I am Karn, from the Inheritor family—a perfectly ordinary yet exceptionally refined man.
The Inheritor family, also known as the Heirs of All Things, the Great Hunters, the Multiversal Spider Poachers, and so on.
In Universe 001, we're a big deal, undisputed totem nobility.
As the most influential clan of totem hunters, we're often misunderstood.
They think we're the lowest of all totems in the multiverse, parasitic, growing stronger by absorbing our enemies' power. That's why our leech totem is called the vampire totem.
Utter nonsense.
They fear us, so they slander us.
Slander!
Yes, it's definitely slander!
The leech totem isn't some vampire totem—it's the pride of the Inheritor family!
But even with pride, we stay vigilant.
Long ago, a prophecy emerged in our family, foretelling that our mighty clan would one day be ended by Spider-Man.
How could a lowly spider totem threaten the great Inheritors?
I didn't believe it.
But the clan leader did, and so did everyone else.
To avoid our destruction, the Inheritor family launched a hunt for Spider-Men, feeding on their spider totems. We found the legendary "Web of Life and Destiny," locking onto its master weaver at the web's center.
We captured the Spider-God Master Weaver, but my soft heart led to my mother's—the clan matriarch's—accidental death.
I brought shame to the family.
Exiled, I was forced to wear a metallic helmet resembling diving goggles, a mark of my disgrace.
I'll wear it for life, a constant reminder of my mistake.
The Inheritor family began using the Master Weaver's power to traverse the multiverse, hunting every incarnation of the spider totem—Spider-Man!
On a small island, atop a reef, Karn basked in the sun, lost in thought. Coming to, he glanced at his prey, feeling a pang of disappointment.
In this Resurrection Match, he'd keep hunting Spider-Men.
But there was a problem.
If a Spider-Man lacked the spider totem, was he still Spider-Man?
Exiled, he'd sworn to hunt all Spider-Men to prove his loyalty and return to the family.
But now, a Spider-Man without the totem—was he still Spider-Man? That was his dilemma.
He needed to think and decide.
Not far off, Lizard Parker, bound tightly by ropes conjured from the leech totem, glared at Karn.
"What're you staring at? Kill me if you're gonna. If I flinch, blink, twitch my ears, slick my hair, pick my nose, or swallow, I lose!"
Lizard Parker snorted, head high, nostrils flaring at Karn.
"The Invincible Spider-Man will save me. Uh, mind telling me where this is?" he asked defiantly.
Karn was silent, then shook his head.
"I'm sure now. You're Spider-Man."
Only a Spider-Man could spew that much nonsense in one breath.
He stood, gripping his steel fork, radiating killing intent.
Lizard Parker shrank back. "Wait, I'm so tough, shouldn't you admire me, challenge me to a duel out of respect, then, moved by my grit and justice, repent, drop your weapon, and kneel in awe?"
"Nope."
Karn raised the fork. "I only kill Spider-Men."
"No, I'm not Spider-Man!"
Lizard Parker backpedaled. "That damn Invincible Spider-Man stole my spider totem. I'm still Peter Parker, but not Spider-Man anymore."
He roared, "That cursed Charlie Parker—he's my lifelong enemy!!"
His bellow echoed across the island, grating Karn's ears.
"Odd. How's a weakling like him so loud? His superpower must be sound-related. Good thing I captured him first."
Muttering, Karn lowered the fork. "Fine. If you're not Spider-Man, I'll let you go."
Lizard Parker's eyes widened. "That easy? Why didn't you say so?"
"You didn't ask."
"You should've said! What's your mouth for?"
"Eating."
Karn touched his empty stomach.
Vampires need food too.
He turned to the endless sea and dove in.
Splash!
Waves crashed against the reef. The leech totem ropes vanished, leaving Lizard Parker disoriented.
"Did I just meet an idiot?"
He stretched, then gazed at the vast ocean.
"Damn, where'd he dump me?"
Cursing, he realized swimming back as Lizard-Man wasn't an option. He'd need to chop trees and build a boat.
But first, food.
Just wilderness survival. He'd watched tons of shows.
Step one: start a fire!
Lizard Parker grinned, gathering dry wood and rubbing a stick.
His technique was terrible.
No sparks, not even smoke.
"No way. Is TV all lies?"
Panting, he collapsed.
Then, waves churned, and Karn landed, a shark impaled on his red fork, crashing into a pit.
Lizard Parker sneered. "Shark meat's gamey. You eating that?"
