Marvel's Death Merchant

Spider-Man realized why he hadn't felt much pain; the spider must have injected venom into his neck during the attack, allowing it to quickly invade his brain and cause nerve paralysis and dizziness. Fortunately, Spider-Man had been bitten by his father's genetically modified spider, so although there was a slight issue, the genes from the modified spider were slowly being absorbed into his body, infecting him with a spider virus.

Spider-Man already understood his situation. Once bitten by a spider, he would quickly lose consciousness, and given the proximity of the wound to his head, he believed he would be completely unconscious within a minute or two. Then, he would be surrounded by swarms of mutated spiders, injected with their digestive fluids, and completely digested into a pool of blood. This was his plan; after all, fusing new powers couldn't be accomplished without time.

"Hey, man, Spider-Man, how are you? Hawkeye, keep an eye on the area and don't let the spiders get any closer," Captain America said, shaking Spider-Man off the ground before turning to Hawkeye beside him.

"I might be slightly poisoned, but my genes are absorbing it too," Spider-Man said weakly, but his entire body was being rapidly strengthened, so it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

The mutated spiders around seemed to sense Spider-Man's weak and listless figure, and were immediately excited. It seemed that their companion's venom had taken effect. The other spiders, driven by their strong bloodlust, slowly formed a siege formation. It was believed that as soon as their prey fell, they would engage in a fierce battle for it.

The smaller spider charged forward frantically, but it underestimated Hawkeye's strength, believing that once the venom took effect, its prey would be completely helpless. However, it didn't know that the Avengers were all extraordinary superheroes, possessing superhuman stamina and astonishing willpower. So, after Hawkeye switched to his explosive arrows, he destroyed the mutated spider's head.

"Sir, you retreat, we'll take over." The Umbrella squad leader looked at Captain America with unwavering determination, showing no fear in the face of the spiders.

Captain America was also helpless. With the appearance of a large number of mutated spiders, their team was completely divided, and Iron Man seemed to be arriving soon. The situation was still very unfavorable for them.

The black mutated spider nearby was briefly stunned by the shockwave of Hawkeye's explosive arrow. However, Captain America would not give it another chance to attack. He stepped forward and plunged his shield, now stained with green blood, directly into the mutated spider's oval abdomen from top to bottom. At the same time, he slashed horizontally, cutting the spider's abdomen in two. Hawkeye continued to use explosive arrows to clear a path, and the surrounding mercenaries provided fire support.

The intense pain caused the mutated spider to struggle painfully. It staggered backward, hissing as it moved. The part of its abdomen that was still connected by a thin piece of flesh completely detached as it moved. Perhaps seeing with its own eyes a part of its body abandoned not far away, the mutated spider seemed to despair and fell straight down the narrow ladder, crashing heavily to the ground.

Captain America, panting heavily after reaching safety, was drenched in sweat. That attack had drained him of immense energy, and his body was beginning to give way. His legs felt like lead, making it almost impossible to move. Spider-Man wasn't in much better shape. His vision blurred, and a overwhelming urge to collapse filled his mind. The toxins were undoubtedly attacking his brain. If he won, he would surely gain even greater power.

"Captain, how are the others?" Hawkeye's face was grim. The Umbrella mercenaries who fled for them might not have survived. He could hear the gunfire inside; needless to say, the mutated spiders were about to surround them.

"We've destroyed many Hydra bases, but never like today. It seems Hydra isn't to be underestimated," Captain America sighed, looking at Spider-Man beside him, feeling somewhat guilty. If it weren't for him, Spider-Man wouldn't be in this state.

Chapter 547 Reinforcements

"Avengers, Umbrella Corporation mercenaries are on their way, bringing mechs." The voice of Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., came through the Avengers' communicator. It seemed the Hulk was right; they might be safe soon.

Captain America, still in the lab, suddenly felt the ground beneath the base begin to shake violently, and dust began to fall from the top of the base, as if something was moving rapidly underground. But it didn't feel like an earthquake. Was something about to appear? The commander was somewhat like the tank bugs in Starfleet; those bugs that emerged from underground were quite terrifying and very powerful.

Looking at the constantly shaking and bulging ground to the left of the Hydra base, Captain America suddenly understood. He gave a wry smile and said, "This big guy has finally awakened! The most terrifying thing about those mutated spiders is that they've really messed up this time. The quality of those things is beyond our control."

