Peter Parker and Stephen Strange step into an empty New York street. The sky is blood orange and tumbleweeds and newspapers dance in front of them. They immediately recognise their surroundings as Broadway.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Do you remember the previous time you and I
ventured to the Astral Plane?

ASTRAL PETER
On my birthday that one time? Yeah I remember.
It was much busier than this though.
So this is the inside of MJ's mind?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
The Astral Plane can be considered a mirror-
dimension that reflects aspects of ours, and it
bends to those brought to it. I've brought you,
myself and Mary Jane here in the hope that we
can warn her of what we will try to do. If you're
going to perform an untested procedure on her
with technology any of us barely understand,
doesn't she deserve to choose to participate?

ASTRAL PETER
You'd do all this for that?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Wouldn't you if you could?

ASTRAL PETER
No I would, I just…
Thank you.

Doctor Strange smiles.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Don't mention it, Spider-Man.

They begin walking.

ASTRAL PETER
So this is where she'll be?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
That is my hope. I believe we can converse
with Mary Jane here if we can find her astral self.

ASTRAL PETER
What is all this?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
The pastiche of memories we see before us is
the cognitive and spiritual framework Mary Jane
has built for herself through her experiences.
These are the determinants of her world view.
From this she derives her self-worth, her self-
image, her moral code, her value system—her
very identity.
Everything that is here is here for a reason.
She has held on to these experiences either
through her own volition or because they have
forced themselves into her psyche.

ASTRAL PETER
Is what is here set in stone?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
They would be very difficult to remove, but it is
possible.

ASTRAL PETER
…What are your first impressions?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
That she is lonely.

The Fantasticar strafes around the bipedal monster created by the Emissary as it lurches through Manhattan. Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, darts around in front of it, luring it down New York's man-made canyons to Central Park, away from civilians.

HUMAN TORCH
We can do this all night, Reed, but we need
To find the creepy zombie wizard before he
summons mo—

There is a deafening crack as lightning illuminates the sky. The lightning forms an ancient pattern like a geoglyph, and a great monstrous bird flies out of it.

THE THING
Hailin' Avengers Tower.

On the ground Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, is helping all pedestrians that cross her path to get safe.

BLACK CAT
Get back into the restaurant! There's too much
falling debris!

HUMAN TORCH
Reed, any idea on this one's symbolism?

MR FANTASTIC
'Symbology'.

HUMAN TORCH
(Also made up.)

MR FANTASTIC
I've got something but if we can get it perfect
then we can control how its energy dissipates.
The pattern calculated so far will cause a
detonation and damage to these buildings.

The giant creature swats aimlessly at the Human Torch like an annoying glow worm as he continues to dance around.

HUMAN TORCH
Can you make your brain work faster?
Ben, how many blocks to Central Park?

THE THING
Take a right on sixth avenue and it's eight blocks.

HUMAN TORCH
Oh come on! We might as well be on Seventh
and Broadway!

Doctor Strange and Peter begin exploring their surroundings. They walk past several theatres and billboards featuring Mary Jane's modelling work. The marquees on the theatres show names only Peter understands. "NOW SHOWING: SPIDER ISLAND." "THE AIRPORT." "THE MOTEL."

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Peter, do you recognise any of this?

Peter frowns sadly.

ASTRAL PETER
I recognise all of it.

They continue walking. Doctor Strange stops in his tracks and stares in disbelief at a marquee. "NORRIN RADD."

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Impossible.
Peter, do you know this name?

ASTRAL PETER
Oh. Yeah. The Silver Surfer, right?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
How—

ASTRAL PETER
The Silver Surfer let her ride his surfboard once.

Doctor Strange stares at Peter for a moment.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
…I—I don't know what to say.

They are interrupted by two children who run past them and around a corner, giggling and laughing. It is Owen and Romy, Mary Jane's adopted children. They disappear around the corner and Strange and Peter follow. They turn into a short dead-end street containing only two theatres which face one another.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
It seems that those children are associated
with one of these two experiences. Which do
you think is more likely?

Peter looks at the titles on display.

ASTRAL PETER
This one.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
"The Hospital." Very well.

They walk into the theatre as Peter looks cautiously over his shoulder at the marquee on the other theatre. "FUNNY VALENTINE."

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Miss Watson once starred in a medical drama,
did she not?

ASTRAL PETER
Yes.
But this isn't that.

On Sixth Avenue Black Cat swings ahead of the monster still chasing the Human Torch. She notices a teenage girl crying under a bus shelter. She swings down and grabs her by the waist, lifting her off the ground and out of danger as the shelter is crushed by falling debris.

