EARTH-Aunt May Bit By Radioactive Spider
Type: Alternate/divergent Earth Environment: Earth-like
Usual means of access: Vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Humanity
Significant Inhabitants: Leap Frog, Ben Parker, May Parker, Peter Parker
First Appearance: What If I#23/3 (October, 1980)
History: (What If I#23/3) - Noticing that Peter had neglected to bring his lunch to school with him, his doting aunt May Parker rushed out to get it to him. Knowing he was on a field trip, May made her way to a research lab, where she wasbit by an irradiated spider. She gave Peter his lunch then, feeling dizzy, decided to head home and rest. But before she could make it, a man lost control of his car and headed for May, who instinctively jumped out of the way only to end up sticking to a wall two stories up then bend a lamp post with bare hands on the way down.
At home, May though to herself. "It's super-powers-- that's what I've got! Just like Samson in the Bible! First, I should cancel my appointment at the haircutters, then I should figure out some way to make money out of this." And so the old woman made herself a costume to protect her identity. Seeing a news report about the Leap Frog, May decided to rush to the scene, admitting it may not make her any money, but it was her duty to help.
May confronted the costumed criminal and the fight made its way to May's own backyard, where it was witnessed by her nephew. May was able to knock out the crook, but when she approached Peter, the frail boy passed out. Later, when the police had taken Leap Frog away and May had got back into normal clothes, she assured Peter the "horrible creatures" were gone and told him to get more sleep. She wondered to herself how she could go about balancing a career as a crimefighter and taking care of her sensitive nephew.
Comments: Created by Steve Skeates and Alan Kupperberg
While the important distinction of this Earth is that May, not Peter got bit, it must've diverged sooner since in our world Vinnie Colorito didn't become Leap Frog until Daredevil I#25, but here he is already a villain described as "infamous" by the time of Peter's origin. Who know's, maybe it was a news report about Leap Frog that distracted Peter and made him forget his lunch.
For a designation, I'd suggest Earth-3123, since this is the third story in What If volume #1, issue #23. It's also fun to note that Uncle Ben literally slept through this entire story.
by
Core Continuum Designation: Earth-3123
And it was so named in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 --Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
This reality should not be confused with:
May Parker wore a costume, but had not yet taken a superhero name for herself. A bite from a radiactive spider had granted her the proportional speed, strength and agility of a spider (and probably a Spider-Sense, though it was not depicted). She armed herself with a particularly sticky dough recipe for trapping villains and swung through the city on durable strands of thread.
--What If I#23/3
Last updated: 10/11/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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