Peter Parker: Spider-Man (1999 series) #11

Continued from IRON MAN (1998) #22.

In the jungles of Thailand, vandal Tom Somchart is fleeing police and enters a hidden temple to be transformed into…[and they don’t tell us yet….]

Meanwhile, Spider-Man carries his wife Mary Jane Watson to a roof to settle a dispute. She is angry because Peter promised to give up web-slinging and he is angry because MJ did not tell him she is being threatened by a stalker. They head to Jill Stacy’s home in Queens to make sure she is safe after her meeting with the stalker. Spidey goes out looking for her father Arthur who is out looking for her, which Peter finds crazy since it’s his wife who is in danger….

Peter stops by the Daily Bugle offices which is in the midst of a power failure. J. Jonah Jameson is yelling and Robbie Robertson is trying to keep everything running smoothly. A weird noise triggers Pete’s Spider-Sense and he goes down to the basement to investigate. Opening a mysterious door, Spidey discovers a secret underground lair of high-tech machinery. He confronts the only person he sees and it is the final Exemplar Stonecutter (we met him on page 1) building the Godmachine. He is nabbed by the rest of the Exemplars, led by Juggernaut but manages to escape and heads out to call in the Avengers….

After running into trouble with the security system at Avengers Mansion, Jarvis admits him and Spidey explains the situation to Thor and Iron Man who tell him to stay behind while they go into action. Dr. J. Vernon Mann thinks he would also be helpful and departs. Alone, Spidey ponders the threat and decides to call in a “wild card.” Soon, Spidey and the astral form of Professor Charles Xavier (and Juggernaut’s stepbrother) are on their way to the Godmachine. On arrival they find Iron Man, Thor, and Dr Mann having a bad time of it. Mann tells them the priority should be stopping Stonecutter from placing the last component of the Godmachine into the structure. Spider-Man distracts the baddies allowing Thor and Iron Man to recover somewhat and Professor X to do mental battle with Juggernaut. Spidey then webs up a tunnel to prevent pursuit and seizes the component but it is too strong to break. So he tosses it to Decay  and touching the Exemplars hands, the component explodes. But Professor X’s physical self is pulled to the site and he is captured along with Spidey, Thor, and Iron Man. The Exemplars head for the North Pole to use the Earth’s ley lines to compensate for the ruined component. So it’s not over yet….

Continued in JUGGERNAUT (1999) #1.