Karn said nothing, crouching and baring his fangs.
Chomp!
Slurp!
He drank the shark's blood in front of Lizard Parker.
Lizard Parker backed away, grossed out. "Ugh, you're starving. Now I get why you wear those goggles—makes fishing easier."
Karn tossed the drained shark to Lizard Parker.
"You're not Spider-Man, so this is yours. I hope you survive."
Lizard Parker's face darkened. "Want me to live? Send me back. I want burgers and fried chicken."
"You like junk food?" Karn asked.
"I don't eat snacks."
"What?"
"I don't know."
Muttering, Lizard Parker circled the shark, eyeing its dorsal fin.
Shark fin!
His eyes lit up. Using his Lizard-Man claws, he started cutting.
Karn ignored his odd behavior.
Lying on the reef, basking, the lonely Karn spoke to himself.
"You must wonder why I'd rather drink fish blood than bite you."
"Not curious."
Lizard Parker, prepping the fin, answered. Karn continued, "I don't like killing."
"You like hunting Spider-Men. I know."
Lizard Parker brought dry leaves, scraping his claws on Karn's helmet to spark a fire.
Karn didn't mind.
Gazing at the blue sky and clouds, his thoughts drifted.
"I don't like hunting Spider-Men either. It's to return to the family, to atone for my mistake.
I've hunted many Peter Parkers, never regretting it.
Until I met Charlie Parker. I failed, becoming Mephisto's lowly soul.
He sent me to trouble that bug. I didn't agree, but he dropped me here.
I sensed Spider-Man and tracked him to an amusement park.
I got the wrong guy—not the Charlie Parker I wanted. But he was still Spider-Man.
Spider-Men must be hunted.
I lurked, planning a one-hit kill.
But I noticed he was unhappy. I felt his emotions clearly.
It's like I caught a disease—his emotions infected me.
He was confessing to God, ashamed. He lost love, and his unborn daughter vanished.
I don't know why, but it must be awful.
I've seen similar tragedies in many Peter Parkers.
The worse their pain, the stronger the totem I gain.
This time, I hesitated.
Then the Invincible Spider-Man appeared and beat me again."
Lizard Parker listened, occasionally chiming in.
Karn sat up.
"This time, I'm back, sensing Jennix. His chains can trap the Master Weaver or any Spider-Man.
But Jennix failed, as expected.
That bug's the strongest Spider-Man I've seen, the Inheritors' biggest headache. Besides Morlun and the matriarch, I can't think of anyone who could beat him."
Lizard Parker roasted the fin. "You're wrong. Even your matriarch can't kill that loser. He's invincible."
"Maybe." Karn didn't argue.
He looked at Lizard Parker. "In my Spider-Man hunting career, one thing's puzzled me."
"Spit it out," Lizard Parker said absently.
Karn thought. "Spider-Men's fates are sealed. Ending their tragic lives is a good deed, right?"
Lizard Parker whipped around, staring oddly.
"That's how you see it?"
Karn nodded. "Always have."
Lizard Parker facepalmed. "Motherf— you vampires are rotten."
He shook his head. "Think what you want."
"Then I'm right," Karn said. "They'd thank me."
Lizard Parker: "…"
"That's your puzzle?"
"No."
Karn added, "Why does everyone love Spider-Man?"
"Simple. He's a hero."
"People love heroes?"
"Not always. They just like being protected."
"Sounds like a job."
"No pay, so it's not."
"So Spider-Man does it willingly? Isn't he broke?"
"We're all broke—well, not me anymore."
"Then why keep protecting humans?"
"With great power comes great responsibility!"
Lizard Parker was dead serious. "You wouldn't get it."
"Of course not."
Karn shrugged. "Charlie Parker used that to fool other Spider-Men. He doesn't even believe it."
"What?"
Lizard Parker raged, kicking the fire. "That jerk lied to me… no, I'm used to it."
He winced at the scattered fin, scurrying to retrieve it.
"Less than three seconds on the ground. Still good."
Brushing off sand, he glanced at Karn. "What're you getting at?"
Karn took a deep breath. "I said I don't like killing, but I must hunt Spider-Men for the family.
If Inheritors and Spider-Men could resolve their misunderstanding, then…"
"Impossible."
A stranger's voice cut Karn off.
Karn and Lizard Parker turned to see familiar figures emerging from the island's forest.
"Jennix!" Karn exclaimed.
Lizard Parker frowned. "The Grandmaster, and…"
"Yes, me."
