That's why he hadn't made a move against Spider-Man.
During the last Hydra Serpent God invasion, he couldn't hold back, but it let him witness Spider-Man's terrifying "stronger with every death" ability firsthand.
Plus, he knew his Four Horsemen weren't truly loyal.
Even if he captured Spider-Man, during the body-snatching ritual, a betrayal from Erik or the others would spell disaster.
That's why he "forgave" Spider-Man.
The timing just wasn't right.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Apocalypse suppressed his fear.
He took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes. "Interesting bug. State your real purpose."
Charlie was pleased with Apocalypse's attitude.
Finally, a point in his favor.
He grinned. "Originally, I planned to take you down. You know, this resurrection's bound to make me stronger. But since you forgave me, I guess I'll forgive you."
"Get to the point," Apocalypse said, his face darkening.
"There's a group of weirdos you need to handle."
"Why should I help you?"
"It's not just for me—it's for you too."
Charlie crossed his arms. "My wish is world peace. Yours is world domination. Honestly, we're not that at odds."
At this, Wanda and the others' faces twitched.
Not at odds?
Apocalypse, thoughtful, said, "I get your point. If I rule the world, it'll be peaceful."
Charlie: "…"
"Uh, yeah, something like that."
He glanced at Charles. "A mutant with strong telepathy can easily dig up what I want to know. Mind-reading would tarnish my image, so it's up to you guys."
"Who's the target?" Charles asked.
"Tony Stark and some high-ranking senators. I'll give you the list."
"Iron Man?" Wanda frowned. "Aren't you two friends?"
Charlie shrugged. "I just want my nanotech patent fees. You get it."
To Apocalypse, he added, "Their goals are probably similar to yours. That's the real conflict."
"You seem to have a theory," Apocalypse said, his hostility fading—at least for now.
Charlie waved it off. "The invincible Spider-Man doesn't predict everything. So, friends, get to work."
With that, he drew a circle with his hand and vanished into a ring of mystic sparks.
Watching the portal close, Apocalypse sat in thought.
Soon, he turned to Charles. "Do as Spider-Man says. I want to know who's trying to steal my world."
Charles nodded. "I'll figure it out."
As he turned to leave, Apocalypse spoke again.
"Charles, our plan concerns all mutants' survival. If you want humans to wipe us out, keep half-assing it. I don't mind—I've got an escape route. You don't."
Charles trembled, taking a deep breath. "I understand."
He hurried out of the hall.
Apocalypse turned to Erik. "Spider-Man was right. I have a device to cross the multiverse. Maybe in some universe, your wife and daughter are waiting for you. You know what I mean."
"I…"
Erik's expression grew complex.
In his original universe, he'd exposed his powers to save someone, leading to his wife and daughter's deaths—a lifelong wound.
Now, a chance to see them again? Erik was sold.
Power was great, but family was everything.
Even if they were parallel universe counterparts, it was the best he could hope for.
His eyes hardened. "I understand."
Apocalypse nodded. "Good. Work with Charles and keep an eye on him. Decide for yourself who's more important—Charles or your family."
Erik clenched his fists. "I'll convince him. He'll help me. I'm sure."
"That's your business."
"Got it."
As Erik left, Apocalypse's gaze fell on Wanda and Pietro.
"You've been through brutal wars. You know if I rule the world, you'll be noble mutants, not monsters everyone hunts. You'll live happily, untouchable."
He stared at Wanda. "What Spider-Man can't promise, I can. Think about it. Once you've decided, recruit more mutants. I sense a few interesting ones hiding in this world."
Wanda and Pietro exchanged a glance, said nothing, and left quietly.
Watching them, Apocalypse's mind churned.
As Earth's first mutant, he was proud.
But seeing other versions of himself fall in other universes, he knew he had to change.
Ruling through raw power would backfire eventually.
Mutants were people too. Exploiting human weaknesses and forming alliances of interest—that was the key to turning defeat into victory.
He couldn't help but think of Spider-Man.
From what he'd learned, the guy started as a lone wolf but now had reliable allies.
They'd secure the scene after his death, ensuring his resurrection went smoothly, clearing any obstacles.
That's what Apocalypse craved.
During body-snatching, he'd be vulnerable, desperately needing loyal knights to guard him.
His old Four Horsemen were dead.
The new ones had their own agendas.
Building a truly loyal team would take time.
Sinking into his throne, Apocalypse closed his eyes.
Yes, he didn't have his own room.
…
Meanwhile, Erik left the underground pyramid and followed Charles to the city.
"Our target's Tony Stark. Get close and read his mind," Erik said.
Charles didn't reply.
He'd spotted a familiar face.
"Charlie Parker?"
He watched a teen in a red-and-blue jacket hop off a quinjet, puzzled.
"He's coming toward us," he told Erik.
Erik scanned the area. "Find a quiet spot. No one can know we met Spider-Man's contact."
"Got it."
Charles closed his eyes, telepathically nudging passersby to steer clear of them.
"Hey, you guys Charles and Erik?"
Charlie, ignoring the odd scene, approached with a grin.
"I'm Charlie Parker. Spider-Man's got a message for you."
"What's the message?" Erik's heart raced, sensing something.
