Russell noticed New York's famously upright police chief. Soon, his gaze shifted away from George Stacy and settled on the distant city skyline, illuminated by countless Mutants' lights.
Chief George stood beside a police car. His figure looked so small in the darkness, as though some invisible torrent were carrying him forward, unable to stop or turn back.
Russell had seen far too many people like him.
Among those whose destinies he had changed, George was neither the first nor the last.
Kingpin had once been an underworld boss. Now, he was the president of America.
Odin had once been the Lord of the Nine Realms. Now, he was an honored guest of S.P.E.A.R. The Ancient One had once been the Sorcerer Supreme. Now, she was the new mistress of the Dark Dimension.
Everyone was swept along by the tide of the times, heading in directions they had never imagined.
Only strength could bring permanence. Only great strength could let someone ride the tide of the times.
George seemed likely to become a good mayor.
Russell remembered that, in certain Marvel Universes, George Stacy had indeed become mayor.
He was upright and principled, had spent many years on the police force, and knew this city well enough.
Perhaps Kingpin needed just such a proxy: someone the public trusted, someone clean who would not cause trouble.
The justice system needed a respectable face, and George happened to fit the bill.
But Russell paid it no mind.
His gaze passed beyond New York's lights, beyond the atmosphere, beyond the stars twinkling in the night sky.
He wanted to grow stronger, unlock more abilities, and ultimately become a true quantum god.
This city had never been his goal. Earth was merely his starting point.
Farther away, deeper in the universe, countless things still