Queens, Bleecker Street.
Buzz~
Magical sparks flared, and Charlie stepped out.
By the rooftop chimney, Erik was already waiting.
"You're here," Erik said.
"I'm here," Charlie nodded, glancing at the sky. "But seems I came at the wrong time."
Erik: "???"
"What?"
"It's not lunchtime yet. Can't mooch a meal off you."
Erik: "…"
"Let's get to business."
He turned serious. "You can keep your promise now."
Charlie leaned against the chimney. "Alright. You've been a bit of a flip Ascendancy wallflower, but you haven't caused me much trouble, so my promise still stands. You've got two choices.
First, I take you to a universe where that Erik died, letting you replace him as a proper husband and father to make up for your regrets.
Second, I give you a chance to go to hell to find your dead wife and daughter. I won't interfere with reviving them, but you'll likely face terrifying enemies, and the odds of failure are high."
Erik didn't hesitate, choosing the second.
"I'm going to hell. Even if I can't revive them, I can be with them. At least we'll be a family." His gaze was resolute.
"Oh, what great fatherly love."
Charlie spread his hands. "As your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, I should help you more."
He waved a circle, and Johnny Blaze, speeding on his motorcycle at a racetrack, crashed through the portal.
"Oh! Fark squid!"
Johnny screeched to a halt, turning to curse Erik.
"I was in a race! Send me back!"
Erik: "…"
He pointed silently at Charlie. "He brought you here. Yell at him."
Johnny removed his helmet. "Spider-Man beating the mutant god is all over the news. I don't wanna get beat up, so I'll yell at you."
Erik fell silent.
Fair point, but he still wanted to deck this guy.
Before he could, Charlie said to Johnny, "I need to see Mephisto."
"Mephisto?"
Erik's heart stirred, holding back the urge to punch Johnny.
The demon lord Mephisto—so this guy's… Ghost Rider?
Spider-Man's network is wild.
Erik was jealous.
Under Erik's expectant gaze, Johnny shrugged helplessly.
"Mr. Spider-Man, you're putting me in a tough spot. If I keep doing this, Mephisto'll think we're buddies."
Charlie ignored him, turning to Erik. "How much cash you got?"
"Cash?"
Erik blinked but answered honestly, "I'm off the grid. No bank card."
"But I've got this."
He raised a hand, and metal slowly emerged from the ground.
Black metal writhed, revealing a fist-sized gold nugget.
Johnny's jaw dropped. "Financial superpower!!"
Charlie was jealous too.
He tossed the nugget to Johnny. "Now it's a fair deal."
"Thanks to Spider-Man and this finance mogul."
Johnny tucked the nugget into his pants, hiding his newfound wealth.
"Who'd you learn that from?" Charlie asked, exasperated, meaning the pants-stuffing habit.
Johnny glanced at Charlie silently.
Charlie paused, then changed the subject. "Can we start now?"
"Sure."
Johnny nodded, his eyes flickering with hellfire as he connected with the lord of hell.
BOOM~
Hellfire flared before Charlie, and a white-haired man in a tuxedo appeared.
"Ever-stronger bug, congrats on beating the mutant god. You're worthy of being called a god now," Mephisto said with a sly grin.
He'd rushed over the moment he knew Spider-Man called.
"God?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Was Apocalypse really a god?"
"Not exactly."
Mephisto explained, "As Earth's first mutant, he could be called a god in a single universe's Earth. But in the multiverse, gods like him are a dime a dozen. Still, he's kind of a god. No divine power, but endless potential. Fully grown, he could crush some so-called gods."
Charlie mused, "So killing a god means taking their place?"
"Of course not."
Mephisto's grin held. "I was just messing with you."
Charlie: "…"
Erik, impatient, cut in. "I need to know where my wife and daughter's souls are. Tell me, and I'll do anything."
Charlie facepalmed. "Dumb mutant, you'll get screwed negotiating like that."
Mephisto noticed Erik. "Your friend?" he asked Charlie.
Charlie shook his head. "Nope."
Erik nodded. "I'd like to be."
Charlie: "…"
Seeing Mephisto's playful smile, Charlie knew trouble was brewing.
The closer you were to Spider-Man, the harder Mephisto drove the bargain.
Sure enough, hellfire gleamed in Mephisto's eyes as he glimpsed Erik's secrets.
"I see. I know who your wife and daughter are and where they are," he smiled.
