Shocker

"What?!"

"A bank robbery? Is that for real?"

"Come on, let's go see!"

The cafeteria instantly erupted at the news.

It was like hearing that someone was setting up a fight outside the school gates—the students' appetite for gossip was instantly ignited.

They did not even bother finishing their meals, tossing down their trays and flooding toward the school entrance.

Gwen Stacy's eyes immediately lit up.

A bank robbery! That was huge news!

And, of course, it was the perfect opportunity for her, Ghost Spider-Man, to make a name for herself!

She instinctively rose to her feet. She only had time to hurriedly tell Peter, "I'm going to take a look too," before rushing out with the crowd.

Watching Gwen leave, Peter could not help shaking his head.

Still too green!

With so many people around, you were the only one heading against the crowd in the opposite direction. Anyone paying attention would spot that something was off with you at a glance!

After making that jab to himself, Peter slowly finished the last half of his sandwich before elegantly getting to his feet and leaving.

Naturally, he had to join in on the excitement.

The new suit tucked away in his bag was due for its debut too, wasn't it?

Peter unhurriedly entered an empty storage room and quickly changed into the black-and-red suit he had rushed to make the night before.

The highly form-fitting suit perfectly outlined his streamlined, explosive muscles. Blood-red patterns and lines decorated the black material, giving it a sharp, dangerous beauty.

Once he was fully suited up, Peter did not hesitate. He pushed open the window and jumped down from the second floor.

The only flaw was that, since he had not yet invented equipment like a Web Shooter, he could not swing through the city on webs as quickly as Gwen. He could only travel the old-fashioned way, leaping across rooftops and scaling walls.

No, next month I have to exchange for some kind of speed-enhancing item or movement technique. If there isn't one... then I'll find a way to snatch the Green Goblin Glider. In any case, I can't keep traveling on foot. For a superhero, showing up like that is way too embarrassing!

While Peter was thinking this, the Midtown District outside the campus had already descended into chaos.

Near the school, at the entrance of Manhattan Bank.

A man dressed in a red-and-yellow mesh bodysuit, with enormous metal gauntlets on both hands, was viciously attacking the bank's security personnel.

Peter, who had quietly climbed onto the wall of a nearby building, instinctively tilted his head the moment he saw the man.

A name surfaced in his mind: Herman Schultz, Shocker.

This guy was one of Spider-Man's archenemies. Wielding weapons capable of unleashing Shockwaves, he relentlessly robbed banks again and again, only to be stopped by Spider-Man every time.

Bzzzt!

At the same moment Peter recognized Shocker.

Shocker below raised his hand and aimed it at the heavily armed bank guards.

An invisible Shockwave burst forth.

The next second, the guards were sent flying one after another, blood spraying from their mouths as their guns scattered somewhere out of sight.

"Get the hell out of my way! Cooperate, and I guarantee none of you will get hurt."

Shocker swaggered through the crowd, threw the canvas bag from his back onto the counter, and arrogantly ordered, "Fill it up. Don't try anything funny, or you know what'll happen to you!"

The bank clerk, living in "free America," obediently nodded and hurried to work without daring to hesitate.

As Shocker casually leaned against the counter and narcissistically admired the metal gauntlets on his hands.

Whoosh—

A gust of wind came from behind him. The next second, Gwen swung in on her webs, struck a pose, and landed as lightly as a ballerina.

Seeing Gwen behind him, Shocker froze for a moment. Then he shouted irritably, "Hey, buddy, can't you see I'm busy? Don't you know first come, first served? Can't you rob another bank?"

Gwen: ???

Did this guy... mistake me for a colleague?

Realizing that, Gwen's little face beneath her mask flushed bright red.

That is so insulting!

I'm Ghost Spider-Man, a rising star in the superhero world, and a bank robber thinks I'm one of his peers?

Even my uncle could not stand this, let alone my aunt!

Hmm, maybe next time I make an entrance, I should prepare an opening line. At least then villains won't mistake me for a colleague...

After silently adding that to her "superhero rules," Gwen snorted and suddenly fired a web at Shocker's lower leg.

With a tug of her hand, Shocker was instantly knocked off his feet before he could react.

"Hey, big guy! Your little show is over!"

Gwen deliberately lowered her voice to sound more intimidating, but it clearly did not do a damn thing.

Furious after taking a fall, Shocker quietly turned the switch on his thumb that adjusted the Shockwave setting, then abruptly fired a powerful Shockwave at Gwen.

Gwen felt the warning of her Spider-Sense.

But because she lacked combat experience, and because the invisible Shockwave was indeed difficult to detect, Gwen failed to react in time.

She was immediately blasted away by the Shockwave, crashing miserably into the bank wall hard enough to leave spiderweb-like cracks across the thick surface.

That was only because her body had been altered by the genetically modified spider. If an ordinary person took a hit like that, they would probably spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair.

But Gwen...

"Oh, my back..."

Little Spider only grumbled that much before springing energetically back to her feet the next second.

"When you get to the police station, you'd better honestly tell them where you bought that thing!" "Bought?!" Shocker flew into a rage at those words like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I made this with my own hands! It's the culmination of my life's work!"

Feeling insulted, Shocker became deeply displeased with Gwen and began venting his fury on her.

Invisible Shockwaves repeatedly surged toward Gwen.

Although Gwen's Spider-Sense could foresee danger, she was still only a rookie hero.

She could handle ordinary armed criminals with ease, but facing someone like Shocker—a man who had already stepped into the ranks of supervillains—was far beyond her abilities.

After an intense series of spins, leaps, and wild repositioning with her webs, she finally made a mistake due to her uncoordinated movements and lack of trust in her Spider-Sense.

While still in midair, she was struck by another Shockwave from Shocker. She slammed heavily into a beam, then plummeted from above at high speed.

Hiss—

Just as Gwen thought she was definitely going to suffer badly this time, a black-and-red figure raced in from the distance and caught her perfectly in a princess carry.

Who else could it have been but Peter?

Looking at Gwen, securely held in his arms, Peter could not help lowering his voice and teasing her.

"For a superhero, you really are... hilariously terrible!"