Spider-Man Is A Walking Radioactive Disease In Marvel’s Darkest Timeline

While he may be known for saving others, Spider-Man actually turned out to be the biggest threat to those around him in one of Marvel’s darkest universes. Marvel: Ruins – from writer Warren Ellis and artists Terese Nielsen, Cliff Nielsen, and Chris Moeller – imagines a world where Peter Parker not only isn’t a hero, he’s a genuine biological threat to everyone around him.

Ruins was a two-issue miniseries released in 1995 that imagined the worst-case scenario for the Marvel universe. It’s a world where Murphy’s Law rules and whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Instead of becoming Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers are a terrorist cell. Instead of becoming a perennial member of the X-Men, Jean Grey became a prostitute. Instead of becoming the Hulk, Bruce Banner’s Gamma Ray Mishap turned him into a horrifying mess of cancerous tumors. This world is explored through the eyes of photojournalist Philip Sheldon, a haggard, beleaguered reporter trying to figure out where everything went wrong.

Throughout the books, Sheldon interviews and interacts with an array of the darkest versions of Marvel characters imaginable. Along his journeys, Sheldon is routinely taking prescribed pills, but it’s not until the miniseries’ final pages that it’s revealed what those pills are for. As it turns out, Philip Sheldon is a photographer for The Daily Bugle, meaning he’s crossed paths with Peter Parker. However, in this universe, the spider bite didn’t give Parker miraculous powers. Instead, it left him, “raddled with a raging mutant virus.” Before having succumbed to his condition – which turned his entire body into a scabbed mess – Peter was contagious and spread his virus to all those around him. Including Sheldon.

The series ends with Sheldon, having run out of pills, also falling victim to the virus and dying on the street. It’s an incredibly bleak “What if?” type of series that explores how differently comic book tales can play out if they’re set in a world completely devoid of the type of hope and boundless opportunities usually found on the page.

This may be an especially dark representation of Peter Parker, but it’s far from the first time creators have driven the Wall-Crawler to his absolute brink. The Night Gwen Stacy Died saw Spidey despondent over the fact that he not only failed to save his lover’s life but also possibly contributed to her death. Spider-Man: Reign follows an aged and disheartened Peter Parker, most of his friends and allies long dead. This version of Parker is so melancholic because he’s directly responsible for the death of Mary Jane… via his radioactive sperm (seriously). So, no matter the universe, Peter is no stranger to bringing death to those around him.

Considering the fact that Peter Parker is the perpetually happy-go-lucky Web-Slinger fans have come to know and love for decades, it’s always fun to see writers flex their creative muscles and see how they can upend the friendly neighborhood hero’s life. Marvel: Ruins does not disappoint in that regard and provides possibly one of Spider-Man‘s darkest iterations to date.

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