Tony mentioned Carol, and Charlie's mind drifted to Carol's friend, the bald eagle, Nick Fury. Thinking of Fury led to his Skrull allies. Speaking of Skrulls, he couldn't help but think of Talos' daughter, G'iah. Mentioning G'iah, still posing as Mary Jane, brought him to Mary Jane's other friend, Gwen.
Thinking of Gwen…
Okay, fine. He just wanted to borrow the Necrosword for a bit.
Charlie had little interest in Tony's Celestial skull plan. The skull was out there in some cosmic corner, and even if Tony schemed with it, finding it anytime soon was unlikely.
Hence, a backup plan.
He was far more curious about Tony's anti-armor series.
"Scarlet Witch nearly trashed this city. You know about that, right?" he asked Tony.
Tony nodded. "Of course. Gwen showed up with the Necrosword and drove her off."
He gave Charlie an odd look. "You know?"
Charlie nodded. "Yup."
Tony facepalmed. "Good thing you're a friend. If you were an enemy, I'd be toast."
"So, can you tell me about your anti-Gwen armor series?" Charlie grinned.
For Tony, strong enemies weren't scary. What was scary was failing to craft an anti-series armor to counter them.
Be it Scarlet Witch or Gwen's Necrosword, these were Tony's nightmares.
He'd definitely been secretly designing countermeasures.
Studying a target thoroughly was key to building those armors.
With Tony's intel, Charlie might track Gwen down.
Sure enough, Tony tapped the virtual interface.
The screen showed endless crimson energy engulfing the city. A dark gleam flared from the void, the god-slaying weapon radiating absolute oppression. Where it passed, the crimson faded, and even the Darkhold paused under the Necrosword's threat, leaving Scarlet Wanda too slow to react.
The Necrosword vanished into the void, and Scarlet Wanda wisely left New York, sparing S.W.O.R.D.'s armed forces.
Gwen's figure never appeared.
Charlie pondered.
During the Spider-Man crossover event caused by Dark Stephen, Gwen and Mary Jane ended up in the cinematic universe. After Dark Stephen's death, Scarlet Wanda stole the Darkhold, the multiversal rifts closed, and the Spider-Men returned to their universes.
Or rather, few made it back—most became Dark Stephen's puppets.
In this Resurrection Match, the Spider-Men he met were mostly strangers. If the dark puppets were truly dead, he'd have encountered at least one.
More likely, they were trapped in some unknown space by dark magic.
That aside for now.
He was certain Gwen and Mary Jane returned to the main universe.
Their ability to traverse multiversal rifts meant they were recognized as Spider-Man variants.
As long as they were Spider-Men, Charlie could find them with the slightest clue.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Tony continued, "You saw it. Gwen's doing better—she helped us but stayed hidden. Her state's unstable.
She's afraid of losing control of the Necrosword again.
Of course, she can't ditch it either, or she'd have dropped that creepy weapon in a heartbeat."
He clicked the virtual computer, showing Charlie his data. "The Necrosword's not like normal weapons. It has its own magnetic field energy, with a wavelength similar to symbiotes."
He looked at Charlie. "You mentioned the Necrosword is the symbiote god's god-slaying weapon. My data confirms it."
"So?" Charlie frowned.
That was as good as saying nothing.
Tony waved him off. "Hold on. My guess is Gwen's hiding in a special space.
I'm not an expert on multiverses or dimensional spaces, but you gave me that armor—yep, Kang the Conqueror's 31st-century tech. It's got spatial system knowledge.
I need time to sort it out. Once I do, I can use the symbiote aura and light refraction angles from the Necrosword's appearances to pinpoint a dimensional coordinate.
Sounds complex, and I'm not sure you get it.
Point is, I need time.
Without other symbiote samples, my anti-Gwen armor's stalled."
Charlie perked up. "How long?"
Tony shook his head. "No clue. A year, a decade, maybe never."
Charlie eyed him. "If multiple Tonys worked on it, what's the success rate?"
"Multiple?" Tony raised a brow. "Sounds thrilling. I'm intrigued."
He didn't give a timeline, but Charlie sensed a shot.
He started contacting other Iron Man friends.
