A terrifying vortex encompassed Peter; the voices of the Spider-Men echoed in his ears. Uncle Ben had died, Gwen had died, Aunt May had died, and so had many other names he was familiar with. They kept circling in his ears.
All these people who he dearly loved had already turned into cold tombstones in numerous strange universes, forever separated from the Spider-Man of their respective world. When Peter asked about their causes of death and conditions, all he got in return was a phrase: "With great power, comes great responsibility."
Peter finally understood why Superior Spider-Man had told him that this was a curse. In every universe, everyone who had uttered this phrase to Spider-Man had perished. Not one person had survived.
Peter stood in place, feeling dizzy. He was utterly confused. He wondered whether there really existed such a curse in this world. Could it be that everyone who spoke a certain sentence would die? It seemed preposterous.
Peter didn't know whether he was refusing to accept the answer because he couldn't figure out the reason, or whether he was genuinely afraid of the answer deep down. But the fact had already laid bare before him. Perhaps Superior Spider-Man was right; Peter was the anomaly amongst the Spider-Men.
After asking all the Spider-Men, he realized that in most universes, the person who made the Spider-Men understand the principle, "With great power, comes great responsibility," was Ben Parker, his own uncle.
In some universes, it wasn't Uncle Ben but someone else. However, they too had died. Only for Peter, the person who said this to him, was Schiller Rodriguez, a psychologist he knew. Moreover, he was still alive and well.
Peter once again entered Dr. Octavius Parker's room; Dr. Octavius Parker, still seated in his chair and not turning around, asked prophetically, "Have you gotten the answer you wanted?"
As Peter remained silent, Dr. Octavius Parker continued, "It seems you've found the answer, but it isn't what you were hoping for."
"Why?" Peter lowered his head; his voice started to become hoarse, and he asked, "...why is this happening?"
"As I said, it's a curse that no one can change."
Dr. Octavius Parker sat on his chair, speaking in a cold tone, "Peter Parker, this is why I hate you."
"You turn a blind eye to the majority of the suffering in this world. You possess immense power as well as the wisdom to match it, yet you merely choose to play the fool."
"Combat criminals? Yes, indeed, that's what you do, but in the most imbecilic way possible. With your abilities and wisdom, would it be difficult to oversee this city? Would it be difficult to utterly slay those criminals?"
"I… I can't kill…" Peter spoke with a dry tone.
"Is it that you can't kill, or that you're scared to kill? You feel that not killing signifies benevolence, but that's just hypocrisy." Dr. Octavius Parker stood up, walked up to Spider-Man, and told him, "Don't blame the people who caused your loss; all of this is merely you reaping what you sow."
Peter just stood there like a stone statue. In the darkness of the multiverse, heart-pounding gusts of wind and rain lashed against him, coming down without cease.
He had embarked on this journey across the galaxy full of excitement, but it wasn't until this moment that he realized—seeing another him, seeing numerous versions of himself—he had not only gained people who could understand him thoroughly, he also bore their heavy stories.
Suddenly, Peter's fingertips moved. Like a statue suddenly coming to life, he started shaking slightly. He stated, "No, Doctor Schiller isn't... he's still alive and well!"
"Yes, but that's only because you've just started college. One day, the same tragedy will befall him too."
After saying this, Dr. Octavius Parker left the room. Peter trembled all over, panting heavily. He shook his head and said, "No, it can't be, that's wrong, I've just started college, which means… there's still a chance to change everything…"
"That's right, it's still early, I can prevent all of this…" Peter's voice started shaking. Then, he began spinning in place before sprinting out the door, catching up with the recently departed Dr. Octavius Parker.
He said, "Quick, take me back. I have to tell Dr. Schiller all about this. I still have time to stop..."
"Why can't you understand? This isn't something you can prevent just by being forewarned." Dr. Octavius Parker replied coldly. But when he turned around and saw Peter's trembling body, he still said, "My Transmitter can't accurately locate your original universe. If you want to return, you'll have to find Spider Silk."
Peter picked up the transmitter and quickly rushed to the base of the Amazing Spider-Man. He charged through the hall, disregarding the chaos he had caused once again.
He searched the crowd for Spider Silk. Spotting her standing by a pillar, he ran over at top speed and said, "Spider Silk, quickly send me back to my original universe. I can still prevent all of this!"
Upon turning around, Spider Silk saw Peter trembling arms. Instantly understanding what had happened, she rested a hand on Peter's shoulder and said, "Calm down, now is not the best time to go back…"