Restart, Spider-Man!

Coastal Villa

In the lab, Dr. Otto Octavius was working on a prototype for a miniature artificial sun.

Zzzzz~~

Soon, the device overheated, causing the circuitry to short out. Otto quickly shut off the power to avoid further complications.

"Still not good enough?"

Otto exhaled heavily, wiping sweat from his brow. He turned to glance at the poster on his desk—an image of Iron Man's Arc Reactor.

Compared to Tony Stark's miniature cold fusion reactor, Otto's hot fusion reactor was far more challenging to perfect.

The uncontrollable heat, coupled with the difficulty of stabilizing tritium balance, made miniaturizing a hot fusion reactor nearly impossible.

With a sigh, Otto reflected on his frustrations.

Despite the flawless data provided by Spider-Man, which had enabled him to create the artificial sun, Otto felt his accomplishment had become a laughingstock among top scientists worldwide.

Nevertheless, he received a Nobel Prize.

Spider-Man publicly credited Otto's original research for laying the groundwork that helped him calculate the final step of the fusion process.

It was labeled a joint project, with Otto officially recognized as the lead contributor, since Spider-Man refused to reveal his identity.

Even so, Otto harbored mixed feelings about the award.

Had he been given more time, he could have achieved it alone—without Spider-Man's intervention or absence.

But Spider-Man had saved Ruth, his wife. How could he begrudge the hero?

Now, as his artificial sun project hit a bottleneck, Otto began to accept his limitations.

He resolved to set aside his ambitions and focus on living a peaceful, happy life with Ruth—a life they had worked so hard to build.

But fate never allows such peace to last.

Boom!

The roar of an engine shattered the calm as a flaming motorcycle crashed through the window.

Crash!

Shards of glass rained down as Ghost Rider hurled his fiery chains from atop the blazing bike.

Clink, clink—

A chilling wave of dread washed over Otto, prompting him to activate the Hydra power within his body.

Whoosh!!

Boom!!

Scarlet tendrils lashed out, slamming Ghost Rider and his motorcycle into the wall.

But as the hellfire spread, the tendrils began to wither rapidly. The flames burned through Otto's soul, searing agony driving him to the brink of madness.

"Damn you!"

With a furious roar, a torrent of blood-red mist erupted from the villa. A monstrous, crimson octopus emerged, its nine massive tendrils thrashing wildly and enveloping the entire structure.

Boom!

Hellfire erupted in a brilliant flash within the writhing tendrils. The blazing motorcycle shot free of the creature's grasp, but Ghost Rider's flames flickered weakly as he landed.

"What a terrifying foe… so much stronger than the other two," Johnny Blaze muttered, his heart pounding.

The hellfire, which had never failed him before, had been extinguished by the pure, unrelenting power of Hydra.

Even Spider-Man wouldn't have been able to counter this so effortlessly.

This monster was stronger than Spider-Man.

"Damn demon! Why didn't you warn me about how horrifying these Hydra souls were?" Johnny cursed under his breath.

---

High above, the ominous shadow of Hydra's sigil appeared in the sky.

Cackle, cackle~~

The crimson creature let out a bizarre, unsettling laugh. Its nine tendrils, now infused with hellfire, began to transform.

The octopus-like head twisted grotesquely, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light. Gaining sentience, it disregarded Otto's control entirely.

The tendrils spread across the city, reaching farther with each second.

"No! What is this thing?!"

"Ahhh! A giant octopus!"

"Monster! MONSTER!"

Wherever the tendrils passed, they blotted out the sky. The crimson mist plunged the city into chaos, disrupting electrical systems and sending panicked citizens fleeing for their lives.

"Holy crap, Godzilla's destroying the world!"

"That's an alien monster for sure!"

"Someone call SHIELD!"

---

Stark Tower

Tony Stark had just finished a routine health check when he noticed the crimson mist quickly engulfing the skyline.

His brows furrowed. "Jarvis, what's going on?"

"Sir, I—anomalous magnetic fields are interfering—"

Jarvis's voice crackled before cutting out entirely.

"Jarvis?"

Tony's face darkened. "Great, another apocalypse?"

Seconds later, Stark Tower's power grid failed completely.

