Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics

The Manhattan in the morning light was like the prelude to a steel symphony. The spire of Stark Building pierced the pale blue fog.

The steel cables of the Brooklyn Bridge emitted a silvery cold glow under the early sun, and when Captain America's figure swept across the bridge surface, it was as if notes were jumping on the strings of a steel harp.

A waft of gray fog drifted by. Shiller, holding breakfast in his hand, stood by the railing and waved at Captain America.

"Good morning, Captain, this is for you." Shiller threw a paper bag to Captain America.

Steve opened the bag to see his favorite frosted donuts and buttered toast. Shiller then handed him a cup of hot Americano and said, "How's Carter doing? I heard there were some issues during the childbirth?"

"It's okay." Steve said, "There was a bit of commotion when the child was born, but no one was hurt. Carter was so exhausted that she had to recuperate in the hospital for more than two months before being discharged."

"What about the mutants?"

"They say the child is too young to test for specific mutant abilities now, but the hospital says there are no physical defects. Truly a blessing from heaven."

Seeing that Steve was reluctant to elaborate, Shiller did not press further. After all, the child was born, and it was only a matter of time before the specific type of mutant ability was detected. It's fortunate that there were no physical defects.

"Oh yeah, that little guy..." Steve, while taking a donut out of the bag, walked over to the railing and said, "It's been a long time since we've had such an energetic Spider-Man in New York."

"I can tell you've tried to put it mildly, Captain," Shiller said with a smile, "Sandman was chased by him for two nights, and Doctor Otto decided to take a sabbatical. Even Little Osborne almost got knocked off his test version personal hoverboard. The only good news is that he doesn't know Gwen yet. The Parkers don't have to take a detour to work."

Steve shook his head helplessly and said, "Peter was like this when he first got his spider abilities. I'll do my best to keep an eye on him."

Just as Shiller was about to say something, a loud cry came from the sky, and a shining strand of Spider Silk latched onto the steel cable of the Brooklyn Bridge, with the red-and-blue figure landing in a standard superhero pose.

"Spider-Man!" Steve raised his voice and said, "I told you not to go on the bridge, it can easily cause traffic jams!"

"Sorry, I just saw you guys." The young Spider-Man shook his head.

Shiller handed him a paper bag and said, "I know you're excited, but hold off on that. Eat your breakfast first."

Steve gave Shiller a disapproving look. Shiller signaled him to keep calm. This new Spider-Man was even more lively than a young Peter, probably because when the original Spider-Man was designed, his lively, chatty nature, and sometimes reckless behavior were amplified to better fit the style of teenagers.

After meeting Peter in Battleworld, he had been clamoring to come over. After Peter brought him here, he was assigned to a project on Neptune, and this Little Spider-Man has been left to his own devices. These past few days, he had been hopping around New York harassing "criminals."

The majority of "criminals" in Shiller's universe are no longer criminals. The Sinister Six, Venom, Doctor Octopus, and the like are now earnestly working nine-to-five jobs. This Spider-Man always jumps out to challenge them on their way to and from work, annoying everyone to no end.

Given his young age, no one took it personally, and The Avengers were each busy with their own things, with no time to manage him.

Peter thought it was his responsibility and simply pulled Shiller back. Shiller did not disappoint him, being mainly indulgent when it came to taking care of the child.

Greed and arrogance are not the same. As long as it did not involve a matter of principle, Shiller was supportive in his education approach, always complimenting before discussing what was done.

The situation in New York has not improved but worsened. It wasn't until two days ago that this Little Spider got hit by a sky train while swinging on his Spider Silk without looking, fracturing his rib, and finally quieted down a bit.

But the good times didn't last long, Spider-Man's healing ability was simply too quick. While others need a hundred days to recover from bone and muscle injuries, he didn't even need to rest for a hundred hours. In just two days, he was back to his spirited self.

Watching Spider-Man cheerfully jump off the bridge again, Steve shook his head and said, "It's a pity humans only have 24 ribs."

Then he turned to Shiller with some curiosity and asked, "How's it going on Neptune?"

Shiller smiled mysteriously and said, "It's coming along. Peter has been transferred there, so it should be in the final stages, and maybe there will be news about a test flight soon."

Steve couldn't help but get a little excited. He pinched the donut in his hand and said, "I can't believe it, humanity is about to have its own starship... Is the name decided yet?"

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"Of course. Asgard has contributed a lot this time, so the first starship should be named the 'Central Court'."

Steve nodded in agreement, obviously quite satisfied with the name. He said, "It should indeed be related to Asgard. That way, in case anything happens later, they can't just sit idly by."