BLACK CAT
Gotcha!

They loop around the corner out of the monster's path where Black Cat sets her down.

BLACK CAT
I need you to run, ok? Get somewhere safe.
Look for groups and take care of each other.

She swings around back into the path of the monster as they approach Central Park. Two blocks ahead, a large SUV has crashed into another in the bedlam, both full of screaming families. They are trapped. Felicia pulls on the door but to no avail. Fighting panic, she pulls out her lucky lockpick and begins picking the keylock on one of the cars. She hears a deep voice with a north east African accent.

VOICE
Perhaps it is good that you recovered that lock
pick after all.

Black Cat looks up unphased to see the Black Panther.

BLACK CAT
I see you guys finally decided to show.

BLACK PANTHER
Let us hurry.

Black Panther pulls the doors of one SUV off their hinges and the family exits. Black Cat finishes unlocking the driver door of the second vehicle and helps its occupants out.

BLACK PANTHER
Quickly! Get to safety!

The families run into an alleyway off the main avenue. Black Cat and Black Panther continue running ahead of the monster sweeping for people caught in the chaos.

BLACK CAT
There's more people a few blocks ahead.
So are you here alone or did the superfriends
turn up en masse?

Black Panther sprints ahead with superhuman speed as the monster gains on their position.

BLACK PANTHER
Only those of us on-world!

BLACK CAT
Who does that include?!

IRON MAN
Hey, Cats Noir.

BLACK CAT
Help a girl out?

Iron Man swoops down and picks up Felicia as the monster draws closer.

IRON MAN
So how did you end up in a team-up with the
Fantastic Four?

BLACK CAT
I'll give you two guesses because I'm feeling
generous.

IRON MAN
How is he?

BLACK CAT
You should be saying 'how is she?'

IRON MAN
What do you mean?

Doctor Strange and Peter enter the main auditorium of the theatre. On the distant stage they see a maternity ward with a doctor. Mary Jane lies on a hospital bed. They step onto the stage.

ASTRAL PETER
Can they see us?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
No.

ASTRAL PETER
Does she know we're here?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Mary Jane's astral form would react to us. This
is but a memory.

PHANTOM MARY JANE
Doctor, my baby…
Why isn't she crying?

PHANTOM DOCTOR FOLSOME
I am so sorry, Miss Watson.

Doctor Folsome's phantom disappears in smoke leaving Mary Jane's projection alone in the middle of the stage under a bright spotlight.

PHANTOM MARY JANE
No!
Please, dear god…
…no.

Doctor Strange looks away and frowns. Peter steps closer to Mary Jane's memory with tears on his cheeks.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Did you know of this chapter of Mary Jane's life?

ASTRAL PETER
I was the father.

Even though he knows he won't feel it, Doctor Strange places a hand on Peter's shoulder. His expression is one of sincere compassion.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Peter, I'm so sorry.

ASTRAL PETER
…Y–yeah. Thanks.
…She's not here. Neither are the kids.
Let's keep searching.

High above Manhattan, two Avengers battle the giant bird summoned by the Emissary. Sam Wilson, Captain America, arcs around the underside of the flying beast.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
Why does it look like a Mayan mural?

CAPTAIN MARVEL
Why is that what you're worried about?

Captain Marvel hits the bird with an energy beam that causes it to grow larger.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
What the &$%!

CAPTAIN MARVEL
Tony what are these things?

IRON MAN (over earpiece)
Yeah don't hit them with energy. That's what
they're made of. Is that right, Reed?

Captain Marvel flies straight at the beast and lands a flying punch on its beak. It is barely swayed and snaps at Captain Marvel. She narrowly escapes.

CAPTAIN MARVEL
TONY!

IRON MAN (over earpiece)
Just a sec.
...Yeah.
...Uh huh.
...They're made of math?!
Hey Carol? They're magical energy monsters
that absorb energy. Don't hit them with energy.
Just keep it busy. We'll call you.

He hangs up.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
I swear on my mother's life, Danvers, I will kill
that #$% one day.

CAPTAIN MARVEL
Race ya to it.

At the centre of Manhattan the bipedal monster nears the end of the avenue and approaches Central Park. The Thing and Black Cat sit in the Fantasticar some 10 metres above it. Clear of danger, Mr Fantastic continues to analyse the monster while Iron Man and the Human Torch engage their 15 storey enemy.

BLACK CAT
Hey Torch!

HUMAN TORCH
You're above 20 storeys, Felicia! You can call
me Johnny!