Erik's face lit up. "Tell me!"
"No rush. Let's talk price."
"How much? I'll give it all."
"Demons don't need money, just equivalent souls."
"My soul?"
Erik clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "You got it."
Charlie's face darkened, while Mephisto grinned.
That familiar feeling was back.
Last time he dealt with Spider-Man, his intelligence got played, shaking his confidence.
Erik's desperation was just like the old marks.
The great Mephisto was still the slyest demon.
His smile widened. "Good. Sign this contract, and the deal's on—"
"Wait, I wanna see that contract. Professional habit," Charlie said, eyeing Mephisto's deal.
Mephisto smirked, moving to retract it.
Erik cut in. "This is my business. Let me choose."
Seeing Erik's resolute gaze, Charlie understood.
"Fine, I respect your choice."
He stepped back, watching Erik sign the demon contract.
As it took effect, Erik smiled faintly.
Mephisto turned to Charlie, smug. "Spider-Man's friend, follow me!"
He vanished into hellfire. Erik glanced back at Charlie.
"Spider-Man, thank you," he said with a smile.
The hellfire closed, and Erik vanished from the world.
Johnny shook his head. "He's done. Demon promises are tempting but dangerous. Almost no one gets what they want from Mephisto."
Charlie stared at the spot. "He knows, but it's his choice. He missed one chance already. No matter the risk, he'd choosecommunity. "He's not fully human, so he can't be taken to another universe to replace a dead Erik. That's not how it works."
Erik's eyes gleamed with hope. "Tell me where they are."
Mephisto smirked. "No rush. Let's talk price."
"How much? I'll give it all."
"Demons don't need money, just equivalent souls."
"My soul?"
Erik clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "Take it."
Charlie's face darkened as Mephisto grinned.
That familiar feeling was back.
Last time he dealt with Spider-Man, his intelligence got played, shaking his confidence.
Erik's desperation was just like the old marks.
The great Mephisto was still the slyest demon.
His smile widened. "Good. Sign this contract, and the deal's on—"
"Wait, I wanna see that contract. Professional habit," Charlie said, eyeing Mephisto's deal.
Mephisto smirked, moving to retract it.
Erik cut in. "This is my business. Let me choose."
Seeing Erik's resolute gaze, Charlie understood.
"Fine, I respect your choice."
He stepped back, watching Erik sign the demon contract.
As it took effect, Erik smiled faintly.
Mephisto turned to Charlie, smug. "Spider-Man's friend, follow me!"
He vanished into hellfire. Erik glanced back at Charlie.
"Spider-Man, thank you," he said with a smile.
The hellfire closed, and Erik vanished from the world.
Johnny shook his head. "He's done. Demon promises are tempting but dangerous. Almost no one gets what they want from Mephisto."
Charlie stared at the spot. "He knows, but it's his choice. He missed one chance already. No matter the risk, he'd make the same choice. It's what matters most to him, and he's got nothing left to lose."
Johnny sighed. "Wish I had a friend like that. Then I wouldn't need to work."
Charlie's mouth twitched. "Didn't peg you for that type."
Johnny exhaled, hopping on his bike. "Unlike you, I don't have rich friends. I'm on my own."
Charlie scoffed. "Don't play可怜. After taking out those gangs, their cash vanished. You're richer than me."
Caught, Johnny slapped on his helmet to hide his embarrassment.
"I've got a race to finish. Send me back, thanks."
"Straight to the finish line?"
"That'd be best."
"You're cheating. I'm reporting you."
"Heh, as Spider-Man or Charlie Parker?"
"As a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."
"You win."
...
Nightfall.
After dinner, the family watched TV.
Aunt May and Ben turned in early.
Charlie set baby Kingpin in front of the TV, attaching a brainwave device to his scalp.
"Spill. How'd you get back, and where've you been?"
Instantly, baby Kingpin ranted.
"That damn guy took me to hell. My God, it's literally hell. If I end up there after death, please kill me now."
Charlie's mouth twitched. "Got it. You learned a lot of nonsense from him. Get to the point."
"Fine."
Baby Kingpin grimaced. "He took me everywhere exciting. Finally, he went too far."
He looked at Charlie, eyes filled with fear, trembling. "A place full of death. I can't describe how terrifying. He was bold, pissed off a scary god. He knew the god was mad and sent me back early. I don't know what happened next."
Charlie removed the device. "Thanks. Double milk tonight."
