The Kingpin is furious at Spidey and sends the Shocker and later the Rhino out to finish him off with the aid of another new invention of Alistair Smythe. Meanwhile, Eddie Brock, as the symbiote creature Venom, is busy playing cat and mouse with Spider-Man, intruding on Peter's private life and making it clear he knows the web-slinger's secret identity. Peter soon realizes that the pumped-up Eddie as Venom is stronger than he is. Worse than that: Spidey's spider-sense doesn't work around him!

Dr. Mariah Crawford has developed a cure for Spidey's disease, but she's reluctant to give an untested serum to Spider-Man that may result in permanent loss of his powers or worse. But after an angry outburst from Spider-Man, she hands it over. Peter, at the ESU lab, is secretly observed by Michael Morbius, who then swipes the infected blood sample after Peter leaves for the night. Working alone in the campus bell tower with borrowed equipment, Morbius has an accident which will change him forever...