LightReader

Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Max’s Death

Watching the events unfold, Tony Stark was reminded of how he had defeated Obadiah Stane. The situation was strikingly similar—the only difference was that Obadiah had been killed by an overloaded reactor, while Max was being consumed by electricity.

"He can't handle this amount of electricity—it's exceeding his body's limit," Tony observed, narrowing his eyes as he watched Max struggle.

"Yeah, you're right," Banner nodded. "His body can only hold so much electrical energy. If he can't release it, there's no way he'll survive."

They both knew what was about to happen. Under such a high voltage and current, there was a strong chance that Max wouldn't even leave behind a body.

"Alright, let's test this out," Tony said, holding a small, round device. He placed it on a large battery and watched as it rapidly drained the stored electricity.

"Nice! That's brilliant, Tony!" Banner admired. "If we ever run into someone like Max again, we just have to slap this thing on them—it'll drain their energy in seconds! You should integrate it into your armor."

"I thought the same thing," Tony replied, though he frowned slightly. "But it's still too big, and it takes up too much space. We need to make it smaller. Come on, let's refine it further!"

[Power was restored at the air traffic control tower, and the staff immediately began contacting all flights…]

[Max's screams grew louder as cracks began forming all over his body. His entire form pulsed with unstable energy—until, finally, with a thunderous BOOM, he exploded. The raw electricity that had been trapped inside him surged outward, dissipating in all directions.]

[Meanwhile, the two planes were still on a collision course, speeding toward disaster. The supervisor urgently directed both aircraft at the same time: "This is LaGuardia Airport Control Tower! Turn to heading 280 immediately!"]

["There's another plane on a conflicting course! Repeat, turn to 280! Take immediate action!"]

[Onboard, the flight crews of both planes suddenly noticed the emergency alerts flashing on their radars.]

[Without hesitation, the pilots executed sharp turns as per the tower's instructions. The two planes banked at steep angles, causing passengers to slide in their seats, some gripping their armrests in fear.]

[At the very last moment, the two aircraft passed by each other, narrowly avoiding catastrophe.]

[As the threat passed, the control tower erupted in cheers. The staff hugged each other, overwhelmed with relief. They had come so close to witnessing a tragedy.]

[The supervisor, still shaken, clapped his hands with his colleagues and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He almost thought he was about to lose his job. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he directed the two planes toward safe landings.]

[Meanwhile, at the hospital, Aunt May had been tirelessly assisting patients amid the blackout. Suddenly, the lights flickered back on. She sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God! Alright, everyone, let's get back to work!"]

[The camera panned over the city, showing New York's skyline slowly coming back to life as building after building lit up again. The city had regained its brilliance.]

[Back at the power grid, Peter's spider webs—still glowing a faint red—remained connected to the electrical system, stabilizing the restored power.]

[On the ground, directly below the site of Max's explosion, only one thing remained—the small energy meter that had once been attached to Max's temple. The indicator lights on it slowly dimmed, one by one, until they all went dark.]

[Max was gone.]

"Oh, Max… I'm sorry," Peter muttered, his voice heavy with guilt.

"No, I should be the one apologizing," Max said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Peter, this was all my fault. I brought this upon myself. I finally understand now… what's the point of being noticed by everyone if they only despise you? Maybe being unknown isn't so bad after all."

After seeing his own fate unfold on The Screen, Max had come to terms with many things. He realized that his desire for attention had led him down a destructive path. In the end, fading into obscurity would have been far better than causing harm to others—and himself.

"Yeah…" Harry murmured in agreement. The online world had not been kind to Max—ever since the broadcast started, people had been condemning him as an ungrateful villain. The overwhelming backlash had been weighing on him.

"Okay, enough with the gloomy talk!" Gwen chimed in, noticing Max's downcast expression. "Come on, smile!" She held up her phone and snapped a picture.

With Gwen's encouragement, Max finally managed a small smile.

At the same time, many viewers felt a sense of relief at Max's death. He had caused so much destruction—countless lives had been put in danger because of him.

Though the broadcast only showed glimpses of the disaster, people had seen enough: injured citizens, those trapped in elevators waiting for rescue, and, of course, the two planes that nearly crashed mid-air.

For many, their sympathy for Max had disappeared.

[Peter lay sprawled on the ground nearby, his body twitching from the lingering effects of the electricity. "Ohhh…" he groaned in pain.]

[Gwen hurried down from the control room, rushing toward him.]

[White smoke still rose from Peter's suit as he weakly sat up. But before he could fully regain his bearings, something whirred through the air above them.]

[A strange, green UFO sped toward the power grid.]

[Peter, alarmed, staggered to his feet and walked over to the side of a police car. Looking at Gwen, he forced a grin. "I think… we can still catch our plane!"]

[Gwen laughed at his persistence. But her smile faded when she heard the same noise Peter had noticed. Turning toward the source, she saw the approaching object on The Screen.]

[Peter's body tensed. He instinctively reached out and commanded, "Gwen! Stay there!"]

[The figure rode a mechanical glider, approaching fast. A sinister laugh echoed through the air. As the glider descended, Peter's eyes widened in shock—it was Harry!]

[He was alive. And he was wearing armor.]

"W-what?!" Harry shot up from his seat, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "I thought I was dead! How am I still alive?!"

Peter and Gwen turned toward him, equally stunned.

On the screen, Harry's face was drastically different—his once clean features were now marred by grotesque traces of spider venom. The unnatural marks on his face and forehead made him look monstrous.

"How is this possible?!" the 1st Gen Spider-Man exclaimed. "Shouldn't he have died from the poison?"

The 1st Gen Gwen frowned in deep thought. Lowering her head, she pieced things together. Then, her eyes lit up with realization.

"Do you remember the military-grade armor Harry looked at in the Oscorp files?" she asked.

"The one with… battlefield healing capabilities?" the 1st Gen Spider-Man replied hesitantly.

"Exactly," she nodded. "That armor must've saved him!"

At that moment, the broadcast rewound, pulling everyone back to the moment Harry had been poisoned…

[After being injected with the deadly spider venom, Harry collapsed to the floor, gasping in agony. But through sheer will to survive, he began dragging himself toward a secured chamber—the room where the armor was stored.]

[Every movement sent searing pain through his body, but he refused to stop. Step by step, he crawled closer, desperation fueling him.]

[Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached the armor and forced himself up. With trembling hands, he activated the suit. Immediately, the armor detected his critical condition—and began emergency medical treatment.]

[As the armor sealed itself around him, the glider activated beneath his feet, preparing for flight.]

[But despite the armor's healing, it couldn't fully counteract the spider venom. The whites of Harry's eyes turned a sickly yellow, and his once-pristine face was forever scarred by twisted, inhuman marks.]

==============================================

Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.

=============================================

More Chapters