Spider-Mangained his powers from a radioactive spider bite that mutated his blood, but the full extent of his mutation is much stranger than anyone expected. Spider-Man’s blood is radioactive, and it turns out that all of his bodily fluids are also radioactive, including his sperm. As disturbing as that might be, what’s even more alarming is that scientists proved this could really happen. No, seriously - it is possible, if not downright likely.
As Diana McCullum shared withGizmodo, their bookSex Lives of Superheroes: Wolverine’s Immortal Sperm, Superman’s Porn Career, the Thing’s Thing, and Other Super-Sexual Matters Explaineddelves intoSpider-Man’sunique physiology, providing information from the United States' Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
People who are internally contaminated can expose people near them to radiation from the radioactive material inside their bodies. The body fluids (blood, sweat, urine) of an internally contaminated person can contain radioactive materials. Coming in contact with these body fluids can result in contamination and/or exposure.
In a moment of turmoil, the controversial comicSpider-Man: Reignby Kaare Andrews shows Peter breaking down in front of Mary Jane’s grave. He confesses that the source of her cancer was loving him. As the two had been married for over a decade,their physical, intimate relationship was the source of her cancer. Every single time that they kissed or made love - especially the latter - Peter was exposing her to more and more radiation. And of course, this radiation eventually took her life.
Spider-Man’s Radioactive Sperm Ultimately Killed Mary Jane in One Dark Timeline
Page fromSpider-Man: Reign#3 by Kaare Andrews, José Villarrubia, and Chris Eliopoulos
Spider-Man: Reigntakes place in a dark universe where most heroes are gone and evil reigns supreme. Peter Parker has long since retired from fighting crime, as he hadbroken down due to the death of his wife, Mary Jane,who died from multiple cancers that spread throughout her body. While this fate is certainly a tragic ending for Mary Jane, it’s made even worse by thereveal that her cancer was caused by her love, Spider-Man. It’s difficult to imagine that a spider bite when Peter was a teenager could result in the death of his wife nearly forty years later, but that’s exactly what happened, and real-life science backs it up.
For a more hopeful timeline featuring Spider-Man, Mary Jane, and their young family, check outUltimate Spider-Manby Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto; the first collected volume is available now from Marvel Comics.
The CDC has stated thatpeople who are exposed to radiation can pass that radiation on through the material inside their bodies, such as blood, saliva, and even semen. Still, it’s hard to believe that radiation is really enough to cause someone to die of cancer. Peter and Mary Jane were together for over a decade, and many fans might believe that, after all that time,Spider-Man’s radioactivity would eventually die out. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
Spider-Man Will Be Radioactive for the Rest of His Life
Spider-Man’s Own Body Is a Horrific Fate for a Hero
Thankfully, there’sa study that was performed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairsknown as theSemen Uranium Concentrations in Depleted Uranium Exposed Gulf War Veterans: Correlations with Other Body Fluid Matrices.This study is about exactly what it says. A group of thirty-five Gulf War veterans were taken and had their body fluids tested for traces of radioactivity. Not only did their semen register for radioactivity, but it scored higher than scientists expected, and this test was conducted eighteen years after they were originally exposed to radioactivity.
The actual full ramifications of how superhero characters get their powers aren’t usually taken into consideration. After all,it’s all fictional: the Hulk can be exposed to a massive amount of gamma radiation and come out of it just fine. The Fantastic Four can be exposed to weird space radiation and just get neat powers. Spider-Man can be bitten by a radioactive spider and gain incredible abilities.
“Meet The Parkers”: Marvel’s New Spider-Man & Mary Jane Are Married, with Children
Marvel reveals that Jonathan Hickman’s upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man will see Peter Parker and Mary Jane happily married, with two beautiful children.
Very rarely do readers have to think about the real-world drawbacks of these situations, butSpider-Man’smost horrific story shows that having radioactive semen is a serious threat. The science backs this tragic story up, so maybe Marvel needs to delve into sex education a bit more thoroughly.
Source:Gizmodo
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
