155 Chapter 155
The power Mark bestowed upon Arachnid was the "Power of the Universe."
Yes, something akin to the Cosmic Spider-Man. More or less.
The Cosmic Spider-Man is a Captain Universe version, chosen by a mysterious force.
Its nature is quite similar to that of a symbiote, requiring a host to unleash its effects.
Its fundamental ability is to amplify the host's attributes, including strength, endurance, agility, physique, and also grant additional abilities such as energy manipulation, object manipulation, flight, among others.
However, its power is highly subjective.
When the host's will is weak or lacks confidence, it can only unleash surface-level strength.
But when the host's will is resolute, it can display strength equivalent to that of a universal-level singular entity.
Moreover, unlike symbiotes that are called four-dimensional beings but existing as physical entities, this entity known as "Uni-Power" is an energy spirit.
Unlike symbiotes that can attach to anyone, it only attaches to someone of pure and kind heart during a major crisis in the universe, making them the Captain Universe.
After the crisis, it detaches from the host and continues roaming the universe.
Hence, many, many superheroes have been, possessed by it, like Doctor Strange, the Hulk, and such.
Spider-Man is one of them.
However, although most universes' Spider-Men gained the Uni-Power's power during significant events, they reverted to their original selves after the events.
Only a few Spider-Men continued to retain this power.
One of them being the Cosmic Spider-Man of Earth-13.
Unfortunately, this guy was a bit reckless. During the Spider-Verse's major event, he gave the Inheritor's family head, Solus, an opportunity to directly drain his life force, causing a major loss to the Spider Camp.
Mark intended to locate this universe and give the guy a heads up, but he hadn't found the location of Earth-13 yet.
After all, there were far too many dimensions across countless worlds, especially in this massive amalgamation of animation and comics.
Even after narrowing down to worlds with "Spider-Man" as a primary filter, eliminating those without Spider-Men, there were still an incredible number of options.
To pinpoint more accurately, he'd need more specific criteria.
Another method was to use his web of fate to sense messages transmitted by Spider-Men. Although other Spider-Men didn't have a web of fate or weren't on his web, he could sense when they faced extreme danger and precisely teleport there.
As for why he didn't use "Cosmic Spider-Man" as a filter, that was because there was more than one Spider-Man who had gained this ability.
For instance, Spider-Man from Universe 616 used this ability to deal with the Grey Hulk.
The Spider-Man from Universe 91110 also transformed into the Cosmic Spider and beat up Thor, but unfortunately, later, his Cosmic Spider power was taken away by Doctor Doom.
So, if Mark uses "Cosmic Spider-Man" as the filtering criterion, he might likely reach periods when Spider-Men from other universes held the Cosmic Spider power, not the present.
Such an outcome might just create a new parallel universe, offering no real benefits for the current situation.
Back to the point.
The power Mark has now given Arachnid is akin to the Cosmic Spider's power.
However, despite losing its technically abstract entity, the Beyonder, who sacrificed their consciousness to return to the world itself, the world didn't go unstable as Mark took control of it.
At this moment, Mark is essentially this universe's abstract entity.
With his authorization, Arachnid can temporarily borrow this universe's power.
Of course, because this universe's energy is already scarce, the power of Cosmic Spider Arachnid is definitely weaker than the usual Cosmic Spider-Man.
But weakness is relative.
Compared to other Spider-Men, this "Cosmic Spider Arachnid," equipped with this weakened version of universal power, has already made a considerable leap.
However, Arachnid's combat abilities aren't particularly outstanding; after all, he was originally just a performer.
This is a choice made out of necessity.
Who else does he have on hand except Arachnid, who can be somewhat useful?
Of the remaining three, Mary Jane and Benjamin Parker lack combat abilities, and May Parker hasn't recovered from the grief of losing her loved one.
Arachnid is the only one who can be of some use.
The good news is that although Arachnid enjoys the arts, at least he's a "Peter" and has a lot of ambition.
Upon his return, Mark observed Arachnid tirelessly training himself.
Now, he can only trust that Arachnid can guard this world during his absence.
---
After turning Arachnid into "Cosmic Spider Arachnid," Mark let him find a place to acclimate to his newly acquired power.
Moreover, to protect what little energy remained in this world, Mark advised Arachnid not to use the power of the universe unless absolutely necessary.
