(An Excerpt From The Book Of Creation: Chapter 1)
In the beginning, there was nothing, only the remnants of a long-forgotten Multiverse… But then from the seemingly empty void, light poured out across the emptiness, filling the empty space with profound existence.
With the coming of creation came the creation of nebulas that would become stars, and those stars would lead to the creation of solar systems, and the solar systems in the creation of galaxies… And thus became the first universe. And with the creation of light and life came the creation of time and death. The Angels… the spawn of the being that would later become known as the Presence would watch over the newly created universes alongside their brethren the Endless… the first of said Endless being Death and Destiny. And with the creation of the first sentient beings came dreams, and said dreams created a new Endless… the Lord of Sleep… the creator of dreams and nightmares… Morpheus he would later be known as. The other Endless would follow soon after as intelligent life began to propagate.
For Destiny, in his desire to not be overwhelmed by the endless amount of knowledge he contained and the responsibility of making sure that everything went to plan, created a web—a basic design meant to keep the fabric of the Multiverse together. And at the center of this web would later be known as one man. The Watcher of the Web was paradoxically also the same person yet different. The Watcher protected the web, maintaining each strand as each strand was its own past, present, and future.
However, these were not the only aspects of creation. In between the ever-expanding universes, the profound and endless nothingness created another being referred to only as Nihility… a representation of the very void itself, constantly longing to return all of existence to its primal abyssal state… As a counterbalance, the Living Tribunal was created by the Presence himself. Alongside his sons, Michael and Helel, with their combined powers they created a being that would help safeguard the Multiverse, with the Living Tribunal acting as the judge, jury, and executioner of any who threatened the balance…
But how did the intelligent life within these newly created universes come about? How did life begin to blossom?
That question can be answered through one being. With the creation of all of existence came the mother of the Multiverse, Perpetua. As while the Presence helped to spawn all the reality, said reality needed an artist's touch, and it was through her will that life began to bloom… To aid in her efforts, she created three beings to represent various aspects of the newly forming Multiverse… those three beings became the Monitor, representing a guardian that's meant to aid the Living Tribunal in watching over the Multiverse… the Anti-Monitor, originally being created to guard the newly forming boundaries of life and watch as antimatter gave way to matter… but his story ends in a different way… The last of the three was the World Forger… that directly aided his mother in spreading life through the new cosmos.
As the celestial pantheon grew and grew, and life began to flourish… inevitably all of this came to an end… Helel, desiring true freedom, and not truly understanding the Presence's desires, desired true freedom over everything else… His rebellion led to the drawing of lines, and the wars that would take place over the next thousand millennia would carve their influence across the ever-expanding worlds… In the end, Lucifer, formerly Helel, would be defeated and banished to Hell to rule over the various Hell Lords as a means to punish mortals should they fail the divine… From this war and its aftermath came the first Demons, and from those Demons came the many pillars that would come to exist now and in the future.
But while the Presence came to blows with his own son, life was still evolving and growing… In the first world, magic came into existence as a means to explain the unexplainable… In the beginning, there was a young girl who represented the purity in discovering new knowledge, and as she traveled across the developing worlds she spread that knowledge and the magic across the expanding Multiverse… She would be known by many names, but one in the future would manage to stick the test of time… Hecate… the goddess of magic and later the goddess of three faces, but that is a story for another time.
However, whether there is light, there must always be a darkness to counteract it, and from the purity of new magic came the existence of the Upside Down Man… An existence purely meant to show that magic always must come with a cost… Every deal struck while using magic must always find its bargain… Inherently the Upside Down Man wasn't truly evil, just simply acting upon its necessary creation… Yet when the young goddess looked upon the ugly face of her opposite, she shielded magic from itself, splitting itself in two… It was in that moment that magic was fractured… And from the conflicting forces came two new existences… the Lords of Order and the Lords of Chaos… Upon their first few minutes of existence, they realized they were complete opposites, and began to war with one another endlessly until the end of time…
Eventually, enough, the consciousnesses that made up existence formed a new being called Eternity that would foster its own energy called the Uni-Power… And with this new collective came the collective of the mind and soul, and with the creation of energy came with it the arrival of the Phoenix Force… Its existence meant to fix issues throughout the Multiverse through spreading itself into various fragments meant to gain hosts that would enact her will.
