The explosive detonation triggered a devastating chain reaction throughout the entire industrial complex.
Ben's corrosive slime had coated virtually every surface within the abandoned factory during the prolonged battle. When Harry's pumpkin bombs erupted in brilliant orange flames, it was like igniting a massive powder keg filled with volatile chemicals.
BOOM!!! The entire structure was consumed in an apocalyptic explosion! Everything within the building—steel beams, concrete foundations, and the remaining criminals—vanished in the inferno of superheated gases and molten debris.
The Rhino, who had been outside Harry's immediate attack range when the bombs detonated, was not spared from the conflagration and disappeared completely within the roaring sea of fire.
Massive flames shot skyward, reaching heights of several hundred feet and forming a towering pillar of destruction that resembled a fiery tornado. The explosion could be seen from miles away, finally giving the confused New York Police Department a clear target for their emergency response.
Several kilometers away from the factory's location, Ben touched down in a small clearing and gently lowered Peter and Harry to the ground. His enhanced wings had carried them to safety with remarkable ease.
If ten-year-old Ben Tennyson in the Ben 10 universe had attempted this same maneuver in Stinkfly form, he would have struggled significantly with the weight of two passengers and been forced to fly at reduced speed.
But for Ben Parker, whose alien transformation had been augmented by spider-based enhancements, carrying both friends represented virtually no burden at all.
"Stinkfly requesting permission to land," he announced with obvious humor, his rapidly vibrating wings creating powerful downdrafts that scattered dead leaves across the forest floor in perfect circles around their landing zone.
At that moment, the Omnitrix symbol on his forehead began flashing its familiar red warning light.
After a burst of radiance, Ben reverted to his human form, causing Peter and Harry to drop the final few inches to the ground as his alien strength disappeared.
"Ben, it really was you!" Harry exclaimed, still struggling to process everything he had witnessed.
Even now, he found it difficult to believe that his friend could transform into such a massive insectoid creature.
He quickly stood up, desperate to understand the full scope of what had been revealed to him.
"What exactly is going on here?"
"And you, Peter—you're actually Spider-Man! But you never told me, despite all this time we've been friends. That's incredibly unfair!"
Harry's voice carried genuine hurt and indignation.
After all, he had commissioned an entire set of Green Goblin armor specifically for his two closest friends, while those same friends had been concealing such monumental secrets from him.
Actually, Harry could understand Ben's reluctance to discuss his abilities.
If his own superpower involved transforming into a large, malodorous, disgusting insect, he would definitely be too embarrassed to mention it in casual conversation.
But Peter's deception felt far more personal and inexcusable.
Did his best friend not trust him enough to share something so important? Harry needed answers immediately.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Peter said quickly, his voice filled with remorse. "We didn't mean to hide this from you."
The deaths of the criminal gang had become an unavoidable reality. Although Peter felt that Harry and Ben shouldn't have resorted to lethal force, he couldn't bring himself to mourn the death of such dangerous individuals.
"Peter is right," Ben added with sincere conviction. "We really had no intention of keeping you in the dark permanently."
To be completely honest, the Osborn family had always treated both Ben and Peter with extraordinary kindness and generosity.
Harry had been Peter's closest friend since early childhood, and their relationship had proven strong enough to survive the pressures and complications present in multiple universe iterations.
The reason they hadn't revealed Spider-Man's secret identity to Harry was primarily due to concerns about exposing him to unnecessary danger.
Additionally, both Ben and Peter possessed genuine superpowers now, and they worried that Harry might feel inadequate or excluded from their enhanced capabilities.
Given Norman's historical neglect of Harry during his formative years, what the young man feared most was becoming mediocre or irrelevant compared to his peers.
In the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films, Harry had indeed experienced jealousy toward Peter because Peter consistently demonstrated superior intelligence and earned more approval from Norman.
However, now that Harry had chosen to become the Green Goblin and possessed combat-effective armor, the two no longer felt the need to maintain their deception.
Ben was about to continue his explanation when Harry unexpectedly raised his hand, pursed his lips with a grave expression, and gently patted Ben's shoulder in a gesture of comfort and understanding.
"I completely understand your situation, brother!"
Ben blinked in confusion. "What exactly do you mean?"
"I understand perfectly," Harry continued with obvious sympathy. "Isn't it because your superpower is somewhat... awkward that you don't want to make it public knowledge?" He struggled to find terminology that wouldn't sound insulting or insensitive.
"I understand all of that completely!"
"And I think you don't need to feel too self-conscious about it. Transforming into a giant insect can actually be quite impressive. At least you can achieve flight without requiring a glider, and you can project various substances without needing specialized equipment..."
"Most importantly," he emphasized, "you can change back to human form. That's infinitely better than poor Mandel Stormm, who reportedly remained permanently transformed until his death."
In Harry's assessment, this reversibility represented the most crucial advantage.
