paying tribute to the iconic what if Stories the tale begins with the Watcher recounting the events of the other story arc this narrative centers on Spider-Man who was facing imminent death due to Cellular degeneration he was thought to have died in a skirmish with his enemy Morin however Peter Parker actually survived his physical form was concealed within a web cocoon beneath a bridge while his Spirit found itself in a strange otherworldly realm it is here that Peter encounters the spider Essence responsible for his powers the spider entity presents Peter with a proposition he can be
brought back from the brink of death but only if he Embraces his dual identity as both spider and human in the original storyline of the other Peter agrees to this deal and is revived endowed with a rejuvenated body and enhanced abilities considering the transformation and mystical elements involved reborn might be a more apt description than merely revived yet The Watcher poses an intriguing question what if Peter had declined the offer we are then shown a reality where Peter does exactly that in a shockingly brutal fashion by decapitating the giant spider that represents the spirit after
it extends its proposal the spider's Last Words being a testament to its astonishment at Peter's action Peter's rationale is his belief that he doesn't deserve a second chance at life especially not at the cost of losing more of his humanity and becoming a tool for the spider entity without the spider Spirits agreement Peter's Soul remains ins snared in limbo with his body and spirit caught in separate binds The Narrative then shifts to a Detention Center where Mac Venom gargan is found soliloquising in confinement the Symbiote having recently selected gargan as its host somehow perceives Peter's
solitary defenseless State and abandons gargon it breaks out of its supposedly secure cell eliminates the prison guards and finds another host afterwards it dumps that host and sets off towards the bridge to find Peter's cocooned body The Watcher concedes that showing is usually more effective than telling in a story yet he finds himself at a loss on how to visually depict what follows on a tumultuous night poison emerges from the Cocoon and heads straight for Avengers Tower several months have elapsed since Peter was presumed gone yet MJ and may continue to reside there with May
having grown close to Jarvis during a late night conversation between May and MJ about MJ's nightmares involving Peter coming back poison crashes through the window with MJ believing it's venom poison wishes to extend to Mary Jane the opportunity to transform herself into a being like him faced with a decision akin to Peters MJ defiantly rejects the offer preferring death over transformation undeterred poison asserts his ability to transform her regardless of her living status however before he can act on this the new Avengers intervene Logan and Luke Cage engage poison who display Superior strength and resil
iance challenging even Luke's impervious skin interrupting the escalating conflict MJ consents to Poison's proposition not out of Desire but to protect the new Avengers and to spite Poison by promising a tumultuous relationship together reflecting on MJ's Defiance poison vanishes whether it's love for MJ hurt from her rejection or deeming her Unworthy of his gift he leaves in search of another partner not deterred by the finality of death in choosing his next companion he revisits his first love Gwen Stacy poison digs up her corpse and presumably infects her with his seed then he patiently watches Gwen's
web cocoon and finally we observe as she is reborn from her own cocoon
