Alright, I've been throwing the Lizard/Kraven idea around in my head for a long time now, and I'd really like to get some of my ideas out. This is just a basic outline, and I'll add to it and refine it as time goes, but I'd like to hear some feedback.
Spider-Man 4
Act I:
-opens with Spider-Man and Captain Stacy working to together to catch a criminal (Shocker?), the media plays up the partnership between Spidey and Stacy as a major crime deterrent
-after graduating, Peter accepts an invitation to work with Connors and Miles Warren on a breakthrough experiment
-scenes of Connors eating breakfast with his family, neglecting them to concentrate more on his work
-Connors decides to test the finalized serum on himself, transforming into the Lizard, trashing the lab, and knocking out Warren (this is late at night so Peter isn't present)
-Kraven comes to New York to showcase an exhibition of his trophies, establish some personal moments between Kraven and his servant where he talks about how he is still unfulfilled and needs one last great hunt
-Peter and Captain Stacy are both present for the opening of Kraven's exhibit when the Lizard appears
-first battle between Spidey and Lizard, Captain Stacy is crushed to death after saving a child from fallen rubble, Lizard escapes to sewers
-Kraven, after seeing the battle, views the Lizard as that final hunt he's been looking for
-Jameson begins a smear campaign by blaming Spidey for Captain Stacy's death
-in the wake of Captain Stacy's death (which pushes Peter and Gwen together as she looks for comfort), Kraven announces to the city that he will hunt the Lizard
Act II
-Warren finally wakes up and leaves the hospital, refusing to talk to the press, Peter (as Spider-Man) interrogates him and learns that Connors is the Lizard, tells Warren to start working on a cure that will reverse the transformation
-Peter returns home and hears a Lizard sighting over the police scanner, he confronts the Lizard and asks him to calm down (who just thrashes around and attacks Spidey)
-Kraven appears and attempts to capture the Lizard, Spider-Man prevents from doing so, allowing the Lizard to escape in the process
-the next day, Jameson begins promoting Kraven as the real hero, introduces Kraven to Peter so that he can learn more about Spider-Man, Kraven recognizes Peter's scent
-Lizard spies on Martha walking Billy to school
-Kraven follows Peter, using his hunting techniques to hide himself from spider sense, eventually sees Peter put on the Spidey costume and follows him to a meeting with Warren
-Warren says that the antidote is nearly finished, Spidey tells him to give the cure to his photographer and to hurry so that they can help Connors
-still hiding himself, Kraven overhears the conversation and learns that the Lizard is Connors
-the next day, seeing Peter talk with Gwen, Kraven kidnaps Gwen and uses her to lure Spider-Man into a trap
-shoots Spidey with a tranquilizer dart, buries him a la Kraven's Last Hunt
-Kraven visits the Connors household, kidnaps Martha
-thinking about all the people he's failed, and all the people he still needs to save, Peter bursts out of his grave
Act III:
-Peter returns to his apartment, where a worried MJ is ecstatic to see him and gives him a needle (the cure) that Warren left for him, Peter leaves to go find Connors
-Kraven brings Martha to Central Park, uses her to lure out and trap the Lizard, Kraven declares that he has finished his hunt at last
-Spidey appears, beats up Kraven (like Ock at the end of SM2), and frees Martha
-Lizard escapes, fatally wounds Kraven, knocks Spidey away, takes Martha, and flees to the sewers
-Kraven urges Spidey to follow and save his friend, tells him that his hunt has finished and he has nothing more to do
-Spidey goes into the sewers, fights Lizard, the two end up in the water and Peter plunges the needle into Lizard's chest just as the two go underwater
-Peter emerges from the water with Connors back to normal, takes Connors and Martha back home
-while Martha sleeps, Connors tells Peter about the importance of having someone to count on (juxtaposed with Kraven being buried by his servant)
-Peter takes the advice to heart, marries MJ
-Gwen asks Peter to come to her father's grave with her, the scene plays out exactly like SM1's final scene (i.e. Gwen says that being in danger made her realize she loves Peter, kisses him, he responds by saying that he'll always be her friend and that's all he can give)
-Peter walks away from Gwen, narrates on the importance of responsibility and commitment (whether a bite from a spider or a ring on his finger)
-final swing with MJ holding onto Spidey
Obviously, I have to add the whole Peter/MJ/Gwen story, and I also want to further reinforce the idea of Peter not wanting to fail Connors like he failed others (by having him visit Harry's grave, beat himself up over Captain Stacy's death, etc). But aside from that, what do you guys think?