BLACK CAT
Wait, that's actually a thing?!

THE THING
'Course it's a thing.

BLACK CAT
There are people trapped down there, you weirdos!

She points to a bus load of passengers trapped inside their crashed vehicle.

BLACK PANTHER
I will take care of this!

Black Panther, still boots on the ground, bounds across the tops of deserted cars and takes up position in front of the bus. He pushes it backwards on the road out of the way of the monster, before rending open the side of it with his claws and helping people descend.

BLACK PANTHER
Get clear!

Mr Fantastic is focused on the monitor in front of his Fantasticar seat and doesn't notice as Iron Man arrives and hovers next to him.

IRON MAN
So where's the guy that made these things?

Peter and Doctor Strange walk further down the patchwork Broadway on Mary Jane's Astral Plane.

ASTRAL PETER
Here. We should try in here.

They walk through doors under a marquee signed, "THE EMISSARY." On the stage they see another memory of Mary Jane. She stands in a purple overcoat holding a piece of Spider-Man's costume.

ASTRAL PETER
Wait, this is—

A memory of Paul Rabin enters stage right and approaches Mary Jane.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Peter, do you know this man?

ASTRAL PETER
He's the one who summoned those monsters.
He's the one trying to kill Mary Jane.

Doctor Strange watches Paul intently while stroking his beard.

PHANTOM PAUL
What did I tell you? We're moving.

PHANTOM MARY JANE
I'm not going anywhere.
Peter's coming back.

PHANTOM PAUL
There's an eight-foot hole in the roof and the
Emissary knows we're here!
Peter is gone! If you want to survive, you have
to—

Mary Jane turns and backhands Paul across the face.

PHANTOM MARY JANE
SHUT UP!

Peter watches sadly.

PHANTOM MARY JANE
Shut up.
You don't know Peter. He's coming back for
me. You can leave if you want to. I'm not
going anywhere.
Don't touch me again.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Do you know of these events, Peter?

ASTRAL PETER
No.

The scene before them changes to Mary Jane and Paul camping in the snow. They hear a crash in the cabin next to them. Peter and Doctor Strange watch as the phantoms move into the cabin and discover Owen and Romy.

PHANTOM OWEN
Do you know the scribble man?

Peter watches seriously as Mary Jane rushes forward to embrace both of the children.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Peter, why did you choose this theatre?

ASTRAL PETER
The children. She adopted and raised them as
her own with Paul. They turned out to be
illusions designed to trap her. They're… gone
now.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
These are the children we saw earlier?

ASTRAL PETER
Yes. They were created by the same power
that put her into a coma.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
How terrible.

ASTRAL PETER
…Wanda Maximoff did the same thing to me
years ago when she remade reality.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
I recall.
It seems you and Miss Watson are more alike
than I had previously considered.

How did you cope with what happened to you?

ASTRAL PETER
I… blocked it out. I don't think about it anymore.
(About him.)

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Hmm.
I wonder if we have been drawing the wrong
conclusion. Perhaps she is seeking comfort in
happier memories, rather than closure in
traumatic ones.
Let us continue.

Black Panther and The Thing, now on the ground, work together to help pedestrians in Central Park as the bipedal monster marches across the parkland. High in the air, Captain Marvel and Captain America continue to stall for time while they wait for a solution from Iron Man who is hovering near the Fantasticar.

CAPTAIN MARVEL (over earpiece)
Tony, what the hell is taking so long?!

HUMAN TORCH (over earpiece)
Yeah c'mon, man!
Reed this thing is in Central Park now, if it blows
up the damage to property will be minimal!

MR FANTASTIC
I'm almost there, Johnny. Just multitasking.

IRON MAN
Wait, I have an idea.

CAPTAIN AMERICA (over earpiece)
Of course he does. Don't mind us, Tony. Just
enjoying the views.

Iron Man hangs up.

IRON MAN
Reed, can we use energy data from these two
monsters in some way?

MR FANTASTIC
Sue and I have been working on that for the
past six minutes, Tony. We've analysed the
common energy signatures between the two.

SUE RICHARDS (over Fantasticar speaker)
It's similar to the Negative Zone.
It made things easier.

MR FANTASTIC
We've calibrated the local cellular network to
identify other energy signals of similar type.
The calculations have just finished.

BLACK CAT
Where is he?

SUE (over Fantasticar speaker)
He's in a subway station. I have the coordinates
right here.

IRON MAN
And Godzilla and Rodan?

MR FANTASTIC
We just need to time it so they disappear at the
same time.

