Chapter Text
Hey, I’m Peter Parker. Well—not the Peter Parker. Apparently there are infinite Peter Parkers across the multiverse, and the “main” one, as we speak, is over there talking with the other “main” Spider-Mens and -Womens.
So I’m just a small Peter in a sea of Parkers. Being self-aware that you’re not special… it does something to a person. One moment you’re the only Spider-Man—Peter Parker—and the next you’re invited to a multiversal Spider-Verse meeting.
Why are all the Spider-People gathering? A spider vampire is out there killing Spider-People and sucking out their essence. Ew. The main spider-forces are making a game plan. I made quick small talk with a few others in the crowd. Thankfully, this one wasn’t another Peter—his name was Elliot Spencer, a redhead.
Elliot died. Morlun, the spider vampire, snapped his neck and drained his essence. His sister held him, hands squeezing a little too tightly. All around us, Spider-People were fighting and shouting to retreat to a portal.
“Wait for me, buddy—oof.” Never mind. I saw the spider vampire open his mouth and feed on me. Everything went dark.
Pop!
Everything was bright again. I looked around and saw thousands of Spider-People also scanning the area in disbelief. They told me they’d won—and revived every Spider-Person back to life. My spirit wavered. I’d made no contribution, died so early, and now here I was again.
I looked at the main Spider-People, deep in important discussions, trading witty banter and encouragement. I sighed. Then I saw Elliot Spencer again. We reunited, comforting each other over our failures.
“I wanna go home. This… this isn’t for me,” Elliot confessed, no doubt also feeling how small his role was in the Spider-Verse.
“Yeah, same. Me too. You think we can hang out once in a while?” I felt a strange kinship with Elliot—not to mention, we died together.
But Elliot didn’t feel the same. “I don’t think I want a reminder of how insignificant I am when I’m with… one of you.”
One of the Peter Parkers.
That hurt.
Back in my own world, humbled by the multiversal event, I sat on my bed frame, head hung low, elbows resting on my knees.
“Just… just keep moving.”
There might be infinite Peter Parkers. There might be infinite Spider-Men.
That doesn’t matter. I’m still me.
An explosion rattled the air ten miles away.
I’ll keep going—because I have to. At least in this universe, I’m the one and only Spider-Man.