Amazing Spider-Man #26 (2023)

Nine months ago, Kamala Khan was interviewed for her applied internship. When asked why she wanted to work for OsCorp, Kamala answered that she became aware of Norman Osborn's work and wanted to learn more. While the interviewer asks if Kamala can keep up with Norman's fast process, Kamala answers that she'll do whatever it takes, and got her internship. In the Present Day, Spider-Man meets up with Mary Jane after her call, with her telling him of Benjamin Rabin's return as The Emissary and that she left Owen and Romy with Paul. Gold Goblin arrives and updates Mary Jane that his team is securing them and is offering his help before Ms. Marvel arrives to offer aid also. Within the tornado of his arrival, Rabin recounts his death allowed him to travel through death. He became the vessel of Wayep's power, now seeking to kill Mary Jane to solidify his rebirth into a new God of Death. Spider-Man shouts at how Rabin ruined his life and will make him regret returning, but Rabin reveals that Wayep's power surges in his form, mutating him part-way into Wayep's visage as he aims to kill Mary Jane to complete his ascension ceremony. The heroes retaliate while protecting Mary Jane, but Rabin reveals he prepared beforehand as he etched glyphs in a park to summon a Xibalba dragon to aid in his death march. Gold Goblin flies off to delay the dragon as Rabin gaslights Mary Jane, seeing she still carries his bindings: her family. Rabin calls out how the kids and Paul are not from her world, asking if he ever disclosed his true origins. In a flashback, Peter reached Mary Jane's apartment to confront Paul, willing to let Peter hit him again but Peter explained he exercised restraint last time. However, Peter explained his arrival was to confront Paul, having done a background check on Benjamin Rabin to find Paul doesn't exist. While Mary Jane tries to interject, Peter resumes his deduction that Paul is native to the dead Earth he was found on, so Paul reluctantly reveals his real name: Paul Jeremiah Rabin. Peter scolds Paul for hiding his relation to The Emissary, leading Paul to strike Peter to little effect and clarifying that the Emissary was his father. Paul continued that he hated him after his betrayal led to the death of his world, so Paul killed him. When Peter and Mary Jane brought the Rabin from Earth-616 to him, Paul killed him again and followed Mary Jane to Earth-616, where he was never born. When Peter calls him out for lying and withholding that information, Mary Jane reveals she already knew everything about his pain and guilt, which was part of what made him a good man-- asking if that sounded familiar to Peter. In the present, Spider-Man and Mary Jane reveal they already know Paul's backstory, and Rabin reminds her that she "accepted" his bindings, having kept them close to her heart, casting a spell to undo her bindings and erasing the kids from existence in front of Paul. Rabin brags about how he drew the kids into existence and easily erased them, "bringing" them home. This enrages Mary Jane to the point of activating her power watch and shouting how she will kill Rabin, blasting him across the street. She still aims to kill Rabin despite Spider-Man's warning that Rabin is targeting her and how they need to be smart about this, just as the Fantastic Four arrive. When Spider-Man asks why they're not dealing with the dragon, Reed clarifies that they are checking up on him, and Johnny chimes in that a "thank you" is appropriate after Reed improvised a flying car to come help. Reed reminds Peter that they have been close friends for many years and will handle the monster to let him save Mary Jane. Across the street, Mary Jane faces Rabin, but her newest power is a healing light, allowing Rabin to grab her for the kill, only to be stopped by Ms. Marvel and punched further away. Reminding Mary Jane that she is Rabin's target, and her death will ascend him to godhood, she agrees to flee and Spider-Man assigns Ms. Marvel to guard her. Gold Goblin battles the dragon across town, calling Peter for advice when he sees a "data stream" flame breath. Confused by Peter's warning to avoid contact as the symbols will alter at a quantum level, he is snared by the dragon's tail until Johnny and Ben arrive to support him. Despite Spider-Man's threats, Rabin tells him that he can see snapshots of the future-- Mary Jane pierced by his blade and dying in Spider-Man's arms. But as Spider-Man starts bludgeoning Rabin, the villain uses Wayep's space-time traversal powers and escapes, causing Spider-Man to race to Mary Jane. Gold Goblin relays Spider-Man's report on the glyphs being quantum data of some kind, so Reed directs Johnny to weld a symbol into the dragon's head that causes the monster to disintegrate. As the heroes move to Mary Jane, Ms. Marvel protects her from a teleporting Rabin before splitting up in an alleyway. Rabin arrives soon after and pinchers Mary Jane, teleporting in front and while also stabbing her from behind. With the ceremony done, Rabin begins to transform as Peter unmasks himself to cradle a mortally wounded Mary Jane, but Wayep's spirit decries Rabin as blasphemous and kills him. With Rabin dead, Peter finds Mary Jane was a disguised Ms. Marvel, as the real Mary Jane was with his heroic allies, and Kamala unmasks herself to Peter to share her secret identity. With her regeneration not working, Kamala asks if she did good and Peter affirms she did "so good" as Kamala dies in Peter's arms, repeating her "good is a thing you do" mantra. While Norman realizes Kamala was monitoring him with her internship, Peter explains that she was being a hero. Paul shows up, confirming to Mary Jane that the kids are gone, devastating her as she hugs Paul for comfort. Everyone stands devastated in the alleyway.