Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) (Main story and recap)
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Main story and recap)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Beyond Corporation
- Maxine Danger
- Queen Goblin (Ashley Kafka) (Main story and recap)
Other Characters:
- U-Foes (Only in recap)
- Ironclad (Michael Steel) (Only in recap)
- Vector (Simon Utrecht) (Only in recap)
- X-Ray (James Darnell) (Only in recap)
- Vapor (Ann Darnell) (Only in recap)
- Spider-Man (Miles Morales) (Only in recap)
- Morbius the Living Vampire (Dr. Michael Morbius) (Only in recap)
- X-Men (Mentioned)
- Goblin Queen (Madelyne Pryor) (Mentioned)
- Matt Murdock (Mentioned)
- Harry Osborn (Mentioned)
- Flash Thompson (Mentioned)
- Gwen Stacy (Mentioned)
- Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) (Vision or hallucination)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Vision or hallucination)
- Ben Parker (Vision or hallucination)
- May Parker (Vision or hallucination)
- Lois (Vision or hallucination)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and recap)
- Living Vampires (Only in recap)
Locations:
Items:
- Spider-Men's Suits and Web-Shooters (Main story and recap)
- Captain America's Uniform and Shield (Vision or hallucination)
- Twitter (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for 1st story
Earlier, after Ben exfiltrated Janine from the Queen Goblin's rampage at the Daily Bugle Offices, a furious Maxine called him demanding he return to fight her or else Beyond will make him and Janine fugitives. He hangs up on her and takes Janine atop the George Washington Bridge, voicing a his sole focus is on protecting her and nobody else. Concerned Beyond can spin the narrative to make them fugitives, Janine also voices fears that Ben's is not himself, and Ben admits that he can feel gaps in his memory from something Beyond did to him. Despite his want to focus on her, she isn't complacent and hates that Beyond has taken even more from them, wanting Ben to be whole yet again, so she directs Ben to Beyond's covert supervillain development site in Staten Island aiding his resolve to end Beyond's conspiracy. Needing to leave her somewhere safe foremost, Janine directs him to McCarthy Medical and asks that he trust her is he cannot himself, knowing someone who can help.
Now, Peter as Spider-Man again is fighting Queen Goblin for almost an hour, with the villainess dodging his moves from the data collected on him; Peter also worried his moves are too telegraphed. With a web line tethered to her Goblin Glider, she flies through the DB inner offices then a billboard, Peter's Spider-Sense screaming he let go. Parading him through the subway and out through the street, she flies him over to the Queensboro Bridge, so Peter grabs a sign post to stumble her footing and force them over the East River. However, she uses that against him and catches him like a fly ball to inflict her Goblins Gaze, sending him into a spiraling depression as he literally sinks to the riverbed below and figuratively feeling rock bottom.
Hearing the voices of his loved ones speak his insecurities as he literally hits rock bottom, Peter then hears Ben reminding him that these thoughts are always with them. Never expecting help thus not knowing how to ask, the vision of Ben asks Peter to get up. Peter thanks him, asking him to be an amazing Spider-Man, and Ben tells him that they're both just that. Thanking Ben's vision for reminding him to never give up, and they both deserve to be Spider-Man, revitalizing Peter to leap from the river bed and punches Queen Goblin off her glider. After they both crash in the water, a US Coast Guard ship comes to Spider-Man's aid as her glider auto recovers her for a retreat. Seeing her fly away but feeling his emotional shift, Peter jokes that he had what therapists call a 'breakthrough'.
Back at Beyond Corp, Maxine is informed Queen Goblin is exiting their communications range and are still trying to locate Ben, ultimately finding him heading for Staten Island but grows worried. Mary Jane and Black Cat greet Peter as he returns ashore, only getting a lift from USCG in exchange for "the real" Spider-Man giving a recruitment shoutout on Twitter afterwards and is resupplied web cartridges. Once Mary Jane discovers a radio transmission in Queen Goblin's crown from Maxine initiating "Backdraft Protocol", they deduce that Ben is heading to the Staten Island facility. With Ben not acting himself and Peter not at his own best, he still aims to go help him, and Mary Jane "does the math" that the two of them together would equal one whole Spider-Man, motivating Peter to go help his brother.
At Staten Island, Ben arrives at the facility and nearly misses his landing in distraction. Recomposing himself in self-reminder of his mission, his mind starts to warp before being met by the other Spider-Man. After a quick re-introduction, Ben is happy to see Peter be amazing again, while Peter is concerned for him. With time now a critical factor for them both, Peter asks if Ben needs any help and Ben asks Peter if he won't get nuked this time around.[1] Making no promises, both mask up and web swing into the facility ready to face the threat head-on, together.
Solicit Synopsis
• QUEEN GOBLIN IS TRIUMPHANT!
• The Daily Bugle is decimated.
• Can Ben Reilly bounce back and take down the Queen Goblin?