How Did Ultimate Spider-Man Get His Powers?

Making strength debates in comics is messy. I’ve written previously about how in Ultimate Spider-Man the character’s lifting capacity was consistently written to be higher to reflect the more adult-toned world of the Ultimate Universe. I’m talking higher than classic Spidey swinging to lift a train in one cool panel. But 616 Peter has ‘old man strength’-type power, meaning he’s got decades of trained power plus lots of various power boosts (The Other, anyone?). Inversely, the strength of Ultimate Peter was a given at the start of his book while classic Peter’s increases in strength are revealed over time. Who’s stronger? Nobody. It totally depends on who’s writing him and what kind of story they’re trying to tell.

38! This is Peter B. Parker, the Spider-Man we see in the movie ‘Into the Spider-Verse’. This is a 38-year-old man. Typically, Spider-Man is young, agile, acrobatic. But Peter B. Parker is your typical middle-aged man. He’s a guy who can do a few kicks and groan at his age, looking back at ‘the good old days’. What makes Peter so lovable is that his failures, his divorce for example, have so much weight to them. But in the end he finds back to his hero days. His relationship with Miles is great because Peter B. Parker is not an idol. He’s a normal adult, with flaws, but who’s still inspiring.

Wanda Maximoff's origin story is one of those comic book twists that feels both tragic and epic. In her earliest appearances, she and her brother Pietro were introduced as members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and their powers were initially attributed to their mutant heritage. But later retcons deepened the lore—revealing their true parentage as Magneto's children (though even that got messy). The real kicker came when it was revealed that Wanda's 'hex magic' wasn't purely mutant ability at all. The High Evolutionary experimented on her as a child, and later, the demon Chthon imprinted chaos magic into her soul during a childhood trauma in Wundagore Mountain. It's this blend of science, mysticism, and mutant genetics that makes her power set so unique. Her abilities fluctuate depending on the writer, but the chaos magic angle stuck, especially after 'Avengers Disassembled' and 'House of M' redefined her as a reality-warper. Honestly, it's a miracle she isn't even more broken, given how many times her backstory's been tweaked. What I love about Wanda's power origin is how it reflects her character—unstable, layered, and steeped in suffering. The comics never shy away from showing the cost of her gifts, whether it's losing her children or unraveling the mutant gene. Even her recent 'Darkhold' corruption arc in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' ties back to Chthon's influence. It's rare to see a character whose power source is as much a curse as a blessing, and that's why she's always stood out to me in the Marvel universe.

I tend to view the character of 'Venom' in relation to Spider-Man. At first the symbiote linked with Spider-Man to enhance his powers and grant him a far more aggressive appearance. But eventually the two had to be separated as it was deemed too detrimental to Spider-Man. Realizing he wasn’t good for the hero the symbiote went in search of a new host. Resulting in the miserable tale of Eddie Brock and his dealings as Venom. What I like most about their battles is that they delve into issues of revenge and identity crisis and therefore reflect in a nice way problems we face in our lives. As an anti-hero the character of Venom is flawed and tortured. At the core of Venom’s being is his struggle to come to terms with Spider-Man and his ongoing desire to destroy him. In comics, TV shows and films their complicated relationship makes for brilliant reading and viewing – it’s truly fantastic to witness their unfolding story.

It’s interesting to note that the reason Krypton was destroyed (a dying red sun) is the exact reason that Superman has no powers in Krypton. Perhaps if Krypton had orbited a yellow sun, Krypton would have had the chance to become an unstoppable force of nature. Instead, all that Superman has is a bittersweet reminder of what his people lost. His vulnerability to kryptonite, for example, is due to the fact that the stuff is irradiated fragments of his homeworld, poisoning him with reminders of the ordinary environment he came from.

You can see Peter Parker’s first appearance in comics compared to his first appearance on film in “Into the Spider-Verse”. While the film perfectly captures the essence of Peter Parker’s character in his first appearances in the 2011 comics, (reluctance to take on responsibilities, pressure from family to contribute, trying to live up to his father’s legacy), it is a condensed and reworked version of the source material for a new audience. Both are great introductions to the character of a smart, sensitive teenager thrust into an impossible role, and if you like the film, you should check out Peter’s first appearances in the 2011 comics by Sara Pichelli, all smartly designed and paced.

McFarlane's work on Spider-Man in the 1990s was pure genius. I have found Spider-Man #1 lying about for $15 or so in stores. Amazing Spider-Man #300 is another key book, but even in mid-grade it can be found for $500 or so. The cover for Amazing Spider-Man #328 is particularly nice with Spider-Man's suit torn. You can find trends and what people are paying for such comics by looking up completed eBay listings. I have noticed a large increase in price for Venom related comics when a new Venom movie comes out. Grading is also important, a 9.8 can triple the value of the same lower graded comic. As always, I say buy what you like because the comics can fluctuate in value, but the work of McFarlane will never depreciate in value.

I have to give a hat tip to Marvel’s “Marvel Broadcast Spoiling Spider Man” for its very Meta take on spoilers. In this version of the Spider Man story, there are actually in-story news reports of upcoming events. Most of them are ignored by the characters but the audience gets to see them on TV sets and newspapers in the background as they happened. Many of the ‘spoilers’ are even embedded in casual conversations with phrases that seem to be just throw away lines but end up being key to later events. The show is also incredibly inventive when it comes to telling a story visually. For example, the damage to Spider-Man’s suit is gradually revealed over the course of several episodes before the cause is finally explained. Also, great use of mirror shots to reveal a character’s secret identity. For example, in a conversation between two characters, the reflections of both characters’ faces are shown swapping places briefly giving the audience a clue before the characters are. The show also is very humorous and gives the characters many near misses in their attempts to find out the truth. For example, Spider-Man constantly interrupts J. Jonah Jameson just as the publisher is about to discover a deep seated secret. Each twist has heavy emotional impact because of previous moments that get referenced. In one moment a throwaway line from before the episode even started is used in a tragic scene where a beloved character dies. Even the opening credits get changed up to foreshadow future reveals. For example, a character’s shadow will appear in the background once their secret identity is revealed.

The idea of a radioactive spider bite sounds like something straight out of 'Spider-Man', but in reality, the consequences would be far less glamorous. Radiation exposure at high levels is absolutely dangerous to humans, and a bite from a spider that’s been exposed to significant radiation would likely deliver a nasty dose of ionizing radiation directly into your bloodstream. Depending on the type and intensity of the radiation, you could be looking at acute radiation sickness—nausea, vomiting, skin burns, and even organ failure if the dose is high enough. And that’s not even considering the spider’s venom, which might be altered unpredictably by the radiation. Now, would it be instantly fatal? Probably not unless the radiation levels were extreme. But long-term effects like cancer or chronic illness would be a serious concern. It’s a fun trope in comics, but in real life, you wouldn’t want to test it. Honestly, I’d rather stick to admiring Spider-Man from a safe distance—no radioactive bites required for that kind of thrill.

While some aliens are just more fun to unlock than others, some unlockables are just way more fun than others. For example, unlocking Jetray involves a fast-paced, high-adrenaline flying race through canyon rings. But unlocking Nanomech involves a grueling, infuriatingly tiny shooter level taking place within a computer system. Your experience will likely be wildly different from mine.