Angrier than ever after the events of last issue,
Spider-Man eagerly combs the city for Doctor Octopus, finding one of his old
hideouts filled with his goons. Spidey tears through the goons before hearing
Doc Ock’s voice, thinking that he’s finally found the villain. However, it
turns out that Ock is just speaking through a computer screen and Spidey swears
that he’ll find and stop Ock no matter what. Ock then taunts Spidey, claiming
that he’s not hiding at all and that he's too focused on planning his crime of
the century to care about Spidey. Spidey then tears the hideout apart in a
blind fury, knowing there’s nothing he can do at the moment. Spidey then
figures he might as well check Ock’s old Master Planner hideout but finds no
leads there, resorting to giving up his search for the day.
Meanwhile, an important meeting is taking place, as
Col. John Jameson meets with other government officials regarding the safety of
the nullifier Doc Ock tried to steal a couple of issues ago. With Ock still on
the loose, Jameson explains that they plan to move the nullifier to Stark
Industries, where modifications will be made. Little do they know, Ock has a
man planted there under false credentials, listening to the whole plan in
detail. Back with Peter, he drops in to see how Aunt May is doing and finds
Anna Watson with her, back from her trip. While Peter is stressing about the hole in
the wall and Aunt May’s misconceptions of Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson also
drops by, to Peter’s slight annoyance. While Aunt May gets some rest, Peter
shows Mary Jane the hole left by Doctor Octopus. Gwen Stacy then appears as
well and she and MJ vie a bit for Peter’s attention, though Peter remains a bit
oblivious. Changing scenes again, Doc Ock receives the details of the nullifier
convoy from his inside man, so that he might formulate his plans for his crime
of the century!
Later that night, John Jameson and his convoy begin to
transport the nullifier, when they spot what appears to be a normal maintenance
truck up ahead. Not wanting to take chances, they pass by cautiously, when
Doctor Octopus springs from the nearby manhole, covering the area with some
well-placed smoke grenades. With the convoy effectively blind, Ock traps them
in their cars by smashing all the door locks with his powerful arms, before
making off with nullifier and driving away in the maintenance truck before
reinforcements can arrive. Ock then plans to do the unexpected, as rather than
escape, he plans to head right for Stark Industries to test his new device.
Back at the convoy, J. Jonah Jameson arrives, sure that Spider-Man had
something to do with the theft. John rebuffs his father, as Joe Robertson, ever
the voice of reason, tells Ned Leeds to report only the facts. Wanting more
coverage of the story, Jonah tries to find Peter by calling his apartment, only
for a very disgruntled Harry Osborn to tell Jonah that he doesn’t know or care
where Peter is right now.
Speaking of, Spidey swings upon the convoy, noticing
it swarmed with police, FBI, and possibly even SHIELD. Spidey knows they have
no leads but also knows that no one knows Ock as well as he does, and
accurately predicts where Ock will head. As Ock and his goon drive upon Stark
Industries, Ock makes some adjustments to the nullifier before firing it upon
the facility, knocking out all mechanical devices in the vicinity. The guards
find that they cannot fire their guns or call for help, as Doc Ock increases the
power on the nullifier, immobilizing every machine in the factory and trapping
everyone inside. Doc Ock revels in his success, as Spidey swings upon the
scene, quickly tying two of Ock’s tentacles together. Spidey and Ock engage in
an epic battle until Ock turns the nullifier upon Spider-Man, causing Spidey to
collapse in blinding pain. Spidey then starts to recover but it turns out that
the nullifier had a strange effect with the radioactivity in Spidey’s blood,
causing him to lose his memory of who he is entirely! Doc Ock capitalizes on
the situation and tells Spidey that they are accomplices in the crime of the
century and the desperate and confused Spidey has no choice but to trust him!
To be concluded!