Uncle Ben and Aunt May stared at Miguel in stunned surprise, but the time-displaced Spider-Man was studying them with equal fascination and something approaching wonder.
For Miguel O'Hara, seeing a living, breathing Uncle Ben was like witnessing a fairy tale come to life. In the Spider-Society headquarters he'd established, most Spider-People had remarkably similar origin stories. When they gathered to share their experiences and discuss how they'd become heroes, the conversation would inevitably turn tragic as they discovered their shared loss.
"Wait, your Uncle Ben died too?" was a phrase Miguel had heard countless times, each repetition carrying fresh weight of grief and regret.
Across the infinite expanse of the multiverse, there were indeed realities where Uncle Ben survived the fateful night that typically defined Spider-Man's origin. There were even universes where Uncle Ben himself had been bitten by the radioactive spider and become the web-slinger. But those alternate timelines rarely seemed to have happy endings, the Web of Life and Destiny appeared to demand its pound of flesh one way or another.
But Ben Parker's universe was different. It was a genuine exception to the space rules that governed Spider-totems across all realities.
Ben Parker had somehow used power that Miguel couldn't fully comprehend to shatter the curse woven into Spider-Man's destiny. Not just for this world's Spider-Man, but for others as well, Ghost Spider, Peter B. Parker, and numerous other Spider-People seemed to find their lives gradually becoming more fulfilling and genuinely happy after contact with this Ben Parker.
This was precisely why Miguel, despite knowing that interfering with canon events could have catastrophic consequences, felt compelled to attempt this rescue mission. He wasn't naturally cold or indifferent to suffering, he'd simply been forced to suppress his compassionate instincts after making a terrible mistake that had cost an entire universe its existence.
"My name is Miguel O'Hara, and I come from another universe," Miguel began, offering a brief introduction to Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Without wasting time on unnecessary exposition, he immediately cut to the heart of the matter. "The individual who captured your Peter Parker is called Morlun, a member of the Inheritor family. For over a century, they've been traveling between different universes, systematically hunting down every Spider-Man they can find in order to devour the totem power contained within their bodies."
Uncle Ben's enhanced super-soldier physique tensed visibly, his hands unconsciously moving toward the weapons on his utility belt. May's expression hardened into something that would have terrified any normal criminal, the look of a legendary Plumber who had faced down space threats across the galaxy.
"However, there's no need to panic about Peter's immediate safety," Miguel continued, his stern features softening slightly. "Another group of Spider-People managed to locate Morlun before I could organize a rescue mission."
After discovering that Inheritors had invaded Ben's universe and successfully captured Peter Parker, Miguel had immediately begun assembling a strike team for an emergency extraction. Unfortunately, Gwen Stacy and several other Spider-People who had originally intended to visit Ben's reality had encountered Morlun just as he was attempting to leave with his prize.
The resulting battle had erupted with devastating intensity, but Peter hadn't been rescued because Morlun wasn't operating alone. Two additional members of the Inheritor family had appeared during the firefight and spirited Peter away to safety, leaving Morlun behind to single-handedly hold off Gwen's entire team.
Miguel had dispatched tracking specialists to follow the kidnappers' dimensional trail, but the Inheritors' base of operations remained frustratingly elusive. Although Miguel didn't know that Morlun was Solus's most favored son, he understood enough about Inheritor family dynamics to recognize that they weren't always cooperative with each other. Morlun was the hero who had successfully captured Peter, if he wasn't present at their planned ritual, the other family members wouldn't dare to proceed.
As long as Gwen's team could keep Morlun occupied and prevent him from rejoining his siblings, Peter would remain relatively safe.
Miguel's arrival represented genuinely good news for Ben Sr. and May. At minimum, they now had confirmation that Peter wasn't in immediate mortal danger, plus they'd gained access to additional resources and allies for the rescue operation.
"We should move quickly," Miguel said urgently, gesturing toward the sophisticated device mounted on his wrist. "I can provide multiverse transportation for the mission."
The world Miguel came from existed roughly ninety years in the future relative to the current timeline, where interdimensional travel had evolved far beyond theoretical concepts into practical, everyday technology.
But at that moment, Ben's voice interrupted from behind them.
"That won't be necessary but thank you for helping us track down the Inheritors."
