the plot: The Jackal's plot has reached it's breaking point. His Carrion-Virus perfected and ready to go, the Jackal, Spider-Cide and the mini-Jack helpers prepare atop the Daily Bugle to set off the bomb, and there's little that the Scarlet Spider can do to stop him since he has to contend with a blob of half-formed Spider-Clones. Meanwhile, Peter Parker, having learned that he is in fact the true Spider-Man clone has become totally demoralized, and considers himself unfit to be with Mary Jane. By the urging of the Gwen Stacy clone, they swing off, while Mary Jane ponders what she can do to end this insanity. On the other side of town, the Scarlet Spider manages to stop the clone-mass, and heads on to the Bugle, where the Jackal is confronted by Scrier, who wants to put an end to the Jackal's plans to eliminate all of mankind and replace them with clones, and he has an unexpected ally: Spider-Cide.

Peter and Gwen arrive at the Jackal's headquarters to find their place with their creator, but stumble upon his true master plan and set off to stop him. The Scarlet Spider, however, finally arrives at the Bugle, just as Jackal and Spider-Cide fight their way into the Bugle's city room. Mary Jane hears about the choas at the Bugle on the evening news, and tired of sitting around doing nothing, she grabs a spare webshooter and sets off to help Peter. The battle between Spider-Cide and the Jackal continues to rage on at the Bugle, and an injured Scarlet Spider can do little aside from being in shock upon the revelation that all of the choas, the rage and the murder caused by the Jackal was the resultant and Gwen Stacy's death all those years ago, and the fact that Professor Miles Warren blamed Spider-Man for it all along. Spider-Cide pins the Jackal against a wall, but the Jackal blasts a hole through it and they both plummet to the ground below. The Scarlet Spider manages to attach weblines to the both of them, but Spidercide clips his and he falls to the streets, crushed upon impact.

After the Jackal is pulled back into the Bugle, he quickly turns on the Scarlet Spider, but the sudden arrival of Peter and Gwen and a well timed ball of impact webbing save the day, knocking the blaster from the Jackal's hands. As Spider-Man tangles with the Jackal, the Scarlet Spider heads to the roof to stop the timed virus bomb, which only has ten minutes felt before it goes off. The Jackal and Spidey arrive on the roof, and the two Spider-Men web their foe up and set off to deactivate the bomb, until the unexpected arrival of Gwen, carrying the Jackal's discarded blaster, intending to murder the Jackal. Furious at how the Jackal murdered her clone husband and ruined her life, she wants to end his, but Peter does his best to talk her down. Everything is thrown off, however, when Mary Jane arrives and the Jackal bumps Gwen and takes her blaster, but unintentionally knocks her off the side of the Bugle's roof.

As Gwen hangs on for dear life, the Jackal blindsides Spider-Man and sets off to the rescue. But their combined weight proves to be too much for the platform and they both fall. The Scarlet Spider saves Gwen, but Spider-Man, still groggy from the Jackal's punch, is unable to connect with the Jackal who yells out "I did it for you Gwen! All for you! So when the dream ends...the nightmare begins!", just before he hits the pavement. Before everyone can settle down though, the bomb reactivates itself, and although the genetic virus was removed, the bomb is still volitile. The Scarlet Spider selflessly takes it away to dispose of and he barely manages to throw it high enough so the blast doesn't harm anyone.

In the aftermath, the NYPD take away Spidercide's plasmic form in stasis, and the Jackal is definatly pronounced dead. The virus is also given to the authorities for proper disposal. Despite the heroic actions of the Spider-Men, old J. Jonah Jameson blames them for all this, and the Gwen clone slinks away. Later Peter and Mary Jane reflect on all that's happened and prepare to plan their new life, but Peter has to deal with the unfinished business with the Scarlet Spider, and upon meeting with him tells him that there can only be, one Spider-Man, and since he was the original, it must be him.

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