Jennix glared at Karn. "You disappoint me, chatting with a Spider-Man like old friends."
Karn glanced at Lizard Parker. "He's not Spider-Man."
"No, I am Spider-Man!" Lizard Parker declared.
Karn: "…"
The Grandmaster scoffed. "Spider-Men don't turn into pathetic lizards."
Lizard Parker snapped, "Mind your business!"
The Grandmaster shrugged. "I'm not here to prove that."
"You here to kill me?"
"Of course not. I don't waste time on nobodies."
"Jerk, I'll duel you—actually, duels are crude."
Lizard Parker shifted, carefully moving Nova's hand from his throat. "Lady, anyone ever say your bald head's sexy?"
"You're the first."
Nova sensed Lizard Parker's affection, her gaze turning suggestive.
"You'd be better than Johnny."
"What?"
Under Lizard Parker's stunned gaze, Nova dragged him into the woods.
"No!!"
"Don't… stop…"
Lizard Parker's screams echoed. The Grandmaster ignored the Spider-Man-esque lizard.
He faced Karn. "The game's starting, Karn. Join us."
"Why?" Karn frowned.
Jennix said coldly, "This isn't a discussion."
Karn saw the chill in Jennix's eyes and sighed.
"Fine, I'm in. But can't Spider-Men and Inheritors coexist?"
"Karn, you're too naive."
Jennix's gaze grew colder. "The prophecy marks Spider-Men as our doom. We must eliminate them."
"But if we hadn't targeted them first, they wouldn't—"
"It's begun. You have no choice."
The Grandmaster added, "You've killed so many Spider-Men. Peace now? Too late."
Karn fell silent.
Indeed, their hands were stained with Spider-Man blood.
The hatred had taken root. No turning back.
But…
Thinking of endless Spider-Man hunts, Karn saw only a dark future.
He just wanted a quiet life catching fish.
…
Meanwhile, New York.
The coffee shop below the Daily Bugle.
"That guy's back in his secret base, cooking up ways to take down Spider-Man," Mary Jane said, arriving first.
Charlie glanced at her. "It's called the Batcave, not a secret base."
"Batcave?"
Mary Jane didn't get it. "He doesn't even like bats."
"Because bats represent fear. He wants criminals to fear him like they fear bats," Diana said, joining them.
"You know him well?" Mary Jane asked, curious.
Diana sat, shaking her head. "Heard his quotes. Never met him formally."
Then Gwen arrived.
"Got the files."
She handed them to Charlie. "These are the hottest games from recent years."
Charlie scanned them, disappointed.
"Pretty lackluster. Guess it's up to my genius."
"You sure the Grandmaster will buy your idea?" Gwen asked.
"Of course."
Charlie grinned. "No one can resist a fun game concept. Especially not the Grandmaster."
"Indeed, I can't."
The Grandmaster's voice made Gwen and the others tense.
Charlie turned. "Your buddies didn't come?"
"They're not my buddies."
The Grandmaster sat across from Charlie, glancing at Diana and the others.
"Nice partners."
Charlie shook his head. "They're not partners."
"Then what?" the Grandmaster asked, curious.
"My fangirls."
"Ugh!"
Charlie's smug remark drew groans from Diana, Gwen, and Mary Jane.
Unfazed, Charlie met the Grandmaster's eyes.
"Looks like you're ready."
"Yes," the Grandmaster said, smiling. "The game's nearly balanced."
Charlie thought. "If you'd saved Zod and Fiora, it'd be fairer."
"That's your idea of fair."
The Grandmaster snatched Charlie's coffee, sipping it. "Adding them would make it unfair for you."
Charlie pondered. "So you've got a new target."
"Yes, a bat with a grudge against Spider-Man."
The Grandmaster set the coffee down. "His mind's wild. He might surprise you."
"That's just plot."
Charlie handed over the files. "Since you're ready, take a look."
The Grandmaster skimmed the game data.
"Not great. Got better ideas?"
"Knew you'd appreciate my creativity."
Charlie stood. "Follow me. I'll show you the fairest game."
Half an hour later, the Grandmaster finished Charlie's PPT, clapping excitedly.
"Brilliant, brilliant! This is the game I want. Does it have a name?"
"Of course."
Charlie closed the slides. "It's called Hero League!"
"Hero League?"
The Grandmaster nodded. "Perfect for our game. It's the one."
Charlie agreed. "As the referee, you've got prep work."
"What?"
"Minions."