Disclaimers

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All original characters are the property of Celgress.

A Tangled Web - Prologue

The Void Between Realities

The self-proclaimed Superior Spider-Man Otto Octavius cursed himself for his stupidity as he tumbled through the seemingly infinite void. Everything had been perfect. He slipped into the life of Peter Parker and more importantly the role Spider-Man with surprising ease. Everyone in New York City and beyond including longtime Spider-Man detractor J. Jonah Jameson adored the new effective Spider-Man. Otto was riding high on the crest of his popularity when his hubris brought him crashing down to Earth like the mythical Icarus who flew to close to the sun. His fall from grace at the hands of the dimension-hopping supervillain Spider Reaper (see "Another Strand in the Great Web" for more info regarding this chapter) had been equally dramatic and disastrous. Otto arrogantly thought he could trick Spider Reaper into giving him the dimension shifter Spider Reaper stole from Reed Richards, of Fantastic Four fame, by claiming the device was useless without proper codes which Otto just so happened to possess. Spider Reaper surprisingly handed over the device only to shackle himself to Otto then active it and pull both through a portal. Spider Reaper quickly undid the shackle leaving Otto to tumble forever outside of normal space-time, or so Spider Reaper claimed.

Up ahead Otto thought he spied something. Yes, the area appeared to be different from this endless expanse of nothing. A small kink of shimmering multiple colors in a bland sea of uniformed lavender. With nothing left to lose Otto changed course so he could intercept the kink.

Skyline of New York City, night

Peter Parker aka Spider-Man was in a jam. The new cyborg Vulture was giving him a run for his money, not that he had any to give. He cartwheeled out of the way of yet another barrage of exploding razor features just barely in time to save his skin. Not for the first time in recent weeks he wished Kingpin hadn't hired Alistair Smythe to upgrade many of his current and former henchmen.

Vulture directed a sonic scream at Spider-Man who clutched his head in pain. Slow to recover Spider-Man feel victim to a dive bomb attack. Vulture carried Spider-Man straight through the old abandoned brownstone building next door. Spider-Man somehow managed to squirm out of Vulture's grip he fell onto a lowrise rooftop below them.

"Goodbye, infernal pest!" Vulture cackled in his electronically enhanced voice the ruby red eyes of his green bird-like battle helmet stared coldly, mercilessly down at Spider-Man.

Vulture let fly a barrage of exploding razor feathers. Even in his weakened state Spider-Man likely would have avoided these as well if he were not distracted by the portal which opened nearby. Several of the sharp feathers embedded themselves into his skin one in his neck before they exploded taking away his life in gruesome fashion.

"I did it! I killed Spider-Man!" Vulture proclaimed proudly. "Huh," He soon said in confusion when he spotted a second Spider-Man this one clad in red & black rather than red & blue. "Who are you?" He asked the other Spider-Man.

"Just call me trouble," Superior Spider-Man said ominously after he glanced down at the mangled body of the dead Spider-Man.

"Bah, I'll kill you too!" Vulture threatened.

"Doubtful, but you're welcome to try." Superior Spider-Man said.

Enraged Vulture released another barrage of exploding razor feathers. Rather than avoid all of the incoming projectiles Superior Spider-Man used a webline to catch three. After a quick inspection, he tossed them back at the stunned Vulture who was seriously injured by the resulting cluster of explosions.

"A delayed detonator slaved to a standard timer mechanism. You really should use an impact sensitive detonator so much cleaner, less room for error as I've clearly demonstrated." Superior Spider-Man gloated as Vulture barely managed to fly away under his own power.

"You'll pay for this pretender!" Vulture threatened before he vanished over the horizon.

"Sue me," Superior Spider-Man shouted after Vulture.

Superior Spider-Man knelt down to examine the dead Spider-Man at his feet. He peeled off the man's mask to reveal another version of Peter Parker all but identical to the face he wore from his own universe. They looked about the same age mid to late twenties with no readily discernible differences.

"Death by Vulture of all people. What an indignant end." Superior Spider-Man said dispassionately. "Oh well, shit happens as they so crudely say. Better you than me. If I am to take over your life, of which I have little other option given my present circumstances, I must dispose of your body discreetly."

Superior Spider-Man put the mask back on Spider-Man's head and hoisted the body over his shoulder. He spent the next few hours searching for the best place tp dispose of his deceased comrade. He eventually settled on a deserted factory with a working industrial incinerator. By dawn, the original Spider-Man of that world was reduced to ashes by his replacement the Superior Spider-Man, but not before Otto cleaned out his pockets. There wasn't much there: a ticket stub for a recent movie, a pitiful amount of loose change, a spare web fluid canister and a smartphone with a cracked screen.

"Pay dirt," Superior Spider-Man said. He scrolled through the contacts list and internet history of the unprotected device ('how careless' he thought) to find the apparent address of the apartment this Spider-Man called home. "Homeward bound it is."

