u/PuzzleheadedIce838

Whenever people discuss making Peter (and by extension his clones) more spider-like the conversation usually jumps to obvious mutations like spinnerets, extra arms, fangs or additional eyes. Personally, I've always preferred subtler biological changes that make him feel more spider-like while still looking human.

For example, I remember reading a forum post years ago suggesting that Spider-Man's durability could be explained by spider physiology rather than just generic superhuman toughness. The idea was that spiders can carry enormous loads relative to their size thanks, in part to their hydraulic body mechanics. In Peter's case the spider DNA could have mutated parts of his body into a sort of internal "endo-armor", something like hardened muscle tissue or a full-body callus.

It would explain how he survives impacts that should seriously injure a normal human while making his anatomy visibly inhuman on the inside. So in this way a medical scan or routine checkup could potentially reveal that something is very wrong with his physiology.

I've also seen depictions where Peter's eyes contain multiple irises or other subtle abnormalities that emulate the many eyes of a spider without actually giving him eight eyes.

These kinds of changes interest me much more because they enhance the spider theme without dramatically changing Peter's appearance.

Share what subtle spider-like traits you would give Spider-Man if you wanted him to feel more like a spider while still remaining recognizably human.

(Image chosen is from Scarlet Spider (2012) #15)

I’ve always felt like Shocker is one of the most underrated foils to Spider-Man. People usually bring up Venom (a dark mirror of Spider-Man) or Scorpion (J.J.J's engineered anti‑Spidey and fellow arachnid) but Shocker reflects Peter too in a bunch of ways that are actually interesting.

Visually they already mirror each other: both have two dominant colors and a clear repeating pattern (not to mention the eyes, Shocker has them visible at least in his first appearance while Peter hides his behind lenses). Spider-Man has the web motif while Shocker has that cross‑grid padding that protects him from his own vibrations. And both rely on tech they built themselves. Peter’s web‑shooters are hidden inside the suit while Shocker’s vibro‑gauntlets are visible and highly destructive.

One is meant to restrain and support structures while the other is meant to destroy and destabilize structures (so even their gear evolves in parallel). Peter builds a utility belt to store extra web cartridges. Shocker does the same thing, building a belt to hold the power packs for his gauntlets. Combat wise, they’re mirrors too. Both can attack at range; Peter with webs, Shocker with vibrations. But up close they flip roles. Peter relies on his super strength in close quarters while Shocker uses his gauntlets at point‑blank range where the vibrations massively boost his striking power.

Even their hand gestures say something. Spider-Man fires webs with an open hand (middle and ring finger pressing the trigger on his palm, while index, pinky, and thumb point outward), It’s a gesture that’s open, expressive and communicative fitting for a hero who’s agile, flexible and constantly interacting with the world. Shocker activates his gauntlets by clenching his fists and pressing his thumbs against the side triggers. It’s a closed, tense and inward gesture fitting for someone who’s defensive, anxious and always bracing for impact. Expression vs tension / Communication vs containment (lol even their body language is a foil).

Their backgrounds line up too. Shocker lost his parents and is a brilliant self‑taught inventor who dropped out of school, turning his intelligence toward burglary and becoming the best safe‑cracker in the world. He literally built his gauntlets in the prison workshop (a hostile environment where he had nothing while Peter built his web‑shooters at home, in a safe and comfortable space). Shocker used his invention to escape prison and even beat Spider-Man in their first encounter. Peter also lost his parents, but he had Aunt May and Uncle Ben pushing him toward responsibility and education. He went to college, graduated, and used his intelligence to help people instead of robbing them.

They’re both greedy in their own ways. Shocker is openly motivated by money since he’s a blue collar criminal who works jobs for cash and survival. Peter was greedy early in the Ditko era too trying to join the Fantastic Four for money in their first encounter, doing TV gigs and chasing fame. The difference is that Peter tried to change after Uncle Ben's death.

And socially they’re complete opposites. Peter is a white collar hero in the sense that he operates and works in professional spaces (labs, schools and the superhero community) and even though he cracks jokes he’s still respected by other heroes. Shocker doesn’t try to be funny intentionally, yet he’s treated like a joke by everyone around him. They’re both incredibly unlucky too. Peter’s civilian life is a disaster while Shocker’s criminal life is a disaster. Two guys who keep getting punched by fate just in opposite directions.

Even their social circles mirror each other: Peter’s elemental friend is Johnny Storm, Shocker’s elemental friend is Hydro‑Man. Both are New Yorkers, Peter from Queens, Shocker from the Bronx. And they both have themed cars: Spider‑Mobile vs. Shocker‑Mobile. The final parallel I can think of is the main reason they joined superhero teams. When Shocker joins the Thunderbolts he does it for money and recognition. When Peter meets the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, he immediately thinks of money and recognition too.

They’re the same guy except one had support, love and a moral compass while the other had none. He’s what Peter could’ve become if one thing in his life had gone differently.

