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Amazing Spider-Man #11 (452)
WRITER:  Howard Mackie & John Byrne
PENCILLER:  John Byrne
COVER BY:  John Byrne
INKER:  John Byrne
STORY TITLE: Bright Lights...Bigger City
REVIEW: 
During the Final Chapter storyline, Peter made the fateful decision to retire his costumed alter ego once and for all. Peter now lives in a luxurious midtown Manhattan penthouse with his sickly Aunt May, thanks to the large income from his absent model wife, Mary Jane. He has just recently gotten himself a job at the Tri Corp Research Foundation.

In Amazing Spider-Man #2, after realizing that no one but him could stop the creature known as Shadrac (a.k.a. Greg Herd, a.k.a. Override), Peter made the fateful decision of reassuming the responsibility of being Spider-Man. This came after Mattie Franklin, who was granted the gift of power during the Gathering of Five ceremony, failed to perform as well as the real Spider-man when she adopted his identity when he decided to call it quits. Peter's wife, Mary Jane, who is away on photo shoots regularly doesn't know that Peter is still Spider-Man, although she is slowly starting to become suspicious.

In Amazing Spider-Man #9-10, Mary Jane, who is away on a photo shoot, is still receiving phone calls from an apparent stalker/obsessed fan. Upon receiving his latest call, she rushes back to New York.

ACT 1: The story opens up with Mary Jane getting an unexpected visit from her best friend Jill Stacy, who has to go through a rigorous security check before being allowed to meet with MJ; an idea of her manager, as a result of the latest phone calls from the stalker. They grab a bite to eat and are in the middle of a conversation about Peter when the phone rings. Jill goes to answer but Mary Jane grabs her by the arm and tells her to just let it ring; they then leave.

ACT 2: Meanwhile, Peter has made his way to the Daily Bugle Building to drop off some films to get developed. Ben Urich tells Peter that J. Jonah Jameson is looking for him; Peter hopes that he does not find him. Unfortunately, JJJ spots Peter and comes over to talk to him, which surprises Peter since JJJ usually yells at everybody; Peter suspects that there is more to this. His suspicions come true when JJJ asks him to arrange an exclusive interview with Mary Jane for the Daily Bugle's Fashion Editor. Peter accepts as long as he gets to take the photos.

ACT 3: A short time later, Mary Jane and Jill are back from their walk around the block. As they enter her dressing room, MJ is suddenly petrified in fear. In red, on her dressing room mirror, a message is written: "You'll never be able to get away from me! If I can't have you, nobody will! Your husband is going to die!"

ACT 4: At that moment outside, a herd of journalists are waiting there in hopes that they'll get a chance to see or even talk to Mary Jane. Peter Parker is amongst them. He tries to convince the guards to let him in but they turn him down. Suddenly however, Mary Jane walks by, escorted by security guards. Extremely loud sirens are heard and seem to be getting closer. All of a sudden, Peter's spider-sense goes completely ballistic. Fearing for Mary Jane's life, he jumps out of the crowd and throws her to the ground, covering her with his body. The guards immediately pull their guns out and they yank Peter off of MJ, who is hurriedly dragged away by other guards. At that exact moment an armored truck comes crashing through a wall. Something or someone is inside the truck. Suddenly, the truck bursts open and the culprit is revealed; it is The Blob.

ACT 5: The security guards shoot at him but it is useless. The bullets can't penetrate his thick skin. Peter, who has witnessed this, switches to his Spider-Man costume and goes toe-to-toe with the Blob. In a matter of minutes, he manages to apprehend the Blob, who stupidly gives away how he can be defeated, which Spider-Man uses to his advantage. He then swings away to go and find Mary Jane.

ACT 6: MJ and Jill are inside a limousine, when, all of a sudden, an explosion stops the car dead in his tracks. Mary Jane is utterly terrified when she gets out of the car and sees a huge banner which bears the following message: "You belong to me!". At that moment, Spider-Man arrives, swings down to her, and takes her away, telling her that it's going to be okay.

To be continued in the pages of Peter Parker Spider-Man Volume II #11.