Peter simply could not figure out who the name Ana Soria belonged to. The closest character he knew was Anya Corazon, Spider-Girl, but the problem was that Anya hadn't appeared in the 616 Universe yet. Even if she did exist, she wasn't some "Spider-Woman of the 20th Century"; she was a dozen years younger than Peter—likely just a toddler of two or three right now.
So, was this woman who sold the totem to Osborn the same woman who had sold the totem pole to Hydra in the 616 Universe? If so, why was she doing this?
Peter was utterly perplexed.
However, for the present, he had other things to attend to. As he thought, he pulled out the smaller totem pole from the 616 Universe. Upon seeing this, Otto Octavius shuddered, seemingly realizing something: "You... you found your own kind. There's more than one of these things?!"
"Shut up, Otto."
Spider-Man Noir, who had gagged Otto's mouth with a freshly fired web-shooter, pushed the wheelchair out. "You do your research here; I'll keep watch for you."
Peter watched as Spider-Man Noir wheeled Otto away, then turned his attention back to this universe's totem pole. He could sense unique information radiating from it, seemingly beckoning him to make contact.
Peter intended not to touch it.
The reason was simple: the power of this totem pole originated from Anansi. Peter held a grudge against Anansi—at least the Anansi of a certain universe. Since it was an enemy's item, it was better to leave it alone. Who knew if there was some trap hidden inside?
But before Peter could give it further thought, both totems simultaneously released a brilliant light. Startled, Peter dropped the smaller totem pole, but in that instant, a projection magic pulsed from the two totems, displaying a vision of the past.
The past of Anansi, the Spider-God.
In the ancient past, during an era when humanity was still primitive, Anansi, as one of the gods, discovered the Web of Life and its immense power. Realizing this was an artifact of the Elder Gods, the new god made a request to his father, Nyame, the Sky God of Ashanti mythology.
"I request to spread this great power among mortals, so that they too may become spokespersons for the Web of Life and Destiny."
His father agreed, on the condition that Anansi complete a great feat. After a series of adventures, the Spider-God of stories and lies succeeded. He modified the vast divine power and rich knowledge of the Web of Destiny into a form mortals could comprehend, which then spread continuously alongside the expansion of the Web of Destiny.
"In this way, one spider totem after another was born. They appeared in different corners of the multiverse; some were significant, some were not. But their appearance signified the normal operation of the spider totem in that universe. As long as a spider totem appeared in a universe, all souls of that universe would be registered upon the Web of Destiny, becoming part of this celestial soul-map that governs the entire multiverse."
By the time the story reached its conclusion, it was no longer a projection. A young Black man in a tailored, expensive, and flashy purple suit appeared in the room, holding a book as he spoke. Peter looked at him in shock: "You... my Spider-Sense didn't pick you up."
"Of course not. If one uses the Web of Destiny to traverse the multiverse, our presence is enough to make the Web itself shudder, much like the situation you encountered in the Wasteland Universe," Anansi said as he closed the book. "Therefore, this is merely a projection, a false illusion."
Peter looked at the Spider-God before him with uncertainty and asked, "So, was everything I just saw true?"
"I am the God of Stories and Lies, Peter. Those can be stories, or they can be lies. But at the very least, many spider totems believe this tale. Anansi was the first spider totem, and he spread the power of the Web of Destiny across the multiverse, creating nearly all Spider-Men."
Peter watched Anansi and finally asked tentatively, "If this version of the story is true, then why did you form the Spider-Legion? If you are the God of Stories..."
"If I am the God of Stories, then I should be able to see that this world is made of stories. Above all the New Gods—Norse, Greek, Indian, Egyptian, Sumerian—there exist the Great and Terrible Shadow Gods. They feed on faith, hiding within the shadows of the gods. And I should be able to contend with them, because mythology is part of the story, right?"
"I succeeded. So, in my universe, there are no longer any gods. The gods were exiled, except for one deity representing lies and stories."
Anansi laughed and sat on Otto's desk. "If you spoke with my peers—for instance, Mnemosyne of Greece (Goddess of writing, memory, and language) or Bragi of the Norse (God of poetry, wisdom, and eloquence)—you would know I am far more optimistic than they are. At least they never thought to rebel amidst the Greek cycle of patricide or the endless Ragnarök. I did."
Peter was unsure for a moment whether Anansi was telling the truth. In countless Marvel stories, Loki became the God of Stories and saw the Shadow Gods who drew power from the cycle of Ragnarök. Now, another God of Stories claimed he had done something similar, liberating a universe from the shadows of the gods.
"Then, what is the Web-Warriors Legion?"
"Do you know what the most terrifying thing for a reader is in a good story? It's when the story turns cliché, or when the story ends completely and there's nothing left to read."
"...Those seem like two different things."
"It is the same thing. Stories must inevitably come to an end," Anansi looked at Peter. "But some stories might not have a good ending, Peter. The Spider-Legion exists to fight against all of that. You, and the countless totems chosen by the Web of Destiny, are heroes—and heroes are not suited for war."
"You would stop to save people. What we need is an army, and countless bases capable of providing resources for that legion."
"Even if countless universes turn dark because of it?"
Anansi smiled helplessly. "Many universes were heading toward darkness anyway—take the Zombie Universe, the Ogre Universe, or the Wasteland Universe. We are merely recycling waste. You might not agree, but it doesn't matter. When the war that decides the fate of the Web of Destiny itself truly arrives, the Legion will enter the battlefield before the Alliance. I hope that at the story's end, the heroes have not died, and the scum have all vanished."
"Oh, by the way, I left a gift for you."
What gift? Before Peter could react, his hand was bitten hard by a spider that appeared out of nowhere, and he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.