The computer simulation experiment reignited Dr. Connors' passion.
He immediately prepared the gene serum and injected it into a lab mouse with a severed limb.
The results were better than he had anticipated.
The experiment was a success!
The formula Peter provided played a crucial role, marking a significant breakthrough in the experiment.
Normally, human trials would only begin after a period of observation following animal experiments.
After all, there were still many risks involved.
The lab mice needed to be monitored for any anomalies.
This included the DNA sequencing between different species and biological stability.
After multiple rounds of research and calculations, Dr. Connors couldn't find any abnormalities.
So, he decided to inject the lizard gene serum ahead of schedule.
He had been waiting for this day for over thirty years, but that didn't mean he could wait another hour.
Since human trials were inevitable, he decided to be the first test subject.
After injecting the lizard serum, Dr. Connors fell into a coma.
His consciousness gradually faded, and when he woke up again, he found that his long-lost right arm had reappeared on his body!
He could clearly feel the presence of every finger!
Overwhelmed with joy, he couldn't stop crying. His arm, gone for so many years, had grown back!!
With this alone, he could win this year's Nobel Prize!!
He could help more disabled people become whole again!!
Look at this arm, how perfect it is, how beautiful!!
However, before Dr. Connors could admire his new arm any longer, he felt a sudden hunger!
Energy couldn't be created out of thin air. Growing a new arm had consumed a massive amount of his body's energy!
Dr. Connors rushed to the fridge and devoured everything edible.
Bread, hamburgers, and milk!!
Where's the meat?!
Why is there no meat!!!
Dr. Connors roared in anger, feeling an overwhelming rage building inside him!!
He punched the fridge, smashing it to pieces.
The light on the desk cast a shadow of Dr. Connors' transformed body.
His body had become abnormally strong and tall, resembling a beast.
A massive tail had grown from his back!
It seemed capable of destroying everything!
At this moment, Dr. Connors had completely lost his rationality, turning into a full-fledged monster.
His glasses shattered as his head expanded!
His human head had transformed into that of a lizard.
His hands had turned into sharp claws!
The gentle Dr. Connors had now become the terrifying Lizard.
Animal instincts took over his mind!
He leapt from the Oscorp building!
Poor Oscorp, after Norman Osborn became the Green Goblin, was once again about to face a stock market crash.
The Lizard caused a huge commotion on the streets, and the NYPD immediately dispatched officers to capture him. But bullets couldn't harm this creature.
Even if they did cause damage, the Lizard's regenerative abilities allowed him to recover in an extremely short time.
The Lizard fled, leaping incredible distances, eventually arriving at the entrance of Peter's neighborhood.
This interrupted Peter and Gwen's sweet time together.
"Hungry!! So hungry!!"
The Lizard, devoid of Dr. Connors' rationality, fully revealed his ferocious side.
He grabbed a passerby, opened his massive mouth, and was about to devour the person's head.
"Hey, eating people is wrong!!"
Gwen, now in her Spider-Woman suit, appeared just in time, using her webs to seal the Lizard's mouth shut.
She saved the innocent passerby but also drew the full attention of the monstrous Lizard.
Gwen had initially planned to engage in close combat with the Lizard.
But earlier that afternoon, she had lost something very important.
She had even bled.
Even with her superhuman body, certain physiological realities couldn't be ignored.
To be honest, her legs were weak, and she could barely walk straight.
She was even a bit angry!!
But clearly, compared to her interrupted plans, the Lizard was even angrier.
The green monster displayed astonishing jumping ability, leaping into the air, aiming to land right on top of Gwen.
Gwen quickly dodged!
Clearly, the Lizard had far greater strength than the Spider!
Its deadly claws and teeth could easily tear Gwen in half!
"Don't let him touch me!"
Gwen swung through the air, using her webs to grab a fire hydrant and slam it hard into the Lizard's head!
This move visibly slowed the Lizard down, causing some damage, but not enough!
The Lizard swung its massive tail, striking Gwen with full force.
If it had been an ordinary person, this attack would have caused severe internal injuries, possibly even ruptured organs!
Gwen wasn't faring much better!
She was sent flying far away!
The Lizard leapt after her, its grotesque mouth wide open, ready to bite off Gwen's head.
Gwen reacted quickly, using both hands to hold the Lizard's jaw.
"Ugly thing, when was the last time you brushed your teeth?!"