IRON MAN
And cut off all heads of the hydra at once in
shock and awe?

MR FANTASTIC
Precisely.

Iron Man hails his comrades.

IRON MAN
Ok, Avengers, we've got a plan.

Peter and Doctor Strange walk further down Mary Jane's astral Broadway. Nestled between two theatres marqueed "KRAVEN" and "VENOM" is a residential building.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
The out-of-place nature of this building makes
me wonder if it is special. What is this, I wonder.

ASTRAL PETER
MJ and I lived here for years. It's in Soho. I
still swing past it on my nightly patrols. Old
habits, I guess.
We were younger. Much younger.

They enter and Peter leads as they climb up to the top floor.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
It is impressive that you were able to afford a
loft apartment at such a young age. You are
constantly full of surprises, Peter.

ASTRAL PETER
I called it a good salary from a medical drama.
MJ called it the Parker Luck.
It made coming and going as Spider-Man a
lot easier.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Did Mary Jane know at the time?

ASTRAL PETER
...She's always known.

They arrive at the top floor. Peter walks to the door of their old apartment and opens it. They walk through the threshold and emerge into Ingram Street, the Forest Hills road where Peter grew up.

ASTRAL PETER
...I know where she is.

The Human Torch lures the bipedal monster deeper into Central Park. It has now reached the Sheep Meadow which is already empty in the late evening. Almost directly above them the giant bird soars through the sky trying to grab the two Captains in beak or claw. Iron Man comes in on their earpieces.

IRON MAN (over earpiece)
We think we've found this guy but we can't let
on that we know. Sam check your display.
That symbol needs to be burned into that bird's
head exactly when we say. It'll vaporise it and
leave no trace. Carol, do you think you can do
that?

CAPTAIN MARVEL
I thought you said it absorbs energy?

IRON MAN (over earpiece)
Be fast.

CAPTAIN MARVEL
That's it?! THAT'S your advice?!

HUMAN TORCH (over earpiece)
Worked for me, Danvers. Gitgud.

CAPTAIN MARVEL
I've heard you were fast, Johnny, but I guess I
didn't want to believe it.

HUMAN TORCH (over earpiece)
'Didn't want to' or 'refused to'?

CAPTAIN MARVEL
Ha!

HUMAN TORCH (over earpiece)
Call me.

At the Fantasticar, Iron Man continues.

IRON MAN
Just get in position, both of you. Reed and I are
going to go take him out.

BLACK CAT
I'm coming too.

IRON MAN
Fine.

Iron Man steps onto the Fantasticar—Black Cat climbs onto his back while Mr Fantastic's section of the Fantasticar dislocates, leaving the rest on autopilot. The three of them fly off into the sky and head towards the subway station identified by the Fantastic Four and the Avengers' scanners.

They land outside and split into two parties. Mr Fantastic and Black Cat enter through the north entrance while Iron Man takes the south by himself. They enter at the same time and rush to the platform where they find the Emissary frantically scribbling on the ground. He is surrounded by markings scratched into the floor by the rock in his hand. They are all crossed out except for two—the two that worked.

EMISSARY
Why won't it work?! What am I missing?!

IRON MAN
Maybe you forgot to carry the one.

The Emissary looks up.

EMISSARY
No! How did you find me?

IRON MAN
We carried the one.

EMISSARY
You won't stop me. You won't stop me!

The Emissary uses the nearby rock to scratch markings onto the platform floor. The three heroes are blasted backwards by the force of the Emissary's spell. Iron Man stabilises himself from hitting the ground and repulsor-blasts the rock from the Emissary's hand. It flies onto the tracks. The Emissary staggers backwards, fear in his eyes, unarmed and defenceless, as Black Cat and Mr Fantastic get back to their feet.

BLACK CAT
What's the matter, Paul? Don't have anything
to write with anymore?

The Emissary looks down behind him and sees the rock on the ground near the rails. He leaps off the platform but he trips as he jumps. He belly flops onto the third rail and bursts into bright lightning as thousands of volts of electricity flow through him, before the energy blasts him off and into a smouldering heap on the tracks' concrete foundations. Black Cat, Mr Fantastic and Iron Man stare in silence.

IRON MAN
…Felicia did you—

BLACK CAT
NO! Of course not! You know I can't control
these bad luck powers! They just do their own
thing!

Mr Fantastic stares blankly into space.

MR FANTASTIC
…So is he—

IRON MAN
No vitals.

The three stand quietly, unsure how to react.

IRON MAN
Well I guess we might as well let Johnny and
Carol know.