An upscale condominium complex on the East Side of Manhattan, early morning

Otto had to admit he was flabbergasted when he finally located the building in which the late Peter Parker lived. The place was the definition of upscale it even had a smartly attired doorman who greeted him as "Mr. Parker" and let him in no questions asked when Otto claimed he lost his keys. Wearing a ratty trench coat to cover his costume he had found in the old factory Otto felt like a sore thumb. He made his way to the fifth floor and then to the condo number he found on the smartphone as quickly as he dared. He nodded politely at more than one person who gave his old worn attire a disapproving look.

Luckily the door was unlocked. Once inside, free from prying eyes Otto put the trench coat in the trash can that he found near the door. After Otto changed into civilian clothes that day was spent trying to learn everything he could about the life of this universe's Peter Parker. By 5:00 pm Otto sat on the expensive black leather sofa in the living room watching a science show while he sipped on a bottle of water. Everything in the apartment was so expensive he had no idea how Parker could afford to live here. His question was answered when the door opened to reveal a smartly attired woman with flowing white hair. It took Otto only a moment to recognize the woman; Felicia Hardy the Black Cat. So, that explained the presence of all the feminine products and clothing he had found strewn throughout the condo.

Felicia smiled at who she thought was Peter Parker. "How goes the job hunt?" She asked.

"No progress I'm afraid," Otto replied thinking quick.

"That's okay. Like I told you two weeks ago I don't mind you staying here for a while until you get back on your feet. Before you start with the whole 'not wanting to be a parasite who lives off his ex-girlfriend thing' don't. While things didn't work out between us I still care about you and always will. What happened was my fault I couldn't separate the Spider from the man which was unfair to us both." Felicia said.

"Thank you for understanding," Otto said. "Here, let me help you." Otto got up and took the grocery bags from Felicia and proceeded to put them away in the pantry.

"Thanks," Felicia said. "After I take a shower I'll cook our supper. How does chicken alfredo with white wine sound?"

"Simply delightful," Otto said.

Felicia went into the bedroom picked up a new set of casual clothes and disappeared inside the bathroom. Otto decided he might as well prepare their meal while she was showering. It was the least he could do, after all in his home universe he had beaten up Black Cat and turned her in to the authorities.

After they finished their meal, Felicia could not help but compliment Otto both on his thoughtfulness and his culinary skills. "I never knew you could cook," Felicia said.

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises." Otto said.

While Otto cleaned up the dishes stacking them neatly by the sink. His eyes lingered on Felicia for a moment as he removed her glass from the table. Her fit curvy form looked good even in loose-fitting casual wear, very good indeed. Felicia caught him appraising her and gave him a sultry look. Her own gaze traveled up his lean muscular form.

Acting on impulse Felicia pulled Otto in for a kiss which quickly became passionate. "Maybe we shouldn't." Felicia panted when they parted.

"Perhaps that would be best," Otto said.

Otto went to the sink and washed the dishes leaving a hot and bothered Felicia behind him. 'Being stuck here won't be so bad, the company is exquisite. Besides, there is a high probability I can persuade Black Cat to either purchase or else pilfer any tech I need to be the most superior Spider-Man I can be. If she is anything like her counterpart from my own reality she'll be easily manipulated if I show her the love my counterpart failed to.' He thought with a smirk. 'I think I'll like it here.'

The Fisk Building earlier that day, morning

"He looked like Spider-Man but he didn't act like Spider-Man." Vulture dutifully reported to his boss Wilson Fisk the feared Kingpin of Crime.

"And you claim the original Spider-Man died in combat at your hands." Kingpin said from his position seated behind his large desk. To his right stood Alistair Smythe his crippled flesh & blood legs having long ago been replaced by metal robotic ones.

"I think he's lying." Accused the cyborg Scorpion who stood to Kingpin's left. As with Vulture, his face was obscured behind a green colored helmet with ruby red eyes.

"Come over here and say that." Vulture challenged.

"Gladly," Scorpion said.

"Children, please," Kingpin said. "Alistair, what does Vulture's bodycam show?" He asked turning to Smythe."

Alistair Smythe brought up a holographic display which played back the battle from Vulture's point of view. Sure enough, it showed the demise of the original Spider-Man along with the appearance of his mysterious successor. "Fascinating," Kingpin mused.

"See Scorpion I told you so. I'm the one who finally killed Spider-Man, not you." Vulture said.

"It was only because you fought him first after we gained out enhancements. I could have been the one if I had gone first." Scorpion said.

"Keeping telling yourself that." Vulture said.

"Silence, fools," Kingpin roared neither Vulture nor Scorpion dared say another word. "It would seem we have a new player in town, one who must be dealt with accordingly if my criminal empire is thrive." Kingpin said his eyes narrowing. He would find and crush this new Spider-Man as he had the original. He would allow no one to stand in the way of his dream of dominating the American Underworld, least of all another deviant playing dress up.

To Be Continued

Author's Note One -

The continuity of this universe isn't directly modeled after any particular universe but rather is a loose mix of 616 and Spider-Man the Animated Series (from the 1990s') with a few elements from the Ultimate Spider-Man Animated Series thrown in.

Author's Note Two -

This version of Otto is about mid-way through his career as Superior Spider-Man. For a point of reference, he has just purged the last remnants of Peter from his mind (or so he thinks).