---

The crimson tendrils rapidly corrupted everything in their path, turning structures and streets blood-red. Hovering highways lost their illumination, flying cars spewed smoke as they plummeted into the city below, and even floating islands began to teeter dangerously.

Boom~~

---

SHIELD Headquarters

Inside the command center, Xia Luo froze as the portal he was about to enter wavered violently. His Spider-Sense screamed in warning.

"It's Hydra power!"

Carter stared out the window, watching as a massive tendril crawled toward one of the floating islands, its size and malevolence resembling a mythical eldritch god.

Zzzzz~~

Alarms blared as power systems across the facility faltered.

"Commander, the island's energy system is destabilizing due to the magnetic field interference. It's going to fall in ten minutes!"

Agent Hill burst into the room, her face pale.

"How is this even happening?!" Carter demanded.

"I think I know."

Xia Luo's hands glowed with magical energy as he stabilized the portal. The scene on the other side revealed the coastal villa.

There, Otto stood protectively in front of Ruth, crimson tendrils connecting his back to a horrifying Hydra sigil looming above.

"No! Stop!"

Otto's agonized face twisted as Ruth tried to comfort him, tears streaming down her face.

"It's going to be okay. We'll get through this," she whispered.

Scarlet mist began to pour through the portal. Xia Luo quickly closed it.

"Dr. Octavius has lost control."

His expression darkened as he reopened the portal.

Whoosh!

A blazing motorcycle roared into the office, and Ghost Rider skidded to a stop.

"Where am I?" Johnny Blaze demanded.

"What did you do?!"

Before Johnny could respond, Xia Luo kicked him off the motorcycle and loomed over him, glaring.

"It wasn't me!" Johnny shouted, glancing out the window at the growing chaos. "It's him!

"It's the demon's fault! His hellfire awakened the Hydra's power!"

Xia Luo's eyes narrowed.

"So, this wasn't just about the souls," he muttered.

Carter's expression was grim. "What now? That thing is worse than the artificial sun incident. Are you going to try your luck?"

"Try and die, huh?"

Xia Luo understood her implication.

Shaking his head, he replied, "We got lucky last time. This isn't the same."

Outside, the colossal tendrils crushed buildings with ominous creaks.

Crack, crack, crack!

"Everyone, evacuate now!"

Agents scrambled to escape as Xia Luo leaped to the ground below.

Before their horrified eyes, the structures crumbled, and beams of crimson light shot into the sky.

"The black spines from the lab!"

Carter gasped. "Is Hydra power merging?!"

"We can't let that happen!"

Xia Luo launched his webs, his form sparking like an electric current as he dove into the crimson mist.

Crackle~~

Splat!

Flickers of electricity dimmed as countless versions of Spider-Man swung and attacked within the mist.

"Friendly Neighborhood Whirlwind!"

"Friendly Neighborhood Thunder Dragon Spin!"

Under the relentless assault, suction cups on the tendrils split open into gaping maws. A monstrous suction force drew the Spider-Men clones into their depths.

"Well, guess I'm out. Bye, guys!"

"Next one's my turn!"

One by one, the clones were consumed as the mist thickened.

"What?!"

Carter's expression darkened as the Hydra-infused tendrils wreaked havoc. The technology-based weapon systems were completely down, leaving her powerless to intervene. All she could do was watch helplessly as Spider-Man was consumed by the crimson mass.

Whoosh~

The next second, a portal appeared, and Xia Luo rushed through, stopping in front of Carter.

"The spines—it devoured all of them," he panted, his voice tinged with fear.

Recalling what he'd just witnessed, a chill ran down his spine.

What kind of power was this?

After absorbing the black spines, the crimson tendrils abandoned the floating island and rapidly withdrew to the coastal villa.

At the same time, four beams of crimson light erupted from nearby waters. Black spines, drawn by Hydra's force, shot into the Hydra sigil in the sky.

Cackle, cackle~~

With all nine spines gathered, the Hydra projection let out a horrifying, bone-chilling laugh. The shadowy figure quickly became solid.

In that moment, space twisted, and an ominous darkness descended. A godlike entity from another dimension had finally found its way to Earth.

---

At the crumbling edge of the floating island, everyone stared at the massive Hydra in the sky, their faces pale with despair.