Miguel turned around to see Ben approaching with two tiny nano-devices in his palm. He carefully attached them to the Plumber badges on Ben Sr. and May's uniforms, where they immediately dissolved like drops of water being absorbed into fabric.
"I've integrated multiverse-traveling capability directly into your badges," Ben explained matter-of-factly. "This approach is more convenient and doesn't require additional equipment."
As he spoke, Ben studied Miguel with obvious interest. This was clearly a formidable individual, in terms of pure physical development, Miguel possessed significantly more muscle mass than Ben's relatively lean frame. The man's shoulders were broader than Ben's head, and his entire physique radiated the kind of power that came from genetic enhancement and decades of brutal combat experience.
But in terms of actual strength, Ben estimated that two or three Miguels combined might equal his current capabilities.
Ben's knowledge of Miguel O'Hara was limited to what he'd seen in the "Spider-Verse" animated films, but he found himself genuinely appreciating Miguel's rational, analytical approach to leadership. As someone who had to manage space-scale organizations, Ben respected the way Miguel maintained order and discipline within the Spider-Society.
"In that case, let's move immediately," Miguel declared without hesitation. To verify whether Ben could truly break Spider-Man's curse, he didn't need lengthy explanations or philosophical discussions, he simply needed to observe whether this rescue mission succeeded.
Miguel touched the communication interface on his wrist device, and the holographic projection of a cheerful young woman materialized in the air.
"Have you successfully tracked down Peter Parker's current location?" he asked with professional urgency.
"Um... which Peter are you talking about?" the AI assistant asked, tilting her holographic head with obvious confusion. "We have like, dozens of Peters here. You're going to need to be more specific."
Miguel's expression darkened dangerously. "What do you mean, 'which one'?"
"Wow, you're really no fun at all," the AI complained with digital exasperation. Just then, another voice interrupted from the communication channel.
"Alright, this isn't the time for jokes," came the firm but weary voice of a different woman. "Transmit the Inheritors' location data immediately."
The holographic projection shifted to display a dark-skinned Spider-Woman who appeared to be several months pregnant, her condition clearly visible even through the dimensional interface.
"Miguel, do you need additional support?" she asked with professional concern. "Peter has assembled the strike team you requested."
"Which team members did he recruit?" Miguel asked, already dreading the answer.
"He found..." the pregnant Spider-Woman began, then stopped herself with visible frustration. She took a deep breath and fixed Miguel with an annoyed look. "What do you think? He recruited Peter, Peter, and Peter, obviously."
Miguel winced as he realized he'd asked an incredibly stupid question. In an organization composed entirely of alternate versions of the same person, team composition tended to be somewhat predictable.
"Support won't be necessary for now," he said quickly, changing the subject to avoid further embarrassment. "Have them reinforce Superior Spider-Man's position instead. Just transmit the coordinates for the Inheritors who took our Peter Parker."
The Spider-Woman nodded and closed the communication channel. Moments later, a string of dimensional coordinates appeared on Miguel's display.
Ben Sr. and May had already changed into their distinctive black Plumber uniforms, the advanced fabric shimmering with embedded technology and protective systems. Ben had also donned his rarely-used Black Prime outfit, the Ultimatrixgleaming against the dark material of his sleeve.
"Alright then," Ben Sr. declared with grim determination, checking the charge on his energy weapon. "Let's go bring our nephew home."
Without hesitation, he stepped through the dimensional portal that had materialized at the coordinates, Aunt May and the others following closely behind.
Unknown Universe - Battle in the Ruins
Several Spider-People leaped desperately through the shattered remains of what had once been a thriving city, their movements displaying the fluid grace and desperate urgency of seasoned heroes pushed beyond their limits. They were engaged in a running battle with a nightmarish creature that seemed to shrug off every attack they could muster.
The ruins around them told the story of some previous catastrophe, twisted metal and concrete created a maze of debris that offered temporary cover but no real protection from their relentless pursuer.
"What the hell is this thing?!" Indian Spider-Man shouted in a mixture of fear and frustration as his web-lines and thrown debris bounced harmlessly off the monster's hide. A moment later, a massive tail struck him in the abdomen with bone-crushing force, sending him flying through several concrete walls in succession. The impact left him gasping and barely conscious, feeling like every bone in his body was on the verge of shattering.
