The Spectacular Spider-Men: The Great Web

SIDE STORY-1: Alistair Smythe's Vision

ALISTAIR SMYTHE'S POV:

I sat in the cold, sterile room, my mind a whirlpool of thoughts. How had it come to this? The Cross-Species Project was a monstrosity, a blight on the scientific community, and I had always despised it. Connors, with his reptilian ambitions, had overshadowed my work for far too long. He paraded his so-called genius, turning people into freakish hybrids, while I toiled in the shadows, crafting true advancements.

My nanobots were the pinnacle of technological evolution. Precision, control, and perfection– qualities that Connors' abominations lacked. I had always believed that nanotechnology was the future, a way to enhance humanity without turning us into grotesque parodies of ourselves. Yet, the world seemed enamored with Connors' grotesque visions.

I remembered the countless nights I spent refining my nanobots, perfecting their design. I wanted Connors to fail, to stumble under the weight of his own hubris. I longed for the day when the world would see that my research was superior, that I was the true visionary. Connors had always been a thorn in my side, always one step ahead, always stealing the spotlight.

And now, the antidote. Connors' so-called cure for the very chaos he created. He thought he could undo his mistakes, but I knew better. I could create a superior antidote, one that wouldn't just revert the changes but would integrate my nanobots, making them a part of the cure. It would be a triumph of my technology over his twisted biology.

I envisioned a world transformed by my nanobots. A world where disease, injury, and even death could be held at bay by microscopic guardians. I saw myself at the helm of this new era, leading humanity into a golden age of technological enhancement. My nanobots would be the best thing that ever happened to the world, a testament to my genius.

As I sat there, I felt a surge of determination. This quarantine, this setback, was merely a pause, a momentary delay in my path to greatness. I would prove my superiority. I would show the world that Alistair Smythe was the true architect of the future.

But...

As I sat in this sterile prison, my mind drifted to the few bright spots in this chaotic mess. Betty Brant. The name brought a rare, genuine smile to my face. She was one of the Midtown High students who had been here for the Oscorp internship tour. She had been infected during that unfortunate incident, but in our time together, I found an unexpected source of solace.

Betty was sharp, keen, and genuinely interested in my work on nanobots. She wasn't like the others, content with surface-level understanding. She dug deeper, asked the right questions, showed a hunger for knowledge that was all too rare. I had the opportunity to teach her various things about nanotechnology, and she absorbed it all with an eagerness that reminded me of a younger version of myself. Her enthusiasm and intellect were refreshing, a beacon in the murky waters of my current situation.

I also remembered the boy I had seen with Betty. Ritvik Anand. It took me a moment to place him, but then it all came rushing back. He had been here around two years ago, a promising student offered an internship at Oscorp. I had high hopes for him, but after only a few weeks, he stopped coming. I never knew why. His abrupt departure had been a disappointment.

Seeing him again, with Betty, brought back memories of those days when I believed I could mentor the next generation of scientists. Ritvik had potential, but his presence now, amidst this chaos, made me wonder what path he had taken. Why had he left? What had brought him back? And more importantly, what role was he playing in all of this?

These thoughts swirled in my mind, adding to the ever-growing list of questions and uncertainties. Betty and Ritvik represented two sides of a coin. One, a bright student eager to learn, the other, a talented individual who had walked away. Both were now entangled in the web of Oscorp's twisted experiments.

Despite everything, my connection with Betty gave me a sliver of hope. Perhaps, through her, I could find a way to rectify some of these wrongs. Maybe she could see the value in my work, understand the potential of my nanobots. She could be the key to bridging the gap between the horror of the cross-species project and the promise of a better future through technology.

As I reflected on all this, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. I needed to get out of this quarantine, to continue my work, to show the world, and perhaps, to guide Betty towards a future where nanotechnology could save humanity from itself.

And to do that, I had to get rid of...

The Spider-Men.

They were always part of the problem. Their interference, their so-called heroics, did nothing but complicate matters further. They thought they were saviors, but in reality, they were a band-aid on a gaping wound. Their presence only exacerbated the chaos, drawing attention away from the real solutions, the true advancements that could change the world.

I had long believed that the cross-species project was a grotesque misstep, an aberration that should never have been pursued. Nanobots were the future, not these monstrous hybrids. But the Spider-Men? They were the embodiment of this misguided obsession with the cross-species. They needed to be stopped, controlled, neutralized.

That's why I created a solution...

These robots were my answer, my way of restoring order and focusing the world's attention on the true marvels of technology. They were designed to hunt down and eliminate these Spider-Men, to rid the world of their disruptive influence. With them out of the way, I could finally showcase the superiority of my nanobot technology, demonstrate how it could cure diseases, enhance human capabilities, and even reverse the horrors of the cross-species experiments.

As I sat in this quarantine room, the name echoed in my mind, a promise and a threat. My robots would bring an end to this madness, clear the path for a future shaped by the precision and promise of nanotechnology. The Spider-Men's time was over. It was time for the world to see the truth, to embrace the real future.

My robots were the key, the solution to the chaos. And soon, the world would know it too.

Unleash the Spider-Slayers...

TO BE CONTINUED...

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

The Spider-Slayers have been unleashed. How will the Spider-Men battle them? Will they be victorious? Or will Smythe finally achieve his dream?

Find out next, in: CHAPTER-5: The Spider-Slayers.

-SPDR10