Now the government has cast a crucial move against the webslinger by enlisting his arch-nemesis, Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. the Vulture, to track him down. Armed with the knowledge that Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker and that ex-girlfriend Deb Whitman has written a scathing, tell-all memoir about her relationship with Peter, the Vulture is confident that Spider-Man will appear at her book signing.

ACT 1: The story opens with a flashback of a young Adrian Toomes, years before he became the nefarious super-villain known as the Vulture. In it, Adrian is with his brother, Marcus, a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair. As they walk along the docks, Adrian asks Marcus if he wants to catch a movie and Marcus' answer is barely audible. When Adrian asks Marcus to repeat what he said, Marcus reveals that he asked to be killed. Adrian is taken aback and tries to convince Marcus that his life is not all that bad. Adrian tells Marcus that everything he has accomplished – most specifically being at the top of his class – since the passing of their parents, is thanks to him. Marcus replies that for someone who is supposed to be so smart, he does not understand how stupid Adrian can be not to notice what is right in front of him. Marcus continues and tells Adrian that becoming quadriplegic has ended his life and there is no need to continue and try to survive. Marcus uses the analogy that if he were an animal in the wild, the pack would leave him behind or better still devour him. Then Marcus accuses Adrian of being weaker then him, because he, at least, is willing to admit it. Adrian tries to apologize but Marcus tells him to keep his apologies and take him home. Taking Marcus back home, Adrian tells him that he just wants to make him happy. Marcus replies that if he wants to make him happy, then he needs to stop being weak and grow some backbone...be an animal.

ACT 2: In the present, the Vulture is perched on the rooftop of the Barnes & Barnes Bookstore where Deb Whitman's book signing is scheduled to take place. He is in communication, via an implant in his ear, with some mysterious benefactor who is very interested in taking down Spider-Man. Realizing that Spider-Man's sixth sense will warn him of his presence, if he stays perched there, the Vulture decides to go into hiding until the opportune moment to make his move. The Vulture seems confident that Spider-Man will show up because he always seeks approval from those who hate him. And that, will be his undoing.

ACT 3: Wearing his Ben Reilly disguise, Peter Parker is, as predicted by the Vulture, on his way to the book signing to confront Deb Whitman. Mary Jane, with whom he is talking on the phone, asks Peter what he is going to do when he sees Deb and Peter replies that he will think of something. MJ sarcastically remarks that it does not sound too reassuring but Peter convinces her that everything is under control.

ACT 4: Back at the Barnes & Barnes Bookstore, Deb Whitman has arrived and is ushered inside through the back door, because of the huge crowd that has assembled itself in front of the building. One of the employees tells Deb that a reporter from the Daily Bugle wants to speak with her and that, since the Daily Bugle owns the publishing house that put out her book, he did not think it would be a problem. On cue, none other than Betty Brant shows up. After briefly reacquainting – they know each other – and getting rid of the employee, Betty sits down across from Deb and asks her if she can tape their conversation; Betty agrees. As soon as she hits the record button, Betty asks Deb who the hell does she think she is. Speechless at first, Deb asks Betty to turn off the recorder and put it away. When Deb asks Betty if J. Jonah Jameson sent her to do a puff piece, Betty replies that she came on her on because she wanted to look at her in the eyes and see the kind of woman that would betray a man like Peter Parker. Deb argues that she – Betty – should feel deceived as much as she does – after all she too used to date him – and she should feel outraged at finding out what he did. Betty answers that she does not feel outraged, but relieved, because her life finally all makes sense. Betty explains that, for the longest time, she always saw Spider-Man as a creature that cursed her life. Ned Leed's death, the Hobgoblin, and the passing of her brother, Bennett Brant, are all tied to Spider-Man. And now, she finds out that it was Peter Parker all along. Deb argues that Peter was therefore to blame but Betty comments that Deb does not get it at all. Betty explains that Peter Parker is not the disguise Spider-Man hides behind. He is Peter Parker wearing a costume and Peter Parker is a good, decent, caring man, and always has been. Betty adds that, when she first found out, she was stunned and old feelings started to emerge, but then she realized that the thing that most frightened her about Spider-Man was the fact that he was this anonymous threatening being with unknowable motives. Betty now realizes that what Peter did, he did out of love, compassion, and decency. Having said that, Betty asks Deb what her excuse was.

