On the verge of a nervous breakdown, Peter Parker, now studying physics at the University of Columbia, learns the hard way that life has just got tougher. It's been two short years since Norman Osborn's death in Spider-Man (2002), and Mary Jane is now giving up on Peter and Aunt May faces imminent foreclosure. As Parker tries to find his feet, uncertain of whether he wants to be a crime-fighter or not, a freak accident in the name of science gives birth to a new super-villain: the obsessed, multi-tentacled mad scientist, Doc Ock. This time, when the world most needs him, Peter must choose between remaining faithful to his calling or staying away from Mary Jane, the girl of his dreams. Will Peter Parker embrace his destiny as Spider-Man, New York City's defender?—Nick Riganas