Charlie noted his reaction, smiling. "Spider-Man's got a multiverse-traveling machine too—one with better precision."
Erik's eyes lit up, then turned wary. "How does Spider-Man know what I want?"
Charlie crossed his arms, grinning. "Honestly, you guys are wasting your time with Apocalypse. It's the modern age—who still plays the superpower game?"
He opened his palm, revealing a S.H.I.E.L.D. micro-bug.
"Spider-Man left this before he bounced. Apocalypse might have you by the throat, but sorry, what he can do, the stealthy and great Spider-Man can do too."
To Charles, he said, "Ancient Egyptians betrayed Apocalypse because they couldn't stand his tyranny. Balance mutants and humans, and your ideals can come true."
Charles stayed silent, mulling it over.
To Erik, Charlie leaned in. "Heard of Mephisto?"
Erik blinked. "The Hell demon?"
"Yup. Spider-Man's buddies with Mephisto. Finding a couple of souls shouldn't be hard. Multiverse wives and kids can't compare to the originals. Unless you've got weird tastes, then forget I said anything."
Under Charlie's prodding, Erik's heart pounded.
"Is… is that possible?" he asked, suddenly nervous.
"No problem."
Charlie thumped his chest. "The invincible Spider-Man doesn't lie. Never."
"Then I…"
Erik glanced at Charles, who gave a subtle nod. He gritted his teeth. "I'm in. Whatever Spider-Man needs, I'll do it."
"Haha, relax. Just side with us at the critical moment. Easy."
Charlie checked the time. "Oh, I gotta find Wanda and Pietro. Keep at it, and send the intel to my virtual computer."
He hopped back onto the quinjet.
Soon, it vanished into a mystic portal, tracking down Wanda and Pietro on their mission.
"Hey, first time meeting, right?" Charlie jumped off, waving.
Pietro sized him up. "I know you. Spider-Man's contact. So he sent you?"
"Yup."
Charlie scanned them. "You can probably guess why I'm here. Interested in joining the Avengers? Not S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Thunderbolts—Avengers. Fewer days off, but world-class benefits: free healthcare, high living stipends, top-tier pensions."
"No thanks," Wanda said without hesitation.
Charlie expected that. He shrugged. "Alright, different offer. Heard of Mephisto? Yup, the Hell demon who once claimed Satan's throne. If one of you dies, Spider-Man can pull your soul back…"
Three minutes later, he'd won them over.
And just like that, Apocalypse's Four Horsemen became Spider-Man's Four Horsemen.
He could already picture Apocalypse sobbing in a bathroom.
Wait, no room of his own—public bathroom meltdown it is.
As Wanda and Pietro left, Charlie prepared to board the quinjet.
Carter's ride was a dream to pilot.
Settling into the driver's seat, a flicker of Hellfire flared behind him. An elegant old man in a tuxedo glared, grinding his teeth.
"Charlie Parker, invincible Spider-Man, care to explain?" Mephisto growled.
Charlie didn't look back, starting the quinjet and taking off.
"Don't be stingy. Out here, you make your own identity. We're all friends, right?"
"Friends don't steal my treasures from my home," Mephisto snorted.
Charlie grinned. "So what're you gonna do? Kill me now?"
Hellfire flickered in Mephisto's eyes, like he might strike.
But thinking of the "ancient god" behind Charlie, he swallowed his rage.
Someone who could casually swipe souls from his Hell? He suspected Spider-Man's patron was that guy.
That guy was notoriously petty. Mephisto didn't dare provoke him.
Spider-Man was just an apostle, but his infinite resurrections screamed high favor.
If Spider-Man died when he wasn't supposed to, disrupting that guy's plans, Mephisto might be in deep trouble.
So he held back.
The gap between gods was like humans versus ants.
He couldn't afford to mess with the big guy, but he could make life a little harder for his apostle.
A cold smirk crossed Mephisto's face. "Naughty bug, you must be bored, huh?"
Charlie got a bad feeling. "Nope, tons to do. Gotta get to school."
The next moment, Hellfire swallowed Mephisto, leaving a faint voice.
"I won't help you fetch souls, so Spider-Man lied. Lies come with a price…"
As Mephisto's voice faded, the clear sky turned ominous. A thousand meters of Hellfire tore through the heavens, and a web of life and destiny flickered in the dark clouds.
Citizens looked up, hearts heavy with dread, sensing something awful looming.
"My God! What is that?"
"It's like a spider web!"
"Look, someone's on it!"
"Is it Spider-Man?"
"No, not Spider-Man. That guy's weird."
"Oh my gosh, what is it this time?"
Boom!
Amid countless gasps, thunder flashed in the dark sky. A figure on the web stirred.
Dressed in a blue tuxedo, it slid down a web strand to the top of the Empire State Building.
White gloves, a golden old-school diving helmet clashing with the neon city, a red trident gleaming sharply in the lightning's glow.
Boom!
Thunder slashed down, and a strange, twisted totem spread above the figure's head—visible only to Charlie.
"The… Leech Totem!"
Staring at the strange figure atop the Empire State Building, Charlie's spider totem burned in his chest like never before.
Compared to the last inheritor with the Bat Totem, this one was far more terrifying.
Charlie mentally cursed Mephisto's entire family.