The two were locked in a stalemate, but Gwen was clearly at a disadvantage.
Compared to the Lizard, the Spider's speed was no match!!
Peter, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally made his move!
He hovered in the air, his cold, stern face as Gellert Dante glowing with intensity.
His eyes shot out beams of electricity, striking the Lizard's back.
The beams didn't penetrate, but they caused the Lizard immense pain, like a steel needle piercing its most vulnerable spot.
The Lizard roared in agony, quickly turning around to deal with this new, greater threat.
But this was clearly a mistake.
Peter continued to unleash his electric beams!
Once the Lizard was sufficiently weakened, Peter descended from the sky, landing a powerful punch on the Lizard.
The sheer force sent the Lizard flying, crashing hard into a wall, shattering it into pieces!
The Lizard suffered massive damage, but his regenerative abilities allowed him to heal quickly.
Peter stood in front of him, waiting.
Every time the Lizard lunged, Peter met him with a punch.
With the power of the Ox Talisman, Peter had no fear of going toe-to-toe with this monster.
The immense impact left the Lizard's face disfigured.
Since the monster had lost its rationality, Peter didn't mind using the most primal method to remind the Lizard of its biological instincts.
Fear!
Drawing from a movie he had seen in his past life, where the Hulk was beaten into submission by Thanos, Peter aimed to do the same to the Lizard.
With each punch, Dr. Connors' rationality returned bit by bit.
If it weren't for the effects of the lizard serum, the Lizard might have retreated entirely into Dr. Connors' body.
This wasn't a fight between two equals; it was a one-sided beatdown.
Who could withstand such an attack??
As Dr. Connors' rationality began to take over, he shouted:
"Quick! Punisher!! Keep hitting me!!"
"I can feel it, the monster is scared!"
Given Peter's personality, he might have stopped and offered some comfort.
But now, he was in the role of Gellert Dante.
Since you're asking for it, I won't refuse.
Each punch landed heavily on the Lizard's body.
Until Dr. Connors' rationality fully returned, and he could no longer endure the pain, crying out:
"Stop, stop!!"
"Punisher, I've regained my senses!"
It seemed Peter's fists not only instilled primal fear in the Lizard but also brought Dr. Connors back to his senses.
Peter, in Gellert Dante's cold voice, said:
"Dr. Connors, I'll give you two choices now."
"First, die."
"I'd like to hear the second option."
Gradually returning to his human form, Dr. Connors gasped for breath, leaning against the rubble.
"Second, go to Gotham and continue your research. From today's performance, the lizard serum can indeed heal people."
"At least the direction is correct."
"But the serum still needs improvement."
"Next, you'll be arrested by the NYPD, and then Oscorp will bail you out. Although you caused significant property damage, thankfully, no one was hurt."
With that, Peter flew away.
What followed unfolded much as Peter had predicted.
Dr. Connors was arrested by the police, and Harry Osborn bailed him out.
After all, for Harry, genetic modification was his only hope for survival.
Although Dr. Connors had turned into the Lizard after injecting the serum, the approach was correct.
On the night the Lizard wreaked havoc,
Gwen and Peter had another intense battle.
As two individuals with enhanced physical abilities, their stamina far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Having fought all night, both of them took a day off from school the next day.
A few days later.
At Oscorp.
Harry Osborn stopped Dr. Connors, who was about to leave.
"Dr. Connors, I don't understand. Why are you leaving?!"
"The experiment was a success!!!"
"Why are you leaving now?!"
Dr. Connors sighed.
"Harry, you're wrong. The experiment wasn't a success."
"We both know what happened that day."
"My arm did temporarily regenerate thanks to the lizard serum, but the drawbacks were far greater."
"I understand that feeling—watching another version of myself take control of my body, powerless to stop it. Compared to being disabled, I'd rather not become a monster."
Harry quickly stepped in front of Dr. Connors.
He spoke earnestly:
"Dr. Connors, even if the experiment failed, our direction is correct. Oscorp can provide you with substantial financial support. You can continue your research."
"This time, make some changes. Focus on regenerating the arm without turning into a monster!"
"If we pursue this direction, we can succeed!"
Dr. Connors gave a bitter smile:
"Harry, that's impossible, at least not right now."
"I conducted another experiment, this time locking myself in a reinforced glass chamber."
"After injecting the serum again, I didn't lose my rationality, but..."
"I still turned into a monster."