It would be genuinely tragic if Ben became permanently trapped in that alien insect body.
Hearing this analysis, Peter nodded and agreed with the sentiment: "If you couldn't change back, all the girls at Midtown High School would be absolutely heartbroken."
However, both he and Ben immediately realized that Harry seemed to have fundamentally misunderstood the nature of Ben's abilities.
But neither felt any urgency to correct this misconception immediately.
The current moment represented the perfect opportunity to explain everything that had happened to them.
"Actually, I developed spider powers because I was bitten by one of Osborn Industries' experimental spider," Peter said, providing a concise summary of his origin story.
Harry's mind immediately began racing with possibilities.
"Osborn's radioactively enhanced spiders? I remember there were quite a few specimens in that program! Does that mean I could potentially gain spider powers as well?"
He stood up immediately, practically ready to return to Osborn Industries and deliberately expose himself to those same creatures.
Fortunately, Peter managed to stop him before he could act on this dangerous impulse.
"Wait, that approach won't work for you."
"Those mutated spiders can only alter my specific genetic structure," Peter explained, describing his parents' secret research and genetic modifications.
To be completely honest, what Richard and Mary Parker had done was ethically questionable at best.
Although the decay-rate algorithm represented the product of their scientific research, the project could never have succeeded without Osborn Industries' massive financial investment and Dr. Connors's substantial contributions as a co-researcher.
In reality, Connors had been a relative latecomer to the project.
He had originally served as a military physician before transitioning to lizard-based biological research.
However, Harry didn't criticize Peter for his parents' actions or speak negatively about their memory.
He simply felt disappointed by the missed opportunity.
At the same time, he finally understood why Dr. Connors's lizard serum had ultimately failed to produce the desired results.
"Wait a moment," Harry said as a new theory occurred to him.
"Ben, your superpower isn't the result of attempting to study the decay-rate algorithm but failing in the process, is it?"
"How could you use yourself as an experimental subject?"
Given Dr. Connors's previous experience using himself as a test subject with disastrous results, Harry felt that Ben had been dangerously reckless.
"Look what happened—now the experiment has failed and you've ended up like this. Although you can revert to human form, you've missed out on gaining real spider powers!"
Harry felt genuinely sorry for his friend's apparent misfortune.
Then he seemed to suddenly remember something important.
"By the way, if Peter's spider abilities were designed using Peter's genetic template, then who exactly is the other Spider-Man?"
Harry finally recalled that there wasn't actually only one web-slinging hero operating in New York City.
In addition to Peter, there was another masked figure.
"You're not completely hopeless after all," Ben observed with amusement.
Seeing that Ben was about to provide an explanation, Harry raised his hand again, gesturing for silence.
"Wait, let me work this out myself."
He held his chin thoughtfully and lowered his head in concentration. "The two Spider-Men know each other personally, correct?"
Peter glanced at Ben and nodded confirmation: "Yes, that's right."
"So how close is your relationship with this other Spider-Man?" Harry inquired further.
"What do you think? We're family!" Peter replied, rolling his eyes. "Not just the Spider-family—we're actual relatives."
He was practically spelling out the answer for Harry at this point.
Harry's face lit up with understanding as the pieces fell into place.
Peter nodded and began, "Yes, in fact, the other Spider-Man is..."
"It's Uncle Ben.!" Harry interrupted loudly, his voice filled with confident excitement.
Both Ben and Peter were completely stunned by this unexpected conclusion.
Neither of them had anticipated Harry would arrive at such a bizarre answer.
The two looked at each other, and their expressions clearly communicated the same incredulous thought: Is he actually serious right now?
"Am I wrong?" Harry asked, noting their obvious dismay.
Seeing that Peter and Ben appeared troubled by his reasoning, he provided additional evidence to support his theory: "Look, the two Spider-Men know each other personally, and Peter and Uncle Ben. obviously know each other, so you're family; the radioactive spiders can only be compatible with Parker family genetics, and Uncle Ben is also from the Parker lineage, so his genes would be very similar to yours."
"To summarize, Uncle Ben must be the other Spider-Man."
In Harry's imagination, Prime removed his mask to reveal Uncle Ben face—aged but still sharp and determined.
"Uncle Ben as Spider-Man would be so cool!" he declared enthusiastically, clapping his hands together.
"Do you think I could convince my father to become the Green Goblin too? Otherwise, people might assume I'm somehow related to that the first Green Goblin."
Harry's reasoning was actually quite sound, given the information available to him.
"But have you considered Uncle Ben's physical build?" Peter suggested tactfully.
This observation instantly shattered Harry's mental image of Uncle Ben as Prime, replacing it with a disturbing vision of an aged, overweight man struggling to fit into a form-fitting costume...
Harry shuddered and desperately tried to banish the horrible image from his mind.