Ten minutes later, in the armor lab, golden light rippled. Two more Iron Men arrived in this universe at Charlie's invite.
Oh, and one Captain friend.
Ignoring the tagalong old man Steve, Charlie introduced them to Tony. "Tony Stark, his armor's fused with symbiote cells, giving it nano-metal traits but broader applications." He pointed at Symbiote Tony.
Symbiote Tony glanced at this world's Tony. "My beard's sexier," he said smugly.
Tony: "…"
Before Charlie could continue, Infinity Tony jumped in. "I'm Tony Stark. One word of advice: don't try building Ultron. It's a disaster."
Tony blinked. "I know. I didn't."
The three Tonys sized each other up, the vibe surreal—like staring into a mirror or seeing past and future selves.
"Alright, let's get to the problem," Charlie clapped, breaking the odd mood. "I briefed you before coming. Thanks for helping.
Until we find those coordinates, I'm covering all your expenses!"
The three Tonys' faces shifted.
"My God, is he really Spider-Man?"
"No way, he's broke."
"I bet he's possessed by a symbiote."
They didn't buy it.
But Charlie added, "Up to thirty bucks. Anything over, you cover."
Tony: "…"
Symbiote Tony patted his chest. "Phew, it's really him, not an imposter."
Infinity Tony, the calmest, stayed quiet, wondering if he should urge this Tony to be nicer to Spider-Man.
In his universe, Peter coughed up at least sixty bucks!
Charlie ignored their thoughts, leaving them to work, and headed to the poolside.
Seeing old man Steve raising his right hand in a weird pose, Charlie frowned. "What're you doing?"
"Trying to summon Mjolnir."
Charlie: "…"
His face darkened. "Don't mess around. This world might not have a Thor, and if it does, I don't know him.
With that guy's temper, if you steal his hammer, he'll kill you."
Old man Steve shrugged. "No biggie. If I've got the hammer, Thor's just a grunt without it."
Charlie: "…"
"I think you're talking about yourself."
He rolled his eyes, then waved a hand to spark a portal. "Lunchtime. Wanna eat?"
Old man Steve turned, grinning. "Sure."
"Cool, I'm treating, you're paying."
"I'm broke."
"No problem, I've got a friend."
So, Harry, at Charlie's grand invite, booked the restaurant and brought colleagues and friends.
"Hey, I'm Harry."
"I'm Hill, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Think I've seen you."
"I'm Mary Jane."
G'iah, as Mary Jane, was a pro at blending in.
Old man Steve smiled stiffly at the youngsters, leaning close to Charlie. "That the Skrull you mentioned? She's scarily convincing. Little Spider, I'm jealous!"
Charlie side-eyed him. "If you don't want free food, turn left outside and beg."
"Nah, begging's too slow and humiliating."
Old man Steve resumed his serious demeanor.
The lunch vibe was weird, but Charlie didn't care.
Afterward, Harry cornered him in the restroom. "Hey, buddy, that the old Cap from the last Resurrection Match?" he whispered, arm around Charlie's neck.
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, what's up?"
Harry hesitated. "Well… I've got a friend."
Charlie's lip twitched. "Okay, what's up with your friend?"
Harry gathered his thoughts, whispering, "My friend said his dad's been acting weird lately—way too understanding. So, my friend's wondering if his dad's a variant from another universe, or if he mixed up two identical dads."
Charlie rubbed his brow. "Tell your friend his dad's fine."
"How do you know?"
"I know. Norman's been eyeing me forever; I wouldn't mix him up."
With that, Charlie left the restroom.
Harry stood alone, staring at his back. "How'd he know it was me?"
He scratched his head, clueless about his slip-up.
Outside, Charlie found old man Steve gone, who-knows-where.
Hill and G'iah were locked in a staring contest.
Sensing trouble, Charlie probed, "What's… going on?"
At his voice, Hill flinched, lowering her head. "Got stuff to do. Bye!" She bolted.
G'iah smirked victoriously. "That old guy spilled. Hill knows your identity."
"Knows my identity?" Charlie blinked, surprised. "She didn't already?"
G'iah: "…"
Is this guy schizophrenic?
