The Spider
A compilation of all the information Reina knows about the spider that gave her her powers.
"Reina?" MJ called nervously from the kitchen. I didn't look up from my laptop.
"Hm?"
"There's a spider in here..."
"Let it bite you," I suggested. "See what happens."
The Transformation
The Bite
The bite felt a lot like a bee or a wasp sting. It got me on the back of the neck. I slapped the spider and it fell to the floor and scurried away. I don't think I mortally wounded it. Every day I wish I could go back in time and capture it so I could figure out what its deal was.
The bite only hurt for a little while before it became numb. The region around the bite swelled and was tender, but I didn't experience any concerning symptoms, so I didn't see a doctor. MJ would say that I probably wouldn't see a doctor even if I did experience concerning symptoms... she's probably right.
Onset of Supernatural Abilities
I think that I started to develop my Super abilities about three days after I was bitten. One morning I woke up and the bite was just no longer there. I have to assume that this was a result of my healing abilities kicking in.
I didn't start to stick to things until a week or so after the bite. That was the moment I realized that something about me had changed. It took me some time to get used to the sticking and learn how to control it. It was super annoying at first.
It's impossible for me to tell when exactly I gained my super strength. I didn't notice it until I noticed my ability to stick to walls and started testing for more abilities. That was also when I discovered how quickly I could heal myself.
My powers have gotten stronger with practice. Even though I have super strength, I still need to exercise to keep myself in shape. Instead of being infinitely strong, I guess my ratio of strength to muscle size is just super wacky. I'm not sure, it's really hard to do research on these sorts of things.
How?
It is the question that I doubt I'll ever get an answer to.
The speed at which I developed powers is truly incredible. I know that Supers are often created by very sudden events, but the bite of a spider is so small in comparison to the kinds of trauma that some of the other guys have been through. How did this spider do this to me? Would it do the same to anyone else that got bit by it?
No other spider-people have made themselves known to me. While that doesn't really mean they don't exist, I have to assume that I'm the only one that's like this.
Some human Supers can transfer their powers in small ways to Civilians. My powers are pretty much that of a normal spider, just applied to a human's body. Perhaps the spider that got me actually had Super-Awesome-Spider-Abilities? Which I guess transfer through bites? Did it turn any of the flies it ate into Super-Flies?
If I bit someone would they get spider powers?
Physical Details
Description
- About half an inch in length
- Dark in color, shiny
- Large thorax, spindly legs
- Reminds me of the western black widow spider (latrodectus hesperus), but I didn't get a clear look at it
It is surprisingly difficult to identify spiders on the internet. They are so frequently misidentified that I can never be certain I'm looknig at the right species.
From the glimpse I got of it, it looked a lot like a black widow. But if I've learned anything from my research, it's that nobody really knows what a black widow looks like.
Alchemax Logs
Alchemax really hates making information publically available. In all of my snooping, I have found no mentions of a spider. I have, however, found mentions of "assets" that could believably be spiders if you look at them in the right way. Here are some of the snippets I found:
"...assets A#1009-A#1081 are to be moved to storage facility 009B after Incident ID#333522. Shipping procedures attached. Please review all shipping guidelines. This is fragile cargo and must be handled with upmost care."
"Everything on this earth can be an asset for the pursuit of understanding. From the mighty elephant to the itty-bitty ant, everything has the potential to advance the human story!"
"...least favorite asset ... A 1000's. ... nightmares about ... locked ... room."
"Here at Alchemax Laboratories we are always thrilled to learn what we don't know! Our research facilities are working around the clock to discover new breakthroughs that could change the economy, or even humanity as a whole!"We have a department for everything. Are you interested in marine biology? Our state-of-the-art research aquariums allow you to study marine life up close and personal! Are you an engineer? Robotics expert? Entomologist? There's a place for everyone here at Alchemax!""With your help, we'll create the future, today!"
"We have miles of storage facilities that keep everything from fresh glass beakers to live organisms! We believe that biology can only truly be understood when it is observed in its living state."
"They are working on some truly exciting things here at Alchemax. I wish I could say more, but not everything is available for the public to see. I can say, however, that they're telling the truth when they say they use real live organisms in their studies! I certainly saw more than my fair share of creepy crawlies..."
MJ is always looking for more information, but we've hit a dead end. I'd peak around the facility myself, but they really upgraded their security systems since my last... visit. I don't think Doc Ock would be pleased to see my mask again, either.
Even though I don't have much evidence, I know Alchemax is doing something shady with those spiders. There's no way that the one that bit me is the only one that they have. What were they planning to do to them? Do they know that it was their spider that made me this way?
The more I look into this, the more questions I have. At this rate I'll go crazy. Though, all things considered, that was a long time coming.
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