Upon the completion of the pantheon, the Presence, the one that existed above them all, collectively gathered to them and made it so that they could not act upon the mortal plane without being directly summoned or through hosts… Only extenuating circumstances would allow them to use their full might without the very Multiverse itself rejecting them.
And so the various cosmic beings would begin to interact with the mortal world through various proxies or shells that they themselves made… They looked upon mortality with the curiosity of newborn children. Some that bore witness to the innocence of creation found love, while some found the ugliness of creation to be too much.
Returning to the Anti-Monitor, upon realizing that once creation had fully manifested, there would be no need for his existence, he struck a deal… One with Nihility… And instead of something that existed to protect the boundaries of new creation, now became something meant to exist only as the coming of anti-matter… He was then locked away in the anti-matter universe and kept watch by the Monitors.
As his brother was locked away, the World Forger created his first civilization… He desired companionship, and those he could understand on the fundamental level, and those they could do the same with him… And so came the creation of the Celestials… cosmic scientists that continuously experimented with the newly formed created universes… In time, they began to seed life at the behest of their father… And as more worlds were created, more experiments were done by the Celestials.
Until eventually one Celestial decided to take it upon himself to experiment with the one thing that was the antithesis of their existence… Death.
Upon a newly created world, the mad Celestial ended its own existence, and from the primordial ooze a young world became forever changed… What that planet would later become is another story…
But now that creation existed and beings could think for themselves, what would happen if their beliefs began to take shape? It was this idea of belief that spawned the Sphere of Gods, an extra-dimensional plane of existence meant to house the true forms of divine beings… From there, they would spread aspects of their existence across the developing world so that they may have influence over their development. These divine beings would go on to take many names and said divine beings would spawn others like themselves, new and old.
(End Of Excerpt)
(Peter "Parker" POV)
"Aaaggghhh… fuck what hit me? And if it has a license plate, I'm gonna sue his ass." Groggily getting up, I find that I'm definitely not inside my house… The floor is too clean… the air is different… too many lights. I used to live in a suburb, so it wasn't too bad.
Looking around, I find that I'm on a park bench. Thankfully it's not one of those annoying ones that would shock you or stab you with something to wake you up. Always hated those anti-homeless measures.
Getting on my feet, I find my center of gravity has definitely changed. I was by no means overweight in my last life, but now it's like I basically shed over 50 pounds. Not to mention that everything just seems clearer now.
Before I'm able to do anything else, a barrage of memories enters my mind… flashes of memory… each one is different, a battle against someone or something different. I can feel my fists colliding with metal skin or a combination of the two. I can feel the blood in my mouth. I can see six men staring down at me. Right from the get-go, I realize that those aren't my memories.
They're his… Parker's memories of being Spider-Man, or at least from what I can tell the fights as Spider-Man. Thankfully, I don't feel the pain, just the experience. Just a test to see. I walk over to the nearby tree that was decently taller than I was, and as I placed the palm of my hand against it, I found that it wasn't sticking to it, so I definitely didn't have his spider powers.
"OK Peter, you're in a new place, probably an entirely new universe. Let's take stock of what we got." Checking the pants I had on, I found that I had a basic wallet. However, as I opened it up, I found a new face staring back at me.
It was as if someone took my body and put it through some type of character creator to fix all of the flaws… Where once I had blonde hair and blue eyes, I now had brown hair and brown eyes. I looked almost exactly like Parker, except with a lot less facial hair than he did.
Just to make sure that this was real, I slightly pinched my left arm, and after realizing that the pain was real, it was a final confirmation that what just happened did actually happen… I feel like heat in my chest as I sit back down on the bench and place my head in my hands, realizing that Parker just gave up his life for me… Already I can feel a case of imposter syndrome.
Taking a few deep breaths, I check over the license and find while I was still in New York, the year was different. Instead of being 2025, it was 2013… And instead of it being the end of May, it was the beginning of August.
I have to slightly cover my eyes as the sun begins to rise on the horizon. As I do, however, I find that the same blue screen appears in front of me…
[Welcome New User]
"Welcome to what?" I asked the floating screen.