Inside the Hydra base, the once solid concrete floor and walls began to crack violently as the ground trembled. Countless pebbles slowly fell from above, crashing and clattering everywhere. The 20-centimeter-thick layer of concrete on the ground seemed to have been bulged up by some enormous monster, shattering into countless pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle being torn apart. Even in areas where no one was present, the bulging ground twisted and fractured, completely severed in two.

As if sensing something, all the black mutated spiders ceased their fierce attack on the three and began to retreat. The terrifying rustling sound resumed, even more chilling than before. Captain America cautiously looked around and saw that, apart from the piles of dead spider carcasses around him, most of the living medium-sized black spiders had crawled onto the cracked walls, making the walls appear as if they were covered with giant black dots. These dots quickly covered the entire wall, and based on Captain America's own perception, he was in a nest teeming with countless spiders. Marcus's biological weapon was indeed extraordinary; extremely troublesome and with a remarkably fast reproduction rate.

The T-virus mutated spider king shares a similar ecosystem with Veronica's, and the most powerful creature in the mutated spider ecosystem is the mutated spider king.

Just as in the complex biosphere of nature, every species has a supreme leader who controls a vast kingdom with countless members. This leader holds a noble and unshakeable position, much like the pharaohs of ancient Egypt throughout millennia—a symbol of power. This leader not only maintains the kingdom's existence but also serves as a powerful pillar protecting the species' survival. Similarly, like the spider king in this cave, all members of the colony obey its commands and accept its protection. Such a terrifying creature must possess considerable strength.

"Captain!" Hawkeye called out to Captain America, wanting to know if he needed his help. He had also sensed that thing was unusual. While the Avengers were powerful, they weren't invincible. Aside from the Justice League, who were perhaps invincible, they weren't much better, especially when faced with something so terrifying.

Captain America shouted back without turning his head, "Take Spider-Man and get out of here. Don't worry about me. Umbrella Corporation mercenaries are coming. Get out of here quickly."

"Understood!" Hawkeye had just picked up Spider-Man and was still speaking when he noticed the ground shaking more violently. He could barely stand. If he hadn't grabbed a piece of cement on the ground with his glove, he might have encountered something dangerous.

"It must be the Spider King moving its massive body, but I wonder what it looks like?" Hawkeye thought to himself, as he struggled to run towards the exit with Spider-Man. Although the Avengers team still had some issues, it didn't mean they wouldn't cooperate.

With a deafening crash, a piece of rock slammed down less than half a foot from Hawkeye, shattering into even smaller fragments. This sent a chill down Hawkeye's spine. Even with his exceptional mental fortitude, his body wasn't enhanced, nor was he invulnerable. If such a blow had landed directly on his head, it could have been fatal for both him and Spider-Man.

A dark mass of mutated spiders gathered together, constantly brandishing their fangs, neither attacking nor retreating, patiently waiting for the enormous creature underground to appear. Hawkeye and the unconscious Spider-Man took advantage of this rare opportunity to enter the exit area, intending to leave and find someone. Whether they could actually get there was another matter, but it was certainly easier than facing that enormous creature.

Inside the Hydra base, green liquid still flowed everywhere, some even spilling out through the cracks in the doors. However, thanks to the base's power supply, some of the interior lights were on, which, while not having much practical effect, reduced Captain America's sense of oppression.

Although the ground was shaking violently, there was no damage elsewhere, so it did not prevent Captain America from starting his defense. However, to Captain America's disappointment, he did not have any powerful offensive weapons.

Suddenly, the already bulging ground and rocks shot out in all directions. As the Spider King's deep, terrifying roar echoed through the subway station, two pairs of ten-meter-long red spider legs emerged from the circular hole underground, then formed a V-shape on the ground not far from Captain America. With several thuds, its hard toes instantly pounded four holes into the solid ground. Simultaneously, crimson slime dripped continuously from between its thick, long segments onto the loosened soil, as red as blood. Even more terrifying was its head, with eight single eyes, almost as large as Captain America himself, and its fangs, dripping venom, were terrifyingly large; a bite from it would surely melt one's flesh.

Captain America's eyes widened in astonishment; this was far beyond their expectations. They couldn't believe such a massive mutated spider existed in the world. Its sheer size alone was terrifying. Not to mention its immense attack power and potent venom; they believed even an elephant could be easily killed by this spider king. And compared to Captain America, whose strength was so vastly different, the mutated spider enhanced with the T-virus possessed even more terrifying power.

