Author's Note:
After a long time, I think four years, my cousin visited me from the Italian house.
For a month, he, his parents and his annoying brother, were in my house for a month. There were some beautiful moments and some unbearable moments.
Now, they've left and I miss my cousin.
Before returning to Italy and going to university, he told me that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is his favorite animated film.
Plus, a pen pal of mine introduced me to his attempt at a one-shot with the OC in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
For these reasons I decided to write this story.
PS. I admit that the first attempt was hasty, driven by emotion and not by the head. So I decided to tidy up.
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Story Title: The Case of Spider-Verse: Spiders, Owls, Amphibians
Plot: Zelretch and Madame Web have seen the future of the Spider-Verse and Miles Morales, they are not only happy with what they saw.
So they decided to change things up by adding some exotic elements.
Miles Morales' life will be turned upside down by eight spider-themed heroes, some stranger than others, especially the Spider-Hero who stops a symbiote named Lovecraft.
Earth-1610C is about to receive some eccentric visitors, that's for sure.
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Story arc: Welcome to Earth-1610C
Prologue: Zelretch and Madam Web love to play with their pawns
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POV Narratore
In a room isolated from the rest of the world, which can be described as a dark space decorated with hundreds of points of light comparable to stars.
In the center of this room, in the large perfect sphere, tinged with the color of the night sky, a wooden chair floats.
Based on its appearance alone, it would be enough to call the chair extravagant, but its wood gives it a refined tone, and you wouldn't think it's a repulsive luxury of the elite.
Rather, just by existing here, it has imbued the surrounding space with conspicuous gravity.
If an unrefined person sat in the chair, that person would likely be consumed by the weight of the chair's existence and hidden from surrounding view.
Such is the meaning of the chair.
The space had been set up for the sole purpose of displaying the chair.
Suddenly an elderly man exuding a solemnity that surpasses that of the chair sat back in it, letting out a loud creak.
If one were to draw a scaled-down map of the universe based on this room, the man sitting in the chair would be at its center, giving off an air surely suited to his master.
This person is called Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.
Zelretch is known as one of the founders of the Clock Tower and the Wizard of Second Magic.
He holds the title of Wizard Marshal in the Wizards' Association. He is known for defeating the Crimson Moon in battle.
Zelretch was a wizard from the Age of Gods who studied under King Solomon sometime before Solomon's death in 900 BC
After Solomon's death, Zelretch witnessed the end of the Age of Gods with his own eyes and disappeared from center stage.
He became the discoverer of the Second Magic and earned numerous nicknames, including Zelretch the Wizard Marshal.
Physically Zelretch is nothing special, he is an elderly man with red eyes, 190 centimeters tall.
He had swept-back gray hair, a messy tangled beard, his clothes were of fine make however, a pristine black suit trimmed in silver, with coattails and everything.
Zelretch is one of the most powerful magic users in the multiverse, thanks to his mastery of Second Magic.
This True Magic grants Zelretch mastery over the Parallel Worlds Operation, which allows him to observe and interact with Parallel Worlds.
Zelretch often uses it to travel through parallel worlds and timelines.
"Let's see if anything interesting is happening." Zelretch mutters in a bored voice, wanting to find an interesting event to observe.
With a wave of his hand, he made a black book appear in front of him, the thickness of the book is approximately that of a standard encyclopedia.
"This axis seems right at first, Miles Morales in almost all scenarios manages to become Spider-Man.
But towards the end these lines will be annihilated by Spot if it is not handled properly." Zelretch said, as he slides his finger across the sky, the celestial bodies exposed on the surrounding walls began to rotate.
"Let's see what happens if I add Shirou or EMIYA into the balance... the result is pretty decent... no, it gets worse at the second half of the second show.
Spot could mess up the Unlimited Blade Works or even use it against the Spider-People." Zelretch said, seeing that using his favorite toy will produce too much trouble and too little fun.
Then, as if to match his words, the pages of the book poised before Zelretch turned with a flutter of wings, inscribing multiple pieces of information in real time.
Regardless, as Zelretch guides his finger through the air, thousands... tens of thousands of pages were born and erased.
After continuing this activity again and again, Zelretch ends up with a conclusion.
"As I thought, no matter how this is resolved, it will not result in a satisfactory outcome for the Spider-People or Miles Morales. That said, there is insufficient reason for my interventions." Zelretch said, believing the situation is not serious enough to force direct intervention.
"You know it's rude to show up uninvited at someone's house." Zelretch said, turning his attention from the book to his surprised guest.
A projection of a blindfolded elderly woman appeared in front of the elderly wizard, sitting on the seat with a spider web showing images of different Spider-Men and Spider-Women from different worlds.
"I couldn't have entered this place without you letting me." The older woman said in a friendly, yet serious voice.
This person is Madam Web, a mysterious woman who time and again plays the role of Spider-Man's Yoda or Oogway.
In short, Madam Web helps Spider-Man and occasionally other people with cryptic clues and warnings.
Madame Web has psychic abilities: telepathy, clairvoyance and prescience, that is, the knowledge of all possible outcomes in a situation.
"So, what business do you have here?
If you want to have tea, come back later. Unfortunately, I'm busy with a troublesome job." Zelretch said, not in the mood to chat with Madam Web.
Normally, Zelretch is a nice old man who would talk to Madam Web in a friendly manner, although he might pull a prank or two.
Unfortunately, Zelretch is in serious business mode today, trying to solve the problem that Spot will cause.
Resentful idiots with powers too powerful for their own good and too little common sense is a formula for disaster.
