In a stunning twist,Spider-Manis getting a new codename - one thatconfirms Peter Parker’s darkest fears about his powers. While fans often focus on Pete getting his powers from a spider, there’s another, darker aspect to his origin that’s about to take center stage…
Peter Parker Becomes ‘The Radioactive Spider-Man’
Age of Revelation Is Transforming Spider-Man
Marvel just shared new information aboutX-Men’s upcomingAge of Revelationevent. The story skips ten years into Marvel’s future, revealing a world where Doug Ramsey’s Revelation has taken over the planet, creating an apparent mutant paradise while relegating humans to the bottom of the pile. Now, Marvel has revealed various tie-in series,including the shock titleRadioactive Spider-Man.
Spider-Man has a close relationship with the X-Men, so it’s no shock that he’ll be included in their dark future. However,it seems that the post-apocalyptic setting will bring the radioactive nature of Spider-Man’s powers to the fore, finally forcing him to confront the fact that his powers could potentially be deadly to him and those around him.
This Change Calls Back to Spider-Man’s Darkest Story
Peter’s Radioactivity Has Been Both a Blessing and a Curse
In Marvel lore, Peter Parker gained his powers after beingbitten by a radioactive spider, altering his DNA. In recent years, Marvel has focused on the mystical aspects of Spider-Man’s origin and his ties to the multiversal Spider-Verse. However, it seemsAge of Revelationwill return him to his sci-fi roots, looking at how the fall of humanity and a decade time jump have left Peter grappling with his radioactivity.
Spider-Man’s radioactive blood has been a plot point in the past, conferring both advantages and disadvantages. When fighting the multiversal predator Morlun, Spidey was able to win by injecting himself with further radioactive material, poisoningMorlun as the vampiric villaintried to feed off his ‘spider totem’ essence. However, in the controversialSpider-Man: Reign, things went differently, andPeter discovered that he’d given Mary Jane Watson cancer due to her exposure to his radioactive bodily fluids.
Spider-Man has often worried how the radioactivity in his veins will affect him later in life, and it seems thatAge of Revelationwill give fans the answer. Marvel will release more info on the event in the weeks and months to come, with the introductoryX-Men: Age of Revelation #0about to hit comic store shelves. That should clarify the creative team and plot forRadioactive Spider-Man, however Peter Parker’s history has already established thatbecoming the Radioactive Spider-Man is a personal nightmare for the genius scientist, who knowsexactlyhow badly things could go thanks to the toxic nature of his superhuman transformation.
X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION #0is coming July 16 from Marvel Comics.
