Hawkeye and Mockingbird commit a series of bank robberies in the city of Denver. That's what the papers say that upsets Hawkeye so much that Mockingbird and Hawkeye travel to Denver to investigate. They are apprehended at the airport by police, but are released when another Hawkeye/Mockingbird robbery is radioed in. Upon arrival, Hawkeye discovers that Screaming Mimi (Songbird) and Angar are impersonating them. The two are captured and turned over to police.

Loki arrives at jail to talk to the Mad Thinker. The Mad Thinker explains that Loki's plan is going to fail. The Thinker realizes that if the government passes the Superpower Registration Act then many of his long term plans will be spoiled and escapes prison. Wonder Man and Wasp attend an anti-registration rally only to be attack by Gargantua.

Overview

The most exciting and comprehensive Marvel handbook is finally here! Beginning a twelve-volume guide to the Marvel Universe with more than 100 huge entries in each tome! This issue – from 1602 to Blackwulf! Spotlighting people (Angel, Annihilus, Ant-Man, Apocalypse, Arachne, Ares, Aurora, Banshee, Baron Zemo, Beast, Beta Ray Bill, Bishop, Black Bolt, Black Knight, Black Panther, Black Widow), places (Atlantis), teams (AIM, Acolytes, Agents of Atlas, Alpha Flight, Avengers), species (Badoon), alternate realities (2020, 2099, the Age of Apocalypse) and more!

Gamma Flight enters the fray between Alpha Flight and the contingent of super-villains from America that are being mystically controlled by Llan the Sorcerer. Gamma Flight and Alpha Flight team together and Witchfire uses her magic to stop Llan's influence over the super-villains, causing them all to collapse on the ground. Nemesis then tells Alpha Flight that Gamma Flight has been charged to take them into custody since they did not disband from the last time they have met.

This is an "Acts Of Vengence" crossover issue.

The Avengers West Coast must handle the machinations and monsters of the Mole Man. Magneto makes a move to save his daughter, the Scarlet Witch, against one of Mole Man's monsters.

'Acts Of Vengence' crossover issue.

This story takes place before Avengers #313 and Avengers West Coast #55.

The major villains in the Marvel Universe have agreed to work together and exchange enemies in order to defeat them once and for all.

The Core initially met with success in their endeavor sending Graviton against Spider-Man. Despite his clear victory, he left Spider-Man buried under one collapsed floor of the Daily Bugle and left for dead. As it has been proven time and time again, that trick never works.

His next encounter with the Trapster had a similar outcome: encased in his special adhesive from head to toe and left for dead at the bottom of the East River. Again Spider-Man escaped certain death.

After his losses, he is exposed to an unknown energy source in a laboratory accident that greatly augments his existing powers and grants him new ones. The Trapster is the first to discover that Spider-Man is no longer a known quantity.

Every super-villain that has been assigned to fight Spider-Man has met with defeat:

Doom sent a mind-controlled Titania to attack Spider-Man. She ultimately met with defeat when he used his new energy powers. Magneto became directly involved but soon abandoned the fight when he realized that they were stalemated. The Brothers Grimm was easily defeated once Spider-Man used his new power of transmutation to prevent to destruction of Madison Square Garden. Goliath suffered a near fatal heart attack when Doom increases his powers to fight the enhanced Spider-Man. The Hulk - hired by Sebastian Shaw - becomes the world's biggest astronaut when he attacked Spider-Man on Roosevelt Island. A Super Solider contingency android code-named T.E.S.S.-One was destroyed. Dragon Man was quickly defeated when he tracked Spider-Man (as Peter) to a subway station.

Two questions remains unanswered: where did these new powers come from, and is there a reason behind them?

Plot

Three days ago: Sebastian Shaw inspects his new prototype Sentinels. He ruminates how Spider-Man's new powers may enable him to destroy these - or any other - Sentinels since he has been known to aid mutants in the past. This would cause a setback in his work with the U.S. government on Project Nimrod, a program designed to kill mutants. The irony is that Shaw is a mutant as well.

Shaw's underlings have discovered a possible link between Dr. Max Lubisch's at Emprie State University and the first manifestation of Spider-Man's powers. Shaw arrives at Lubisch's lab and blackmails him into using his modifying his machine to negate the powers it gave Spider-Man. Lubisch protests but is quickly silenced at the thought of having his secret exposed to the Board of Directors.

Today: At Mary Jane's suggestion, Peter puts on his costume to web-swing around town to lighten his mood. He was obsessing on the origin and purposes of his new powers.

Graviton returns to New York after the Acts of Vengeance campaign has failed and the main villains have disbanded. He has discovered that Spider-Man survived his attack and is looking for a rematch.