"Don't be unapproachable to me, you know I came here to help solve this problem." Madam Web said, having already seen the disaster that could happen if this threat is not handled properly.
Powers that allow you to see the future are a useful tool in any situation, but they carry an enormous burden on those who possess them, especially when dealing with great threats that have yet to happen.
" If you propose to use your beloved Peter from Earth-92131 or Earth-616? " Zelretch asks, aware that those two Spider-Man variants are Madam Web's favorites.
Zelretch does not share Madame Web's taste in heroes, viewing those two Spider-Man variations as too melodramatic and prone to depression.
"As if throwing more wood on the fire will solve the problem that Spot will cause." Zelretch said with a voice full of sarcasm.
The Master of the Second True Magic is quite tired of seeing hundreds of versions of Peter Parker or Spider-Man trying to save the multiverse.
Zelretch is not a fan of the idea of creating an army made up exclusively of alternate versions of the same super-hero.
Zelretch much prefers the scenario that brings together several heroes with different abilities and powers.
" Unlike the previous situation involving the Tablet of Order and Chaos. The problem cannot be solved easily." Madam Web said, touching her forehead, remembering very well the mess that happened months ago.
"This time, could you use your hidden ace up your sleeve, Shirou Emiya?" Madam Web questions, knowing that adding another Spider-Man won't change the odds in their favor.
Zelretch shakes his head at Madam Web's proposal.
"Shirou and his counterparts can be useful in many situations, but this time they are not suited to the task.
None of them have the skills or knowledge to repair the fabric of space-time." Zelretch said in a disgruntled voice, not too happy that he couldn't use Shirou Emiya, his favorite plan B.
"I don't mean Shirou Emiya or Hakuno Kishinami or Ritsuka Fujimaru." Madam Web said, mentioning the people who are Zelretch's Plan B, C, and D.
"I'm talking about your new Wild Card, capable of knocking over the board or destroying the board." Madam Web said, proposing to use Zelretch's Z-plan, which can be considered in some ways like using an atomic bomb.
After hearing Madam Web's proposal, the celestial bodies rotating around the room stopped.
"The situation is worse than I imagined if you want to use my plan Z, aka BB." Zelretch said with a serious face that disagreed with the embarrassing nickname.
"Desperate times, call for desperate measures." Madame Web said.
The book in front of Zelretch begins to spin faster than before, flipping pages showing a varied array of protagonists.
Suddenly the book stops, showing two particular pages.
On the left page there is a comic book style portrait of an androgynous 18 year old boy who resembles Morgan Le Fay.
On the right page there is information and static about the person in the illustration.
"This guy is incredibly difficult to deal with, but equally good at solving problems by hook and by crook.
But without a stabilizing element to curb his more destructive impulses and keep him on the team, we risk making the situation worse." Zelretch said with a serious face.
Plan Z is Plan Z for a reason, because if it works well it works wonders, but if it works badly it will end in a colossal disaster.
"The Spider-Girl variants of Luz Noceda from Earth-19716 and Marcy Wu from Earth-21015 could be a good stabilizing element." Madam Web suggests, proposing two valid candidates for this role.
Zelretch's book showed images of two teenage girls in very different spider-themed costumes.
On the left page is a purple and white Spider-Girl, the costume has elements of a fantasy book such as a cape with a hood. She is Spider-Witch.
On the right page there is a green and black Spider-Girl, the costume has high-tech elements in Cyberpunk style. She is Cyber-Spider.
"Yeah, this could work great." Zelretch said with a big smile on his face, finding something funny in this mess.
"I'll let you take care of sending the Wild Card to Earth-1610C." Madam Web said, before her projection disappeared, leaving Zelretch alone.
"This will be an interesting project, I'm really curious to see how Miles' story will go if we add three more heroes to the story." Zelretch said, focusing his attention back on his book.
The pages of the book gently turn, showing the androgynous boy similar to Morgan Le Fay, but with small variations and aesthetic changes.
" So who takes it, but the question from when should I take it?
If I catch him too soon he won't be capable enough, if I catch him too late he will be far too capable." Zelretch said, placing a hand under his chin, thinking carefully about his move.
The book keeps moving its pages, showing different places and times with the same individual whose age goes back and forth between 16 and 20, as if he couldn't make up his mind.
The book's page landed on an illustration about Avengers Tower, which received an update from its new owner.
On the landing strip of the renowned super-hero operating base of Earth-2126 is the individual chosen by Zelretch.
He is currently wearing a dark purple and black costume made of a slime-like material.
All Spider-People can tell at a glance that this person's costume is a Symbiote.
In addition to the costume, the androgynous boy is carrying a high-tech looking black backpack on his shoulders and in his hands he holds an archaic and magical looking Black Cube.
" April 21, 2017, seems like a suitable time to me, he would be 18 years and 4 months old, strong, but he has not yet reached the peak of his potential or his Symbiote, Lovecraft.
Right now, BB is preparing to leave New York and go to London, where he will be tasked by Queen Elizard to go to Academy City and find the Index Librorum Prohibitorum." Zelretch described the events that are happening to his target.
" Unfortunately, for him, when he was about to answer the phone to confirm the flight to London.
The reality around him changed, all thanks to Kingpin's Super Collider, with a little help from me, to catch the right person at the right time." Zelretch said with a smirk.
The pages of the book change to show the androgynous Host and his Symbiote in the company of Spider-Ghost, aka Gwen Stacy of Earth-65C.
"I wonder how the spiders will react to the presence of an Occult Detective and his Symbiote." Zelretch said as he closes the book.
Continues...
PS. Updated 6/12/2024