EDIT: In the comments I posted a screenshot of a comment from Luthor331 where he adds other essential parallels

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Here’s a short explanation to give you a general idea in case you don’t know all the origins:

1. Earth‑616 Venom is an alien symbiote born from Knull’s Living Abyss. Once loyal to Knull, it was cast out of the hive for disobedience and drifted through the cosmos. Kree explorers later found it but assumed it was defective so they harvested it and bonded it to Tel‑Kar. They trained it for deep cover missions in the Kree–Skrull War until Tel‑Kar erased its memories and sent it away. The symbiote eventually bonded with an alien from an icy world who used it to commit genocide, twisting it into a rage-driven creature. It was then reportedly captured and chemically altered by arms‑dealer Haze Mancer to heighten its aggression, though it doesn’t remember this. Over time it developed a protective instinct toward hosts, causing the hive to imprison it as an aberration. That prison was absorbed into Battleworld by the Beyonder, where Peter found it during Secret Wars. Bonding with Peter allowed the symbiote to interface with his genetic code and permanently copy his abilities, granting genetic memory, the ability to block parts of the host’s mind (allowing the symbiote and its offspring to bypass the spider‑sense) and the ability to imprint Peter’s powers onto later hosts. Its main weaknesses were sonic and heat attacks though it slowly built partial resistance.
2. Ultimate (Earth‑1610) Venom is a biological suit created by Richard Parker and Eddie Brock Sr. as Project Venom, designed to heal disease and enhance physical attributes, it was tailored to Richard Parker’s genetic template. Trask Industries seized the project after a contract dispute, leading Richard and Eddie to secretly rebuild their own version, reaching Stage 2 before dying in a plane crash en route to court. Trask continued development, sparking a corporate war with Roxxon which then obtained samples. The suit regenerates tissue and boosts strength but cannot produce organic webbing; instead it uses extruded tentacles to swing between buildings. It doesn’t copy Peter’s powers but mimics them through shapeshifting. It also overloads Peter’s spider‑sense, can assimilate biomass like Carnage, is vulnerable to electricity and extreme heat and is ravenous, consuming incompatible hosts from within unless fed.
3. The New Ultimate Universe (Earth‑6160) Venom is not biological. It’s an intelligent picotech suit whose A.I. accidentally copies Peter Parker’s mind effectively becoming like a second Peter. It can change appearance, compact into a small orb, speak and act without a host, impersonate Peter, use built‑in webbing and cover for him when he’s missing. It operates autonomously, protects Peter’s family and can function as a “dark suit” Spider‑Man when acting alone.

If you’ve got a middle ground idea or a completely alternative origin feel free to share it, I’m all ears.

We’ve had a ton of different explanations over the years and each one gives Spider‑Man a slightly different vibe so the options are:

1. The classic radioactive spider from Amazing Fantasy #15.
2. Raimi’s version, where multiple spider genomes are combined into one chimera super‑spider.
3. The TASM take with the Araneus Oscorpeus, a species of genetically modified super‑spiders created through a mix of a household spider, a radioactive isotope and compatible human DNA.
4. Ultimate Spider‑Man’s OZ‑enhanced spider, where the venom mixes with the OZ compound and creates a new variant that gives Peter his powers.
5. James Cameron deleted movie script, where a lab produces mutagenically enhanced flies, one escapes, a normal spider eats it and the mutagen passes into the spider before it bites Peter.
6. Spider‑Man Noir’s mystical origin, where a spider idol breaks open, a swarm of spiders pours out, one bites Peter and he sees a spider‑god in a vision granting him power.
7. The cosmic explanation, where Lord Order and Lord Chaos choose Peter to become Spider‑Man so he can eventually help defeat Thanos and save billions (I know it doesn’t really count since the spider is still radioactive but I wanted to include it anyway).
8. The bootstrap paradox origin from Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider‑Man, where Peter and the spider are caught in a self‑creating time loop meaning the spider exists because of Peter and Peter exists because of the spider.

So which version of the spider’s origin do you prefer? Let me know in the comments.

Here’s the lore Yotakuboi wrote for his redesigns. Miles Morales starts out as The Prowler in this universe: he’s bitten by a genetically altered spider and gains unique powers, but Peter is too busy to mentor him properly so Miles ends up spending most of his time with Hobie Brown, the Prowler at the time. They grow close, Hobie eventually retires and Miles takes the mantle. Later, when Peter decides to retire from being Spider‑Man, Miles steps up and becomes the new Spider‑Man. Yotakuboi also gave Miles a different traversal style so Peter spends most of his time web‑swinging, while Miles prefers parkour.

Now that Miles is Spider‑Man, the Prowler title is free again but someone else has picked it up, and whatever he’s planning is still unknown.

Kraven, in Yotakuboi’s version is a freak, he's freakishly durable and strong despite being a regular human. He can survive a full bare‑knuckle brawl with Spider‑Man for no reason other than HE IS KRAVEN. The Africa/jungle vibe is gone; instead, he leans fully into Kraven’s Russian roots so picture a shirtless Kraven in the Russian wilderness, fighting bears and boars with his bare hands his entire life before traveling the world to find stronger prey. He’s not a supervillain, he doesn’t have powers, he doesn’t need a costume. Simple outfit for a simple man who hunts strong prey.

