In a certain universe, Peter Parker and Venom finally defeated Knull and took his place, becoming the God of Symbiotes—the new King in Black. Even at this peak, he never forgot Uncle Ben's words: "With great power comes great responsibility."
So, having become a god, what was Spider-Man supposed to do?
The King in Black brought order and peace to the entire universe. All wars were erased, and all chaos was purged. The King in Black might not have possessed the overwhelming ability to rewrite reality, but his intrinsic power was so immense that the entire universe could not contend with it. He began to arbitrate disputes between different civilizations, stopping wars and suppressing turmoil.
But there was one thing even the King in Black himself could not avoid.
The King in Black represented the void within the universe; he was the representative of the Living Abyss, the counterpart to the Beyond-Realm that created all things. If the Beyond-Realm represented a supreme divinity that transcended all, then the Living Abyss represented the deepest desires. Peter Parker was noble enough to use the power of the void to help the world, yet he inevitably felt a growing restlessness through action after action.
He purged the gods of the universe, for the very existence of gods sparked conflicts of faith. He swept away cosmic civilizations that engaged in aggressive expansion, erasing the stars between each civilization to prevent their ships from reaching another galaxy. Symbiotes, acting as his heralds, reached every corner of the cosmos. Every government that failed to fulfill its duties and every nation that could not stop itself from instigating war faced destruction.
In the end, the universe was orderly and peaceful. As long as a civilization did not start a war, its society did not collapse, and it did not seek disorderly expansion toward the stars, the King in Black would not interfere in their lives.
Of course, his former friends, comrades, and even lovers did not necessarily understand any of this. They tried to resist, and then they were integrated into the symbiote hive.
Thus, the universe was at peace.
If things had continued this way, the King in Black might have grown even more extreme. In his quest to maintain an unceasing peace, he might have chosen to merge every living being in the universe with the symbiotes. However, two people appeared in his world.
One was Anansi, the first Spider-Totem in the world, the Ashanti god of lies and stories, the Weaver of the World. The other was a Deadpool with spider-powers; his universe had been infected by a zombie virus, and Deadpool had subsequently infected all the zombies, becoming the host for a sort of Spider-Deadpool virus.
"We need help," Anansi said, extending an invitation to the King in Black. He told him the whole truth: why they needed the King in Black, or rather, why they needed every one of the Spider-Gods.
So, he agreed.
"The coverage of the symbiote network is paramount. Before Shathra awakens, I need to use the expansion of the Spider-Army to allow me to replace Knull as the master of the symbiote hive mind as much as possible. The closer this number is to infinity, the better."
The King in Black stood before Peter, explaining this without stating his reasons. Peter raised the first question: "Why? You're using the symbiote consciousness network as a backup for the Web of Destiny."
"...That is not important, at least not to you." The King in Black's answer remained definitive. He was not physically present; rather, he was using the symbiote consciousness network to project himself across the multiverse, controlling the body of the Symbiote Spider-Man as a proxy. It was precisely because he had seized the symbiote network of this universe that he could arrive here without affecting the Web of Destiny.
"I am here because you are doing things that threaten all of this. Nothing more. Stop. Let me take over your universe's Klyntar, and I will help you solve every problem you seek to address. Every crisis, every disaster—I can solve them all for you."
The King in Black spoke calmly, as if he were dispassionately reading a novel. Peter hesitated for a fleeting moment, but then, his mind was struck by a shock. Memories from the King in Black flooded into Peter's brain like a tide. He looked at the latter in disbelief, seeing the figure slowly reach a hand toward him.
"Sorry, I refuse. Your universe might be peaceful, but it looks like you've gone mad."
"Yes, I know."
The King in Black remained unnervingly calm. He slowly clenched the hand he had extended toward Peter. In the next instant, Peter felt an incredible sensation of suffocation. The Anti-Venom suit on his body began to boil, mutating and spiraling out of control against his will.
"Anti-Venom reversed the Living Abyss portion of the symbiote; like the Enigma Force, it represents a power from the Beyond-Realm," the King in Black explained as he observed Peter's current condition. "However, it is still a symbiote. If you die, the Anti-Venom codex will still enter the collective symbiote network. And I am the God of Symbiotes."
"I can feel its codex and its power. I can control it. I... hm?"
Realizing that Anti-Venom had not rampaged as expected, the King in Black paused. A flicker of emotional surprise finally surfaced. "You sealed Knull's consciousness inside your own body?"
"Correct answer."
The one who spoke was not Peter Parker, but another King in Black—the original one. He could not turn Peter into his avatar like the opponent had, but he still influenced Peter's appearance. The boiling Anti-Venom began to contract, returning to the form of a uniform. Peter finally breathed a sigh of relief as he heard that annoying voice once again.
[Just this once, you'd better kill this guy immediately.]
"I guess you're worried about him killing you, right?"
[Aren't you worried about him destroying your universe? The King in Black is destined to lead the destruction of the multiverse. Hehehe.]
If you hadn't created Carnage, would I have even run into this guy?
While Peter retook control of his body and grumbled internally, he drew the Dragonfang blade. The King in Black was somewhat surprised, but only slightly. "Even with Knull, I am directly connected to the Living Abyss of this universe, while the Knull inside you can only influence Anti-Venom. How do you plan to fight?"
"Everyone knows the Beyond-Realm prepared a corresponding suppressor for the Living Abyss. Once a King in Black appears, it rushes over. So, here's the question."
"There are two Kings in Black on the field. What is the arrival speed of the Enigma Force?"
Before his voice had even faded, light from a distant galaxy struck Peter. The Enigma Force of Earth-TRN011 merged with him, making Peter Captain Universe once again.
"Instantaneous."
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