him while Mary Jane & Kitty Pryde team up and try to save him in time. Notes: The Shocker invented many of his devices while working for Roxxon and reveals that the supposed pharmaceutical company is a weapons manufacturer. War of the Symbiotes (#123–128) Published: August 2008 – January 2009 Creative Team: Bendis / Immonen Plot outline: Eddie Brock explains about his alter-ego, "Venom", to random people before eating them. The Beetle appears and eventually fights Spider-Man. Afterwards the Beetle steals a piece of Venom and they get into a fight, and the Venom suit temporarily returns to Spider-Man before being removed by the Ultimates. The Ultimates take the symbiote away while Gwen Stacy escapes and returns to Peter's house. After threatening Peter at school, Eddie shows up at Peter's house and gets into a fight with Spider-Man and Carnage, regrowing the symbiote in the process. Venom turns into even more of a monster when he absorbs the Carnage symbiote and he escapes while a healthy Gwen lives with Peter again. Plus, the Beetle successfully captures and neutralizes Venom and takes him to Latveria. First appearances: Adrian Toomes, Beetle Notes: This arc is partly based on the Ultimate Spider-Man video game, loosely adapting it into Ultimate Universe canon. It changes or shortens much of the game over the course of several flashbacks, eventually leading up to the present day. Annual #3 Published: October 2008 Creative Team: Bendis / David Lafuente Plot outline: During a conversation about their lives and the dangers of Peter being Spider-Man, Mary Jane broaches the topic of having sex with Peter but doesn't fully ask him, making him confused. Mary Jane becomes embarrassed and afraid, making her unable to talk to Peter for a while. The next day Peter meets a sympathetic police lieutenant who enlists Spider-Man's aid in finding and arresting a bank robber dubbed "Mysterio". After a failed attempt to capture Mysterio, Peter goes to talk with Mary Jane about her avoiding him and she reveals her worries that he will break up with her because she doesn't want to have sex yet, as Flash Thompson has done so with Liz Allen. Peter reassures her will never pressure her to do it and won't break up with her over it, and that he's fine with waiting. When he professes his love and desire to marry her, the two share a kiss. First appearances: Mysterio