Chapter 671: Annoying Even in Death
Peter barely paid attention to the newly acquired EDITH glasses—cleaning up the mess took priority. The sky above the bridge was still swarming with drones, clustered like a flock of birds. If they went out of control, the casualties would be catastrophic. He had to handle this immediately.
"Welcome back."
With just those words, EDITH fully accepted Peter. Clearly, he had the highest level of authority.
Wasting no time, Peter immediately ordered EDITH to recall all drones. "Do it now—execute all commands!"
"Confirmed."
The menacing swarm of drones began ascending toward the sky, returning to the satellite in Earth's orbit. Meanwhile, the gravely injured Quentin met his end.
Faced with Peter's accusation—"How could you do so many terrible things?!"—Mysterio left behind only a cryptic last remark: "You'll understand someday... People nowadays will believe anything."
Still rattled by Beck's illusions, Peter wasn't fully convinced of his death. Just to be sure, he used EDITH's glasses to confirm. Only then was this crisis truly resolved.
Outside the video, Pietro frowned in confusion. "Beck is dead—how can he still turn the situation around? Don't tell me this is just another illusion?"
Stephen shook his head. "I don't know much about drones or holograms, but it's obvious that Mysterio was only able to toy with Spider-Man because of EDITH. Now that Peter has taken it back, Beck's illusions have lost their foundation. He should be dead."
Peter scratched his head. "Then where's the problem? I was just worried that my future self would mess things up again." After the relentless blows from these future videos, he was starting to develop a complex.
He wasn't the only one curious—if the battle was over and Mysterio was gone, what twist could possibly be left?
In the video, after all the chaos, Peter finally got his happy ending. Having defeated Mysterio, he reconnected with MJ. Despite all the turmoil of the trip, in the end, he was content.
Back in New York, Peter's life became fuller. The pressure of keeping secrets alone had always weighed on him, but now, with Aunt May, MJ, and Ned by his side, he felt energized. He swung freely between the skyscrapers, even giving MJ a taste of the thrill of web-slinging.
Everything seemed to be returning to normal. But then—suddenly, disaster struck.
On the giant screen in Times Square, an emergency news broadcast began airing a video.
It was footage recorded by Mysterio before his death. He 'exposed' the so-called truth to the world:
"I successfully drove away the Elementals, but for some reason... Spider-Man wanted to kill me! He commands an army of lethal drones—Stark's technology! He said he was the only one worthy of being the next Iron Man—no one else!"
The scene then cut to Mysterio's dying moments, capturing Peter's conversation with EDITH.
"Are you sure you want to initiate a drone strike?" EDITH asked. "This will cause severe casualties."
Peter's reply: "Do it. Execute all commands!"
Then, the video switched to a bald man—someone familiar. He had appeared before during the quiz game that revealed the first Spider-Man's (Tobey's) identity. It was none other than him—J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of The Daily Bugle and Spider-Man's number one hater.
Apparently, in this Spider-Man's universe, he existed too.
Jameson praised Mysterio's actions, calling him the greatest hero, a selfless warrior of the multiverse!
To him, anyone who opposed Spider-Man was a hero.
"But that's not all, folks! The real bombshell is coming. Brace yourselves—you might want to sit down for this!"
After Jameson's dramatic setup, the video cut to a scarred Mysterio, who, before dying, made one last revelation:
"Spider-Man's real name is... Peter Parker!"
At the same time, a smiling, full-screen image of Peter flashed across the giant screen.
Outside the video, young Peter clutched his head in horror—his biggest secret had just been publicly exposed!
"So this is the twist?"
Pietro looked dumbfounded for a moment before cursing, "That bastard liar! Even in death, he had to get in one last cheap shot!"
Strange's expression darkened. "The depths of human malice are unfathomable. More than his technology, Beck's corrupted heart was his greatest weapon."
Now, everyone finally understood the meaning of Mysterio's final words. When he said, 'People nowadays will believe anything,' he was referring to this heavily edited, manipulated video.
Honestly, if Quentin had pursued a career in acting or filmmaking, he would've been wildly successful.
And he was truly ruthless—even in death, he made sure to leave behind a mess for Spider-Man.
Strange sighed. "Thankfully, the quiz game revealed everything. Otherwise, this video would have caused Peter endless trouble."
Peter was still too young and naïve—he had never truly encountered the depths of human deceit. Staring in disbelief, it took him a long moment to react.
Finally, he blurted out, "This video is clearly fake! It's all edited together—people won't believe it, right?"
Strange rolled his eyes. "As much as I hate to admit it, Beck did have a point. People will believe anything.
Think about it, kid. If the quiz game hadn't exposed the truth, how would the world see you?
A jealous, power-hungry murderer who killed a real hero.
Sure, not everyone would believe it. But even if only one-tenth of the world did, the trouble you'd be in would be massive."
Peter imagined it for a second—and shivered.
In this version of the future, all he wanted was to be a hero. But instead, he was being framed as a villain, hated, hunted, and his loved ones put in danger. The mere thought of it was terrifying.
Then, Pietro suddenly asked, "Wait—there was a multiple-choice question earlier. It said both Mysterio and Nick Fury deceived Peter.
Mysterio's betrayal is obvious, but what about Fury? I mean, forcing Peter to go to Prague wasn't exactly deception, right?"
Strange frowned but remained silent.
At that moment, the video shifted to Nick Fury and Maria Hill.
Fury was driving down the highway, with Hill in the passenger seat. They exchanged a glance—then, in the blink of an eye, Hill transformed.
Green skin.
Pointed ears.
She wasn't human—she was a Skrull.
Then, a moment later, so did 'Nick Fury.'
-------
Translator's Note (Shield Level Clearance Required):
Dear reader,
If you've enjoyed this wild ride through the Marvel Universe, why not be a hero yourself and leave a review? It won't stop Thanos, but it will help this humble Translator keep the multiverse spinning.
Seriously though—your thoughts, comments, and theories keep this story alive like Tony's arc reactor. Drop a review and let me know if I'm swinging like Spidey or crashing like the Hulk!
Stay super.
—Your friendly neighborhood Translator