Restart, Spider-Man! [218]

[You played as the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and defeated Kahn of the Morlun family. Restart count +13.]

In the neon-lit city, a red-and-blue figure swung gracefully across the intricate aerial highways.

“Swish~”

Landing lightly atop the GG billboard, Xia Luo gazed at the enormous screen in the plaza below.

The footage displayed a colossal Spider-Man holding up a precariously tilting skyscraper.

In the lower-left corner, a smaller screen featured J. Jonah Jameson analyzing Spider-Man’s newly acquired giant form with fervent enthusiasm.

“Nobody knows Spider-Man better than I do!” Jonah declared confidently, a cigar firmly between his teeth.

He gestured dramatically as he continued:

“By now, everyone should understand—Spider-Man doesn’t truly die. Each time he resurrects, there’s a clear pattern, and more importantly, he comes back stronger.”

“This time, following his mastery of portals and duplication magic, Spider-Man has gained the ability to grow to an enormous size. He’s on track to become the most prominent and reliable superhero of the century.”

“The broadcast then cut to scenes of Ghost Rider and the Fantastic Four in action, showcasing their chaotic battles.”

Jonah took the opportunity to comment further.

“Now, viewers, that flaming skull on a motorcycle? Technically, he’s a superhero too—though he only targets evildoers. Still, his flames are far too dangerous, and he seems to lack control over his powers.”

“As for those four new recruits at S.H.I.E.L.D.? Their inexperience is a problem. Every appearance ends up injuring innocent civilians.”

The host on the program raised a question.

“But Jonah, isn’t Spider-Man’s destructive power even greater? Doesn’t that make him more dangerous?”

Jonah scoffed, waving dismissively.

“That’s because Spider-Man faces much stronger enemies! If it were any other hero, we’d all be doomed by now.”

After some back-and-forth, the conversation shifted toward mutants.

“Mr. Jonah, Spider-Man is technically a mutant. What’s your take on the increasing number of mutant-related crimes lately?”

Jonah paused, setting down his cigar. His tone grew serious.

“I know what you’re implying. The tension between humans and mutants is rising, and you’re worried Spider-Man might side with the mutants.”

He looked directly at the camera.

“I have confidence in Spider-Man. He won’t side with the mutants.”

“But he won’t side with humans either.”

The statement caused a ripple of murmurs among the live audience. The host glanced at their script before pressing on.

“Mr. Jonah, could you elaborate on what you mean by that?”

“Of course.”

Jonah resumed his casual demeanor, cigar back in place.

“Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man helps those in need, regardless of whether they’re mutants or humans. To him, there’s no difference.”

“Labeling him as a mutant is irresponsible.”

“Let’s not forget—most of the time, Spider-Man dies because of us.”

“He protects the weak, and we are the weak ones.”

“I know some of you don’t like hearing that. You think of yourselves as elites, the movers and shakers of the world, while Spider-Man is just some lucky guy with powers.”

“Well, let me tell you something. We are society’s elites—our education and wealth give us an edge.”

“But so what? The truth of the world is survival of the fittest. And when real strength shows up, we have no means to defend ourselves.”

“We’re the weak ones, living by the rules set by the strong, working to provide them with labor and wealth.”

“When someone breaks those rules, our vulnerability is exposed. Nobody can save us then—except Spider-Man.”

“Because he’s strong, and he’s the only one who cares about us. So treasure your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”

—

Watching Jonah’s unexpected change in tone on the screen, Xia Luo scratched his head awkwardly.

“Am I really that amazing?”

He rubbed his neck, muttering, “Guess he figured it out. Not bad for my number-one fan.”

“Of course he’s your number-one fan. I’ve known for ages,” a familiar voice quipped.

Gwen swung onto the billboard beside him.

“I’ve started prepping my graduation thesis,” she said. “When are you going back to school?”

“So soon?”

Xia Luo frowned, doing some mental math. “I’m only a first-year, though.”

Gwen shrugged. “My bad. I thought you’d already skipped ahead to that level of brilliance.”

“You can think of it that way,” Xia Luo replied with a grin. “When I get back, I’ll talk to Professor Curt about graduating early.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow. “What’s your plan after graduating? Become a scientist like Curt, or deliver pizzas?”

Xia Luo sighed. “Not every Spider-Man delivers pizzas. My nanotech patents are my retirement plan. Technically, I don’t even need to work.”

