Gwen instantly pivoted, pulling back the kick she'd been ready to deliver.
She wasn't confident she could handle both of them—the Green Goblin and the Lizard—at the same time.
But just as she braced for a two-on-one fight, something unexpected happened.
Dr. Curt Connors, mid-transformation and wild-eyed, suddenly grabbed Harry Osborn and slammed him hard onto the rooftop.
"Osborn, you treacherous little rat!" he snarled, voice guttural and twisted with rage.
"Y-You… what?!" Harry coughed, stunned and furious. "You're supposed to be attacking her! She's the one who destroyed your Ganali device—with that knightres!"
Gwen blinked. "Do all these villains just... fight each other by default?"
It left her momentarily confused. Should she take down Connors first? Or Harry?
"Forget it," she muttered, narrowing her eyes. "Jessica might need backup."
She turned toward the other side of the rooftop, where Jessica Drew and Peter Parker were still struggling against Venom.
Thwip!
She fired a web line—snaring Venom's ankles and pinning them to the ground.
But the black mass of symbiote surged outward, dissolving the webbing instantly.
"Yeah, that figures," Gwen muttered. "This guy's a nightmare…"
Knowing brute force wouldn't work, she held back, trying to think of a smarter tactic.
Meanwhile, Harry had scrambled back to his feet, his body surging with strength from the Goblin Serum.
"You're Connors! I know it's still you in there!" Harry shouted, trying a different approach.
Connors didn't lunge—yet. He growled, his scaly face twitching, and spat, "That's Norman's tech you're wearing. Who are you?"
Harry froze. The last thing he wanted was to be associated with his disgraced father.
He hesitated, then blurted out a half-lie.
"I'm not Osborn," he said quickly. "Not that Osborn. Look—I'm not your enemy. We could work together."
Connors narrowed his reptilian eyes.
"I can help you rebuild the Ganali device," Harry continued, nodding toward the ruined machinery. "Better tech. Better platform. Somewhere more secure."
Connors glanced at the shattered launcher. The temptation was obvious.
Across the roof, Gwen didn't trust it.
She was analyzing Venom's shifting form when her spider-sense buzzed—left side.
She leapt diagonally into the air just as a massive claw sliced through the air where she'd stood.
Connors again.
Before she could land, she tilted her head reflexively—whoosh!—just dodging Harry's glider, which shot past her like a missile.
"Oh great, back to teaming up again?" Gwen snapped, firing off twin webs to retreat. "Make up your minds already!"
She darted backwards across the rooftop, wondering—why is it always me getting ganged up on?
Meanwhile, Jessica spotted the ambush.
"Gwen's in trouble!" she shouted. "Nerd, keep this sludge monster busy—I'm going in!"
Peter yelled after her, "I'm literally being eaten here!"
Jessica ignored him and sprinted toward Gwen, dodging debris and lashing out with a kick.
Once again, Gwen was caught between Connors and Harry, both lunging at once.
This time, there was no backup symbiote to save her.
But then— Dadadadadada—!!
A rapid burst of gunfire cut through the chaos, sharp and aggressive.
Everyone froze. The distinct sound of an AK-style rifle echoed across the rooftop, catching even the attention of the NYPD surveillance drone hovering overhead.
It wasn't just the sound—it was the volume. Like a belt-fed machine gun had been unleashed.
The shots tore through the air—
Sparks erupted from Connors' torso as bullets struck him in rapid succession. His scaly hide burst open as blood and scales flew in every direction.
His massive form staggered backward, overwhelmed by the relentless barrage.
The Lizard was being ripped apart before their eyes.
"AHHH—!!" Connors screamed, overwhelmed. Even his regenerative abilities couldn't keep up with the rate of destruction.
"Who's firing?" Gwen spun toward the source of the bullets, following the flashing fire from the barrel.
There, at the top of the stairwell— Jack Kadere, standing tall and calm, held an extravagant, customized AK-47. His stance was steady, focused, as he unleashed a stream of bullets into Connors like a man mowing down weeds.
"Jack?!" Gwen gasped, surprised and relieved. Just as she processed that, Jessica Jones charged into the fray.
With a short run and a graceful leap, Jessica flew through the air and struck Harry Osborn—still dressed in his Green Goblin gear—from behind with the lightsaber. The impact shattered Harry's glider beneath his feet, sending him tumbling across the concrete.
Before Harry could recover, he felt searing heat across his neck.
Jessica had her blade inches from his throat. "Touch me again and I swear your head's coming off."
From his position, Jack muttered to himself, watching the confrontation. Why are they still holding back? He thought Gwen and Jessica were far too merciful.
Maybe it's that dumb line: "With great power comes great responsibility." It was affecting their morals.
Jack shook his head. That wouldn't do. They needed a wake-up call.
A violent, unambiguous one.
So, just as Connors staggered forward under the bullets, Jack suddenly ceased fire. "Oops," he said with mock innocence, "Out of ammo."
Connors' yellow eyes snapped open wide— After enduring the barrage, the Lizard's rage finally reached a boiling point.
"GO TO HELL!!"
With explosive force, Connors leapt forward— His monstrous claws lunged toward Jack at blinding speed. Gwen, caught off-guard, didn't have time to intervene.
The Lizard's huge green arm swung down in a deadly arc—
Jack simply smiled. At the very last moment, he leaned backward and propelled himself off the edge of the rooftop— To anyone watching, it looked like he'd been swatted straight off the building.
Connors blinked. "What…?"
He stared at his hand in confusion. There was no blood. No impact. Nothing.
Did… did I miss?
Did the serum give me psychic powers or something?
"NOOO!!" "BROTHER!!" Two panicked female voices screamed in unison.
Before Connors could even turn around, a blur of black, white, and pink streaked past him at lightning speed.
On the other side of the roof—
"Get out of my sight!" Jessica shouted. She kicked Harry Osborn with such force he flew across the roof, tumbling like a ragdoll and vomiting blood from the impact.
And then—
In the span of a heartbeat, Connors felt something cold slide across his back.
A split second later, nothing.
His towering, mutated body froze mid-lunge, his claws still outstretched, his fangs still bared. Then, with a wet, meaty shlick, his torso slid clean off his hips, followed by his arms separating at the shoulders, his legs detaching at the knees. Steaming green chunks of Lizard-meat hit the ground with grotesque, squelching thuds.
The one standing above them… was her.
Jessica.
The Knightress stood over his twitching remains, her armored boots planted in the pooling gore. Her mask was streaked with luminous green blood, her energy blade still humming with the afterglow of its killing stroke. Under the helmet, her breath came out in slow, controlled puffs of vapor—the only sign she'd even exerted herself.
Connors' mind briefly flickered back to life. In the final moment of clarity, he realized something—
It wasn't the Lizard formula that made me change.Something cursed me. Something was playing with me.
His last thought before oblivion:
"I got played… damn it."