Chapter 548 Veronica Plants

Not only did the Avengers encounter the Forgotten Ones, though only temporarily, but it wasn't so easy to resolve. The Justice League's attack on Hydra's headquarters also caused problems; there were many things hidden there as well.

Meanwhile, Marcus and Red Skull had arrived at the snow-covered Antarctic base. This was Hydra's last stronghold, housing all of its elite forces and subordinates, and currently the safest place they had discovered.

Hydra has bases both above and below ground in Antarctica. This is because it represents Hydra's last remaining strength, with a concentration of power exceeding that of any previous base. It possesses a vast quantity of biological and chemical weapons and boasts state-of-the-art weaponry and equipment.

“Dr. Marcus, I must say, we were indeed prescient. If it weren’t for those mutated spiders we created, we wouldn’t have been able to buy ourselves that much time.” The cunning Red Skull pointed to the battle between the Avengers and the mutated spiders at the Hydra base. If it weren’t for those things, they might have been wiped out long ago.

"Has the automatic destruction device been activated? I want to see the most spectacular fireworks. Although we lost most of Hydra's bases this time, we also inflicted heavy losses on Umbrella Corporation."

Marcus seemed quite satisfied as he watched the battle on the screen. The Umbrella Corporation mercenaries were being wiped out by numerous biological weapons and Hydra soldiers, bringing him unprecedented joy. After all, he had been killed by the nominal former chairman of Umbrella, making Umbrella the unwitting target of Marcus's revenge, which was why he was able to organize Hydra to deal with them.

"It's already activated. Anyone who doesn't reach Iron Man is likely to be blown up. I don't care about Hydra's loss. As long as Dr. Marcus is here, we can gain new power, extraordinary power." Red Skull clenched his fist, feeling the T-virus burning within him, and smiled with satisfaction. He now felt that he wouldn't lose as long as he fought Captain America.

“Yes, well done. I’ve let bygones be bygones for your past underhanded tactics; those things are no longer important. After all, you’ve helped me a lot.” Marcus raised his glass of red wine, took a small sip, and looked earnestly at Red Skull.

Red Skull lowered his head slightly after sensing Marcus's gaze. He wasn't afraid; as the ruler of Hydra, he wasn't afraid of many things. However, the virus on Marcus was too advanced, and the hierarchy was very obvious, which was why Red Skull felt afraid.

"Yes, I understand, Dr. Marcus. I can only rely on you now. Umbrella Corporation's actions this time are too big. Superheroes from various organizations have appeared, and each one is no less capable than Hydra's Newtypes." Red Skull naturally quieted down. As a smart man, he knew it wasn't a matter of power; otherwise, they would definitely have been wiped out by Umbrella Corporation. Their hatred for Tang Tian ran very deep, and the only way to resolve it was through continuous fighting.

Red Skull finally understood Marcus's power, and he still wanted to learn more about the special mutated spider lab. He wanted to understand places that could pose a threat to superheroes, as that was part of his own power.

"So, Dr. Marcus, do we have any special labs in our facility? Like those that cultivate spiders?" Red Skull looked up at Marcus and asked. His skinless face might look unassuming to most people, but it didn't seem to matter to Marcus, this super scientist.

“Red Skull, what do you want to know now? Those bases were deliberately built by me, but unfortunately, they were destroyed before they could be used against Umbrella Corporation.” Marcus said with a sigh. He couldn’t deal with Umbrella Corporation alone, because that force was beyond his capabilities.

Marcus also recalled his own experience, from being betrayed by his disciples Dr. William and Wesker, to unintentionally receiving enhancements from the leech virus upon his return. He became a special form of new human, and he also obtained William's G-virus, gaining even more power.

"Yes, I want to know something. That is, the Hydra base issue. Those special laboratories were all created by you, Dr. Marcus. And what special viral weapons? I want to see more Umbrella Corporation members die."

Red Skull said with great interest that he was quite happy as long as it was a way to get revenge on the Umbrella Corporation. As a bottom-tier villain, Red Skull would definitely suffer heavy losses if he went after Tang Tian, ​​the boss who controlled most of the villains. Fortunately, Red Skull cooperated with Marcus; otherwise, the outcome would have been unimaginable.

