Six-Armed Spider-Man

While I wanted to produce a post for this blog that in some way ties into Sony’s Morbius movie, I couldn’t find any direct connections to the MC2. So, instead I present the next best thing: an in-direct connection to Morbius’ first comic appearance within the MC2.

 

Some history for those who don’t know: In Amazing Spider-Man #100, Stan Lee’s last regular issue, Peter Parker uses a formula he had developed in an attempt to finally rid himself of his spider-powers. Untested, Peter takes a chance and tests it on himself, soon after becoming unwell and experiencing terrible nightmares. Upon waking, Peter is horrified to discover he has grown four extra arms.

 

In shock and forced to hide this latest unexpected development, Peter fobs off his then-girlfriend Gwen Stacy and an offer of work at the Daily Bugle, and desperate to find a place to hide and work on an antidote for his condition contacts Dr Curt Connors aka The Lizard. Connors allows Spider-Man to use his secluded place in South Hampton which included a fully-equipped laboratory in the basement, and Peter stealthily makes his way there under cover of darkness and spends two days frantically trying to cure himself to no avail (Amazing Spider-Man #101). 

 

Meanwhile, another Doctor, Michael Morbius makes his debut aboard a nearby anchored ship. Having killed the ship’s captain, Morbius is turned upon by the crew until nightfall allows him to regain his strength and make short work of them before leaping from the vessel with some remorse. Morbius seeks shelter and rest in the nearby house owned by Curt Connors, and soon encounters Spider-Man when night falls. Their battle is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Curt Connors himself and the shock triggers his own transformation into his more monstrous Lizard form (Amazing Spider-Man #101).

Morbius and the Lizard fight over who may lay claim to the Spider-Man until Morbius seizes an opportunity to bite the Lizard but is interrupted before fully feeding by Spider-Man and quickly departs. The bite causes the Lizard to partially revert to Connors, including the loss of his right arm, which leads Spider-Man and Connors/the Lizard to deduce they can utilize an enzyme from Morbius’ bite to cure themselves. After an extended exploration of Morbius’ origins, we pick up with Spider-Man and a Lizard who is quickly-reasserting control of his mind and body. The pair track down and add some of Morbius’ blood to their serum which fortunately proves to be the cure they needed, restoring Connors to human form and removing Spider-Man’s addition limbs. Naturally, Morbius escapes and is believed to have perished beneath the waves (Amazing Spider-Man #102).

 

Now, how does all this have any bearing on the MC2? Well, we know for sure these events transpired in the past of the MC2’s Peter Parker thanks to an unlikely source; Spider-Man Family Vol. 1 #1. Therein we have a story (seemingly) set during the mostly unexplored point in time after Baby May is rescued and returned to Peter and Mary Jane Parker by Kaine but before Peter loses his leg in his final battle with Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin. Lured into a trap by the villain Jack O’ Lantern aka Maguire Beck, Spider-Man meets and teams-up with Araña and her *sidekick* Miguel as they battle a variety of museum like room full of Spider-Man robot’s designed to resemble various costumes and points in Peter’s career. Among these we see a Six-Armed Spider-Man robot which should reaffirm for anyone who may doubt the Main Marvel Universe and the MC2 share a common history (up to a point) and by extension, the existence of the living vampire Morbius.

 

Now for a little nit-pick! While I can understand how a villain like Jack O’ Lantern would confuse Ben Reilly or Miguel O’Hara with the original Spider-Man and include them when filling out her museum of various Spidey robots, the very existence of a Six-Armed Spider-Man was supposedly a secret. That said, I’d like to offer a No-Prize explanation, if I may. During the so-call ‘Six-Armed Spider-Man’ story arc, various phone calls are made to New York’s TV News Service and the Daily Bugle about the events that are transpiring, including Morbius’ attacks and a sighting of the Lizard and the extra-limbed Spider-Man, described as a ‘prowler’ with ‘the usual hundred arms.’ It’s conceivable that one of these witnesses managed to snap a photo of the arachnid hero amid all this confusion. Alternatively, any of the participants including Morbius or Connors may have later relayed this information to others. In fact, we know for certain that Spider-Man told the Human Torch about his encounter with Morbius, including mention of how he cured himself of his additional limbs (Marvel Team-Up #3). Problem patched?

 

Well, that’s the closest you’ll get to an MC2-related Morbius tie-in post from me, I hope it was worth the read. Let me know if you think I’ve missed some super-obvious connection!

 

Until I start producing my own unique enzyme that’s capable of removing entire limbs while cursed to crave the blood of others, I remain

 

frogoat