diskusbooks Chapter 358 When it rains, it pours
Chapter 358 When it rains, it pours
Chapter 358 When it rains, it pours
The Spider Lantern Cluster's problem also stems from the multiverse collision crisis.
As mentioned in the previous quote, "there is a universal connection between things," and the collision of the multiverse has always been a case of "a small change can have far-reaching consequences."
Where do these Spider-Men come from?
It's nothing more than various other parallel universes.
Now, almost all parallel universes are dying out of each other, and the home universes of these various Spider-Men are no exception.
The newly debuted Spider-Man himself had no idea how he flew directly from outer space in another universe to Earth in this universe, but that doesn't mean there aren't other Spider-Men who can do it.
At least Spider-Man Miguel and Spider-Man Parker, who have extensive experience traveling through the universe, understood the reason without much thought.
With Batman organizing a search for the Infinity Stones, once they ask Batman for details, the whole story will inevitably be revealed to Spider-Man and his crew.
"Doesn't that mean that any one of our universes could have ceased to exist?!"
They began to verify the truth of this matter:
"Activate the teleportation! I don't care about any heir families, I have to go back and see!"
Lyra, the AI assistant of the teleportation machine placed by Spider-Man 2099, sent back bad news:
"Peter 10031, confirmed, reverse teleportation initiated - failed, no target found."
Panic swept through the entire Spider-Green Lantern group in an instant.
"How is this possible!" "Try my universe!" "And mine!"
"Command received, iterating in progress—"
The final result is that about one-tenth of the Spider-Man universe is no longer selectable, which only means one thing: the collision crisis is real.
"Oh my god!" "What do we do now?!" "I'm going back to my universe to warn them!" "But the Heir family is still hunting—"
Just as panic was spreading, Batman sent a message to Superman, and Joey had no choice but to rush over.
"Superman is here!"
All along, these Spider-Men have been using a positioning device similar to that of the Heirs to locate Spider-Men still alive in the multiverse via a signal called the Spider-Totem.
Then they were brought to this universe, which was used as a safe haven because of the existence of Superman, to temporarily escape the hunt from the Heirs family.
Whether they accept the Green Lantern Ring or undergo Batman's training, their ultimate goal is to launch an attack on the Heirs' family when the time is right, thus ending the endless hunt for Spider-Man once and for all.
No one expected that so many things would happen during their stay, first the visit of Galactus, then the Ultron crisis, to the point that even Superman didn't have the time or energy to deal with the Heirs family who could resurrect indefinitely.
"Superman! What should we do now?"
"Can you help us—"
Some Spider-Men want Joey to help deal with the Heirs first. These vampires are too obviously restraining Spider-Men. Without outside help, Spider-Men who rashly return to their own universe will face a new round of hunting.
"I don't think he necessarily has the time!"
Many Spider-Men, having never witnessed the power of the Heirs, are now forcibly returning to their own universes.
"I don't care about Superman or the Heirs' family at all! My world is about to be destroyed, and no matter what, I'm going back to protect it!"
It's back, everything is back.
Caught in the eye of the controversy, listening to the Spider-Men's arguments, Joey felt as if he had returned to the old days.
He thought he had found a safe haven from the wind and rain, but little did he know that the house was just as drafty.
Amidst a flurry of thoughts, Joey's silence ultimately silenced everyone's argument, and all eyes turned to him, C.
Everyone took his silence as calmness and reliability; Superman was incredibly powerful and flawless, so he must have a way.
But only Joey himself knew that he was truly at his wit's end.
Once he reached this position, Joey realized that being the leader was no easy task.
Being a superhero is not as easy as you might imagine, especially when everyone is counting on you.
There are too many problems to solve, but too few people.
Joey is now even thinking that he would love to be able to split himself in two.
I don't know how Clark Kent in the normal universe managed to cope. Joey doesn't ask to be as sunny and cheerful as him, but just hopes to have his good mindset, especially under such great pressure.
If Batman heard these thoughts, he'd probably tell him that he wasn't under that much pressure.
Clark Kent in other universes may have also experienced hardships and trials, but he would not be overwhelmed by everything in an instant like this.
Moreover, this is almost an unsolvable problem. If the entire multiverse is colliding and annihilating, no matter how powerful Superman is, he will be overwhelmed and will have to find a focus to act on first.
Should we first help the Spider-Men deal with the Heirs and clear the way for their return home, or collect the Infinity Stones first in order to find a way to solve the crisis once and for all?
Before Joey could even hesitate about what to do, the celestial phenomena above him changed drastically. The Spider-Men, their spider-sense activated in succession, pointed to the sky, their voices filled with surprise:
"Look! There's a reflection in the sky!"
Looking at the city in the sky, which, apart from the Manhattan area, was almost a one-to-one replica of New York City below, Joey's face darkened further:
"No, this is not a reflection."
