The docks of New York's underdistrict on Earth-731 were a graveyard of rusted ships, their skeletal frames casting jagged shadows under the neon glow of 2030. Peter Parker, now Mad Spider, stood atop a crumbling crane, his blood-red costume a stark contrast to the gray rain. His spider-powers—strength, agility, regeneration—kept him alive, but the pain from Oscorp's electroshock torture burned relentlessly, a pulse that fueled his Joker-like madness. He laughed, a sharp, unhinged sound, as he surveyed the city's bounty screens flashing his and Gwen Stacy's faces. "They're throwing us a parade, Gwenny," he quipped, his voice dripping with chaos. Gwen, clutching her stolen tablet, stood beside Razor, the pit fighter, her blue eyes fierce despite the weight of their fugitive life. "We need allies, Peter," she said, her voice steady. "Cipher's out there, and she's rallying what's left of the Neon Shadows."
Flashback: At 15, Peter and Gwen sat on a Queens rooftop, sharing dreams under the stars. "I'll protect you," he promised, his smile shy. Gwen's heart swelled, her love unspoken. Days later, Oscorp took him, shattering that promise.
The Neon Shadows had scattered after the server raid, but Cipher's signal had led them here. In a rusted warehouse, the hacker stood with a dozen survivors—hackers, fighters, outcasts—united by hate for Oscorp. "You're a legend, Spider," Cipher said, her neon-green hair glowing. "But you're also a target." Peter's grin was sharp. "Good. Makes it easier to hit 'em back." Gwen shared the vault's data—schematics for neural implants to control superhumans. "Norman's building an army," she said. "We need to broadcast this, wake the city." The Shadows nodded, inspired but wary of Peter's growing darkness.
Peter trained them, his spider-senses guiding their drills. He swung through the warehouse, webbing targets with precision, his Deadpool-like banter masking the pain flaring in his body. "Hit hard, love soft!" he laughed, winking at Gwen. But his violence worried her—during a spar, he nearly broke a fighter's arm, his laughter cold. "Peter," she whispered, pulling him aside. Their ritual began, her touch soothing his burning nerves, a quiet intimacy that steadied his madness. "You're scaring them," she said. "You're scaring me." Peter's eyes softened, raw. "I'm trying, Gwen. For you." Flashback: At 19, Gwen watched Peter's torture through a lab window, her heart breaking as his screams turned to laughter, madness taking root.
The Shadows planned a broadcast hack, using the city's holo-screens to expose Oscorp's plans. Peter's charisma rallied them, his humor a spark in the gloom. "We're the underdogs," he said, grinning. "And underdogs bite hardest." But his pain flared mid-plan, dropping him. Gwen's ritual was desperate, their bond a lifeline. Cipher watched, uneasy. "He's a liability," she muttered to Razor. Gwen overheard, her jaw tight. "He's our only shot."
As they prepared, a Blackweb transmission crackled: Norman had Gwen's face on every screen, labeling her the key to catching Mad Spider. "They're using me," she said, her voice steady but scared. Peter's laughter was cold. "Let 'em try. They'll get me instead." But Cipher's scans revealed a trap—Blackweb was closing in, using Gwen as bait. Peter's spider-senses screamed as drones swarmed the docks, their lasers cutting through the rain.
The fight was chaos. Mad Spider swung through the warehouse, webbing drones and operatives, his regeneration healing wounds instantly. "Bad day to crash my party!" he taunted, his violence teetering into villainy. Gwen hacked a drone, redirecting its fire, while Razor and the Shadows fought back. But Blackweb operatives targeted Gwen, their shock-batons glowing. Peter's rage erupted, his webbing snapping necks before Gwen's shout stopped him. "Peter, don't!" He froze, his madness wavering, but it was too late—Blackweb grabbed Gwen, dragging her into a van as drones covered their retreat.
Cliffhanger: Mad Spider roars, swinging after the van, his laughter wild with rage. "You don't touch her!" he screams, as the city's screens flash Gwen's capture, Norman's trap tightening.