So why didnt Peter Parker end up like Brundlefly?

Cafe Society
1

Part of me is saying, its comics and movies, Bub… Let it go.
But the other, pull-everything to pieces part is trying to ascertain why Peter Parkers genetic spider bite didnt affect him in the same way as Seth Brundle’s unfortunate fly in the machine accident.

Whether you side with radioactive or genetically enhanced spiders, the end result is the same; Parker got his powers by having his genes spliced with those of a spider.

Brundle also had his genes spliced with those of a fly (although I think they used the term Fused), and for a while it was all gravy… he was athletic, strong, walks on walls… but the mutation continued, and, well, we know all about the puke, puke, suck, suck, glug, glug.

Why was Parker so lucky? Is there a difference between Genetic Splicing and Genetic Fusion? Parker definatley mutated to a certain degree (the spider hairs that sprouted from his finger tips allowing him to scale walls and his, ahem, organic webshooters), but why was this mmutation retarded at a certain point? Is there a danger of him becoming more Spider-like and well, gross in later years?

And this is the kicker; If Peter Parker and Mary-Jane concieve a child, will that child be normal, or will MJ’s labor end up like Veronica’s?

It seems one of these stories is EXTREMLY flawed, and given my love for both Spider-man and The Fly, I’m not sure I want to know which one is BS. Something tells me that The Fly is a more accurate account of what would happen in a gene splicing accident. I really shouldnt get so worked up about works of fiction, but hey; thats just me.

2

Whatever the responses of subsequent posters may be, I want to just tell you this is one kickass premise for a "What If…?’ story, especially regarding the birth of the spider-child

3

You can’t put the phrase “accurate account” in the same sentence as “gene splicing accident”.

But let’s assume that Brundle’s and Parker’s respective DNAs got mixed up with their respective bugs. Let’s also assume that this happened in the nucleus of every single DNA-carrying cell. How this would happen, I don’t know. The point is that the only thing this would ever affect in the subject (as opposed to offspring) is cells created after the accident. So if there would ever be any puking, wall-climbing, super-strength, skin deformities, web-shooting and so forth, it would take a long time to manifest. More likely is a gradual deterioration of every bodily function until a very messy death occurs.

Both of their kids would be monsters, of course. And stillborn.

4

Well I’d say Brundlefly was more thoroughly blended with fly DNA where Parker just had some ‘injected’ into him on a much smaller scale.

The spiders in the movie were altered to add abilities to existing DNA not totally change the spider itself and it had the same effect on Parker. It added a few things then stopped. Where as Brundlefly got a complete makeover because the machine was trying to make two entities into one.

well that’s my rationalization anyway.

5

Well Brundlefly told us why…he was absorbed by the fly, not the other way around as he thought. Parker on the other hand, as noted was just injected with enough venom to modify his DNA to the human approximation of a spider.

Though as noted in various storylines a little push more and ol Petey has 6 arms and 8 eyes…

6

Did it. The premise is that instead of gaining the powers of a spider, Peter turns into a giant, bloodthirsty spider at random, like a werewolf.

7

This, I can buy. Well done sir.

Also, can I get a hold of that “What If?” story anywhere? because that sounds GREAT.

8

There was certainly at least one episode of the animated series where Peter started getting more spider-like, staring off with eight arms and eventually becoming a sort of human-shaped spider.

9

IIRC, Parker’s DNA didn’t get blended with that of a spider. Parker was bitten and his body underwent a mutagenic transformation from the venom. More like an allergic reaction than anything else.

10

Anyone ever notice that in modern comics, the phrase “genetic engineering accident” is used in much the same way the word “radiation” was in 1960s comics?

Back in the day, you got your superpowers from a blast of radiation. Nowadays, it’s a genetic engineering accident…

11

In another twenty years, it’ll all be nanotech superpowers.

12

Besides, Marvel alread HAD a Fly-guy. Bzz! Bzzz! And In my hopeless championing of the obscure, I wrote fanfiction about him.

13

Too late. I even saw a mention of that in an article somewhere, how since the late nineties, nanotech superhero trends are on the rise…

14

It was “What If…?” series 2, issue 88, titled “Arachnamorphosis.”

Here’s the cover: GCD :: Cover :: What If...? #88

It’s told from the viewpoint of Peter’s mutant son, but it’s an interesting story.

15

Two, actually, albeit only one actual insecty one.

16

Basically, Pete got lucky. IIRC at one point he ended up with 6 arms, and at one point he did end up as a spider-humanoid called Man-Spider; I found a mention here. For that matter an enemy of his called Tarantula ( the original ) took a treatment to give him Spiderman-style powers, and mutated into a spider-humanoid, and then a giant spider.

17

My reasoning is this: Peter was genetically predisposed to be able to gain super-powers given the proper stimulus. I don’t mean he was a mutant, as in Marvel, as I understand, the meaning of mutant has changed to mean “super-powered person possessing a particular gene on a particular chromosome.”) At any rate, if Parker had been, say, on the same spaceship as Richards & Co., or exposed to the radiation from a Gamma bomb,he’d have gotten powers too,whereas most people would just get sick & die. AT any rate, Parker’s ability was latent and subject to being molded by his subconscious. Because he was aware of the specific catalyst–the spider-bite–his mind molded his powers into a specific mold–what he imagined a spider-powered human would be like. Too bad for him he wasn’t exposed to radiation while reading a Action Comics.

18

If those kids had any problems at all with their eyes, Spidey himself would have to turn to a life of crime to finance it all.

19

These were two separate incidents. In the first (Amazing Spider-Man 100 or thereabouts) Peter was experimenting with ways to rid himself of his spider powers and gave himself the extra arms but didn’t otherwise change appearance.

20

If I recall aright, in Spider-Man 2099 the main character was a scientist working on a process to re-create approximations of the superpowered heroes of the Late Twentieth Century, to serve as footsoldiers for the giant evil corporate rulers of The Future. He devised a gene-splicing chamber that would theoretically imbue a subject with abilities similar to those of the legendary Spider-Man. The comic didn’t even try to pretend that all this wasn’t lifted directly from The Fly– they even had the scientist remark on how his gene-pod design was “inspired by an ancient movie” or something to that effect. Somehow the guy gets trapped inside the gadget when it activates, things go predictably awry, etc. etc., and he winds up with sort of an amalgamation of BrundleFly/Movie Spidey features-- bulgy, light-sensitive arachnid eyes that he has to conceal behind sunglasses (which fortunately are still worn in The Future), chitinous retractable finger-claws that can be used to climb with, and “organic web-shooters” in his forearms. And I think he also had poisonous vampire fangs, which made so much sense for a character who wore a mask with no mouth hole.

Heck, for that matter, why didn’t Brundle end up like Parker? In fact, at first Brundle did manifest a surprisingly similar suite of powers-- super-quick reflexes, inhuman strength-- but unlike Parker, Brundle’s condition never stabilized. For some reason his human cells were weakened, allowing the fly genome to expand unchecked and eventually achieve dominance. What could have caused such a systemic vulnerability? My guess is herpes. Brundle probably caught it off of that damn baboon. Transmission of zoonotic disease by lab primates is no joke, and yet Brundle seemingly took no preventive measures whatsoever, even to the point of sharing his takeout Chinese food with the beast. By the time he got around to teleporting himself, his immune system was no doubt critically overtaxed by massive cytomegalovirus infection, leaving no resources available to fend off an additional incursion from rampaging fly chromosomes.