Spider-Man : The Story of a Hero

Parker House — Evening

As he was returning home, dressed in his civilian clothes, Peter slowed down as he approached the front door. Suddenly, a dull noise echoed from behind the house. Immediately, his black suit materialized over him, molding itself to his body like a second skin and completely covering his civilian clothes. With all his senses now on high alert, he silently climbed onto the roof to observe what was happening.

Below, concealed by the darkness, a man was trying to force his way into the house through the back. He was an older man whose face was marked by several scars, dressed in a combat suit that strongly resembled the one worn by an enemy Peter had already faced before: Silver Sable.

Without giving him time to react, Spider-Man leaped from the roof and crashed down violently onto him. The two men immediately exchanged several blows at breathtaking speed, but Peter quickly gained the upper hand. With a perfectly executed sweep, he knocked his opponent to the ground before immobilizing him by wrapping him in his black webs with one precise motion.

— ”Who are you?!”

Peter shook him violently as he shouted the question in his face, but the man didn’t answer. He simply held his gaze with an almost provocative calm, as though none of this impressed him.

— ”Answer me, damn it!”

Faced with the aggression and impatience of the young Spider-Man clad in black, the mercenary suddenly spat in his face before letting out a mocking laugh. He seemed completely fearless, convinced that he would eventually gain the upper hand. But this time, Peter had reached his limit.

He had endured far too much in just a few days: the fights, the problems, the exhaustion, the terrible encounters, and all the threats now hanging over the people he loved. And now, a mercenary had come all the way to his home, most likely to target Aunt May and Gwen. He could no longer afford to hold back. This threat had to disappear.

Peter stared at him silently for a few moments. Gradually, the mercenary’s expression changed. Until now, he had only seen a young man wearing a black suit. Helplessly, he watched a transformation he never would have believed possible.

Spider-Man’s body began to deform, expand, and stretch until it reached monstrous proportions, giving birth to a creature he would have been incapable of describing, even with the most precise words.

Peter was now much taller and infinitely more massive than before. His silhouette resembled that of the Hulk, but in a more compact, denser, and infinitely more terrifying form. His enormous jaws opened wide, revealing several rows of fangs as long as they were razor-sharp, while a gigantic tongue slowly writhed between them.

Despite this monstrous appearance, one detail remained unchanged: the famous white spider symbol still adorned his chest, but it now looked even more terrifying because of his body’s new proportions.

Without even realizing it, the mercenary was now facing Venom. His face fell apart in a fraction of a second, like that of a little girl suddenly coming face-to-face with a clown in the middle of the night. Every trace of confidence vanished.

Absolute terror spread across his face, and despite all his efforts, not a single sound escaped his mouth. The fear was so overwhelming that he urinated on himself, completely soaking his pants and shoes until the urine finally dripped onto the ground.

The very moment he finally seemed to find his voice again, Venom suddenly opened his enormous jaws and swallowed him in a single bite. He didn’t slice him apart, tear him to pieces, or devour him bit by bit... he literally swallowed him whole in one gulp, like someone swallowing an entire muffin. By the time his mouth closed again, there wasn’t the slightest trace of the mercenary left.

Silence immediately fell over the area. The creature remained perfectly still, without making the slightest sound, as though it were thinking.

Then its enormous body slowly began to twist in movements that defied all logic. Its gigantic frame contracted, folded in on itself, and gradually returned to Peter Parker’s slender proportions, as though the monster had never existed.

It was then that Peter finally realized something:

— ”I thought I had a little more time... but I was wrong.”

He climbed back to the top of a tall streetlamp not far from the house. With a movement of remarkable precision and agility, he perched himself there before remaining perfectly still, silently overlooking the surroundings.

From that height, his eyes remained fixed on the Parker house as his fists slowly clenched.

— ”If I want to protect the people I love and keep more people from discovering my identity... I have to act. And now.”

Suddenly, that mysterious voice resurfaced in his mind. This time, it felt stronger, more insistent, almost hypnotic. It echoed throughout his entire head, invading every one of his thoughts.

— ”Kill... Tombstone. Kill... them all.”

The day Uncle Ben had lost his life, Peter, blinded by rage, had killed the man responsible for his adoptive father’s death using his own powers. Yet that act had left a deep scar on him and would undoubtedly haunt him for the rest of his life.

It was, in fact, one of the main reasons that had driven him to become a hero and dedicate his life to doing good. Even though that man had murdered his uncle, Peter had always known, deep down, that what he had done that day had been a mistake.

He should never have crossed that line. He knew that the person he admired most would never have condoned such an act.

But today, the situation was different : Hesitation had a price.

The slightest mistake could cost him someone else he loved, and that thought alone was enough to make him tremble with both fear and anger.

So today...

For the second time in his life...

Peter Parker was going to kill.

TO BE CONTINUED.