Peter runs down the astral form of his childhood street with Doctor Strange levitating close behind.

They draw closer to the old Parker home. Peter turns off the street and takes the last few steps to the foot of the porch. Sitting on the floor, back to the door with her head buried in her arms, is the astral projection of Mary Jane. She looks up in complete bewilderment.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
Peter?!

ASTRAL PETER
So you go by Jackpot, huh?

Mary Jane leaps up.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
Peter!

She throws her arms around Peter. They hold each other for several seconds.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Hello, Mary Jane.

Mary Jane and Peter do not respond. Doctor Strange uncomfortably clears his throat and breaks the silence.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Um, if you'll permit me—if things don't seem
quite right, it's quite normal not to be able to
'feel' another astral being.

Mary Jane replies, eyes closed with a smile on her face buried in Peter's neck.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
I can feel him just fine.

ASTRAL PETER
Have you been ok?

ASTRAL MARY JANE
When whatever happened happened, I woke
up in this place. It felt familiar to me even
though it was weird, but no one was here. I
was surrounded by theatres full of terrible
memories.

ASTRAL PETER
We saw.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
Then I saw our old apartment in Soho and it
led me here.

ASTRAL PETER
I'm so glad you're ok.
We've come to bring you home.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
I heard.
…Paul's gone isn't he.

ASTRAL PETER
…Yeah. I'm sorry.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
…Yeah.
…And right now I'm in the Baxter Building?

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
That is correct.

The three of them stand apart in conversation.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Susan Richards and Peter think they've found
a way to save you, but it is not without risk.

ASTRAL PETER
We can't test it. You're the guinea pig.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
…How dangerous is it?

ASTRAL PETER
We're trying to undo what those three skulls did
to you. It's a different kind of energy, but the
same amount.

Mary Jane thinks carefully.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
Is there any other way?

ASTRAL PETER
Not that we've found, and we don't know how
much longer you can be like this, or what will
happen if we wait.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
This is your decision, Mary Jane.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
…Ok. Ok let's do it. Let's get it over with.

ASTRAL DOCTOR STRANGE
Are you certain?

ASTRAL MARY JANE
Who's idea is it?

ASTRAL PETER
Mine.

ASTRAL MARY JANE
Then it'll work.

Peter smiles, relieved and excited.

ASTRAL PETER
Ok. See you in a minute.

In the underground subway station, Black Cat and Mr Fantastic turn to leave as Iron Man confirms the destruction of the monsters with Captain Marvel and the Human Torch. Suddenly the Emissary's body crackles with black lightning. The Black Cat turns nervously to see him slowly rise from the track and glide to the platform edge. His frame convulses and shakes as a bone-white body emerges from itself like an undead butterfly from a rotten chrysalis.

THE EMISSARY
It is done. I am become a Vessel of Death.
Wayep's power is mine. One final act remains,
and godhood shall be mine!

In the Emissary's hand the air turns to ice and out of a small black vortex a curved knife appears in his hand. Iron Man steps forward to defend Black Cat and fires a shoulder-mounted rocket straight into him. The Emissary steps to the side and slices it in half with the Blade of Decay. The two pieces fall to the ground with a whistling hiss.

THE EMISSARY
A new Blade for a Vessel reborn. Once I retrieve
the other you will not stop me.

IRON MAN
You gotta find it first, Cthulhu.

THE EMISSARY
All my symbology is before me. I can sense it,
just as I can sense her toy. Her leash.

MR FANTASTIC
You'll never reach them.

THE EMISSARY
You fool, I already have.

A dark shadow envelops the Emissary and the hole in space closes up where he stood. He is gone. Mr Fantastic's face opens in horror.

MR FANTASTIC
SUE!

Peter and Doctor Strange awake in their bodies, still in the Baxter Building's medical lab. Peter gets off the second medical table and sharply shakes his head while Doctor Strange floats back to the ground from a lotus position.

PETER
She said yes.

SUE RICHARDS
Then let's go. The device is hooked up, we just
need to activate it and override the energy
signature with the one we've calculated.

Sue pauses.

SUE
Peter, did you make it clear that this isn't a sure
thing?

PETER
Absolutely. Right, Doc?

DOCTOR STRANGE
This is Mary Jane's decision, Susan.

SUE
Ok. Here we go.

Sue presses a large button on the console in front of her. The gauntlet glows bright blue and the symbols on the gauntlet begin to be disrupted as if by static.

Suddenly the room turns bright red as an alert sounds.

SPEAKER
INTRUDER ALERT.
INTRUDER ALERT.