“Fair enough,” Gwen admitted. “Assuming Tony Stark doesn’t mess things up. I heard he’s been acting strange—falling out with the military and even clashing with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“I’m aware.”

Xia Luo glanced down at the street below, where familiar figures had just appeared.

“I’m looking into it. The real Iron Man will be back soon enough.”

“The real Iron Man?”

Gwen’s curiosity deepened as Erik and Charles approached the GG billboard.

Charles communicated telepathically. “I delved into his mind and uncovered a huge secret.”

Xia Luo nodded. “Let’s hear it.”

“The real Tony Stark has been kidnapped. The Iron Man we see now is actually a group of alien Skrulls. Their plan is to escalate tensions between humans and mutants to take over Earth.”

Xia Luo’s expression darkened. How many times has Tony been kidnapped? I’ve lost count.

He said aloud, “Tell Apocalypse. He’ll know what to do.”

Charles hesitated. “The Skrulls’ plan involves many players. If Apocalypse acts rashly, it could trigger their trap. Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely.”

Xia Luo smiled faintly.

“Apocalypse isn’t reckless anymore. He’ll wait for my move.”

“This is also an opportunity for mutants and humans alike.”

“An opportunity?” Charles asked skeptically. “How so?”

“With a common enemy, the conflict between mutants and humans can be temporarily set aside.”

“It’s only temporary,” Charles countered, still unconvinced.

Leaning casually against the wall, Xia Luo replied, “As long as the Skrulls remain, war between mutants and humans is impossible. Everyone knows how dangerous a species that can mimic intelligent life truly is.”

Charles nodded, realization dawning.

“So we shouldn’t eradicate the Skrulls completely. Is that it?”

“Exactly. Not eradicating them doesn’t mean letting them run amok.”

Xia Luo’s tone turned sharper. “What about the impostor?”

“We haven’t alerted him. He’s trying to build an army using Stark’s tech, but to the public, he looks like he’s lost his edge.”

Xia Luo smirked. “Creating conflict is his mission, but he’s already crossed the military and S.H.I.E.L.D. There’s no way he can build an army unnoticed. He’ll slip up soon.”

Charles added, “He’s handed Stark’s tech to his allies and is drawing our attention to himself.”

Xia Luo’s grin widened.

“Clever plan, but they picked the wrong opponent.”

He glanced at Stark Tower. “Where’s the real Tony?”

“The Ten Rings.”

Xia Luo blinked. “The cave?”

“Yes. Nobody would suspect it.”

“Well, I didn’t either.”

Turning to Gwen, Xia Luo said, “I’ve got to go. By the way, how’s Mary Jane?”

“You still care about her, huh?” Gwen folded her arms. “She’s fine. She seems desperate for work. Want me to help?”

Xia Luo hesitated before nodding. “Yeah… Okay. Please help her.”

Gwen sighed. “You complicated man. Bye!”

With a graceful swing, Gwen shot toward the high-rises, leaving Xia Luo shaking his head.

“She has a perfectly good flying craft but insists on swinging webs. What a lunatic.”

He muttered this to himself, recalling how Carter’s flying craft had been commandeered. Now, his only mode of transport was web-slinging.

With a sigh, Xia Luo stepped into a shimmering portal.

“Buzz~”

—

The Ten Rings Valley, in a Shadowy Cave

Returning to the familiar dark cavern felt oddly nostalgic—like coming home.

Except… someone had trespassed in his home.

“Who’s there?”

A startled soldier armed with a rifle shouted but was swiftly silenced as Xia Luo ensnared him with webs.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The sound of impact echoed as the soldier slammed into a wall, reverting into his true Skrull form upon collapse.

Xia Luo frowned.

“So there are quite a few Skrulls, huh?”

Hearing the commotion, more soldiers surged into the cave, weapons drawn. Xia Luo formed a hand sign, sending a clone rushing into the fray like a whirlwind. Meanwhile, he turned and kicked open the reinforced metal door.

“Boom!”

The resounding crash revealed the chamber within.

Inside, Tony Stark hung strapped to a steel frame, his head encased in a strange contraption connected to his brain.

Several Skrulls nearby scrambled to their feet, startled by the noise.

“It’s Spider-Man!”

“Damn it, how did he find us?”

“Crap, we’re compromised!”

Panicking, they grabbed their weapons and charged at Xia Luo.

The nearest Skrull unleashed a barrage of plasma rounds.