"But if the other Spider-Man isn't Uncle Ben, who else could it possibly be? It can't be Ben, right? He's already demonstrated that he transforms into a giant insect."
Ben felt his patience wearing thin. "Why couldn't it be me?"
This question only increased Harry's confusion exponentially.
"But how is that possible? Are you perhaps Uncle Richard's illegitimate son? Are you and Peter actually biological brothers rather than cousins?"
"That has to do with another one of my superpowers," Ben explained patiently.
He had decided to reveal his ability to transform into various alien heroes. After all, the transformations couldn't be hidden indefinitely once witnessed, and Harry was definitely part of their inner circle now.
However, there was no need to mention that these abilities originated from the Omnitrix device on his wrist.
So far, the only people who knew that particular secret were Peter, who had helped Ben analyze the and hack the watch, and Dr. Connors, who had witnessed it.
Of these two individuals, Peter's loyalty was absolute and unquestionable. As for Connors, Ben had implanted neurotoxins in the scientist's system as insurance, and Eunice maintained constant surveillance over his activities.
"You can also transform into an alien?" Harry asked, his expression suggesting this revelation was somehow fundamentally unfair.
"Forget it, you never cease to amaze me," he said, shaking his head in resignation. When he considered the vast gap between his own abilities and Ben's seemingly limitless powers, he didn't even feel envious anymore.
However, after hearing that Ben had solved the genetic compatibility problems with the decay-rate algorithm, Harry became curious about whether Ben had developed a perfected spider serum or something similar.
"You could probably do it, but if it's avoidable, I'd recommend against it," Ben dismissed the idea immediately.
"Let's head back and discuss this properly."
Ben contacted Mary Jane and Felicia to inform them of his safety, asking them to notify the police that he and Peter had been rescued by Harry and that they were returning to Primus together.
Primus Technologies had undergone dramatic changes since its early days.
Massive skyscrapers now dominated the company's expanded campus.
Instead of taking Harry to the executive floors, Ben directed them to an elevator that descended deep underground.
"I recently constructed this subterranean facility," Ben explained as they traveled downward. "It features extremely high security protocols and can serve as our operational headquarters in the future."
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers with dramatic flair.
Instantly, the entire underground complex became brilliantly illuminated, and rows of cylindrical storage pods rose from the floor. When they opened, each revealed various Spider-Man costumes and equipment.
"I'll design new uniforms for both of you," Ben said, his expression showing obvious disdain for their current gear. "What you're wearing now represents embarrassingly low technological standards."
While the armor and equipment were impressive, superpowers attracted Harry's attention far more.
"About that spider serum..."
"I told you, avoid that if at all possible," Ben shook his head firmly. "You both assume that Spider-Man's abilities come from genetic mutations, but that's not actually the case. They represent mystical power."
"Mystical powers? You mean magic?" Peter asked, tilting his head with curiosity.
"Can I cast spells during future battles?"
"No, I'm referring to the spider totem," Ben replied, realizing that explaining this concept clearly would be quite challenging.
So he decided to change the subject entirely.
"Powers from unknown mystical sources carry hidden dangers regardless, and Peter and I can no longer alter our fundamental nature. But you don't need to feel disappointed—there are other ways to gain superhuman abilities, such as the Super Soldier Serum."
Ben gestured toward a wall display, and numerous chemical formulas instantly appeared on the computer screens.
Peter and Harry approached with obvious surprise and fascination.
"You're also researching the Super Soldier Serum?"
The Super Soldier Serum seemed like an outdated concept in the modern era.
But in reality, the serum's true effectiveness had never been limited to simple strength enhancement—it also provided significant anti-aging benefits.
Current evidence suggested that the Super Soldier Serum could be refined into a version with minimal side effects.
Wasn't that infinitely superior to experimental lizard serums?
Harry found Ben's research fascinating, but Peter was filled with concern.
"Ben, what exactly are you planning to do?"
To be honest, secretly developing super soldier serum was exactly the kind of activity that government military agencies pursued.
Peter was genuinely worried that Ben might be heading down a dangerous path toward becoming a villain himself.
"What do I want to do?" Ben asked, momentarily taken aback by the question.
Then he cleared his throat and, without hesitation, borrowed a famous quote from a certain one-eyed intelligence director:
"I had this idea—to bring together some remarkable people and see what we could accomplish. When the world needs us... we could fight the battles that they cannot win."
"When Dr. Animo seized control of Stark Tower with his mutation device, I realized that Iron Man alone isn't sufficient for our superhero community."
"Individual heroes fighting separately will never be enough. We need to gather these forces together, like fingers forming a clenched fist. Only through unity can we effectively combat evil."
Ben turned around, and a massive hourglass symbol illuminated behind him on the wall display.
"I founded the Plumbers or Planetary Law Enforcement for Unnatural, Multiversal, Biological, Extraterrestrial Response & Surveillance."