger trying to kill him. At Beyond Tower, while tracking Ben's return, Marcus insinuates to Janine the need to convince Ben about being in contact with his employer, Ben explains how he had to help the other Spider-Man upon his return. Satisfied with the update, Marcus orders him to a mandatory rest period before hunting the U-Foes again, as their PR will suffer if they're out too long, and also schedules a session with Dr. Ashley Kafka for later.
While a worried Ben tells Janine that he had to leave Peter in bad shape at the hospital, May arrives at McCarthy Medical just as Peter barely regains consciousness, with Mary Jane's aid in establishing an alibi for when the U-Foes attacked ESU, and May looks for Dr. Burdick to demand answers to Peter's medical attention. At Beyond Tower, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing present Ben with new gear to combat the U-Foes individually and altogether, but Ben remains crestfallen. After an off-handed remark by Marcus about Peter earning ire from Misty and Colleen, Ben swings off at mission launch to visit Peter in hospital asking for one hour's time. Dr. Burdick informs Peter that his preliminaries seem positive with his organs still functioning, despite the levels of radiation he took, giving Peter and Mary Jane some hope of recovery.
After Dr. Burdick goes to radiology to see results of Peter's tests, Mary Jane directs her aggression and blame at the arrival of a guilt-ridden Ben, who arrived seeking Peter's blessing to be Spider-Man. Peter is taken aback, but after Ben explains his mindset and thinking about Ben's situation, Peter gives his blessing. Once Ben heads off and Mary Jane is happy to see Peter's kindness, he tells her he cannot feel his body after Ben is out of ear shot. The doctors race in and are forced to put Peter in a medically induced coma. Peter can sense his body trying to shut down, he tries with all his will power to resist, as his mind ebbs away into blackness. At the U-Foes gathered location, they argue at something amiss with the job and their being in the country, until Ben ambushes them and takes down Vapor and X-Ray upon first contact. Ironclad is deflected and Vector is surprised to find Spider-Man, as Ben is blatantly ecstatic at being Spider-Man.
Solicit Synopsis
• The unthinkable has happened.
• Zeb Wells and Patrick Gleason will remind you why you love (and hate) comics.