“Zzzt! Zzzt!”

“Thunk!”

Xia Luo evaded effortlessly, his web snatching the rifle mid-air.

“Damn it! Guns don’t work on him!”

Realizing their predicament, the Skrulls exchanged glances and produced vials filled with a strange glowing liquid.

“Gulp~”

As the Skrulls downed the liquid, their bodies began to mutate.

“Aaaaah!!”

One Skrull’s body ignited, flames erupting as he roared.

“Boom!”

With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a massive column of fire. Another Skrull’s body hardened into rock as he charged at Xia Luo like a living battering ram.

“Huh?”

The sight of their newfound powers seemed familiar. Xia Luo’s chest emblem pulsed as his spider totem lit up briefly.

In an instant, his soul left his body, and his head drooped limply.

—

The chamber erupted in flames, walls cracking and debris scattering amidst the chaos. The Skrulls, now empowered, launched an all-out assault.

However, Xia Luo’s body dodged every attack with minimal effort, weaving through the onslaught as if it were a casual exercise.

Hovering in spiritual form, Xia Luo observed their abilities.

Flame powers… a rocky body… elasticity… invisibility…

“Oh, great,” Xia Luo muttered, rubbing his spectral forehead. Fantastic Four knockoffs. Lovely.

In Skrull lore, there were two main subspecies:

• Deviant Skrulls, who could shapeshift into any being, mimicking powers akin to mutants.

• Eternal Skrulls, who lacked shapeshifting abilities but possessed immense innate strength, akin to the Titan race.

The group in front of him clearly belonged to the Deviant branch, capable of not only impersonating humans but also replicating their memories.

Worse, they were armed with a serum that temporarily granted superhuman abilities. Though they weren’t Super Skrulls—those capable of permanently mimicking a superhero’s powers—this temporary enhancement made them formidable.

It was essentially an army with Mystique’s powers combined with mutant-like adaptability—a far greater threat than mere mutants.

Still, Xia Luo found their performance… satisfactory.

If they were too weak, Apocalypse wouldn’t agree to work with humanity, he mused.

Turning his gaze to Tony, unconscious and strapped to the machinery, Xia Luo decided it was time to wrap things up.

—

Re-entering his body, Xia Luo’s eyes snapped open, glowing faint blue.

“Buzz~”

Electric arcs danced around him as he turned to the rampaging Skrulls.

“Zzzt! Zzzt!”

One after another, the Skrulls were struck by the arcs, their bodies flung against the walls.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The cave resounded with impact after impact as the Skrulls were forcibly reverted to their true forms, buried under falling rubble.

Dusting off his hands, Xia Luo smirked. “I wasn’t even trying.”

He turned to Tony, prying the steel restraints apart with ease.

Once the helmet-like device was removed from Tony’s head, the man jolted awake, gasping for air. His bleary eyes focused on Xia Luo.

“What… what happened to me?”

Xia Luo gave him a brief rundown of events. As he listened, Tony’s face grew darker.

“Damn it! Those alien bastards… One of them’s pretending to be me. And Pepper—”

Tony froze, a horrifying thought crossing his mind. His face turned grim, as if a neon-green glow had suddenly appeared above his head.

Xia Luo couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

“Don’t tell Pepper about this. She’d only blame herself. A real man shoulders these burdens alone,” he said with a straight face.

Tony glared at him.

“Forget that! I’m going back to expose that impostor.”

Dragging his tired body to his feet, Tony tried to move, but Xia Luo held him back by the shoulder.

“If he can impersonate you, why not flip the script?” Xia Luo suggested.

Tony paused, his genius mind already spinning. “You mean… I impersonate him?”

“Exactly.”

Tony’s scowl shifted into a wicked grin. “If he has a wife, I’ll make sure to repay him in full.”

Xia Luo blinked. “You’re sure about that?”

He gestured toward one of the unconscious Skrulls, pointing out its green skin and wrinkled chin.

“If you’re planning revenge, you might want to prepare yourself. Not everyone can handle this kind of… courage.”

Tony stared at the Skrull’s alien features, gritting his teeth.

“Well… with the lights off, it’s all the same,” he muttered.

Xia Luo burst out laughing, giving Tony an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“You’re the real superhero here. Go all out—teach them a lesson!”

—

As Xia Luo watched Tony recover, a wry smile tugged at his lips.

Iron Man’s dark history, Spider-Man’s ATM. Of course, I’d support this.