main image EARTH-3123
(Aunt May Bit By Radioactive Spider)

Type: Alternate/divergent Earth
Core Continuum Designation: Earth-3123

Environment: Earth-like

Usual means of access: Vibrational attunement

Dominant Life Form: Humanity

Significant Inhabitants: Leap Frog, Ben Parker, Peter Parker, Spider-Ma'am (May 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 was bit by an irradiated spider. She gave Peter his lunch then, feeling dizzy, decided to head home and rest. 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 bending a lamp post with her bare hands on the way down.

At home, May thought 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 to herself that it might 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, after 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.

(Spider-Verse Team-Up I#3 (fb) - BTS) - May kept fighting crime on Earth-3123, taking the codename of Spider-Ma'am and successfully keeping her identity a secret from her family. Her activities as her reality's Spider-Totem were picked up by Earth-001's Master Weaver. He added Earth-3123 to the list of potential worlds that Earth-001's Morlun and his depraved family could visit to feed on the local Spider-Totems.

(Spider-Verse Team-Up I#3) - Ever hungry for the unique energy of Spider-Totems, Morlun's "relative" Karn made his way to Earth-3123. Appearing inside the home of May and Ben Parker, he was faced by the Spider-Ma'am, who willingly surrendered to the villain because she sensed he was too strong for her. Before Karn could strike, a band of extradimensional Spider-Totems arrived to fight him. Spider-Ma'am protected her family by huddling in a corner of their living room as the Spiders fought Karn to a standstill. They eventually managed to convince him to join them. The Parkers then watched as their extradimensional visitors vanished into thin air.

Comments: Created by Steve Skeates (writer) and Alan Kupperberg (pencils & inks).

While the important distinction of this Earth is that May, not Peter got bit, it must've diverged sooner since in our world Vinnie Patilio didn't become Leap Frog until Daredevil I#25. On Earth-3123 he is already a villain described as "infamous" well before the fateful spider bite that gave May Parker her powers. Who knows, maybe it was the news report about Leap Frog that distracted Peter and made him forget his lunch. It's also fun to note that Uncle Ben literally slept through the initial What If?-story.

Earth-3123 received it's official designation in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005.

Profile by Patrick D Ryall, update by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
This reality should not be confused with:

images: (without ads)
What If? I#23, p5, pan1 (Spider-Ma'am defeating Leap Frog, main image)
Spider-Verse Team Up I#3, p3, pan1 (Ben and Peter Parker threatened by Karn)

Appearances:
What If I#23 (October, 1980) - Steve Skeates (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils & inks), Dennis O'Neil, Mark Gruenwald (editors)
Spider-Verse Team-Up I#3 (March, 2015) - Christos Gage (writer), Dave Williams (pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 03/24/15

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