A Superhuman Registration Act is passed which requires all people possessing paranormal abilities to register with the government. Those who do not register are considered criminals. Some heroes, such as Iron Man, see this as a natural evolution of the role of super humans in society, and a reasonable request. Others view the Act as an assault on their civil liberties. After being called upon to hunt down fellow heroes in defiance of the Registration Act, Captain America goes underground and forms a resistance movement.

In Amazing Spider-Man #532, Peter Parker is given an ultimatum by Tony Stark: whether he joins him in his support of the Superhuman Registration Act, thus being forced to reveal his identity, or he is going to be hunted down like a criminal, as will Mary Jane and Aunt May, who will be considered accomplices.

In Amazing Spider-Man #533, Spider-Man takes off his mask and reveals his secret identity for the whole world to see.

In Sensational Spider-Man #29, Mark Raxton, the Molten Man, is coerced into joining forces with the Chameleon, after Chameleon threatens to have his subordinate Electro kill Normie Osborn, should Raxton refuse to join him. Elsewhere, Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, is confronted by Scarecrow and Will O'The Wisp, Mary Jane is being spied on by the being known as Swarm, and Felicia Hardy (a.k.a. the Black Cat) comes to the realization that she still has feelings for Peter, though she currently is involved with Thomas Fireheart (a.k.a. Puma). After escaping from Scarecrow and Will O'The Wisp, Peter visits Madame Web, who, as usual, predicts that worse things are about to happen. At issue's end, Mark Raxton, in full Molten Man form, shows up at the home of Liz Allan Osborn, his step-sister.

In Sensational Spider-Man 30, Swarm attacks Mary Jane and her follow actors while Electro and Spider-Man trade blows at the Whitney Museum of Modern Art. Later, Spidey is lured to Liz-Allan Osborn's home under the pretense that Normie Osborn has been kidnapped by the Molten Man and, at issue's end, the Chameleon, who is behind it all, pulling the strings, tricks his way into Avengers Tower, right under Aunt May's nose.

In Sensational Spider-Man #31, Spider-Man trades punches with the Molten Man while his backup, the Black Cat, makes sure that Liz-Allan Osborn and Normie Osborn are safe from Will O'The Wisp and Scarecrow. After trading blows for what seems like an eternity, Spidey manages to defeat his opponent (and Will O'The Wisp) and the Black Cat takes care of the Scarecrow. Wasting no time, Spidey takes off towards Avengers Tower, having found out from the Molten Man that the Chameleon is going after Aunt May. Arriving at the tower, he is surprised to see that Aunt May figured out that the Chameleon was impersonating him and is even more shocked to discover that she defeated him by hiding drugs in some oatmeal raisin cookies she cooked for him. The issue ends with them talking about the grim future that awaits them.

ACT 1: The story opens with Mary Jane dreaming about standing in the middle of a coliseum like the ones in Rome where gladiators used to fight to the death. In this dream, which has been recurring as of late, the spectators in the stands are all old foes of her husband’s alter-ego Spider-Man: Kingpin, Morbius, Hydro-man, the Chameleon, Will O’The Wisp, Carnage, Swarm, the Scarecrow, the Scorpion, the Lizard, the Sandman, Vermin, Tarantula, the Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Hobgoblin, Molten Man, Mysterio, the Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, Electro, Venom, Hobgoblin, Hammerhead, and the Green Goblin. They are all looking down at her jeering, shouting the most unspeakable vile things. Presiding over the event is none other than Tony Stark, dressed as a Roman Emperor. To his side, his queen is none other than Gwen Stacy, looking as beautiful as ever. Suddenly, Madame Web appears to her side, telling her that the time has come to chose. Recognizing her, MJ asks if she has been talking to Peter but Madame Web replies that she does not know him. Having said that, she points to two doors that have appeared in front of them and tells MJ to choose one of the two. Behind one is her prized, behind the other is a spider, MJ's doom. MJ comes up to the doors and decides to choose the one on the right. As she opens the door, a giant spider-like creature with several eyes jumps at her.

ACT 2: The next morning, Mary Jane gets ready for the day and walks out of her bedroom, only to find Aunt May sitting in the dark. Unaware that the lights were off, Aunt May tells MJ that she was thinking about Peter and everything that has happened recently and goes on saying that she has a feeling Peter might not be able to take much more of it. MJ replies that she has given up on underestimating Peter because he always bounces back from any attacks, no matter how big or bad they are. As she says that, Spider-Man is shown trading blows with the Rhino. Aunt May realizes that Peter is no longer a scared skinny lonely little boy and tells that to MJ. MJ seems to understand her and replies that she is going out, proceeding to ask if she needs anything. Aunt May replies that she does not and asks MJ if she is going to come back, especially since Peter told her to stay put. MJ appears to hesitate and finally tells Aunt May that she is coming back. A few minutes later, MJ is out and heading into the heart of New York City.