"That's exactly right," Shiller confirmed his idea and said, "If it were named 'Human Race' or 'Earth', it would be quite embarrassing if it got sunk. But with a name like 'Central Court', any adversary would think twice before firing. A mere reputation is less important than real safety."

"Has China agreed to this?"

"Yes, the Chinese translation for 'China' directly means 'Central State', which has a degree of similarity to 'Central Court' and fits their aesthetics well."

"Then the trial voyage..."

"Of course, you're invited. The reason I came to you today is to discuss this matter." Shiller shifted his coffee to the other hand and said, "There are two particularly important positions in the Central Court fleet. One is the captain, the other is the navigator."

"After discussions between China and the US, it has been decided that China's Wan Zhongxia will serve as the captain. The US will provide a navigator. The Congress will nominate and vote on the candidate for this position, but it's just a formality. The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Luminous Alliance unanimously think you are the most suitable."

Steve furrowed his brows slightly and said, "I can understand the role of the captain, but what does the navigator do?"

Shiller shook his head and said, "In fact, the captain is not an actual position, but more like an honorary title. Even though it's a starship, it doesn't actually need someone to 'drive' it. The vast majority of routine navigation can be done automatically."

"Letting the Chinese take this position mainly reflects the consideration that, in case any problems arise with the starship, they can organize manpower to address it swiftly, rather than waiting for Congress to vote on a decision. This is the advantage of their system. With the honor of holding the title of captain of the first human starship, naturally comes the responsibility that corresponds to that honor."

"The navigator's work, on the other hand, is relatively practical and more troublesome. You should know that for a starship, the most important aspect is its warp capability. The newly built Central Court is equipped with a warp core provided by Asgard."

"For the needs of rapid combat operations, Asgard's technology is especially prominent in this area. Whether it is distance, speed, or stability, it is second to none in the cosmos."

"But warp technology itself has certain flaws. After the warp function is activated, the starship is in a stasis state. At this time, the starship is very vulnerable. Therefore, most high-level civilizations in the universe have their own traps designed to disable large starship warps, to counteract an enemy's advance."

"The boundaries of most civilizations' domains are also protected with measures that restrict warp capabilities. Many don't cause substantial damage to starships, but if triggered, they can lead to a lot of problems."

"Hence, an important position emerged in the star fleets of high-level civilizations—that of the navigator. To be precise, a specialized navigation team whose job is to avoid risks in cosmic travel."

"The primary responsibility is to confirm the safety conditions of the dimensions and domains before each warp, communicate with surrounding civilizations, and request their guarantee of safety for the starship's traversal."

"On the surface, that's the task, but in reality, there is more important work—that is, opening new routes. Every civilization that has reached the period of cosmic colonization will have developed a few routes familiar to them, establish good relations with neighboring civilizations, and facilitate transportation of materials and diplomatic activities across the stars."

"Currently, the human race has almost no routes of its own. Most are borrowed from Asgard's routes, which are a bit too rugged for humans. We need to develop more stable and reliable routes. That will also be our focus for some time."

"Now is a good time. The conflict provoked among the Three Great Empires is escalating. Many civilizations within the battle zones are too overwhelmed to maintain their golden routes. We can take advantage of this and establish our own network of routes in the shortest time."

"High yield naturally means high risk. For the time being, all supernatural organizations on Earth will escort this newly established fleet. Asgard will also lend a hand. But for the navigation team, surveying the cosmic environment and seizing opportunities remains the top priority."

Steve listened intently to the entire briefing and thought for a few minutes before he finally spoke: "Why me?"

"I know you might think that there are many better choices, like Iron Man or Nick. Strange is certainly capable too. But the truth is they're more useful in supporting roles than being directly in the field, aren't they?"

Steve fell into lengthy contemplation again. Shiller wasn't worried he would refuse. The sense of responsibility carried by Captain America made it incumbent upon him.

These past few days he had attended dozens of meetings, mostly discussing this matter. Of course, there was opposition, but eventually, the members of the Luminous Alliance overcame all objections and finalized the navigator's candidate.

Everyone had their reasons for choosing Captain America. Shiller valued his sense of responsibility, Nick his ability to work tirelessly, Stark his leadership, Strange his relatively superior human appearance, and the Mutants valued the X-gene of his daughter.

One could say that Captain America getting the position was what everyone desired. Almost all forces on Earth would support him. But he still needed to make up his mind. After all, the cosmic universe remains a Dark Forest to the human race, and the more critical the work, the more dangerous it is.

Steve didn't take too long to decide. It seemed he also knew this was the best outcome. He swallowed the last piece of his doughnut, drained his coffee, and looking over the New York City skyline, he nodded, as usual, mild yet firm.

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