"The source of it all lay in the collapse of the Multiverse and the vacuum of order that followed."
Spider-Woman spoke steadily, laying out the hidden truth layer by layer.
"After countless parallel universes fell into chaos and the barriers between space and time shattered, an ancient clan once sealed in the gaps between them broke free: the Inheritors.
They were an ancient clan of hunters that had survived through the ages by preying on bearers of the Spider Totem. They had lain dormant for countless years, waiting for chaos in the Multiverse to give them their chance."
"They were formidable fighters, skilled at hunting across worlds, but the laws of the Multiverse had always bound them. They couldn't move freely between worlds and were confined to their own universe.
Recently, though, they found the key to breaking those shackles: Master Weaver."
"Master Weaver controls the source of the Multiverse's web, the vast nexus of space-time threads that spans every parallel universe. Controlling Master Weaver means gaining the power to travel freely between them.
They can break through the barriers of space and time, pinpoint every bearer of the Spider Totem, and hunt them across worlds without restriction."
Loren tapped a finger lightly against the table. His gaze darkened as the pieces fell into place.
Immortus's fall and the chaos engulfing the Multiverse had unleashed more than apocalyptic realms and cosmic monsters. They had also freed ancient forces of evil that had lain dormant for ages.
The Inheritors were one of the scourges born of that catastrophe.
"Why go to such lengths to hunt down every Spider-Man in every parallel universe?" Loren asked.
It was the question that had troubled Gwen all along.
The Spider-Men upheld justice and protected their worlds. They had never interfered with one another, much less