Meanwhile, Mark continued to close his eyes, carefully sensing the fluctuations on the web of fate.
The death of Spider-Man 982 served as a wake-up call.
Even though he could perceive the emotional fluctuations emitted by Spider-Men when they encountered near-death crises through the web of fate, precisely because these signals came at "near-death" moments, it might mean he's slightly too late, just a small step behind.
Therefore, he must now focus entirely on monitoring these signals, striving to detect and rush there at the very first moment!
The Black Widow is among the most well-known and highly venomous spiders among various poisonous spiders.
When bitten by an average spider, there's usually only localized swelling and pain, rarely causing a systemic reaction. However, a bite from the lethal Black Widow spider causes systemic poisoning, and in severe cases, it may even lead to death.
In many worlds across the multiverse, most Spider-Men are very kind-hearted, yet there are a few who are as ruthless and vicious as the Black Widow spider within the Spider-Family.
There exists such an individual in one of the worlds.
Same starting point.
Peter Parker, an "ordinary" high school tech enthusiast with average living conditions, was bitten by a mutated Black Widow spider with a skull pattern on its back during a science exhibition hosted by the Osborn Corporation.
Instead of succumbing to poisoning or illness, he gained superpowers as a result.
Subsequently, despite his modest means, he disguised himself and infiltrated the underground boxing scene, becoming a successful underground fighter, winning match after match.
Fortunately, the event organizers appreciated him and provided him with a larger platform, recommending him to participate in better opportunities, such as reality shows.
Initially, Parker only aimed to earn money to slightly improve his life, like buying the camera he'd always dreamed of.
Thus, although he felt somewhat like a monkey in a zoo being observed, he accepted the organizers' goodwill, striving to earn more money.
This was because Aunt May and Uncle Ben were the only two people in this world who were truly kind to Parker. They recognized his talent and did everything possible, even cutting back on their own comforts, to ensure that financial struggles didn't overshadow his potential.
Since childhood, he remembered Uncle Ben's teachings - "With great power comes great responsibility."
However, compared to other Peter Parkers, this one had his own unique interpretation of this phrase.
He felt that with his newfound abilities, he had a greater responsibility towards them and himself. (A/N: If Spider-Man was in The Boys verse.)
Wanting to utilize these powers to improve their lives as much as possible, he designed a sleek black spider-skull suit and web shooters as his "performance outfit."
He showcased a trick on several shows, entangling the hosts in spider webs, which garnered huge success and unanimous praise from the audience.
It was then that he began to realize the potential legend of the "Human Spider," perhaps even capable of becoming a global sensation!
And with that, immense wealth would come his way.
Enough to change everything, ensuring a prosperous life for himself, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben.
"This is the best way to 'take responsibility'!" Parker thought with a proud sense of accomplishment.
As for the other parts of this world... let them be.
Indeed, what did it matter to him?
He was just an ordinary person who accidentally gained superpowers.
Fighting crime?
Was that the responsibility of an ordinary person?
Certainly not.
For an ordinary person, causing no trouble for others or society was the best way to "take responsibility."
If things continued this way, perhaps this world wouldn't have a Spider-Man but rather a "Spider Celebrity."
However, fate had other plans.
Accidents always happened so suddenly, catching people off guard.
After a particular underground boxing match, Parker was counting his money backstage when a security guard chased someone past him, shouting, "Stop that thief!"
Parker, indifferent and absorbed in counting, retorted without looking up, "Sorry, buddy, haven't seen anyone. And ensuring there's no theft here should be your responsibility."
The incident was soon forgotten.
He assumed it would blow over.
However, one day, upon returning home, he received a notification:
"Peter Parker? Regrettably, son, your uncle has been shot, and the culprit is a thief."
And just like that, another Parker's world collapsed.
But he didn't have time to console the devastated Aunt May. Instead, he immediately headed to the abandoned warehouse where the police had surrounded the culprit.
As the perpetrator aimed a gun at him, Parker's Spider-Sense kicked in for the first time.
Evading and attacking, the assailant was caught off guard by Parker's movements and was subdued.
However, upon a closer look at the person he had captured, Parker realized it was the same thief he had let go earlier – the one who had killed Uncle Ben.
°°°
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