He'd faced Karn before during previous Inheritor encounters. That enemy had been powerful and dangerous, but Karn existed in an entirely different league compared to the enhanced Morlun they were fighting now. This creature's body appeared to be completely indestructible while possessing attack power that far exceeded anything a normal Spider-Person could withstand.
"Focus all support on Gwen!" Spider-Noir commanded as he swooped down from a low altitude, extending his hand to help the injured Indian Spider-Man to his feet. "Help her create an opening!"
The two heroes rushed back toward the main battlefield, where Six-Armed Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider had undergone their own monstrous transformations, taking on spider-creature forms to match Morlun's alien shapeshifting abilities.
Morlun was practically vibrating with excitement and predatory satisfaction.
His razor-sharp rhinoceros horn caught Six-Armed Spider-Man with a devastating uppercut, launching the hero high into the air before he could recover. Then Morlun's form began to shift and flow like liquid, transforming into something that resembled a massive purple slug.
The new creature was grotesquely swollen and hairless, its entire surface covered with purple blisters that oozed viscous, sticky secretions. This was a specialized hunting form designed to trap and immobilize prey, once something became stuck in that adhesive slime, escape would be as impossible as a fly breaking free from a spider's web.
This was the natural predator of Orthopterran, evolved specifically to hunt creatures that relied on speed and agility for survival.
Morlun's bloated form convulsed disgustingly, and massive quantities of purple slime suddenly erupted from the blisters covering his body like pus being squeezed from infected wounds.
"Everyone be careful!" Gwen called out, her entire body radiating with brilliant Mana. With a sweeping gesture, she manifested several translucent mana shields in midair, creating umbrella-like barriers that deflected the acidic slime away from her teammates.
But Morlun wasn't concerned with the other Spider-People. He had identified his primary target and nothing else mattered.
"I never expected to encounter an 'Other' in a place like this!" he exclaimed, his transformed features glowing with the kind of excitement typically reserved for discovering buried treasure.
The Other, the Bride, and the Scion.
These were the three most critical objectives that the Inheritor family had been seeking across the multiverse for over a century.
According to an ancient prophecy discovered in the deepest archives of their dimensional fortress, Spider-Man would eventually rise up and completely destroy the Inheritor bloodline. To prevent this catastrophic future from coming to pass, the family had embarked on their campaign of systematically hunting down and devouring every Spider-totem they could locate across infinite realities.
But despite their century-long genocide, Spider-People continued to emerge throughout the multiverse like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. They couldn't kill them all, the Web of Life and Destiny seemed to generate new heroes faster than the Inheritors could eliminate them.
To achieve complete victory and permanently end the Spider-Man threat, they needed to capture three specific individuals who held special significance within the space web of Spider-totems: the Other, the Bride, and the Scion. Only by performing a ritual sacrifice using all three could they sever Spider-Man's connection to the fundamental forces of reality.
First, they would sacrifice the life of the "Other" and use their blood to stain the Web of Life and Destiny crimson. From that moment forward, the Spider-totem would no longer inhabit any living creature, bringing the age of Spider-Man to an end.
Next, as the "Bride's" blood flowed through the space web, no new spider-totems would ever manifest accidentally in any reality.
Finally, by sacrificing the "Scion," they would ensure that no future totems could ever appear, making the end of the Spider-Man era permanent and irreversible.
However, despite spending over a hundred years gathering intelligence and hunting across countless dimensions, the Inheritor family's knowledge of the three entities remained frustratingly incomplete. The identities of the "Other," "Bride," and "Scion" were hidden behind layers of space mystery and prophetic riddle.
But Morlun possessed information that his siblings lacked. The Scarlet Spider fighting desperately before him was the "Other" that the Inheritors had been seeking for decades! He could ignore every other Spider-Person present, but under no circumstances could he allow this particular target to escape.
With this realization driving him to new heights of savagery, Morlun's attacks became exponentially more ferocious. His bloated slug form began to contract and reshape itself, transforming into something resembling a nightmarish fusion of wolf and saber-toothed tiger. His new body was lean and powerfully muscled, covered in blood-red skin and topped with a wild mane. Massive fangs protruded from his jaws like ivory daggers, and his claws gleamed with predatory sharpness as he launched himself toward Scarlet Spider with killing intent.