[If you have any questions, feel free to ask them mentally, as I wouldn't want my new user to seem insane to other people.]
{I'm mentally talking to a blue screen after I was displaced from my life and placed in this new Multiverse… I'm already insane.}
[That's the spirit! Now to get you started, you have already received your beginning points from the Grand Angel… but in addition to that I am offering you three free perks and while they aren't able to choose them, I would recommend taking them.]
Taking another deep breath, I look over at the screen and see it begin to display text, and as I read over the three free perks, I don't find anything wrong with them. So as I click the confirm button, I feel that strange buzzing again, but this time there doesn't seem to be any physical changes… Mentally asking if anything's actually changed, the screen floats closer to me and responds in that same chipper attitude.
(If any of you guys need a voice reference for the celestial system think of Yes Man from Fallout: New Vegas.)
[Of course! The original bonding of the perks was a bit more physically strenuous due to your practically newborn existence… The process, quite literally, changes you on a conceptual level. Thankfully, I've been working out the kinks while you've been unconscious. Isn't that amazing?]
{Truly I am entirely blessed….} But in all uncertain terms, I basically am. Right after the buzzing sensation fades away, a new tutorial-looking pamphlet appears on the screen.
[Now that we introduced you to your new body, it's time to discover the new currency that you're going to be using… it's called Creativity Point! (Fireworks!/Confetti!) This currency, however, is gained through your own actions, but it isn't just something simple like tying your shoes or filing taxes. No, it has to be something meaningful that affects the world around you. As a bonus for surviving the process, you've been gifted 300 Creativity Points.]
Seeing the points appear at the bottom of the screen, I head over to the recommended section and see two perks that would look really good with my current roster… As I again confirm and see my balance return to zero, a dial appears in my mind. With it, I can tell how strong or weak I want my future powers to be. It also helps me to cope with the fact that I'm going to gain superpowers eventually.
While a small part of me is somewhat excited, the more cynical part of me wonders why I'm going to need them…
[Well since you've finished this little tutorial of ours in terms of basic info, you have a confirmed identity in this world as well as a bank account with $10,000 already inside. What you do with it and what you do with this life is up to you… However, I do have a message from a mutual acquaintance.]
Catching his drift, I immediately swipe to the next screen and see a message from the original Peter Parker.
As he appears on the type of video recording, his dress has changed—going from a normal shirt and pants with some slippers to something that looks like a fancy dress out of the 1800s. And below him is a giant mechanical spider.
"Testing testing 123… you getting this, Barker?" As I go to respond, Peter Parker immediately interrupts me.
"Before you say anything, this is just a recording. I'm not actually asking you. But if you are listening to this, then you made it. I would congratulate you, but you know us Peter Parkers—life is gonna start throwing stuff your way anytime now. I just wanted you to know that again, I don't regret my choice… What I've become now is something I chose to become… I didn't choose to become Spider-Man… or more specifically I didn't choose to get the powers. I was chosen, just like I chose you… I want you to know that this life is your own now, and while we may see each other again in the future, I don't want you to regret what I chose. Live your life, Barker. I don't mind what you do with it. Just try not to go full super villain on us, OK? The connection is going to be cutting out soon, so… go out there and simply be yourself, because from what I've seen, that's good enough." The video then cuts out as I'm left alone again with my thoughts.
Part of me wants to drown in my own self-pity, but I'm smarter than that. I'm better than that. When life gives you cosmic lemons, you squeeze them in front of the universe's eyes.
So standing back up, I begin to exit the park and walk towards the nearest public library… If I'm going to start anything, I'm going to need a place to crash and give the information that's still filling my mind. I'm going to need parts. I'm going to need time. And I'm going to need a lot of coffee.
I don't know if I can be what he is. I don't know if I can be what he was. I know I'm definitely not going to be able to be superior to him, but I'm myself. And myself is definitely new for a change.
