Chapter 685: The Infinite U Event (Part One) (Patreon)

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Spider-Girl, real name May Parker, lived in a space where Peter Parker married Mary Jane and had her, inheriting her father's abilities.

However, tragedy struck when Morlun invaded. As a father, Peter sacrificed himself to protect his child, and Spider-Girl became the sole Spider-Man of that space.

Her abilities mirrored Peter Parker's, but what set her apart was her vendetta against Morlun, the killer of her father. Hence, she joined the Spider-Army, ready to exact revenge on the Inheritors.

SpiderGwen needs no introduction—a highly popular female hero. In her universe, it wasn't Peter Parker but Gwen Stacy who was bitten by the radioactive spider.

In this storyline, Peter Parker, seeking revenge against those who bullied him in high school, injected himself with a lizard serum, becoming Lizard Man. SpiderGwen fought to stop his rampage through New York, and in the end, Peter died in Gwen's arms.

Then there's Silk. Her origin is quite intriguing: the spider that bit Peter Parker also bit her, linking her and Spider-Man by blood. Consequently, whenever Spider-Man saw her, his reproductive instincts were awakened, and they were uncontrollably attracted to each other, often battling it out all the way to the bed.

As for the Amazing Spider-Man, his tale is widely known. Gwen died in an accident, while Mary Jane became a good friend. Correct, in the main universe's current setup, Mary Jane isn't Spider-Man's girlfriend but just a friend.

One could see the dilemma when all the Spider-People from different spaces met. The Amazing Spider-Man faced an extremely awkward situation with Mary Jane, Gwen, and Silk, entangled in complicated, indefinable relationships, and emotional chaos he couldn't possibly navigate.

Spider-Girl, arms folded, seemed to ask the Amazing Spider-Man, "Do you plan to betray my mother?" Gwen squinted, as if questioning, "Are you planning to betray the Gwen of your world?" At that moment, Silk stepped forward, making eye contact with the Amazing Spider-Man, instantly captivating him.

SpiderGwen, turning his head, stared at Silk. In her universe, Silk was a notorious villain, and they shared a bitter enmity. Even though she knew this Spider Web was different from her own, seeing her attitude still enraged SpiderGwen.

In Spider-Girl's life, Peter Parker was her loving father, devoted to her mother. Seeing a man identical to her father contemplating infidelity infuriated her.

Almost in a moment, all four's Spider-Senses triggered simultaneously. The Amazing Spider-Man rolled forward swiftly, dodging Spider-Girl's attack, while SpiderGwen swung into action. Her web line was severed by Silk. Adjusting her posture mid-air and landing, she glared at Silk.

Silk, far from backing down, swung a punch. The British Spider-Man dodged hastily, shouting, "Stop! Please, no more fighting!"

The other male Spider-Men were busy trying to mediate, but Schiller nonchalantly pulled up a chair, watching with interest as the Amazing Spider-Man was pursued from one side to the other.

Then, where Schiller landed, another beam of light flashed, revealing a new Spider-Man. As the light faded, this newcomer was also stunned.

Surveying the wreckage and the practically shattered floor, he was perplexed by the situation.

Schiller turned and noticed the new Spider-Man, also in a red and black combat suit, but with four spider-like mechanical arms extending from his back.

The tentacled Spider-Man stood still, mouth agape, uncertain whether to speak, given the bizarre scene.

It appeared SpiderGwen, Spider-Girl, and Silk were in conflict, all while pursuing the Amazing Spider-Man. Scarlet Spider-Man Kaine, British Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Spider-Woman seemed to be mediating but were also embroiled in the chaos.

Internal conflicts among the Spider-Men should have been rare, especially now, facing a common enemy. The more mature Spider-Men would normally prevent such occurrences, but now, they were caught in the heated battle with no signs of stopping.

At that moment, the tentacled Spider-Man spotted an unusual figure—a man not in a combat suit and not Peter Parker, sitting and watching the brawl intently.