With that, Dr. Connors patted Harry on the shoulder and left.
But Dr. Connors wasn't ready to give up on his research. He would continue this work for the rest of his life...
But he couldn't stay at Oscorp.
It would only bring trouble to Harry.
Oscorp's stock had already plummeted due to the Lizard incident.
Dr. Connors couldn't bear to stay any longer.
He had heard that there was a wealthy man in Gotham who might be willing to fund his research.
...
As autumn in New York came to an end, the first snow quietly fell.
Peter and Gwen, bundled up in thick coats, strolled through the streets of New York.
"Peter, who on earth cut your hair?"
"I should go find that barber!"
Clearly, Gwen wasn't happy with Peter's new haircut.
Peter shrugged.
Getting a haircut was always a gamble, and this time he had lost.
But fortunately, his high cheekbones could carry almost any hairstyle.
"Do you want to come over to my place tonight? Let's celebrate getting into college. My mom made lemon sea bass!"
The two had recently taken their exams and successfully got into Empire State University.
They had already been attending classes for a while.
Luckily, Empire State University was also in New York.
Although it was far from Peter's place, money wasn't an issue for him now.
He had rented a two-story apartment near the school.
Otherwise, he and Gwen would have had to live in dorms, only able to enjoy their intimate life in hotels on weekends.
Peter and Gwen's relationship had always been strong, and after taking their relationship to the next level, they became inseparable.
But with the school on break, Gwen had to return home for a while.
Peter shook his head helplessly.
"Not today. I have to go to Stark Industries later. Mr. Stark wants to see me."
"I don't really want to go, but since he provided the villa we're living in, I can't refuse."
Gwen nodded.
"It seems my boyfriend is quite respected by Iron Man himself."
The two shared a kiss on the street. If it weren't for their upcoming commitments, they probably would have ended up with their clothes scattered all over the floor at home within an hour.
"Alright, Peter, I'll head back now."
Peter saw Gwen off into a cab, then made his way to Stark Industries.
He really did have to meet Tony, but not as Peter Parker.
He was going as Gellert Dante.
The day before, Tony had reached out to Peter, wanting to meet the Punisher.
Although Peter wasn't sure what Tony's intentions were, he agreed.
After all, he also had something to discuss with the playboy billionaire.
For example, according to the movie's plot,
Tony should be suffering from palladium poisoning at this point.
He had built a palladium reactor while held captive by terrorists, and while it had saved his life, it was now slowly killing him.
But he couldn't stop using it, as the reactor was keeping him alive.
Peter, as Gellert Dante, appeared at Stark Industries.
Guided by the receptionist, he entered Pepper's office.
She was now in charge of the company, with Tony having handed over full control to her.
"Punisher!"
Pepper, upon seeing the white-haired Gellert Dante, was visibly startled.
Over the past few months, Peter had stopped wearing a mask and instead appeared as Gellert Dante.
It wasn't surprising that Pepper recognized him.
"Good afternoon, Miss Potts."
"Tony reached out to me through Peter. I hope he has something important to discuss. My time is valuable."
Facing a ruthless killer like Gellert,
Pepper was clearly out of her depth.
"I... I'm sorry."
"I'll go get Tony."
Pepper clearly didn't want to spend any more time with Gellert, as it was too much pressure.
Soon, Tony appeared in a white suit.
Behind him was a woman with auburn hair, a voluptuous figure, and dressed in a secretary's outfit.
She appeared to be Tony's assistant.
But Peter knew her true identity.
Natasha Romanoff.
Affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Codename: Black Widow, a multilingual beauty and skilled spy.
She was with Tony because Nick Fury wanted to recruit him for the Avengers Initiative.
"You'd better have something important."
Peter spoke coldly.
"Can't I just want to have a drink with you? You did save my life, after all."
"By the way, what do you do for a living? What could be more important than meeting a billionaire?"
"A psychologist."
Peter replied coldly.
"You can think of me as a psychiatrist."
Tony, munching on a bag of cookies, asked:
"Aren't psychiatrists supposed to be kind, gentle women?"
"Can someone like you really connect with your patients?"
"Stark, you're even more talkative than I imagined..."
Peter thought to himself, then continued:
"Clearly, you don't understand this profession. I don't need to connect with their emotions; I just need to cure their illnesses."
"But Mr. Stark, your body is full of palladium. That's something even the best psychiatrist can't fix."