“My labs were created randomly. The mutated spider is one, and there’s also a plant called Veronica, which is extremely aggressive. I can’t tell you the rest, but you can watch the surveillance videos. Those Justice League or Avengers members can prove my ability to cultivate those weapons,” Marcus said calmly to Red Skull, his tone filled with excitement. He was clearly pleased with his ability to create those weapons.

"Veronica Plant? We should wait and see." Although Red Skull has surpassed you, Captain America, and become a new human, now is not a good time for him to rise to power.

Marcus partnered with Red Skull and gained control of his own power base. A significant portion of Hydra's influence has been acquired by Marcus, who, despite his origins in Resident Evil, is surprisingly successful in the Marvel universe.

"Yes, I will continue to develop many more weapons. I still need to take revenge on the Umbrella Corporation, until it is destroyed." Marcus said coldly to Red Skull. His hatred for Umbrella had reached a point where reconciliation was impossible; only the destruction of one by the other would be considered a success.

“Dr. Marcus, I am very much looking forward to it. Our Hydra organization also has an Antarctic base, and its strength is no less than that of headquarters. We still have hope.” Red Skull’s eyes lit up when he heard Marcus say this. As long as Marcus was with him, he could obtain many things, including the T-virus and the G-virus. He believed that as long as they continued to cooperate, he would gain a lot.

The remaining Hydra base is extremely dangerous. Besides Hydra soldiers, it also contains various types of bioweapons cultivated by Marcus. Compared to the Tyrants or Lickers, the other mutated spiders or Veronica plants are undoubtedly terrifying.

Chapter 549 Umbrella Mech Force

On the Avengers' side, Captain America discovered the giant mutated spider. To defeat this enormous spider, the Hulk or Iron Man would likely need to use their full power; otherwise, they would certainly be knocked out.

"Hey, Captain. Don't die, I'm coming right now." Just when Captain America was in the most danger, Iron Man said to him through the communicator, which also improved Captain America's unfavorable situation.

"Okay, Iron Man! You guys go find Spider-Man and the others first! I can hold them off. Spider-Man has been poisoned, hurry up and take him to Umbrella Corporation to find the serum."

Captain America didn't send Iron Man to him first; he knew Spider-Man's problem needed to be resolved, or things would get messy. They were part of the Avengers, so he felt it was better to protect Iron Man.

"Really? How is Spider-Man? How is his poisoning?" Iron Man asked with some concern. Spider-Man was considered quite good in the Avengers, and the Avengers all had a good impression of him.

"He was bitten by a mutated spider containing the T-virus. Fortunately, he already had the spider's genes in his body, which helped him absorb the mutated genes," Captain America said to Iron Man after thinking for a moment, hoping he would quickly go find Hawkeye and Black Widow.

"Okay, I understand. I'm going to find Spider-Man now." Iron Man thought for a moment, then said to Captain America, turned off his communicator, and quickly left.

Behind Iron Man, countless silver-white mechs, resembling those in Avatar, moved slowly forward. Combining the technology of The Matrix and the Iron Man suit, their weapons were already formidable.

"Sir, what are the company's top orders? Do we need to eliminate all resistance?" a squad leader asked the mercenary commander. Umbrella Corporation's mech forces had arrived, their strength aside. Simply put, those mechs were like humanoid turrets; anything that came their way would likely be obliterated.

"The company's orders are very simple: help those top heroes eliminate Hydra. This will also be of great help to us," the Umbrella Corporation mercenary commander said earnestly.

This time, the mech unit consists of nearly one hundred people, all equipped with a lot of high technology, and each can carry a 1-ton nuclear warhead, making it extremely powerful.

"Activate the biodetectors and locate Captain America. We need to find him quickly. This is the latest order." After the order was given, hundreds of mechs moved forward rapidly, preparing to search for Captain America.

"Yes, sir." Umbrella's mercenaries truly lived up to their reputation as the most disciplined soldiers, carrying out orders with remarkable speed.

"Sir, target spotted." A mercenary who was detecting the target transmitted Captain America's location to the surrounding mercenaries.

"Alright, proceed to the target location. Click click click..." The Vulcan cannon on one of the mech's arms automatically loaded, its 12.7mm bullets guaranteed to turn any creature into a sieve.