Goo goo~
Baby Kingpin tried to speak but made odd noises.
He wanted to say he'd grown and didn't need milk.
He wanted meat!
Charlie ignored him, checked the time, and stepped into a portal.
Buzz~
Stark Tower, Top Floor.
By the pool, Tony tinkered with instruments.
He looked at Charlie. "All set. Start now?"
Charlie, without his nano-suit, strapped on sensors. "Let's go. Use kilometers, not miles."
"Got it."
Tony activated the devices, and Charlie swung into a portal.
His fight with Apocalypse hadn't pushed his limits. He needed to know how much stellar energy boosted him.
Buzz~
In the troposphere, Charlie swung through clouds with spatial webbing.
Tony's voice came through the earpiece. "Ten kilometers up, no stress on your body. Energy consumption's less than one percent. With this energy, you don't need oxygen to survive on Earth."
Charlie opened another portal.
Buzz~
Above the clouds, he emerged.
"Twelve kilometers… twenty… forty. Stratosphere's warming up. Energy use up three percent. Without sunlight, you'd last a day here."
"Familiar line. Keep going."
Charlie portaled to the fifty-kilometer mesosphere.
"Fifty-five kilometers. Temps drop to -83°C to -113°C. Energy use up fifty percent, but low ozone lets you soak up sunlight, balancing consumption."
"Good. Next."
A portal took Charlie to the three-hundred-kilometer thermosphere.
"Warning: temps over a thousand Celsius… no, energy absorption's up tenfold!" Tony exclaimed.
Lower atmospheric density meant more stellar energy absorption.
Charlie's skin glowed gold, godlike.
As he portaled higher, passing the exosphere, a TV-worthy sight appeared: Earth, massive, bathed in golden sunlight. Energy surged, turning him into a small golden sun.
His body greedily absorbed stellar energy.
Beep beep~
An arm sensor blared.
Charlie snapped back, feeling full of energy, his body halting absorption.
"Hit the limit?"
He frowned, portaling back.
Stark Tower.
Charlie appeared, radiating warmth that made Tony shiver.
"Oh, toasty Spider-Man."
Tony's skin glimmered, absorbing stray stellar energy.
Charlie blinked. "You?"
Tony grinned. "The Codex's genes got into us. We're half-Kryptonian now. Absorbing yellow sun energy's basic."
Charlie's eyes narrowed. "Your task reward?"
Tony nodded. "Earth and Kryptonian physiology combined. My body's evolving, so palladium won't kill me. The genes are incomplete, so evolution's slow, less potential than full Kryptonians. But with sun energy, I'm beyond human limits."
"Other powers?" Charlie asked.
Tony shook his head. "Just strength, speed, defense boosts, and basic energy attacks. That's it."
Charlie mused, "The Codex's genes split among you. If we extract and combine them into a full Codex…"
"I'd surpass Kryptonian potential," Tony said eagerly. "I don't know how strong gods are, but I'd probably crush Apocalypse."
Then, regretfully: "Extracting's near impossible, even with thirty-first-century tech. And it'd kill Carter and the others."
Charlie dropped the idea. "I've maxed out on stellar energy. Ready for the next step."
Tony pointed at a satellite. "Full power. It'll give final strength data."
"Too extravagant?"
"Wanna back out?"
"No, I'm pumped."
Charlie portaled out.
Fireworks bloomed in the night sky.
Tony gaped at the virtual display. "999 tons!"
"Not even a thousand?"
Charlie returned, shaking his hand, frowning at the data.
"The destruction was insane."
It wasn't what he expected.
He knew it couldn't match comic Superman's millions of tons, but movie Superman's three-thousand-plus tons was still out of reach.
Tony rolled his eyes. "Strength isn't just numbers. Body toughness, acceleration, and distance affect output. With stellar energy, you ignore recoil, and a bio-force field helps. That's why you obliterated the satellite, not punched through it. Got any other powers?"
Charlie shook his head. "Nope."
Tony mused, "That force field's a bonus. You should fly with it, but your field's different. Boost energy absorption, and you might fly."
He pointed at his Mark suit. "Or add external thrusters. Your energy's enough for long flights."
Charlie waved. "I've got magic."
Tony: "…"
So cocky.
Charlie tested further. His defenses withstood most missiles, except nukes. Earth's tech struggled to hurt him.
Tough, but not invincible. Tech evolves, and some weird weapon could kill him.
