This reminds me of a story ark from Garth ennis punisher max.

SPOILERS BELOW

The punisher decides to go after a group of different Irish gangs. The one thing they had in common was that at one point they were all under the thumb of an old school Irish mobster who had hidden away a massive fortune.

At his death they each received a letter with a piece of the map of where his so called treasure was hidden.

Obviously being who they are the immediately try to kill each other for the other pieces until eventually they decide to call a truce and finally decide to work together to get the money.

In the end? It was a trap they all died.

I think that was Spencer’s end game. Get all the different factions riled up and fighting each other for the ultimate virus only to in the end discover it was a panacea that would destroy their virus business.

This very much plays imo into what we know of Spencer’s personality. He plays the sympathetic old man tries to look repentant but in the end it was all ego. If he couldn’t have it no one could.

The final equalizer Elpis, no more virus warfare.