"This… this is the real apocalypse," Reed muttered, overwhelmed.

Fresh from her rookie evaluation, Gwen took a deep breath. The disturbance in her symbiote was making her uncomfortable.

"We should flee Earth while we can. It's already caught the attention of an Elder God," her symbiote, Abby, suggested.

"Elder God?"

Carter's heart raced as she turned to Xia Luo, who remained unusually calm.

"You seem confident. Do you have a plan?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Xia Luo shrugged. "Not at all."

"Then why…?"

"I can't beat it, but that doesn't mean someone else can't," Xia Luo replied, clapping his hands as if to brush off the problem.

"Dimensional gods invading Earth? That's way out of Spider-Man's job description."

Carter's eyes narrowed in realization. "The Sorcerer Supreme!"

"Exactly," Xia Luo said with a grin. "The Sorcerer Supreme only gets involved in dimensional invasions. Hydra isn't just their problem, though—it's also a problem for anyone else who wants to rule the world."

"Rule the world?"

The group collectively gasped.

---

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of golden portals across the crimson-stained city. At the forefront, the Ancient One led the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj as they emerged in unison.

Whoosh~~

A symphony of golden magic circles unfolded, quickly forming a massive protective dome.

The dome expanded, pushing back the crimson mist in all directions.

At its center, the Ancient One raised her hands, conjuring a brilliant blue sky. With her magical energy fueling the spell, the barrier expanded at an incredible speed, stabilizing the entirety of Brooklyn in seconds.

Buzz~

As the golden barrier enveloped the floating island, power systems began to come back online.

Alarms silenced, and Carter and her team let out sighs of relief.

"The Sorcerer Supreme is here. We should be safe now."

"Wait, look over there! What's that?!" Johnny shouted, pointing toward the coastline.

A massive storm had formed, sending tsunamis towering thousands of meters high. Atop the waves stood a figure bathed in a bluish glow.

He spread his arms wide—one hand commanding the storm, the other wielding a whirlpool tornado. Above him, thunderclouds gathered, and beneath the waves, a colossal shadow loomed, circling his feet.

Behind him stood four figures: Erik, Charles, Wanda, and Pietro, their expressions unwavering as they flanked this towering presence.

"Apocalypse!"

Xia Luo's eyes narrowed. "So that's where he's been hiding. Hydra's invasion must have forced his hand."

A successful dimensional invasion would leave Apocalypse no chance to reclaim the Earth.

Apocalypse likely wouldn't have dared to show himself before the Ancient One arrived, considering he lacked experience dealing with interdimensional entities.

But with the Sorcerer Supreme on the scene, Apocalypse must have felt emboldened.

However, his appearance barely earned a passing glance from the Ancient One.

Apocalypse, as a native of Earth, was of little concern to her.

Her focus remained fixed on the towering Hydra sigil. In her eyes, it was an opportunity—a perfect excuse to retire.

Of course, she couldn't make it too easy. A poorly executed performance might arouse suspicion among her disciples.

Before she could act, a circle of vibrant magic sparks appeared beside her.

Xia Luo stepped through, waving cheerfully. "Sorcerer Supreme! How's it going?"

The Ancient One's expression stiffened, while Wong's face lit up with excitement.

"Spider-Man! You've come at just the right time. Let's work together to destroy Hydra and save the world!"

Xia Luo patted Wong's shoulder. "Of course! The Invincible Spider-Man is here for you."

With a dramatic flair, his spider emblem flared with radiant light, sending waves of magic into the golden barrier. The dome expanded even faster, encompassing the entire Hydra sigil.

Whoosh~

The Hydra projection writhed as its tendrils flailed in distress. The red glow in its eyes dimmed, clearly unsettled by Spider-Man's magical energy.

The sorcerers erupted in cheers.

"As expected from the hero who saved the world! Spider-Man truly is a magical prodigy!"

"What incredible magic—unbelievable!"

Amid the praise, Xia Luo beamed with pride.

"Haha, it's nothing. You're all amazing too!"

Truthfully, he'd just been experimenting, but the results were surprisingly effective. He didn't fully understand why, but the outcome was all that mattered.

Meanwhile, the Ancient One's expression soured.

How was she supposed to stage her retirement now?

---

T/N: Retirement is a myth

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