She shook her head. "Of course not. Captain Carter's been guarding that secret."
Charlie slapped his thigh, full of regret. "Ugh, that old man! Now that Hill knows, it'll be tough to mooch off her as Spider-Man. Her craft's fast, and her face masks are top-notch."
G'iah: "…"
She was beyond speechless.
"Why not?" she humored him.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Duh, it'll be awkward."
…
Meanwhile, Agent Hill flew back to S.H.I.E.L.D.
At her desk, she sat dazed, half in shock.
Her idol was Charlie Parker?
God, how is this possible?
She buried her face, feeling the sky collapse.
Her beloved Spider-Man was a kid? Humiliating if it got out.
Worse…
She pulled a mirror from her drawer, staring at her reflection, conflicted.
Spider-Man was so young, but her age…
Sigh.
Hill buried her head on the desk, utterly despairing.
"Hey, Agent Hill, the Commander wants you," Coulson said, tapping her desk.
Hill jolted upright. "Got it."
She hurried to Carter's office, finding her engrossed in a cheesy soap opera. Hill sighed inwardly.
Carter's work ethic was undeniable, but her flaw?
Loving poorly plotted dramas.
And not hiding it from agents.
Hill opened her mouth to interrupt, but for some reason, blurted, "Commander, is that stuff good?"
Carter looked up, smiling. "You're here."
She paused the show. "It's not great, just okay. I'm trying to adapt to this era's vibe, that's all. Don't read into it."
Hill's face stiffened.
Adapt to the era?
After all this time?
Adapting via soap operas felt… unreliable.
Before she could speak, Carter, as if a dam broke, shared her passion. "It's not much, but the plot's fresh."
"Fresh?" Hill blinked.
Weren't soaps all the same clichés?
Carter grinned mysteriously. "I'll share it. You'll be thrilled."
Hill wanted to decline, but Carter's enthusiasm was overwhelming.
At work, refusing a boss's reasonable request was foolish.
Back at her desk, Hill clicked the website to humor Carter. Flashy effects spelled out: [The Tyrant CEO Falls for Menopausal Me!]
The title jolted her.
No wonder Carter was hooked—it was thrilling.
For a woman her age, nothing was more captivating.
She dove into her new binge-watching routine.
Late at night, in her bedroom, Hill finished the series.
Exhausted but rekindled with confidence.
Knowing Spider-Man's identity? She wasn't holding back.
Her lips curled into a wicked smirk, eerie in the dim light.
The show's heroine, Carolina Long, was right: in love, age was no barrier.
Just ten years older than Spider-Man? No big deal.
Inspired by the heroine's moves, Hill grew excited.
Hah, men? I've got this!
…
Meanwhile, in the armor lab, Charlie shivered suddenly. "Hiss… something weird's targeting me."
He glanced back at old man Steve, eyes wary.
The old guy's plotting to screw me over!
He was sure of it.
Squinting, Charlie decided to strike first.
He approached Steve, feigning distress. "Old man, Carter sent word. A tough guy needs handling.
But you know I'm tied up."
He sighed. "In this world, besides me, only you, Steve Rogers, can handle any mess."
Old man Steve, about to refuse, straightened instinctively. "Well, I'm not that great." He played modest—just a bit.
"No, you are," Charlie said earnestly. "The evil Lady Deadpool's slaughtering innocents. Only you can save them."
"Lady Deadpool?" Steve frowned. "Wade turned into a woman?"
"No, this world's Deadpool. A woman. She's after me, probably set a trap."
Charlie locked eyes with him. "I might not beat her. Protect me. Let the world know Spider-Man's guarded by you!"
Steve gritted his teeth. "That jerk's targeting my Little Spider? Unforgivable!!"
He grabbed a shield from the corner and stormed out.
Watching him go, Charlie grinned.
Once she latched onto him, Steve would be too busy for tricks.
Perfect!
Turning back, he saw the three Tonys crafting a triangular shuttle device.
Three Tonys together? Efficiency wasn't just one plus one plus one.
Find Gwen, use the Necrosword to take out Earth's Celestial, and score a massive retry jackpot!
But first, he needed a backup plan.