ACT 5: Meanwhile, at Midtown High School, Flash Thompson is trying to convince Nurse Arrow of going out to dinner with him, but she keeps canceling on him. She agrees to go to dinner the following night but Flash has a feeling that she will cancel once again. As they continue talking, Flash notices the Daily Bugle headline about Deb Whitman's signing at the Barnes & Barnes Bookstore. When he reads the article and realizes that she is slamming Peter Parker (thus Spider-Man), Flash decides to go check it out and start some trouble. Seconds after leaving, Nurse Arrow takes notice of a small spider dangling from a webline above her head. She extends her hand out and lets the spider crawl on her finger, only to proceed to eat it raw!!

ACT 6: Disguised as Ben Reilly, Peter makes it inside the Barnes & Barnes Bookstore. As he has a brief encounter with a Stephen Colbert look-alike, Flash Thompson, president of the Spider-Man fan club might I add, comes racing in and confronts Deb, telling her that she has a hell of a nerve. Before Flash can verbally blast her any further, Betty Brant recognizes Flash, throws her arms around him, and plants a big wet one on his lips. Betty remarks that the last time she saw Flash, he was in a coma, and asks how long it has been since his miraculous recovery. Flash replies that he has been out of his coma for a little while and adds that he has a hard time remembering things. Betty asks if he remembers dating her and Flash replies that he does, though he does not recall all the details. All the while, Peter, disguised as Ben Reilly, watches the scene unfold, when his spider-sense suddenly kicks in, warning him of danger. Just then, the Vulture comes crashing through the ceiling, seemingly looking for Spider-Man. Flash tries to play the hero and punches him but an unfazed Vulture sends Flash crashing into Betty Brant. The Vulture then proceeds to grab hold of Deb Whitman to try and lure Spider-Man out. But as he does so, he is suddenly shot in the shoulder by Betty, who has a semi-automatic weapon in her hands. Infuriated, the Vulture leaps at Betty and destroys her gun with his razor-sharp claws. Before he can do anything else, the Vulture is hit square in the face with a pile of webbing, courtesy of Spider-Man. As Spidey webs the Vulture to a concrete column, he says "hi" to Deb and tells her he swung by to have a chat with her but they will have to do it another time because he is busy at the moment. Using his razor-sharp claws, the Vulture frees himself from the webbing and takes off flying upward, outside the building. Spidey takes off after him and almost gets decapitated by the Vulture's razor-sharp wings when he emerges outside. Fortunately warned by his spider-sense, Spidey dodges the wings, grabs hold of the Vulture's leg and slams him into the roof, hoping that the impact will be enough to destroy the generator on the Vulture's back that powers his wings. Unfortunately for Spidey, the Vulture's latest generator has backup systems far superior to the previous models. With that said, the Vulture takes flight, Spider-Man in tow. On the way up, Spidey lets go of the Vulture, makes himself fall towards the Earth, grabs a nearby flag pole sticking out of a building, gathers speed by spinning around the pole and lets go. Using the momentum of his ascent, he slams into the Vulture with full force. The Vulture retaliates by slicing Spidey's front leg with one of his deadly wings. Within seconds, Spidey starts to feel dizzy – due to a powerful hallucinogen that the Vulture coated his wings with – and he starts to fall towards the ground several stories below. Gloating in typical super-villain fashion, the Vulture suddenly grabs his left arm, as if he is having a heart attack. Seemingly in pain, the Vulture accuses his mysterious benefactor for what is happening to him but the benefactor tells the Vulture, via their communication network, that they did not no anything, and asks to know what is going on. As the issue concludes, both Spidey and the Vulture are apparently falling to their deaths.

To be continued.