Schiller, turning his head, sized up the new Spider-Man, noticing his mechanical appendages. A look of recognition crossed his face.

This was yet another popular Spider-Man character, known as Doctor Parker, also referred to as the Ultimate Spider-Man.

In the Ultimate Spider-Man's universe, Doctor Octopus "Otto" had suffered grave injuries during his years of battling Spider-Man. To deceive Death itself, he switched bodies with Spider-Man, Peter Parker.

In other words, the Spider-Man who has appeared is actually Doctor Octopus, Otto Octavius, in possession of Spider-Man's body and all his formidable powers.

The backstory here is indeed complex, but in short, Otto didn't want to die. So, he orchestrated a conspiracy to switch bodies with Peter Parker. However, after the switch, Peter didn't want Otto to prevail, leading him to confront Otto to switch back.

Utilizing a special material to shield his brain, Otto thwarted Peter's attempt. In his final moments, Peter forced Otto to experience his entire life, making him understand the reason behind "with great power comes great responsibility." Subsequently, Peter Parker passed away, and "Otto Parker" took up his mantle, becoming the Spider-Man of that particular dimension.

This character is popular precisely because he is a more ruthless version of Spider-Man. Unlike the Spider-Man of the main universe, Otto Parker, the Ultimate Spider-Man, kills. He didn't stop there; using his intellect and abilities, he blinded Vulture, created a mechanical army, and crushed Kingpin's criminal empire.

Otto Parker's philosophy is one of the ends justifying the means, a doctrine of violent retribution and authoritarianism. He surveils the entire city, threatens the mayor, falls out with all members of the Avengers, unrestrainedly uses his powers, and employs extreme measures and violence. Otto Parker is more than just a darker version of Spider-Man; he's akin to a tyrant within that world.

Some also argue that Otto Parker's actions are increasingly aligning with DC's Batman, a character archetype that always has a unique charm, contributing to Otto's popularity.

Schiller recalled these plots, his memory hazy on certain comic details. But he remembered an important scene in Otto Parker's story where a significant laboratory explosion in his dimension caused him to be transported to the year 2099. There, he uncovered a conspiracy by the Inheritors against the Carnage Spider-Man. To resolve the threat posed by these vampires, he formed a Multiversal Spider-Team.

Now, the Spider-Team led by the Amazing Spider-Man, not including himself, consists of eight members—the ones currently brawling in the hall. Otto Parker's Spider-Team, also excluding himself, has six Spider-Men.

Combined, the two teams have sixteen Spider-Men. In the "Spider-Verse" comic, there are about twenty foregrounded, not background, Spider-Men. Realizing the fighters in the hall are only half of them, Schiller felt an even bigger headache coming on. With over twenty Spider-Men together, there couldn't be a noisier place in the entire multiverse.

As Schiller pondered whether to throw Otto out to prevent the other half from arriving, Otto approached him. He stepped forward, sizing up Schiller, and asked, "Are you also Spider-Man? Which dimension are you from? What's your relationship with Peter Parker?"

Stunned by Otto's directness—no unnecessary adjectives, no tone indicators, no lengthy life details, not even needless pauses—Schiller relaxed. This was a Spider-Man who wasn't verbose. He smiled, stepping forward to shake hands with Otto, introducing himself, "Hi, I'm Schiller Rodriguez. I'm not Spider-Man, just a psychologist who stumbled in here. What's your name?"

"Peter... Parker," Otto replied.

Schiller smiled again, then looking into his eyes, asked, "Peter, can you answer a question for me?"

Otto, silent, didn't respond, but in the moment of eye contact with Schiller, he understood they were kindred spirits, different from all the other Spider-Men.

"Don't worry, it's just a small test. Perhaps you'll understand. A researcher always needs various inspirations, and your answer might enlighten me," Schiller assured.

"What do you want to ask?" Otto inquired, looking into Schiller's eyes.

"If someone's entire memories and personality were implanted into another person's mind, does that mean he has been reborn?"

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 686: The Infinite U Event (Part Two)