Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, and several other heroes attempt to fend off HDYRA forces in Washington D.C. during the initial HYDRA takeover but are defeated. When Parker sees that Steve "Captain America" Rogers is with HYDRA he despairs and decides that beating Rogers is impossible, so the heroes should retrieve. He calls for Pietro "Quicksilver" Maximoff to run around and kick up some dust to use as cover; after a short argument, Maximoff does so, and Parker begins to get the rest of the heroes on their feet. He yells at Kamala Khan and Amadeus Cho to flee, which they do, and then begins fighting HYDRA agents to cover the retreat. He reflects that, now that he's been the CEO of a major company for a year, he's better at looking at the big picture and giving orders. Tony "Taskmaster" Masters attacks Bobbi "Mockingbird" Morse, but Parker is able to web up Masters before he can kill or seriously injure Morse. Morse then grabs Parker and flees with him.
Parker bandages Morse, who says that she's trying to form a superhero resistance. Parker says he can't join yet because Otto "Doctor Octopus" Octavius is gunning for Parker Industries and he has to defend it. Morse protests until Parker reveals that Octavius is working with HYDRA, who seems to think that Parker Industries is either a threat or a potential asset. He worries about what HYDRA could do with his technology. Morse kisses him for luck, then promises to go out with him after he stops Octavius and they save the world together. He agrees.
In San Francisco, which is now within the boundaries of the mutant-controlled nation of New Tian, Octavius confronts several people, including the mutants Elizabeth "Psylocke" Braddock, Guido "Strong Guy" Carosella, and Hank "Beast" McCoy, as well as the human Max Modell. Octavius says there's one more demand before HYDRA formally leaves the territory to mutants and such humans as wish to remain behind. Braddock responds that she doesn't want to read his mind and asks that he tell them what the demand is; Octavius says he wants access to the Parker Industries building in San Francisco so he can loot it. Guido "Strong Guy" Carosella protests but is flung high into the air by Octavius, who threatens future HYDRA incursions if he doesn't get what he wants. Modell quietly protests to McCoy since his academy, Horizon University, is closely affiliated with Parker Industries, but McCoy says compliance is the best option. He grants Octavius's request, and Octavius hacks his way into the building, then directs a small army of minions to confiscate every hard drive, server, and file on the premises. As his agents move Octavius muses that he expected Parker to set a trap for him, but Parker isn't there. He wonders where Parker is.
Parker flies to the Parker Industries skyscraper in Shanghai and talks with his secretary Min Wei, who is surprised he flew all the way to China. Parker notes that his building in London was blown up, his building in New York City is inaccessible because of the Darkforce Dome, and San Francisco is now mutant territory so he can't go to his facility there either. Shanghai, in short, is the only city which has one of his buildings that he can actually get to, and as a result it's where Parker is making his last stand. He has the employees assembled and then warns them that Octavius is coming to loot the facility. He has a plan to defend it, he continues, but he needs the help of his brilliant employees. One of the scientists says that Parker Industries is an American company and America has already fallen to HYDRA, so there's no point in fighting for it. He leaves along with many other employees. Some stay, however, and he says they should get to work. Another employee asks if Spider-Man will help them and he says yes. The employee then asks who Spider-Man will have as backup, since he often has a sidekick. Parker says that the employees will be the sidekicks.
Parker is interrupted by Wei, who tells him Yao Wu wants to see him. Parker notes that Wu despises him and wonders why Wu would possibly want to see him. He goes to a lab and sees Wu with Lien Tang as well as an older woman whom Tang introduces as her mother Chunhua. Parker compliments Lien's engineering prowess to Chunhua, who boasts that her daughter got that from her. She then thanks Parker for her cancer treatments. Lien has another Dr., Shen, escort her mother off-site with the other patients so they aren't in the crossfire when Octavius shows up. Meanwhile, Wu thanks Parker for funneling so much money into his cancer research and notes that his findings have helped prolong Chunhua's life. Lien apologizes for her past betrayal of Parker (in which she sold Parker Industries security codes, and ultimately tried to assassinate Parker, in exchange for money to pay for her mother's cancer treatments) and pledges to make the most of her second chance by going over all of his vehicles and equipment to make sure it's ready for the upcoming fight against Octavius.
In a Zurich airport, Peter's Aunt May Parker-Jameson is looking for her connecting flight when she sees a news report about the Darkforce Dome over Manhattan. As per Octavius's plan, it's being blamed on a Parker Industries experiment gone wrong. May frets over her friends in Manhattan, but decides to focus on trying to save Parker Industries after all the blows to its reputation they've recently suffered. She finds her flight but is stopped from boarding until she removes a webware device she is wearing, as they are now considered security risks and are rumored to sometimes explode without warning.
Parker approaches another scientist named Phillip Chang and tells him to set up a self-destruct on his research. Chang protests that he's close to a major breakthrough in green energy research which could change the world, but Parker says his research into new sources of power would be extremely dangerous if HYDRA got it. Chang, whose face is badly burned from an experiment gone wrong, says he knows his research can be dangerous but he fixed the bugs, and he's worried he won't be able to remember exactly what he did if he has to start from scratch. He begs Parker to promise him they won't need to destroy everything, but Parker can't. At that moment, Parker's spider-sense triggers and he knows Octavius is coming. And indeed, in the street outside, Octavius uses his tentacles to propel himself towards the Parker Industries building.
Parker gets on the intercom and orders everyone to battle stations, telling his employees as well that Spider-Man is on his way. Octavius gets on the channel and mocks how little comfort that must bring the employees, and Parker tells him to get off the channel. He messages Lien and asks how things are in the motor pool, and she says everything is good to go. The employees begin to drive off as Parker and Octavius meet on top of the building. Parker notes that Octavius came alone (to which Octavius quips that he doesn't need any help to beat Parker), and the two fight.
Parker manages to throw Octavius, which surprises the supervillain, though he catches himself on the building. Parker says he's using spider-armor to augment his spider-strength. Octavius, though, says he now has all of Parker's powers as well, so they should be evenly matched. He says that for once it's a fair fight, to which Parker notes that Octavius came up with the idea of forming the Sinister Six so he'd have a six-on-one advantage in his fights. He then tells Octavius to see how he likes being outnumbered and sends in all his employees in the spider-vehicles.
The employees surround Octavius, but Octavius reminds Parker that he built the company and left himself a backdoor into everything. He hacks the vehicles, which all aim and lock their weapons on to Parker.
Tropes:
- Hope Spot: Parker finally has Octavius outnumbered, surrounded, and badly outgunned. Then Octavius hacks all of Parker's vehicles and turns the tables.