Iron Man was incredibly fast, arriving at Hawkeye's location in the blink of an eye and spotting Spider-Man on the ground. He frowned, sensing something was very wrong.

"Stark, you're here. Have our mercenaries come too?" Hawkeye asked, looking at Iron Man as he put down the arrow in his hand.

"Hawkeye, how's Spider-Man? They're here, they've already gone to help Captain America." Iron Man said calmly to Hawkeye, then looked at Spider-Man's condition and turned to explain.

At this moment, Spider-Man's face was a little pale, and his neck was somewhat dark. His breathing was relatively steady, and the muscles and veins in his hands were slowly solidifying. Invisible genes were gradually strengthening Spider-Man; if he succeeded, he would gain more spider-gene power.

"Jarvis, check Spider-Man's vital signs." Iron Man ordered his AI assistant to continue scanning. If things didn't look good, he would quickly leave the Hydra base.

"It's alright, sir. Spider-Man is being enhanced; all aspects of his body are slowly improving." Jarvis's voice put Iron Man at ease, and he prepared to let Spider-Man leave.

"Mr. Iron Man, we're here." The Umbrella Corporation doctor, also under the protection of mercenaries, arrived and asked nervously upon seeing Spider-Man on the ground.

"Okay, Hawkeye, you and Spider-Man should leave together! This Avengers operation is canceled." Iron Man's face was very grim after the failure of this operation. They were supposed to be destroying Hydra's base, just like the Justice League and the Watchmen, but they didn't expect this outcome.

"Sigh, okay." Hawkeye put down the arrow in his hand and said helplessly to Iron Man.

Captain America's situation was dire; the mutated spider king was enormous and incredibly powerful. Captain America could only fight the mutated spider in a confined space. Although it was a fight, the mutated spider king only attacked with its feet, yet its attacks were still quite powerful. Whenever it collided with Captain America's shield, it would be sent flying, shield and all. The other mutated spiders didn't press their advantage, seemingly watching Captain America as if they were toying with him.

"Activate the high-explosive missiles, use the Vulcan cannons on your arms, puff puff puff puff puff..." Seeing that Captain America's situation was extremely critical, the commander immediately ordered the mech unit to launch a large number of missiles, providing a barrage of fire that allowed Captain America to catch his breath and then retreat from the area.

The mechs activated Metal Storm, instantly sending green blood splattering around them as countless mutated spiders fell. The situation began to be brought under control, but it was clearly still not enough.

"Mr. Rogers, are you alright?" The commander asked expressionlessly, looking at the disheveled Captain America.

"No, it's just that those guys are too difficult to deal with." Captain America shook his head, indicating that the enemy was still too powerful.

As the smoke cleared, the enormous mutated spiders still remained, much to their surprise. These giant spiders were completely unharmed, seemingly watching them with amusement. The mutated spider king was also protecting the surrounding spiders, so quite a few had survived.

"Sir, most of our weapons are useless against that thing, so we have to use the weapon for mass destruction," the squad leader said to the commander, frowning.

The mechs were obviously useless against that giant thing, which is why they reported it that way, but Captain America is safe now. 8

Chapter 550 The Beginning of the Biohazard Apocalypse

"Mr. Rogers, let's leave together! The rest of you, retreat. Some of you, detonate those nuclear bombs." The commander's face turned cold as he quickly gave the order.

"Alas, the Avengers' first battle has failed," Rogers said with a sigh, somewhat helpless.

"Avengers, Avengers. If you hear this, let's leave! Our mission has failed. This Hydra organization is now under the Umbrella Corporation's control." Rogers said helplessly to the entire Avengers team. Giving up the mission was unavoidable.

"Understood, we understand, Captain." The Hulk and the other Avengers' voices came through the communicator, indicating that they were aware of the situation.

Under the protection of Umbrella Corporation's mech forces, the Avengers managed to leave the area. Incendiary bombs were also dropped near the mutated spiders, creating a sea of ​​fire to prevent the spider swarm from advancing.

"Sir, when should we drop the nuclear missile?" the team member asked cautiously. They still didn't know the exact timing, so they needed the commander to tell them personally.

"Once we've confirmed the Avengers have left, we can use those things. That's an order." The commander glanced at the Avengers slowly disappearing from the radar, then looked up at the people around him and said.

"Yes, we understand." The others were also quite aware that Umbrella Corporation mercenaries were capable of carrying out missions.