"Hey, Peter! What are you doing up here?" the Human Torch called out cheerfully when he spotted the dark figure clinging to the side of a skyscraper.
But the man he was addressing—the Black Spider-Man—didn't respond. Instead, Peter Parker, or rather what was once Peter Parker, turned sharply at the sound of his name. His reflection had been staring blankly back at him in the building's glass façade, but the moment the Torch approached, his entire demeanor shifted.
Without a word, without warning, Spider-Man lunged.
His fist, wreathed in oily darkness, smashed straight into the Human Torch's face with the full force of a freight train. The impact sent Johnny Storm hurtling across the street, crashing into the opposite building and leaving a gaping crater in the wall.
"Hey! Is that your way of saying hello, Pete?!" Johnny groaned, peeling himself out of the dented wall. But before he could even steady himself, Spider-Man leapt again—swinging forward on a strand of black webbing and slamming both feet squarely into Johnny's chest.
The floor beneath them gave way. Masonry and dust exploded outward as both superhumans crashed through the wall and tumbled into the building interior. The Human Torch skidded across the floor for nearly ten meters before coming to a stop, leaving a charred trail in his wake.
He shook his head, disoriented, and tapped his communicator. "Mr. Stark, I found Peter. But you were right—something's really wrong with him. I've been here half a minute, and he hasn't said a word!"
Marcus's voice came calmly through the comms—though he was actually observing the fight from a shadowed corner nearby. "And he's extremely aggressive, isn't he? I've run into a few… complications myself. Just hold him off until I get there."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
Of course, the last thing Johnny Storm was ever known for was patience. Even if Marcus had told him to wait, it wouldn't have mattered. He was impulsive by nature—just as he refused to stay put aboard the aircraft carrier earlier. He didn't know why Peter had turned violent, and frankly, he didn't care. Peter had thrown the first punch, and that was all the justification Johnny needed.
"Alright, Pete," Johnny muttered, flames crackling around his body. "I don't want to roast you alive, so be a good sport and let me knock you out quick."
His flames surged, bathing the darkened office floor in searing orange light. The sprinklers overhead sputtered weakly to life, but the falling water evaporated before it even touched his skin.
The Black Spider-Man—silent, predatory, and inhuman—advanced step by step through the shimmering haze. Not a word escaped him. Not a sound.
Watching from the shadows, Marcus frowned in fascination. "So he's completely silent… That's not just Peter losing control. The symbiote has fully assimilated him."
The Venom Symbiote—an alien organism introduced in the Spider-Man films—was a parasitic lifeform that resembled a thick, black, tar-like fluid. Like Marcus's metallic transformation, it could freely shift its form. In the original story, it once latched onto Peter, amplifying his powers but corrupting his mind—turning him darker, crueler, more violent.
But now? After his previous battle with Marcus, Peter's weakened state had made him the perfect host. The symbiote had taken advantage of his vulnerability and consumed him entirely.
That was what made the creature so dangerous—it wasn't just a parasite; it was a mimic. It evolved by bonding with hosts, learning their abilities, and incorporating them into its own biology. After bonding with Spider-Man once, any future host it chose could inherit his powers—web-slinging, enhanced strength, agility, and more. That was how the monstrous antihero Venom was born.
But Marcus was interested in something far beyond Venom's usual reputation.
If the symbiote could continue bonding with other superhumans—absorbing one power after another—what would it eventually become?
A shapeshifting apex predator capable of wielding the abilities of every hero and villain it had ever touched. A biological weapon on par with the Sentinels from X-Men: Days of Future Past—a creature capable of countering any threat through endless adaptation.
The possibilities were… limitless.
And for that reason, Marcus needed the symbiote alive—and tested.
As he watched, the Human Torch and the Black Spider-Man clashed once more.
Johnny flared brighter, his body turning into a streaking fireball as he rocketed forward, aiming to end the fight with a single hit. He knew Peter's Spider-Sense could warn him of incoming danger, so his plan was simple: overwhelm him with speed so that evasion became impossible.
The plan failed instantly.
The symbiote-empowered Spider-Man had grown faster—much faster. He sidestepped Johnny's high-speed charge effortlessly, his movement fluid and predatory, almost serpentine. In the same motion, he fired a mass of thick black webbing, the strands gleaming like oil as they shot toward the flaming hero.
But the moment the web touched Johnny's superheated flames, it combusted. The black strands sizzled and evaporated into nothing within a heartbeat.
Johnny pulled up sharply, hovering above the shattered building, looking down with a smirk. "So that's it? Guess as long as you keep your mouth shut, you're not half bad in a fight."
He was impressed—but not worried.
And for good reason. The Venom symbiote had many strengths: enhanced strength, near-limitless elasticity, and resilience that could shrug off bullets and blades. But it also had two fatal weaknesses—high-frequency sound and intense heat.
Against someone like the Human Torch, who was practically living plasma, it stood at an elemental disadvantage.
From a purely tactical perspective, Johnny was the perfect counter to the symbiote.
Watching from above, Marcus smiled faintly. "Looks like I chose the right test subject after all."
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