(Well boys and girls another new chapter to the snippet apologies for the bit of exposition at the beginning. I felt like it was a bit necessary to establish the whole connected. Multiverse thing there are aspects of the Marvel universe involved, but it's more of a fusion between the two with DC being favored in the fusion I feel like it allows me more freedom to mess with things you know? So let me know how you guys want our new intrepid Peter Parker to start his life.. should he go for Parker industries or do something else? Remember these snippets are as much mine as they are yours, my creativity is your creativity. And depending on when you guys are reading this, I wish you a good morning, good afternoon, and good night. Also feel free to ask any questions. I'm always willing to answer well when I'm awake that is or not at work.)
[CP Banked: 0]
Perks Gained:
(Free) - I Have No Soul to Burn/Ghost Rider:Demons are soulless beings; however, in your case that might be problematic. So, instead your soul will, essentially, become a non-entity- it can't be attacked, stolen, corrupted, burned, destroyed, possessed, trapped, detected etc. unless you sell or otherwise remove it from your body, including putting/turning it into a physical object, or if for some reason you want others to interact with it. If you are able to absorb souls over the course of your adventures, they will be included in this protection.
(Free) - One For All/Body Mod Cheat Sheet: Alt forms? Who needs them? You possess an incredible biology which allows you to merge and blend any of your alt forms seamlessly together into a single form. You can also take the appearances of any specific alt form and still use all the different abilities of your other forms. Dinosaurs, Saiyan's, Kryptonians, Cyborg - any race you pick up will be merged into this perk and their abilities will be Fiat-Backed to work in future jumps. How your standard form now looks is up to you. Maybe you still look like a normal human, or a Saiyan with their tails. Thus, you take very well to various forms of genetic enhancement. Splicing yourself with animal DNA to gain attributes or abilities of that creature will work out fine, mutagens will have the best possible result with minor or non-existent downsides, superhuman organ grafts will work out just fine with minimal risk of rejection, and in general, you take very well to any and all forms of bioaugmentation. Any such enhancements you receive become a permanent, Fiat-backed part of you.Furthermore, any scans or checkups will only show you as the specific species you have chosen to present yourself as. So even if you're an amalgamation of multiple different species to any scans, you'll look as normal as the average human.
(Free) - Out of this World/Rapturous Rhapsody: Near the end of the story it was revealed that an empowered Darkseid was slowly gaining control over the Anti-Life Equation. He used this ability to slowly take over nearly every being in the setting enslaving them with the equation. Given that this would be a disappointing way for you to die you can have this perk. This will protect you from the effects of the Anti-Life Equation and the other wide scale attacks that would normally be guaranteed to eliminate you. So you won't die in a random Endbringer attack, but you're fair game if you show up to one willingly.
(-100 CP) - Body Mutilation Immunity/Body Mod Cheat Sheet: Your body is immune against any attempts to morph its original shape. Body morphs are loath to discover their futile attempts as your body will always keep its ideal state and shape. Your muscles and fitness also will never stagnate no matter how long you laze around, your ideal state always rings true. Your body is also immune to mutilation and reality sees it fit to protect you against losing body parts. Your bones can break, your organs can rupture, your tendons can snap, but you can heal from that. This protects you against any mutilation an ordinary human couldn't naturally fully heal from. And now you'll never lose an arm, leg, tooth, eye, organ, etc. Not in disasters, accidents, or even planned attacks. You might still be in such situations but you'll never be completely mutilated. Villains just don't even plan to or think about mutilating you, and disasters and accidents might just harm you in a non-mutilating way. (Let it be known that this does not give you a healing factor. It just makes it so that your body can't lose any parts. You can get close to losing them, but they'll be unable to be healed.)
(-200 CP) - Take A Train To The Face, Get Drunk On Cheap Booze/Hancock: Turns out, there's a lot in life you just can't enjoy properly when you're an all-powerful demigod doing whatever. So you have the ability to turn off/dial down your powers, partially or completely. You become able to simply deactivate any and all perks, abilities or powers you have, and do so either completely or on a dial. Anything you deactivate in this way, for all intents and purposes it will be as if you don't have it at all. Especially when it comes to any tech or magic that detects these things. You can undo this at a moment's notice simply by willing it of course, or set conditions for when your powers should turn on/off. You can't be forced to use this ability if somehow controlled by another, it only works when you genuinely and personally desire it to.