Chapter 77: Restart, Spider-Man! [77]
With a burst of force, Xia Luo soared skyward while Aleksei, the Rhino, plummeted to the ground at an even faster speed.
"Friendly Neighborhood Poison Dragon Drill!"
Up in the air, Xia Luo extended his glider wings, making his body spin rapidly as he descended. The wind howled around him as the web spears on his back converged into a deadly drill.
Vrrrmm!
SPLAT!!
A black tornado plunged from above, piercing straight through the monster's body. A gut-wrenching scream filled the forest.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
Rip!!
As the black web spears tore through the creature's flesh, black blood splattered everywhere, instantly corroding the nearby trees. Gwen and Mary Jane, watching from a distance, were left slack-jawed.
Their eyes were wide with horror as they stared at the black-clad Spider-Man, utterly stunned by the brutality of his attack.
"He's even more ruthless when he turns black," Gwen murmured.
"It was him... He's the one who killed Captain America after the plane crash," she added, almost to herself.
"Captain America?" Mary Jane echoed, shocked. "You mean that giant octopus was the Captain?"
Realizing her slip, Gwen quickly shook her head.
"No, you misheard me."
The truth about the octopus monster being Steve had been sealed off by a mysterious government agency after the incident. Gwen knew because her father was involved and had been present that day. For her father's sake, she couldn't say anything more.
The connection between the red-and-blue Spider-Man and the black-clad one had once been the subject of intense debate. But after the flood of fake Spider-Men and some crafty misinformation, the controversy had died down.
Now, seeing it all firsthand, Gwen was certain.
Rustle, rustle...
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the forest, and both Gwen and Mary Jane's faces paled with fear. Xia Luo's brow furrowed.
This creature wasn't particularly strong, yet it had set off his Spider-Sense to an alarming degree.
His suspicions were soon confirmed.
Under his watchful gaze, the shredded remains of the Spider-monster began to writhe, morphing into dozens of tiny black spiders, each the size of a thumb. The swarm moved quickly, forming a dark, undulating wave that surged toward him.
"That's a lot of spiders!"
Feeling a shiver down his spine, Xia Luo swung away, launching himself deep into the forest.
"Hahaha, you can't escape!"
The swarm briefly condensed into a human shape before once more rushing after Xia Luo like a tidal wave.
Gwen and Mary Jane, still frozen in shock, finally began to relax as the spider tide chased after Xia Luo.
"That was terrifying. What kind of monster was that?" Mary Jane gasped, clutching her chest.
Gwen exhaled slowly, her brows deeply furrowed.
"We're too weak. We can't help Spider-Man at all."
"You may not be able to help him, but you can help me."
The cold voice from behind made them both whirl around in shock.
The city's night train sped along the tracks. Inside, passengers dozed off, but a sudden burst of excitement jolted everyone awake when a familiar face appeared on the overhead TV screens.
"Hey there, night owls! Yes, it's me again, J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. I'll be keeping you company through the long, sleepless night."
The moment Jameson's face popped up on screen, a wave of groans echoed through the train car.
"Ugh, not this guy again!"
"He's been on a roll lately. They're calling him a Spider-Man expert."
"Oh no, I don't want to watch this trash. I've got the night shift soon!"
"We're not exactly 'sleepless friends' here..."
Amidst the chorus of complaints, Jameson casually puffed on a cigar, his expression as smug as ever.
"You're probably all curious about the sudden surge of Spider-Men popping up lately, but that's not tonight's topic."
He waved three pictures of Spider-Man in front of the camera.
"Tonight, we're talking about the Black Spider-Man."
Pointing to the first photo, he continued, "This was the original Spider-Man. His suit was a cheap DIY job, practically pajamas, but this is the Spider-Man we first knew.
"The second photo shows him with an upgraded, metallic suit.
"And the third? The Black Spider-Man."
The host beside him, finally getting a chance to speak, jumped in eagerly.
"Mr. Jameson, are you saying all three of these Spider-Men are the same person?"
Jameson chuckled, "Oh, absolutely, they're the same person."
"But how can you be so sure? There are so many Spider-Men around now," the host pressed.
"I'm certain," Jameson said with confidence. "I was there the first time the Black Spider-Man showed up.
"His fighting style's become more brutal, but that doesn't fool me. I've been studying him since the beginning, and none of the other Spider-Men have his kind of power."
The host still looked skeptical, pointing at the pictures. "But their physiques look different. I don't think they're the same person."
Jameson's grin widened. "I knew you'd say that."
He explained, "Sure, the Spider-Man we usually see looks like a scrawny insect. It's hard to believe that such a thin frame can hold so much power.
"But when he goes into combat mode, I noticed that his muscles swell, and his body becomes bulkier and more muscular. That's when he's at his strongest. It's a unique ability."
"Wow, that's incredible," the host said, clapping. "He can control his own body size."
The train passengers nodded, slowly buying into Jameson's explanation.
"So, that's how it is."
Meanwhile, outside the train, a dull thud echoed through the night.
Thump!
In the forest beside the tracks, Xia Luo's black-gloved fist crashed into the ground, sending a shockwave that scattered the encroaching spider tide into a cloud of black mist.
Yet, the mist quickly coalesced back into mutated spiders, seemingly indestructible as they swarmed around Xia Luo, driving his frustration higher and higher.
He finally understood what it was like to face an unkillable enemy.
"Hahaha! Stupid bug! You can't kill me!"
The swarm briefly formed Aleksei's gloating face before transforming back into a tide of spiders, surging once more at Xia Luo.
Inside the train, the passengers remained oblivious. They were now captivated by Jameson's show.
"Alright, let's move on to Spider-Man's wall-crawling ability," Jameson said, raising a hand for emphasis.
"My theory is that Spider-Man's fingers underwent some kind of mutation."
He went on, "I've interviewed some of the fakes. Their fingers look normal, but when needed, they can grow tiny barbs to help them climb walls.
"But there's more to it. People have seen Spider-Man scaling smooth glass windows, and those little barbs alone wouldn't cut it.
"So I suspect that Spider-Man's body can generate a unique bio-electric field, creating a static charge between him and the surface. That's how he can climb even the slickest surfaces while wearing his suit."
Jameson continued to elaborate, completely engrossed in his theories.
Outside, the black figure of Xia Luo darted past the train's windows, pursued by a massive wave of mutated spiders.
"Hahaha! Pathetic bug, thanks for bringing me a whole train full of snacks." Aleksei's distorted face flickered amidst the swarm.
Xia Luo turned with a wry grin. "You know, villains really should keep up with the news."
"What?" Aleksei blinked in confusion.
---
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