He didn't dare let Tony nuke him.
Tony could get one, but no need.
Knowing his limits, Charlie started to leave, but Tony stopped him.
"Your turn's done. My go."
Tony tapped the display, revealing a golden mini-sun under Stark Industries.
"I found artificial sun energy works for us. Good enough," he grinned.
Charlie slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"You wouldn't."
Tony's eyes were resentful. "Your absorption's ten times ours, and you can hit the atmosphere for more. No need for artificial suns."
Tonight's tests confirmed Spider-Man's invincibility.
Near a thousand tons of raw strength, plus magic, stellar energy endurance, and boosts.
Beyond human comprehension.
A god of humanity.
Tony didn't know true gods, but this was close.
Gods' gaps made ants-to-humans look small.
A thousand tons, even millions, were bugs to some gods.
At a certain level, strength wasn't just power but universe control and primal force.
Tony's tests followed.
"Fifty tons. Not bad for me."
He was satisfied.
Strength was auxiliary; enough was enough.
Thirty-first-century tech and nanometal gave him confidence for a suit beyond the Mark series.
He loved firepower, not melee.
Clean-up done, Tony asked, "Remember the Ten Rings?"
Charlie sipped juice from the fridge. "Yeah, what about them?"
"They're back, opposing the peace treaty, starting wars. We need to settle this."
"Back from the ashes?"
Charlie shook his head. "Ending war's bad news for some. No endless cash, so they rebel. Carter's got surface clout, but can't control their moves."
"Then we hit them till they beg," Tony said confidently. "As heroes, we can't stick to one city. We go global."
Charlie eyed him. "High ideals, huh? Don't mess it up. I'm scared."
"Scared of what?" Tony frowned.
Charlie didn't answer.
He didn't know how.
Tony's foes mostly came from his own screw-ups.
If he birthed Ultron, Charlie would lose it.
So he'd watch Tony close.
"When do we move?" he asked.
"Tomorrow."
"I'm in. Let's do it."
"No problem. I've got reporters ready. We'll trend."
"You running for office?"
"Nah."
"Good. You're not that guy."
"Who?"
"Some money-throwing nut."
...
Next Day.
Desert Dunes.
Magical sparks flared, and Jonah and his crew arrived, thrilled.
"Amazing! Spider-Man invited us as war correspondents!" Jonah beamed.
Betty frowned. "I think Mr. Stark invited us."
Jonah waved it off. "Doesn't matter. We capture Spider-Man's every badass moment."
A red-and-blue figure swung overhead, followed by gold-red armor vanishing into the sky.
"Hey, the Ten Rings' base is ahead. Find a spot to shoot," Charlie called, signaling Harry and the others to guard the reporters before leaping into a portal.
He knew Tony's plan.
Reporters filming the fight would show the world peace wasn't just talk.
But Charlie knew war never ended.
The world's broken; Spider-Man patches it up.
He was starting to get it.
The world's truth: more power, more cash, hotter girls.
Only Spider-Man believed more power meant more responsibility.
Naive, even laughable.
But undeniably, that's what made Spider-Man—
Wait, where am I?
Charlie, diving through a portal, hit a strange temporal tunnel.
In a blink, he was in a dark alley.
"Another universe?"
He swung to a low rooftop, scanning the buildings.
Yup, still New York.
"Old man's summons? Or…?"
A strange voice called from behind. "Peter Parker… Peter Parker…"
Tense but persistent, it kept summoning Peter Parker.
Charlie turned to see a golden portal open, a chubby face in the glow.
Not Wong.
The future Supreme Mage, Ned!
Charlie's eyes flickered, and he leapt into the portal.
"Peter!"
Ned's face lit up, but Charlie retracted his mask.
"I'm not Peter. I'm Charlie, Charlie Parker."
He smiled at the scruffy girl beside Ned.
This world's MJ was a far cry from his Mary Jane.
Both lit up at seeing him.
"Peter said Charlie Parker's the strongest Spider-Man," Ned gushed.
Charlie grinned. Movie universe, three Spiders together.
Not elderly Steve's summons, but Spider-Man's buddy Ned pulled it off.
Besides Ned's natural talent, there was one explanation.
A multiverse rift in this universe.
Spider-Man-related folks had a high chance of slipping through.
Charlie was the lucky one.
If he guessed right, he'd soon meet a not-quite-friend.
The second-generation Amazing Spider-Man!