Chapter 51: How Terrifying an Angry Gwen Can Be

In the sewers, George shouted loudly.

Gwen immediately turned her attention to him and the two detectives standing behind him, both holding shotguns.

"Hey, getting hit by those things isn't fun!" Gwen quipped as she pulled back on her webbing and quickly jumped aside.

Seeing that Spider-Woman had dodged, George didn't hesitate and fired. The blast of the shotguns echoed painfully in the enclosed sewer, and the Lizard Connors instinctively shielded his head and heart—those were the only parts of him that couldn't regenerate.

The shotgun rounds tore through the Lizard's body, leaving him riddled with holes and spraying blood everywhere. His arms were shredded, but they quickly healed back.

Peter, watching from behind, felt a pang of concern for Connors. He couldn't bring himself to reveal Connors' weak points to the others, knowing they might kill him.

"It's no use, Chief George. No matter what damage you cause, he'll regenerate," Peter called out.

George glanced back at Peter with a smug grin. "Oh, really?"

"If we can't kill him, we'll roast him!"

As soon as the shotguns ran out of ammo, George signaled the officers carrying flamethrowers. They stepped forward to replace the shotgun wielders.

Two torrents of fire shot out from the flamethrowers, enveloping the Lizard in searing heat.

"Roooaaarrr!"

Even with his powerful regeneration, the intense flames caused the Lizard agonizing pain, forcing him to scream as he protected his head and heart.

Then, with a desperate leap, he dove into the water, vanishing from sight.

George and his team immediately lost their target.

"Fall back! Stick to the walls! Stay away from the water's edge!"

George's experience was evident as everyone followed his orders, pressing their backs against the sewer walls while keeping a vigilant eye on the water's surface.

"Peter," George said calmly but with authority, "aren't you going to tell us the truth by now?"

Peter, standing next to Gwen, flinched at George's intimidating tone. Reluctantly, he replied, "He's a failed experiment, but I brought something that can restore him."

Though Peter didn't name Connors directly, George had already pieced most of it together. He just needed Peter to confirm it.

However, it was clear that Peter wasn't going to give him the full truth easily.

Gwen, sensing Peter's desire to protect Dr. Connors, quickly tried to defuse the situation. "That monster's gone now. So what's our next move?"

George shot her a glance and said, "He's still down there, in the water. His target is Peter—or rather, something Peter has."

George's gaze shifted to Peter's backpack.

Gwen raised the anti-gene serum in her hand and suggested, "Maybe we should work together and find a way to inject this into him."

"Is that the serum that can turn him back?" George asked.

"Yes. If you hadn't interrupted earlier, I might have already succeeded in turning him back," Gwen replied, a hint of reproach in her tone.

"Spider-Woman," George said sharply, "understand this isn't some superhero game you're playing. You nearly got eaten back there!"

Gwen immediately bristled. "What? Are you kidding me?"

"If we manage to take him down, you're next on my arrest list," George shot back.

Not one to be outdone, Gwen retorted, "Oh, really? Let's see if you even have the guts to try!"

As the tension escalated between them, a nearby detective suddenly interrupted. "Chief, there's something happening in the water!"

George instantly raised his weapon, his eyes fixed on the water's surface.

A massive whirlpool was slowly forming.

The current of the water grew turbulent as the whirlpool began to form. George glanced around, his expression darkening. "He's coming out. Stay alert."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud bang. Water erupted over a meter high, obscuring everyone's view. Hidden behind the splash was the menacing presence of the Lizard Connors.

Connors first targeted the two detectives armed with flamethrowers—his primary threats. Even though his body had regenerated, parts of him were still charred and blackened from the fire.

Moving with lightning speed, the Lizard took advantage of the distraction caused by the water splash and lunged toward the two officers.

His claws, sharp as blades, slashed through the air. If he managed to connect, he could have easily torn them apart.

"Watch out!" Gwen was the first to react. She shot out webs, grabbing the two officers and pulling them away to safety. However, their flamethrowers clattered to the ground.

The Lizard gave Gwen a hard look. "Well done, Spider-Woman," he sneered, half mocking, half praising her, before smashing the flamethrowers to pieces.

With his goal accomplished, there were no longer any weapons left that could harm him.

George, dripping wet from the water splash, quickly regained his composure just in time to see the destroyed flamethrowers. He was relieved that the two officers were unharmed, but now they had no way to subdue Connors.

Without the flamethrowers, they had no way of dealing any significant damage to the Lizard.

Frustrated, George turned to Spider-Woman. "If I were you, I would have saved one of those flamethrowers."

Gwen, irritated, snapped back, "I only have two hands, so I could only save two people! And I chose the two of them."

"Aren't you Spider-Woman? Where are your eight arms?" George retorted sarcastically.

Gwen, bewildered: "??? I'm Spider-Woman, not some spider freak!"

George shrugged. "Same difference to me."

"What's this? Internal conflict?" the Lizard sneered. "Don't worry, I won't let you die here. I'll make sure you and Peter both get to experience the glory of evolution."

The Lizard Connors watched them argue with a mocking tone, his twisted mind further corrupted by the regeneration serum.

"Humans are so incomplete in their evolution. You argue and fight over the smallest differences—sometimes even kill, sometimes even start wars. But I, chosen by the gods, will lead humanity toward unity and peace through the great evolution!"

The Lizard's mind had clearly become distorted under the influence of his altered genes, adopting a mindset similar to ancient reptiles that prioritized their species above all else.

"Shut up, you ugly reptile!" Gwen snapped. Unable to vent her anger on George, she was already seething.

As a girl, it stung to be called a "spider freak" by her own father! Worse yet, she couldn't lay a hand on him. But she could take it out on Connors.

Handing the anti-gene serum back to Peter, she said, "I'll knock him down, and you inject him."

With that, Gwen charged at the Lizard.

Seeing her coming, Connors' eyes glowed a savage red, and he swung his claws at her. But what happened next left him completely stunned—Spider-Woman easily caught his claw.

To the Lizard's shock, this was the same strike that could easily shatter granite.

Gwen followed up with a backflip, landing a powerful kick to his chin, sending him staggering backward.

And she wasn't finished yet. Grabbing his tail, she swung the Lizard in the opposite direction and slammed him to the ground with brutal force.

Everyone present was left dumbfounded by the scene. Several detectives instinctively took a few steps away from George, as if trying to distance themselves from him.

George swallowed hard, suddenly grateful that he hadn't said anything more provocative earlier.

---

P.S.: In the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man is actually extremely strong, but he often holds back. In the comic Spider-Man: Back in Black, a darker version of Spider-Man dominates the villains without restraint.