Marvel: The Ultimate Superman-Chapter 147. The Venom-Spider-Man Interference?

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As Nolan delved deeper into his studies, the essence of Vishanti's power began to evolve, gradually taking on the primal, beast-like nature of demonic energy.

His consciousness had already begun brushing against the distant dimensional realm he had been sensing for weeks.

And then came the call.

"You see? Even your original self didn't recognize you."

Nolan chuckled, eyes gleaming. Vishanti's magical essence, he mused, was starting to resemble Mystique's powers from the supernatural side of things, shapeshifting to mimic the aura of other dimensions, deceiving dimensional rulers into granting borrowed power.

Of course, borrowing power came with a price.

Imagine impersonating someone close to a loan shark, fooling them into giving you a generous, low-interest loan just because they believe you're one of their own.

But that doesn't mean you don't have to pay it back.

And when the collector comes knocking and realizes you were faking the whole time? Unless you're strong enough to take them down like, say, the Ancient One, then you're in trouble.

Not just escape that trouble. More like eliminate-the-entire-banking-system kind of trouble.

Nolan wasn't there yet. But with the Ancient One still holding the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, he had some room to maneuver even if he was racking up spiritual debt.

Would there be consequences? Accrued interest on borrowed power?

Sure. But once he inherited the title of Sorcerer Supreme, he'd just handle it all at once. Nolan figured those ancient entities could wait. After all, they were more interested in powerful vessels than enforcing trivial penalties.

He recalled a certain trenchcoat-wearing detective who bounced between Heaven and Hell, mocking both sides as if it were a game. The infernal and divine realms had become his playground.

In Nolan's hand, demonic energy crackled Beast's original essence, now completely overpowered.

"You... how did you do that? How can you do that?" Beast stammered.

"Honestly?" Nolan smirked. "With the right method, any sorcerer trained at Kamar-Taj could."

The demonic power in Nolan's hand disintegrated into nothing.

Perhaps Beast's lack of true followers made him easier to suppress. Unlike Vishanti, Nolan didn't even need the Sling Ring to connect to his essence.

If Vishanti was a top-tier corporate mogul, Beast was a struggling startup founder. Naturally, the treatment they received was vastly different.

Beast was silent, stunned by the demonic force he'd been bound to. He couldn't help but think: if Nolan had been born in Hell, he probably would've claimed an entire infernal layer by now.

"If you ever set foot in Hell's dimension, they'd probably welcome you with open arms," Beast muttered, strangely sincere.

Nolan gave him a flat look and waved his hand, summoning an assistant to wheel the prisoner back into his containment chamber.

"Hell, huh? Unless I'm given the role of Satan, don't bother."

Turning away, Nolan opened a dossier, fresh from General Ross's military facility.

The data suggested they'd begun replicating the Hulk serum. Even Ross himself had undergone the Steel Body experiment and seemingly succeeded.

"Guess it's time to start calling him the Iron General," Nolan muttered.

Just then, Norman Osborn burst in, holding out a tablet. "Boss, you need to see this."

On-screen, a figure swung between buildings, graceful, agile, and completely covered in black.

"Spider-Man?" Nolan squinted. "No... Black Suit Spider-Man?"

The video revealed Peter Parker in a dark, alien suit. Even his webbing was pitch black.

"He's been acting strangely ever since he came to the company for a few tests," Norman explained. "More aggressive. He even clashed with Sandman inside HQ, but pretended to be a civilian when security arrived. Outside, though, he's been going after them nonstop."

Footage played of Peter attacking Rhino unprovoked, from the look of it. The brute had merely startled a child, but Peter snapped instantly.

"Kid's completely lost it."

What surprised Nolan wasn't Peter's aggression; it was the fact that Venom had appeared at all.

Venom was a Sony character, not originally part of the MCU. In Nolan's multiversal setup, however, the lines had blurred.

Still, he hadn't expected the symbiote to bond with this universe's Peter Parker.

Venom, he recalled, was an alien lifeform discovered by the Life Foundation, a group notorious for experimenting on extraterrestrial organisms. They'd even spawned offshoot symbiotes.

"Start surveillance on him," Nolan ordered. "And monitor any organizations that show up in New York. Set 'Daredevil' and 'Life Foundation' as keywords."

Norman nodded. The company's new listening device, marketed as affordable, bionic-embedded earbuds,, had quietly blanketed the city in surveillance tech. Each earbud contained a microstructure mimicking Daredevil's hearing, and all were linked to Oscorp's AI system, Night Demon.

Everyone who wore one had effectively become Osborn's ears.

With a range that extended beyond city limits, Nolan had turned Oscrop Industries into the ultimate watchdog.

"What about the Avengers?" he asked, shifting gears.

Norman hesitated. "After Wanda single-handedly wiped the floor with them and framed you in the process, they've been lying low."

Nolan scoffed. "I expected a proper Civil War. Instead, it's like a playground scuffle. Unless Thor or Hulk joins the fight, none of them poses any threat. One super breath from me would level their entire lineup."

Still, the real war wasn't the Avengers' squabble. The true crisis was the global movement to regulate superhumans.

Even the Civil War was now just a side-effect of a much larger storm.

"Tony Stark's been hosting press conferences," Norman reported. "He's pushing his idea of the Illuminati. And some superhumans are buying in."

"And the superhuman registry?"

"Already in progress. But there's been a surge in new heroes lately, especially in Hell's Kitchen. Names like the Punisher, Kick-Ass, and Hit-Girl have surfaced."

Nolan raised a brow. "Even Kick-Ass? Looks like I've stirred more change than I thought. Maybe my ascension as Sorcerer Supreme is warping the timeline."

"Should we keep tracking them?"

"No. If they're just martial artists or vigilantes, let them be. Only focus on those with actual power."

Norman nodded. "Understood. Steel Body trials are underway, by the way."

"Good. Also, keep an eye on Wakanda. Our Vibranium reserves are thinning out. It's time to expose their monopoly. Tell Locke to push for full disclosure."

He paused, smirking.

"...Yeah, whoever gets there first, wins."

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