WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #48 by Nick Spencer, Marcelo Ferreira, Roberto Poggi, David Curiel, & VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now
Orchestrated by Kindred, who has been haunting his dreams, Spider-Man has had to face old fears and an old enemy in the form of Sin-Eater. One of the few villains to nearly drive the hero to murder, the return of Sin-Eater has reminded Peter of the lives that have been lost since he put on the mask and has made him question his own ideas of right and wrong. Even with so many enemies preparing to crush him, and his worst enemy coming back, it seems that Peter will also have to face some of his greatest allies in the coming battle.
Since his resurrection, Sin-Eater has become quite the public sensation. No longer just murdering those he deems guilty, Sin-Eater's new power to literally wipe away the sins of villains, albeit with a shotgun, has made him a hero in the eyes of many people. With this newfound fame, the former police officer has built an army of like-minded individuals that also desire to take "justice" into their own hands. Infiltrating a gathering of the Sin-Eater's followers, Spider-Man learned that the next target deemed for redemption is none other than the Green Goblin himself, Norman Osborn.
Making his way to Ravencroft Institute, which Osborn now runs thanks to his membership in the Power Elite, Spider-Man calls in the help of both Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen to battle the waves of copycats rioting in the streets. While fighting, Spider-Man turns to his friends for advice on the current situation. Particularly, if he should allow Sin-Eater to turn the Green Goblin into a harmless and remorseful shell of his former self. While Peter has no intention of letting the murderer of Jean DeWolff run free, this moment also stands as the chance to finally ensure that Norman never hurts anyone ever again. In the end, this choice comes down to saving Osborn or possibly saving everyone that Peter cares about.
While Gwen tells Peter that it is his decision to make, Miles strongly argues that Osborn is too dangerous to protect. Julia Carpenter, Madame Web's successor, also warns him that Osborn will always be a threat as long as he is alive. However, Spider-Man puts aside his fears and swings in to help Osborn with his escape, sneaking a punch to the face before the actual rescuing. After making his choice, Julia is joined by Miles and Gwen, along with Spider-Woman, Silk, and Spider-Girl. Lamenting Peter's choice, each of Spider-Man's allies reaches the same conclusion when it comes to the problem that will always be Norman Osborn. In order to protect the greatest of the Spider-heroes, there is only one option: stop Spider-Man at any cost.
Each of these allies all has their own reason for wanting to prevent Osborn from ever hurting anyone again, even if it means fighting Spider-Man himself. As Miles made clear in his discussion with Peter, his motivation to leave Osborn to the Sin-Eater stems from his very origin. Looking back to his beginnings in the Ultimate universe, Miles recounts how he witnessed the death of Peter Parker at the hands of Ultimate Norman Osborn. Miles has seen just how similar his old and new worlds are to one another. Seeing these similarities, Miles fears that, although it hasn't happened yet, this Peter may still meet the same fate as the ultimate Peter did. By allowing Sin-Eater to eliminate the danger of the Goblin, Miles could finally save Spider-Man once and for all.
Although Spider-Gwen has never faced this version of the Green Goblin, her journeys through the multiverse have led her to encounter plenty of versions of Spider-Man's deadliest enemy. Also, as her super-heroics have led her to regularly traverse into the Prime Marvel Universe, Gwen has heard plenty about what happened to her counterpart in this world. Left to deal with the legacy that Gwen left behind, as the first of Peter's great loves, she understands the damage that a man like Osborn can inflict. Perhaps, by preventing his return, she can ensure that the wounds he left can be given the chance to heal.
The last time Norman attacked, many of Spider-Man's allies were gravely injured, including Miles and Silk, when they attempted to defeat the Red Goblin. After everything that he had done, from his "Dark Reign" to his takeover of New York City, these heroes know the true danger of the Green Goblin and of Norman Osborn. Peter's choice speaks to his overwhelming sense of responsibility to save those around him, even if it will hurt him in the future. With the Goblin already set to return, Spider-Man's allies will have to move fast if they are to knock some sense into their friend, as all of them prepare for the return of Osborn's brand of insanity.