Mysterio's Debut

The roar of helicopter rotors echoed in his ears. Nick Fury squinted his one good eye, gazing through the bulletproof glass window at the shrinking Avengers Tower in the distance.

He didn't believe in Madame Web's totem legends, but he knew exactly where the spider that bit Peter and Cindy came from. It was a product of the super-soldier program codenamed "Savage Force," which aimed to create a new generation of super-soldiers using animal genes. The project was initially led by Professor Nathaniel Essex of Britain, but he handed it over to his two students, Richard Parker and Herbert Edgar Wyndham, due to a shift in research towards mutant genes.

The latter had been missing for years, while Richard, the former, chose spiders as his research subjects. He and his wife, Mary Parker, conducted their research together, withdrawing from the project a few years prior. Jonathan Drew, Richard's student, then continued the research.

The reason for their withdrawal was their discovery that the U.S. military was sharing related data with another secret organization. This was also why Nick Fury recruited them, ultimately leading to their deaths at the hands of the Winter Soldier.

The deaths of Richard Parker and Mary Parker were a major failure for S.H.I.E.L.D. But the Parkers' sacrifice was not in vain—it tore through Hydra's meticulously woven disguise. This terrorist organization, which should have been annihilated in World War II, was not only alive but had already infiltrated the very marrow of the post-war order.

A.I.M., Roxxon, The Hand... these surfacing Hydra factions were merely the tip of the iceberg. And "Savage Force"—codenamed "Project Number Two" within Hydra—was just the beginning. Fury's temples throbbed. If the overt Savage Force program could produce three super-powered individuals, how many monsters had Hydra's covert Project Number Two spawned?

More critically, Hydra had definitely planted moles within S.H.I.E.L.D. But how many moles there were, and whether they could be rounded up in one fell swoop, remained unknown to Nick Fury at present.

"He knows about this."

Fury watched Avengers Tower disappear from view, recalling Peter Parker's words from earlier and frowning.

Did Richard leave him something?

Wilson, chewing on a cigar, walked into the basement of Fisk Tower, with Aaron Davis following silently like a shadow. Smoke swirled under the incandescent lights. Something new was being constructed here: a highly secure, hidden laboratory.

"It's a pleasure to see you here, Dr. Otto Octavius."

Kingpin didn't refuse the mechanical claw that reached out to him. He shook it slightly after grasping it, then let go. "I believe you understand my request. Spider-Man has severely disrupted New York's underground trade. I need a weapon that can deal with him."

"The honor is all mine, Mr. Fisk," Otto said, adjusting his glasses with a mechanical claw. "But first, I must gather enough data. I've seen some of Spider-Man's fights, recorded his battles with Scarecrow and the Spider-swarm. Even so, I don't think that's the limit of his abilities. If you intend to defeat Spider-Man, you must first push him to his limit."

"As the old saying goes, 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'"

Kingpin frowned upon hearing this. Test Spider-Man's limits? He knew that with the current crew under his command in the New York underworld, even with various firearms, they wouldn't stand a chance against Spider-Man. These super-powered individuals had changed the rules of the game; numbers and firepower were no longer absolute advantages.

Therefore, to fight Spider-Man, they needed to create individuals similar to Scarecrow or the Spider-swarm.

"Build me a suit of armor. I'll deal with Spider-Man."

Aaron Davis spoke up. Kingpin turned to his confidant, whose gaze was firm. "Leave it to me, Fisk. I can handle it."

"Listen, Aaron, my friend," Kingpin said, putting an arm around Aaron's shoulders with just the right amount of force. "I'll get you equipped, but not to deal with Spider-Man, understand? We don't need to do it ourselves."

He turned back to Octavius. "I'll hire a group of international mercenaries to test your new equipment, Dr. Otto. Until then, you're responsible for developing weapons to counter Spider-Man. I hope to see results soon."

Watching Kingpin's back as he left the laboratory, Otto propped himself up with a mechanical claw and turned on the computer. In fact, besides the weapons he was developing, there were other paths to consider, such as stealing the research results of America's super-soldier program.

As far as Otto knew before leaving Osborn Industries, the military had discovered a meteorite in the Arizona desert. It contained a symbiote that could merge with terrestrial life forms and significantly enhance human physical capabilities.

If he could get his hands on it and control it, defeating Spider-Man would be a piece of cake.

Otto mused, while simultaneously checking Kingpin's current inventory of Chitauri parts on the computer and adjusting his glasses. He began conceptualizing some equipment to deal with Kingpin.

As for his own goals, they had always been clear—Spider-Man was not his enemy, never had been. Norman Osborn, who had caused his current predicament, was Otto's true enemy.

"Light Particle Imaging Device? Given to Quentin Beck... Kingpin actually found someone who understands this stuff."

In reality, Quentin didn't just understand it; he was constantly improving the device. At this very moment, looking at the fish-tank-like object in his hand, he couldn't help but hold his breath.

"I did it? I did it. I actually managed it?"

Amidst his self-talk, Quentin couldn't help but rub his temples. Electrodes connected to the projector were attached to both sides of his head, and the imaging in the room was constantly changing.

Quentin heard footsteps. Kingpin's goons, who always bullied him, were coming again. He glanced around, then looked at the Light Particle Imaging Device in his hand.

He put the thing on his head.

"Beck? Where did that kid go?"

The two gang members who entered found the room empty and were about to leave in confusion. They walked towards the door, only to bump into something. They quickly realized what had happened.

"That damn kid is playing tricks on us again. Quick, find the door and get out!"

Fumbling, they found the door and left the room. Based on past experience, as long as they left this place, they could avoid being tricked by Quentin, and then they would teach the bastard a good lesson.

But this time, something seemed different...

They walked out of the room but found that nothing had changed. They walked back into Quentin's studio, and then they were hit hard. Something struck them fiercely, knocking them to the ground.

With a puff of smoke, a man wearing a glass helmet and a green suit appeared before them. A gang member threw a punch, but hit nothing.

"Tell Kingpin—I'll handle Spider-Man."

Nathaniel Essex, the well-known villain from the X-Men, Mr. Sinister. Herbert Edgar Wyndham, who would later be known as "The High Evolutionary."

Mysterio, first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (February 1963), real name Quentin Beck, was a founding member of the Sinister Six and one of Spider-Man's most famous enemies. Originally a special effects artist in Hollywood, he possessed no superpowers himself, excelling at using high-tech to create incredibly realistic illusions and hallucinogenic chemical gases.