The Battle in the Grand Canal was the third Elemental Attack feigned by Quentin Beck, taking place in Venice.

Utilizing the cloaked Stark Industries Combat Drones, Beck wreaked havoc across Venice, making it appear as if the Water Elemental, Hydro-Man was usurping the city's major water traffic corridor to create various floods. Spider-Man, who was on a school trip in Venice, attempted to fight off the Elemental, but to no avail until Beck arrived, successfully dismantling it.

Background[]

Feeling a sense of betrayal from Tony Stark, a group of people came together behind Quentin Beck after hearing that Stark had gifted the E.D.I.T.H. glasses to Peter Parker, a sixteen-year-old. Gutes Guterman suggested that they stage attacks to make the public think that Beck was a hero from another universe, so they staged attacks in Ixtenco and Morocco.

Beck's crew planned to use carnage caused by the Hydro-Man Elemental illusion to stage an attack in Venice since Parker was there, as Quentin Beck conspired to gain access to Tony Stark's E.D.I.T.H. glasses. They continued to deceive "Nick Fury" and have him recognize Beck as a hero.

Parker had initially planned a romantic gesture for his classmate and crush, Michelle Jones, once they arrived in Venice with the rest of their class, but upon arriving on the street of the Grand Canal, Parker and Jones both noticed the water receding. While Jones was fascinated with the location, Parker began to sense danger approaching before handing her a gift.^[1]

Battle[]

Upon the eruption of water, the gondola carrying Ned Leeds and Betty Brant was rocked and sent charging into a doorway. Peter Parker helped his friends up, all while the creature roared as it rampaged. Parker directed his panicked friends to the main bridge to evacuate, as Leeds quickly asked his super-friend's next course of action. Having little option, Parker planned to distract the monster, but having left his Spider-Man Suit at the hotel, as he was on vacation. Parker begged his friend to lead the civilians, including the tour group, away from the Canal. Leeds complied, leading Brant and Michelle Jones to the main bridge.

As Hydro-Man rampaged, Parker equipped his web-shooters to fire a web shot, although it went through the monster. Parker then saw the creature's movement toward the bridge, and raced over canal posts to reach the citizens on the apex of the bridge. He helped a tripped bystander flee, but was the last one on the bridge to take the torrent of Hydro-Man's fist, knocking him back against the railing. Upon seeing the Water Elemental arise from the canal water, green smoke blasts originated from above and appeared to damage the creature.

Looking up and behind himself, Parker saw a man in flight projecting plumes of green smoke in his wake. This was Beck before Parker knew him, and his arrival came by surprise. Beck began to combat the Hydro-Man, but his shielding abilities were still not strong enough to keep the creature at bay. Parker, finding a festival mask, wears it over his face and climbs to the top of the bridge overhead and alerted Beck to being of help. So Beck tells Parker he will lure it out of the water, and Parker follows preventing too much property damage or debris from hurting civilians below.

As Mysterio lured the Hydro-Man to the town square, many onlookers were recording with their devices. Reaching an open area in town, the chase ended in full view of Parker's classmates and other people in the crowd. Meanwhile, Parker was using web-lines to prevent the overhead clocktower from falling over, as Mysterio dramatically battled and used a spell to tear asunder the Hydro-Man. He then landed for a moment to let the crowd take a good look at him, and he then flew away. Parker at that time was able to secure the clocktower and prevent anymore destruction, and takes his leave by a hidden path to the hotel.^[1]

Aftermath[]

Talos, impersonating Nick Fury, went to Venice to recruit Peter Parker. Back at the hotel, the Midtown group were watching the local news about what transpired, but only Jones could properly translate some of the announcement's dialogue and text. Brad Davis, reading the text crawl that said "L'uomo di mistero" and hearing the news anchor, misinterpreted the unidentified 'hero' as Mysterio, until Michelle Jones, incorrectly reading the crawl as "L'uomo di misterio", informed him that it was the term for "man of mystery" in the Italian language. Parker calls May to tell her he is safe, and May inquired as to whether the man on the news was Doctor Strange, with Parker correcting her misunderstanding. May ends the phone calls with Happy Hogan being with her, and Parker returns to his group.

Jones asked where Parker was during the battle, with him anxiously answering. Heading to bed, Leeds was talking to Parker about working as a superhero, when he is suddenly tranquilized. Leeds luckily landed on his bed, as Parker turned to see "Nick Fury" sitting in the corner. Talos, as Fury, explains to Parker that returning after a five-year absence, he knows almost nothing and the newest threat is imminent. He pulls out a holo-projector to elaborate, but repeated interruptions by Parker's classmates force him to move their talk to the canals.

On a boat, Talos hands Parker a pair of glasses, left to him by Stark shortly before his noble sacrifice.^[3] Parker is thankful, and the two make their way to Fury's base of operations in Venice. Upon arrival, Talos tells Parker not to worry about hiding his identity, and introduces him to Beck, and Parker utters the name Davis used for him: Mysterio. Beck greets Parker and explains that Hydro-Man was one of four creatures known as the Elementals, supposedly arriving from the alternate dimension of Earth-833. They emerged to Parker's dimension in the Snap, having destroyed his world and family. Beck is determined to defeat them, and reveals that the final Elemental, Molten Man, is projected to be in Prague as it did so on his Earth. Parker refuses, naming other pre-occupied heroes not wanting to risk his friends learning his secret. To accommodate Parker's request, keeping his Spider-Man identity a secret, Talos rearranged the group itinerary from Paris to Prague. Parker learns this the next morning from chaperones, Roger Harrington and Julius Dell.^[1]

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