ACT 3: MJ finds herself at a bus station where she ponders about leaving and moving to another city but she comes to the realization that she loves New York too much to leave. Yet she takes note of the departure times and gates. On her way out of the bus station, she is accosted by a female fan who asks if she is the actress known as Mrs. Spider-Man. Insulted that she is recognized as such, MJ lies and replies that she may look like her, but she is not an actress. The female fan agrees with her and proceeds to further insult MJ by telling her that Mrs. Spider-Man is prettier. MJ clenches her fist in rage but does not act on it. Elsewhere, the battle between the Rhino and Spider-Man rages on.

ACT 4: Sitting on a park bench, MJ wished she had someone to talk to, someone that would listen. She suddenly remembers a previous phone conversation with Sue Richards (the Invisible Woman), who offered to meet over dinner to talk about anything, and decides to call her up. Miraculously, Sue answers her phone and the two arrange a meeting at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Times Square. After making a quick stop at the theater where she was performing in "MacBeth", before getting the axe due to the recent events in her personal life, MJ makes her way to the Wax Museum and heads towards the Hall of Heroes, their meeting place.

ACT 5: After looking for Sue for a few minutes, she finally finds her (she was invisible so MJ could not see her) and the two head to a nearby cafeteria. Sue – talking about her husband, Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic) – prompts MJ to ask her how she and Reed are doing. Sue replies that she and Reed are not in a good place right now. In fact, they are the worst they have ever been. Sue asks MJ how she and Peter are doing and MJ replies that she is not sure; only that they are overwhelmed and everything is exhausting and harrowing. MJ wonders how they – by they, she means superheroes – deal with this all the time. Sue replies that it is not easy and that it never gets easier and that you just have to ask yourself what you can live with and what you are willing to sacrifice. MJ replies that it does not feel like she is living much at the moment and all she does is sacrifice, everyday, more and more of herself. Sue asks MJ if she loves Peter and MJ immediately says that she does. Sue then tells MJ to toughen up, which MJ is surprised to hear Sue say. Sue proceeds to ask MJ if she knew Peter was Spider-Man prior to accepting to marry him. MJ replies that she knew everything. Sue then says that at some point, MJ made the choice to tie her life to Peter's, the same way she herself did with Reed. She then adds that when things get hopeless, she goes back to the moment she made that choice to be with Reed and finds strength and certainty in that moment. With that said, Sue tells MJ that it is not time to buckle, it is time to find what she is made of and learn how resilient her love really is.

ACT 6: They talk awhile longer, then they pay their bill, and Mary Jane thanks the Invisible Woman for her time and stands to go. But before going, she cannot help herself and tells Sue that she is super-powered, which is something she does not have to lean on. Ten blocks late, though the Invisible Woman's words still haunt her, MJ finds herself fighting to remember the moment when she decided that her life would be with Peter forever and always. It was before they got married. No before that. Suddenly, as quick as taking a breath, it comes back to her. She had just heard the news about Gwen's death at the hands of the Green Goblin so she went to Peter's apartment and waited for him, imagining the sickening sound of Gwen's neck snapping. She heard his key in the lock and watched him as he pushed open the door and cursed herself for not thinking of what to say in advance: "Hey, Peter, I heard about Gwen. I'm really torn up". His response was unexpected, his anger vicious: "You? 'Torn up'? Don't make me laugh, Mary Jane. You wouldn’t be sorry if your own mother died. What do you care about straights like me and Gwen?" His words were like fists, pummeling her towards the door: "Go on...get out of here. I know how you hate sickbeds" Her first impulse was to go, to flee the horror and pain starting to envelop Peter's life, but then she stopped and searched her heart and made a choice, and she closed the door and stayed by his side.

ACT 7: In the present, MJ faces another choice, thinking that was when she knew she was in love with Peter. That day in his apartment, after Gwen died, when nothing was more important than her being with him. From the other side of the door, she hears a shuffling, a strange thumping sound, May's voice, muffled. She reaches for the doorknob and the dream from the previous night rises and suddenly, she is back in the arena again and is given a choice between two doors by Madame Web. She remembers the day she got married to Peter and tells Madame Web that she made her choice years ago, for better and for worse. Having said that she propels herself at one of the door and she opens it, and in her mind, Peter is there and everything is going to be all right. In reality, though, she throws the door to their safehouse open, only to find Peter brutally bruised, bloody, and beaten, lying on the floor, May sobbing over him, crying to MJ for help. At the sight of that, MJ knows that nothing will ever be all right again.

To be continued.