Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

Kingpin lived up to his reputation as "the strongest man in the world (non-mutant)." His iron fists swung with ferocious power, creating gusts of wind with each motion.

With a single punch to a streetlight pole, he bent the metal like it was made of rubber!

Sure, the pole was hollow, but it was still metal—what normal person could bend it with one punch?

Looking at Kingpin's abnormal physique, Peter couldn't help but suspect if he might actually be some kind of mutant.

After all, mutants were a part of the Marvel universe, even appearing in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

If Kingpin turned out to be a mutant, it would certainly explain how he managed to train his body to such an extraordinary level—practically as wide as two doors put together.

Meanwhile, Gwen, though pretending to be fine, was clearly hampered by her injured arm.

Her injury limited her mobility and made her far less agile—especially since Spider-Man's combat style relies heavily on web-shooting, which requires unhindered use of the arms.

At this point, it was less a fight between Gwen and Kingpin and more of her desperately dodging his relentless attacks.

Fortunately, even without webs, Gwen's agility remained exceptional.

Her extensive combat experience made her as nimble as a cat.

Though Kingpin's moves were powerful and devastating, they achieved little beyond tearing up the environment.

Seeing this, Peter decided not to wait any longer.

Spotting an opening, he shot two webs, one to each of Kingpin's raised fists.

Then, with a mighty pull—

Kingpin's massive body toppled over!

Peter wasn't sure if his current strength was comparable to the standard 15–20 tons typical of most Spider-Men. But even if he took the lowest figure and halved it, he still had a solid 7.5 tons of force at his disposal!

Kingpin, on the other hand, was a mere human.

No matter how strong he appeared, his maximum strength was likely around 700 kilograms—0.7 tons.

The disparity was colossal, like the gap between a mountain and a molehill.

With such a significant difference in strength, Kingpin was helpless as Peter dragged him closer.

However, Peter didn't keep dragging him for long.

In a flash, Peter propelled himself forward, his right leg bent slightly as he aimed his knee directly at Kingpin, who was now sprawled on the ground.

Given Kingpin's extraordinary physique—strong enough to bend streetlight poles—Peter didn't hold back.

He increased his force to more than double what he had used against the street thugs earlier.

Peter calculated that even someone like Kingpin would suffer significant damage if hit by this attack.

But just as Peter's knee was about to slam into Kingpin's chest—

Kingpin's hands shot up and grabbed Peter's leg mid-air.

"Kid, that's not how you fight," Kingpin growled.

Kingpin let out a sinister laugh as his massive frame suddenly sat upright. In one swift motion, he slammed Peter hard onto the ground.

"Peter!" Gwen cried out from a distance, rushing toward him in alarm.

"Stay back! I'm fine! I'm fine!" Peter shouted, only to be slammed twice more by Kingpin with brutal force.

Kingpin's strength was indeed formidable.

Those slams dealt more damage to Peter than all the injuries he'd sustained throughout that entire morning's battles combined.

But honestly? It wasn't that bad.

Kingpin held Peter upside down by his legs, examining him as if savoring the sight of his battered form.

Peter, however, raised both hands and flipped Kingpin the double bird. "Is that all you've got, Kingpin? Honestly, you're even weaker than I thought. You should quit the crime game and open a massage parlor. With that weak grip, you're better suited for scratching people's itches."

"Hmph! Let's see how long you can keep running that mouth!" Kingpin sneered, tightening his grip on Peter's legs before slamming him toward the ground again.

Boom!

But this time, the sound was different.

Earlier, the impact had been a heavy, dull thud, like a ripe melon hitting the ground.

Now, it was lighter—a crisp, faint sound, almost like an unripe fruit.

And as everyone knows, an unripe fruit can be deadly!

This time, Peter caught himself mid-air, planting both hands firmly on the ground and absorbing the force of the attack.

Before Kingpin could react, Peter used the momentum to spring his body back like a coiled bow and, with explosive force, kicked out with both legs!

Boom!

Kingpin's massive body was sent flying, crashing through the wooden fence of a nearby house, splintering it into pieces.

Peter wasted no time, closing the distance to where Kingpin had fallen, ready to finish him off.

Even if he didn't kill him, he was determined to cripple Kingpin—make sure he couldn't fend for himself for the rest of his life. This was the only way to avenge the death of this world's ultimate Spider-Man.

As Peter raised his fist, Kingpin staggered to his feet, spat out a mouthful of blood, and smirked coldly.

"Kill me? If you do that, none of you will ever return home!"

Peter's fist froze mid-air.

For him, whether or not he could return home didn't matter much.

He had already come to terms with the likelihood of never returning to his original world.

But Gwen, Noir Spider, Peni Parker, Spider-Ham, and the older Peter Parker—they all faced a far graver threat: dimensional rejection.

Gwen was the most at risk of all.

Peter had only just realized this.

The others had only been in this universe for a few days.

But Gwen? She had been here for over a week!

According to Peni, the dimensional rejection wouldn't cause significant harm within the first two weeks. However, after that, the symptoms would intensify, potentially leading to death!

In other words, Gwen only had one week left!

As Peter hesitated, Gwen suddenly shouted, "Peter, don't listen to him! Don't forget what you promised her!"

Since Kingpin was present, she didn't mention Aunt May directly.

But Peter understood. Gwen was referring to the promise he'd made to Aunt May—to defeat Kingpin.

"But…" Peter wavered, conflicted.

His decision wasn't just about himself—it was about the lives of his five friends!

Kingpin noticed Peter's hesitation and burst into laughter. "Oh, our esteemed Spider-Man from another world, how about we make a wager?"

Peter narrowed his eyes slightly. "What kind of wager?"

A sly glint flashed in Kingpin's eyes. "We'll halt this fight for now. I'll leave with my men. Tonight, at 9 PM, I'll restart the collider beneath Fisk Tower. At that time, I'll have a web of traps waiting for you. Let's see if you dare show up."

Peter immediately understood the meaning behind Kingpin's so-called "wager."

On Kingpin's side, the stakes were the time the collider would be activated and the opportunity for Peter and his friends to gain access to it.

For Peter's side, the gamble was their one chance to return home.

The risk, however, was the "web of traps" Kingpin mentioned—a potentially deadly ambush.

This meant their conflict would no longer be fought in the shadows but brought fully into the open.

"How can I trust you to keep your word?" Peter scoffed. "I know exactly what kind of person Wilson Fisk is!"

"Oh?" Kingpin seemed intrigued.

Peter bluffed, "In my world, there's a Wilson Fisk too. His father was a small-time gang leader who died in a street shootout. But instead of mourning his father's death, Wilson came to understand the cold, brutal truth of the survival of the fittest…"

As Peter spoke, Kingpin's expression visibly darkened.

(End of Chapter)

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