Chapter 36

Frankly speaking, it doesn't take a sharp eye to see through the mysterious man's virtual scene. He chose a steam locomotive that has already been phased out by the times as the backdrop. Perhaps this is just the mysterious man's way of showing friendliness to Spider-Man when he first appears...

"If it's like this, is it enough?"

Suddenly, a green mist blew over. The good news is that the silly locomotive that was still spewing white smoke had vanished. The mist was filled with anesthetic and irritating odors, causing Spider-Man to cough violently.

He stumbled backward a few steps, but unfortunately, the subway gate behind him was not part of the virtual scene. A solid iron door came down, trapping Spider-Man in the narrow subway station passage.

Spider-Man felt a bit anxious, his large eyes behind the mask knitted together: "It seems the mysterious man's virtual reality technology has evolved from 3D to 5D!"

So-called 5D technology means that in addition to three-dimensional visual effects, it can also make people feel the information in the image through touch and smell.

The mysterious man, who had been imprisoned for years, did not forget to update his virtual technology. Not only can it simulate reality through sound and vision, but it can also achieve the most realistic sense of smell, touch, and dynamic movie background and effects.

"Ha ha ha... How terrible, my little spider, you didn't expect this, did you..."

Wearing a sci-fi spherical helmet, dressed in a green combat suit, and draped in a purple cloak, the mysterious man appeared on an open field. He had been lying in wait here, using his virtual technology to hide his presence.

Spider-Man weakly supported himself on the ground, partly because he was anesthetized by the mist, but more importantly, he felt his spider powers suddenly fail again.

In the past, his spider powers had never malfunctioned like this.

Without closing his eyes, Spider-Man could feel his genes undergoing a mutation. The previously stable genetic mutation seemed to be shifting in a new direction as the mutation progressed.

Evolution, or perhaps degeneration, Spider-Man felt he should find an expert in this field for a diagnosis as soon as possible.

First, he needed to find a way to deal with the situation at hand.

A light rustling sound came from around him, and Venom, Shocker, Rhino, and Chameleon, who had transformed into Spider-Man's appearance, emerged from the darkness.

Peter leaned against the cold subway gate, which was only closed as a shelter during wartime. He didn't know how these people managed to control it.

However, compared to the five super-criminals gathered in front of him, the gate made Spider-Man feel a bit safer.

He counted in his mind, and yes, there were still only five people. The most dangerous Doctor Octopus was nowhere to be seen, waiting to deliver a fatal blow.

If the super-criminals in front of him were either extremely violent or possessed evil intelligence, then Doctor Octopus, who had not yet appeared, combined both.

Doctor Octopus's real name is Otto Gunther Octavius, born in Schenectady, New York.

Perhaps because happy families are all alike, but unhappy families are unhappy in their own ways.

Like all villains, Otto's family background was not good at birth. His father was a factory worker with a violent tendency and a drinking problem, often beating his wife and son for no reason.

Although Otto was very young at the time, he made a solemn vow early on never to be like his father. This motivated him to study hard, not only to become a successful person but also to save his mother from suffering.

If he had continued on this path, Otto would have grown up to be a somewhat eccentric but still respectable scientist.

Indeed, he majored in physics in college and became an outstanding physicist. Otto specialized in atomic physics, and his long-term position at the top of his field led him to disdain so-called "assistants," believing he could handle everything himself.

Later, he invented a set of mechanical tentacles, each capable of lifting 8 tons.

The operation was simple, completely radiation-resistant, powerful, and extremely precise, allowing him to complete one astonishing experiment after another, write countless new theories, and gain worldwide fame.

During an experiment, a pipe burst, causing a radiation leak and a massive explosion.

Doctor Octopus survived by a stroke of luck, but the four tentacles had fused with his body. Additionally, the components in the radiation altered his brain tissue. With the addition of four extra hands, he redesigned his neural pathways to optimize his body's operation.

This involved not only his expertise in physics but also deep knowledge of human biological science. He hoped these tentacles could operate entirely according to his thoughts.

However, the electronic chip Otto used to control the mechanical arms gradually affected his sanity, turning the brilliant scientist into a terrifying super-criminal.

And thus, Doctor Octopus was born!

His first battle after debuting was against Spider-Man, and he beat Spider-Man so badly that Peter barely managed to escape. At that time, Peter even considered giving up being Spider-Man due to the beating from Doctor Octopus.

Although Doctor Octopus does not have superhuman strength and is overweight and nearsighted, the power of his four tentacles is so strong that, combined with his specially designed multifunctional windproof glasses, he is no less formidable than any super-criminal Spider-Man has faced.

For some reason, not seeing Doctor Octopus appear made Spider-Man miss him a bit.

Perhaps it's because the hidden enemy is the most threatening, but so far, Peter's spider-sense has not warned him of any other danger besides the five enemies he has already faced!

But then again, with his spider powers occasionally going out of control recently, Spider-Man isn't sure if his spider-sense is malfunctioning again.

Even without Doctor Octopus, facing Chameleon, Rhino, Shocker, and the others, who he had previously sent to prison, made Spider-Man's forehead break out in a cold sweat under his mask.

One against five?

Spider-Man wouldn't mind teaming up with the Fantastic Four, five superheroes against one criminal. But if it were the other way around, with Spider-Man facing five dangerous individuals alone, it would be best not to try.

Each of these five is a ruthless villain. Compared to them, ordinary street thugs are as innocent as nuns in a convent. They aren't just people who tattoo skulls all over their bodies to scare ordinary people; if you don't want to die young, it's best to give it your all when facing them.