S.W.O.R.D., the human research station for extraterrestrial civilizations.
For human civilization, the birth of S.W.O.R.D. was good news on all fronts. It was even a boon for the budget—thanks to the future technology brought by Kang, the ship required almost zero maintenance. Furthermore, it served as a superior replacement for the aging International Space Station. From every conceivable angle, it was a magnificent addition.
That wasn't even mentioning the main cannon, which provided a profound sense of security just by looking at it.
Peter and Cindy arrived at this very location.
"Welcome, Spider-Man and Agent Silk." Mar-Vell came forward to receive them. Here, he no longer hid his identity, openly displaying his unique blue skin as a Kree.
"I didn't expect S.W.O.R.D. to be so open with S.H.I.E.L.D. Initially, when I mentioned inviting a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent along, I was worried it might cause some trouble."
Peter looked at Mar-Vell with some surprise, but the latter offered a simple explanation: "S.W.O.R.D. is not an espionage organization. We don't have that many shameful secrets to hide."
As for whether that statement was a jab at their allies? Peter felt it was best not to dwell on it; Nick Fury hadn't complained, and Cindy clearly didn't show any sign of objection.
Mar-Vell gave a sheepish smile and then looked at them. "Let me show you around first. While we're at it, I can show you some of the projects we're currently researching."
"I know the Fantastic Four have their own lab here at S.W.O.R.D. to better study cosmic rays," Peter said, sharing what he knew. He then looked at Mar-Vell. "I assume there are quite a few similar labs, right?"
"Indeed. I'll take you to my lab first; that's where my recent research project is located."
As Mar-Vell spoke, he led the two toward his laboratory, adding, "You can look out the windows. The starry sky is breathtaking the first time you see it. Although, if you look at it too much, it starts to get a bit boring."
Cindy gazed out the window. Beyond the glass lay the brilliant cosmos, where various celestial bodies emitted distinct, dazzling lights, composing a magnificent painting that made one feel as though they had fallen into a grand fantasy.
Sensing that Peter had stopped to wait for her, she quickly turned around and caught up with the two men. Soon, they arrived at Mar-Vell's laboratory.
The place was similar to the Perfect World of years past, filled with various plants. Mar-Vell was an excellent gardener, though this was clearly not his primary field of research. He led Peter and Cindy quickly through the plantation and into the inner sanctum of the lab.
There, Peter saw holographic projections of creatures that looked somewhat like goblins. Noticing Peter's gaze, Mar-Vell smiled.
"This is what I've been working on lately. Using Kree technology to develop a device capable of detecting Skrulls, to help humanity resist a potential Skrull invasion."
Hearing this, Peter frowned. The Skrulls—a race born with shallow telepathy and incredibly powerful shapeshifting abilities. They could transform themselves, right down to their DNA, into the likeness of any other race, thereby launching a "Secret Invasion."
The Kree were the arch-enemies of the Skrulls; both sides possessed cosmic empires of similar scale and had been at war for tens of thousands of years. Naturally, the Kree knew exactly how terrifying the Skrulls' shapeshifting was and how many of their worlds it could destroy. Consequently, they had long ago developed methods to detect them.
Peter was all for this initiative, but he had other concerns to ponder. He immediately asked, "I seem to recall you saying, Mar-Vell, that Earth's position in the universe is relatively remote. Neither the Kree Empire nor the Skrull Empire pays it much mind. Theoretically, the probability of a Skrull invasion of Earth is quite small, isn't it?"
It was precisely because Earth was remote enough that the Kree had originally chosen it for human experimentation to create a superhuman army. After all, such experiments wouldn't be conducted in an unsafe location. Earth was safe precisely because it was considered a territory of no strategic importance to the two warring nations.
"That is true, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Actually, this system was pushed forward by Nick Fury. Not only that, he hopes to see results soon so it can be expanded globally."
Mar-Vell shrugged; he knew exactly what Fury's motives were. The Skrulls were indeed terrifying, but Fury was more interested in knowing if this system could see through the disguises of anyone, including Mystique.
However, Mar-Vell had told him that was impossible.
"Of course, I can understand Fury's perspective. Hearing about a race numbered in the tens of billions where everyone can mimic a human without a single flaw would make anyone panic. It's perfectly normal."
Mar-Vell spoke with a touch of melancholy. "He is truly terrified that the Skrulls have already infiltrated Earth."
"Or maybe he's just hoping he can find a Skrull wife?"
Peter cracked a joke that went over everyone's heads. The others were clearly confused by the remark, and some even naturally took it the wrong way.
After all, that was a race that could turn into anyone.
Realizing this, Peter hastily changed the subject. "Speaking of which, Mar-Vell, how many Skrulls have you caught?"
"Regrettably, the count is zero. We haven't found a single Skrull in any corner of the Earth. Without a doubt, the Skrulls haven't discovered Earth yet. That's a good thing."
At this point, Mar-Vell finally got to the reason he had invited Peter—he wanted to know what kind of stories his variants in parallel universes had.
"Alright, Spider-Man, back to our original question. Phew... I'm actually a bit nervous."
Mar-Vell smiled at Peter, his eyes full of anticipation as he asked, "What do I look like in other universes? What are the differences between the 'me's across the Multiverse? Can you tell me about them?"
Peter hesitated for a moment. On one hand, he hadn't really crossed paths with Mar-Vell in other parallel universes, so he couldn't speak to many of the specific details.
The other reason was more pragmatic—and quite grim—in that it effectively overshadowed the first reason.
"Well, there are indeed a few universes where you lived through some legendary stories."
Peter ultimately told Mar-Vell his fate: "But in the vast majority of universes, you ultimately contracted cancer and passed away while you were still young."