Loki, the mastermind behind the AOV strategy, looks at Earth and decides that since he couldn't defeat the Avengers (the primary reason for this campaign) he can still have a consolation prize. Using his magic he fuses Shaw's prototype sentinels into one massive Tri-Sentinel. He then sends it toward Long Island programmed to destroy the Amity Point Nuclear Plant.

Peter's spider-sense goes off the charts and quickly learns of the Tri- Sentintel's attack on the nuclear plant. Before he can react to that situation, Graviton spots him and increases his personal gravity a few thousand times, causing him to fall toward the street. Pressed for time, he blasts Graviton with a powerful bolt of energy, sending him crashing into a parked car. The impact leaves him reeling. Spider-Man quickly makes his way to Amity Point.

Having completed the modifications to his energy projector, Lubisch and Shaw fly around town in Shaw's aircraft in order to find Spider-Man. His brief interaction with Graviton causes a brilliant flash of light that enables them to quickly find him. Lubisch activates his projector and hits Spider-Man full force.

Instead of negating his powers, it completes them. He quickly finds himself in the guise of Captain Universe with full knowledge of what's transpired. A cosmic entity called the Enigma Force foresaw the Tri-Sentinel's attack on the power plant and selected Spider-Man to combat it. Unfortunately Lubisch's machine blocked part of the transfer. In Spider-Man's own words, "I got the power without the awareness". Clear of mind and purpose, he heads for Amity Point intent on stopping the nuclear meltdown.

During their battle, the sentinel cracks one of the containment towers. Despite the obvious risk, he turns his back to the sentinel, and focuses his energies on resealing the tower. The Tri-Sentinel grabs him with telescoping coils and exposes him to a potent gas. With the additional powers of Captain Universe, he is able to withstand the fumes.

He renews his attack, but these efforts prove futile. The robot is preparing to destroy the power plant until Sebastian Shaw triggers a failsafe in the Tri-Sentinel. The failsafe was added in each one of them in case they went rogue. This momentarily halts the giant in its tracks.

Unaware and frankly unconcerned with what just happened, Spider-Man knows what needs to happen next. Just as the robot manages to override the failsafe and resume its attack, he summons all the power from the Enigma Force - at a great risk to himself - and disintegrates the Tri-Sentinel.

Impressed at Spider-Man's heroics, Shaw leaves satisfied that he lives another day. For his part Spider-Man passes out due to extreme fatigue after the Enigma Force leaves. He is awakened by approaching sirens and he gradually makes his way back to Manhattan for some additional rest. With time his spider- powers enable him to make a full recovery.

Later on as Peter and Mary Jane try to spend some time together, Flash stops by to introduce them to his new girlfriend - Felicia Hardy.

In Hong Kong, Matsuo Tsurayaba approaches the Mandarin with an offer of an alliance between his organization and the Hand, a ruthless clan of assassins. Matsuo's deal is for the Hand to help the Mandarin build an empire unparalleled by any in the past, in exchange for gainful employment in its service. To begin their alliance, Matsuo offers a gift; that of an ultimate assassin. This assassin is the long missing Psylocke, who has emerged from the Siege Perilous amnesiac and found by the Hand. Her body has been transformed into an asian one. However, before Psylocke can become the pawn the Hand requires, Matsuo puts Psylocke through a telepathic brainwashing that forces her, within her mind, to fight and kill her old teammates. Part of her astral battles takes place in the Body Shoppe run by Spiral and Mojo, suggesting their involvement in the physical changes made to her body.

Wolverine is in a state of stasis as the mind controlled Pylocke monitors his psychic condition, which is not well. He is at a point of psychic despair, as he is in a similar state to the state he was in during Weapon X. His bestial form is about to come out due to the circumstances. Jubilee is also captured by Matsuo Tsurayaba.

After a brief escape attempt by Jubilee, which is foiled by The Mandarin. He also attacks Matsuo and the Hand, as they attempted to command him around in his own house. Matsuo apologizes and is rebunked.

On Muir Isle, Banshee, Forge, Sharon Friedlander, and Moira MacTaggert are training. All of them seem to be tired and wary of their situation. Lorna Dane is trapped in Proteus' old room, and cannot escape as Legion has trapped her their. Back in Hong Kong, Jubilee is presented to Mandarin.

Psylocke is still fiddling with Wolverine's mind, showing him phantom versions of Jean Grey, Mariko Yashida, and Yukio. Wolverine defeats her in pyschic combat, and breaks free from the cage. After defeating him once more, Psylocke presents him to Mandarin, but Jubilee manages to get free.

Psylocke reveals that it was all a ruse, and her and Jubilee attack Mandarin. With the help of Wolverine, all three of them defeat Mandarin and get on a ship, sailing to an unknown location. Psylocke reveals her story as well.