The first collision crisis in this universe has begun.
"Summon everyone." Joey prepared to gather all the existing forces in this universe to devise a countermeasure.
"We don't want to be ordered around!" Parker stepped forward from the crowd, pointing at Joey, who was giving orders. He was one of the hundreds of Spider-Men who had lost their way back.
The Peter Parkers in the multiverse aren't always rational and calm. Upon learning of the destruction of his universe, he was completely consumed by his rage, to the point that he began to speak recklessly:
"Spider-Men are being hunted, our universe is disappearing, and you've accomplished nothing!"
"." Joey's lips moved as he was being accused. He wanted to retort, but considering what the other person was going through, he could only remain silent and let him rant.
"Enough!" The other Spider-Men pulled the out-of-control member behind them, stopping him from escalating his anger further. "We all know that's not how it happened! We're sorry, Superman, he definitely didn't mean it that way."
Since Superman started protecting Spider-Man, he's hardly had a moment to spare. No matter how you look at the tragedies that happen to him and the other Spider-Men, you can't blame Superman for them.
The Spider-Army had grown to several thousand members, making it impractical to have them all discuss countermeasures. In the end, it was Miguel 2099, the Spider-Man who had originally organized the entire Spider-Army structure, who stepped forward:
"Tell me the location, and we'll select a few representatives to go there."
Joey could only trust that Miguel could temporarily quell the already turbulent Spider Legion: "Stark Tower, soon, we're running out of time."
"Are you sure you want to involve these Spider-Men?"
On the way to Tony's place, Batman stopped him, his voice low: "There are some things that are not meant for everyone to know, especially the universal method for resolving this collision crisis."
The so-called "universal method" naturally refers to the situation where two colliding Earths can only have one of them survive, meaning it's a matter of life and death.
"Like how you kept things from me about Starfire?" Joey disagreed with Batman's warning: "That's their universe, they have the right to know."
Moreover, such things cannot be hidden in the end, and trying to cover them up will only lead to greater disasters.
Batman brandished his Green Lantern ring: "If you knew how the Green Lantern works, you'd know this could have serious consequences."
These Spider-Men are no longer just Spider-Men; they are also Green Lanterns.
As the most powerful force on the emotional spectrum, the green light is ignited by inner conviction, which is why it is said to be the most powerful weapon in the universe.
This is especially true when worn by Spider-Man characters whose unwavering resolve rivals that of John Stewart or Hal Jordan.
Their eagerness to return to their own universe is understandable, but they haven't really considered what will happen next. Once they return to the universe they came from, the first problem they will face is that as holders of the Green Lantern Ring and Spider-Man, these Spider-Lanterns possess enough power to suppress at least one in three thousand six hundredths of a universe.
With this power, what price would they be willing to pay to fulfill their responsibilities and protect their universe?
High moral character, empathy for the suffering of others, selflessness in placing the safety of others before personal gain, and the principle of non-killing that gives everyone a chance to repent and start anew.
How much are they willing to sacrifice to protect their family, friends, the Earth, and even the entire universe?
Such choices will only lead to despair in the end.
Placing so many Green Lanterns in such extreme situations often leads to only one result: the complete loss of control over one aspect of the emotional spectrum—the green light of will.
As someone who has been exposed to various colored lights multiple times, Joey has his own understanding of the emotional spectrum, and he believes that Batman's concerns are indeed entirely reasonable.
"There's no other way. We're already standing on the edge of a cliff. Blindfolding us won't save us from disaster."
However, Joey knew that his group had nowhere to retreat and could only grit their teeth and move forward.
"We have no choice but to find a way as quickly as possible that avoids this dilemma."
"That ten thousand——"
The other Earth overhead seemed to draw even closer, forming an eclipse-like phenomenon that covered a large part of New York City. Batman's figure disappeared into the shadows cast from above. His self-awareness meant he would never, like Superman, only ever see the good side:
"What if, until the very last moment, we still can't find a solution, or it simply doesn't exist?"
The hypothesis Batman mentioned is undoubtedly what Joey is most worried about right now, and given the current situation, it is probably the most likely scenario.
However, he is not Batman after all, and he can't always think about the worst-case scenario and keep talking about it.
This may be difficult, but nothing is ever easy, and that may be one of the reasons why Superman exists.
To borrow a line from Spider-Man, with power surpassing anyone else comes responsibility surpassing anyone else's.
Perhaps this was something Joey was destined to do from the start.
That's what she thought, but the unease in her heart inexplicably grew stronger. Always with a cold expression, Joey could only forcefully suppress it, forcing out what she remembered as a super cheerful smile:
"This solution has to exist. If it doesn't exist, then we have to make it exist—you'll help me, right, Bruce?"
There's no turning back now.