Spider-Man: The King in Black – Part 8
The Last Stand of the Fantastic Four
The air outside Stark Tower was thick with a heavy silence as the Fantastic Four stood, bracing themselves for what they knew was coming. Reed Richards, Mister Fantastic, stood tense, his usually composed face etched with worry as he adjusted his hands in a ready stance. Beside him, Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, held a protective force field around herself and her brother, Johnny. Her expression was hardened, fierce, a mother lioness preparing to defend the last shreds of a world they once swore to protect. Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, was aflame, his body radiating heat as his eyes darted nervously toward the Tower's heights, where their opponent waited. And last was Ben Grimm—the Thing—standing resolute, his rocky fists clenched as he ground his teeth, the lines in his face worn with years of battle and loss.
They waited, knowing he was inside. Then, with a single, jarring crash, an entire wall from the tower above buckled outward and fell with a thunderous impact. Dust and debris settled, revealing a jagged entrance. And through it emerged a figure shrouded in darkness—the Black Monarch.
Peter dropped from the broken ledge, plummeting to the ground below in a silent, terrifying freefall. At the last moment, he extended the All-Black downward, piercing it into the ground as he landed. The impact cracked the concrete, sending web-like fissures in all directions. He rose slowly, drawing the All-Black from the earth as he straightened, eyes glinting with cold amusement. He met the Fantastic Four's gaze with an expression that was equal parts indifference and disdain.
The four heroes felt the pressure of his presence, a dreadful weight bearing down on them. Reed clenched his jaw, fighting back the instinctual urge to step back. He was face-to-face with someone who had once been an ally, a friend even—a Peter Parker they had fought beside countless times. But this was a different Peter, darker, stripped of all restraint and mercy.
"Reed. Sue. Johnny. Ben," Peter greeted each of them with a mock smile, his voice dripping with irony. "The Fantastic Four. Last bastions of hope, aren't you?"
Reed swallowed hard, finding his voice. "Peter… I don't know if there's anything left of you that can hear me. But if there is, you know this isn't you. This… darkness—it's consuming you. Fight it, Parker. Don't let it take everything."
Peter's lips curved in a smirk, the All-Black pulsing with dark energy as it coiled around his arm. "Fight it? Reed, I am it. There's no Parker left to fight. All that remains is power—power that you can't even fathom."
Ben took a step forward, his fists clenching, his voice a low rumble. "I don't know what you're dealin' with, Spider, but it's time to wake up. We're not lettin' you destroy what's left of this world."
Peter chuckled, a hollow, haunting sound. "Destroy it? No. I'm simply… purging it." He lifted the All-Black, the blade exuding a dark, sinister aura that seemed to drink in the very light around them. "But if you want to join the others so badly, I'd be glad to grant that wish."
Without another word, Peter surged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. The All-Black cut through the air, aimed at Reed with blinding speed. But before the blade could make contact, Sue's force field appeared between them, her hands raised, eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Not so fast, Parker," she snapped, reinforcing her shield with every ounce of her power.
The All-Black struck the field with a resonant, ominous ring, the darkness of the blade clashing against the shimmering force. Sue gritted her teeth, straining against the impact, but Peter pressed forward, his strength unrelenting, forcing cracks to form across the barrier.
"Your shield won't last, Sue," Peter murmured with a chilling calm. "The All-Black devours everything."
In an instant, Johnny blazed forward, his entire body engulfed in white-hot flames. "Then let's see it devour this!"
With a roar, he unleashed a torrent of fire, a blinding inferno directed straight at Peter. The flames scorched the air, the heat intense enough to melt metal—but Peter simply raised his free hand, and the All-Black extended in a shield-like formation, swallowing the fire into itself. The symbiote absorbed Johnny's attack, leaving Peter standing unfazed within the darkness.
Johnny's eyes widened in disbelief as he stumbled back, his flames dimming. "No way… he just… took it."
Peter lowered his shield, shaking his head in mock pity. "Johnny, you should know by now… fire's just another fuel."
With blinding speed, Peter lunged, the All-Black shifting into a long, black tendril that lashed out and struck Johnny across the chest, sending him sprawling backward. He hit the ground hard, his flames flickering as he struggled to rise.
Ben roared, charging forward with a force that shook the ground. "Yer not takin' him, Parker!" he bellowed, his massive fists swinging toward Peter.
But Peter sidestepped with ease, his movements impossibly fast. He swung the All-Black in a swift, brutal arc, catching Ben in the side. The impact shattered part of Ben's rocky skin, causing him to stagger, his face contorted in pain.
"You're all so stubborn," Peter sneered, watching as they each regrouped, their breaths coming in labored gasps. "But stubbornness won't save you."
Reed stretched his arm, extending it to wrap around Peter, trying to hold him in place. His elongated limbs coiled around Peter's torso, attempting to constrict him. "We don't need saving, Parker. We're here to save you."
Peter tilted his head, a glint of dark amusement in his eyes. "Save me? Reed… I'm beyond saving."
In a single, fluid motion, Peter tightened his grip on the All-Black and slashed upward. The blade cut through Reed's arm with terrifying ease, slicing through his stretched limbs and forcing him to recoil in pain. Reed stumbled back, clutching the severed ends of his arm as they quickly reformed, his face etched with shock.
"Face it," Peter said, his voice a dark whisper as he gazed at each of them. "You're outmatched."
Sue's face was pale but determined as she reformed her force field around the team, her voice trembling but resolute. "We're not done yet, Peter."
With one final rally, Johnny reignited, his flames surging brighter than before as he took to the sky. Ben braced himself beside Reed, his fists clenched, while Sue fortified the shield around them.
Peter's eyes narrowed, the All-Black glowing with an ominous energy as he lifted it, poised for a final, decisive strike.
"Then show me," he said softly. "Show me what's left of your strength."
As the Fantastic Four prepared to make their last stand, the King in Black watched with cold, ruthless intent. The darkness gathered around him, hungry and unyielding, ready to consume the last light this world had to offer.