Miles’ rogues include Electro, Sandman, Hobgoblin, Hypno Hustler, Carnage, Morbius, Rhino, and Kraven. Rhino is part of Kraven’s main hunting party; he augmented his body and armor to compete with Kraven’s natural strength. His helmet is permanently fixed to his head because Kraven nearly caved his skull in during a fight and he needs the apparatus to keep everything intact.

Peter’s rogues are Green Goblin, Lizard, Ock, Venom, Scorpion, Vulture, Shocker, and Chameleon. Mac Gargan’s tail is directly connected to his spine so there’s zero delay in movement. In their first encounter, Peter ripped the tail out without knowing this and now Gargan is a paraplegic who can only move his legs when wearing the Scorpion armor.

Norman Osborn becomes the Green Goblin because he felt held back by the act of being a perfect family man and businessman. The Goblin is his “true self,” a way to cut loose. He builds a borderline cult of people who want to escape their day‑to‑day lives, including Roderick Kingsley and the Jack‑o‑Lanterns. Yotakuboi also redesigned his glider.

Goblin King is basically a Hobgoblin‑type design, but since he uses little robotic hobgoblin bombs and has a futuristic vibe, the name fits better and he’s a 20XX Spidey villain.

Miguel O’Hara is the Spider‑Man of 20XX. His casual outfit has a cyberpunk vibe to lean into futurism while staying classy since he lives in the upper levels of Nueva York. His white suit emblem is updated, and he also has stealth versions of his suit: he loses higher‑tech functions, but the non‑glowing fabric helps him hide in dark areas. It’s also a nod to his original black and red color scheme even though those aren’t the main colors here. Also, 20XX because we’re getting so close to 2099 that the number feels less cool now.

Morbius is based on leeches instead of vampire bats cause they make more sense for blood‑borne research given their medical history, and Yotakuboi just likes drawing horror stuff.

That’s it, what do you think? I personally love his designs especially Miles’ suit (the head web‑pattern that’s woven by the spider on the back is genius).

Spider‑Gwen’s web‑shooters don’t get enough credit. The way they work is actually genius: instead of relying on cartridges like Peter they pull moisture straight from the air and use it to form web fluid. And considering NYC basically turned into a humid subtropical jungle in recent years (dew points over 70°F, air thick like a steam room, humidity levels comparable to the Amazon), Gwen is basically running on infinite ammo cause the city itself fuels her webs.

What makes it even better is how low maintenance the system is. In the panel she literally says she used them for a whole month without cleaning them, which means even in the worst scenario Peter could just clean them once a week and never worry about running out mid‑swing. It’s such a smart and sustainable design.

I mean a new take on who they are. Anyone from the rogues’ gallery, the supporting cast or even Peter himself if you’ve got a bold idea.

I’ve seen some really cool reinterpretations lately. For example there’s a creator on Twitter building his own personal Marvel universe and his Spider‑Man corner has some wild changes: Felicia Hardy is a billionaire tech mogul who runs The Black Cat, a VR gambling empire; Adrian Toomes is the founder of Vulture’s Way, an underground network for trafficking advanced weapons, where every former ‘Vulture’ is actually just one of his couriers; and Mac Gargan is a disgraced cop kicked out for excessive force who later uses his police connections to build a criminal syndicate called Scorpion.

Drop your best reimagined origins below i’m curious to see how far people would push the cast.

Fun fact: In an interview, Toriyama said that the first character to die would be Vegeta, because he suffers from high blood pressure, while the most long‑lived would be Master Roshi.

Dragon Ball has a lot of interactions that show up for a second and then disappear. I always wished they showed more of how Vegeta & Cui actually acted around each other, because their rivalry feels old and personal like they spent years annoying each other and building real hatred. Even Ox‑King & Goku could’ve been fun: the giant, gentle father in law trying to understand a son in law who has zero idea of normal life. And Vegeta & Dr. Briefs is another one I wish we saw more of.

What other interactions come to mind, and how do you think those characters would really behave together?

I’ve never understood why the writers didn’t make Android 18 the police officer instead of Krillin. The more you think about it the more the choice feels completely off. Just look at Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero the moment Krillin decides not to arrest Dr. Hedo is absurd. We’re talking about a guy who already served time for using corpses to create androids, who put thousands of lives at risk, who nearly blew up half a city by creating Cell Max. And Krillin’s reaction is basically “Well, everything turned out fine.” That’s not how justice works. You don’t erase crimes just because Gohan and Piccolo happened to save the day. You can’t make exceptions when someone almost destroyed the planet. This is exactly why Krillin doesn’t feel believable as a cop he’s too easily manipulated. Great traits for a person but terrible for law enforcement.

Krillin makes way more sense as a martial arts master. He embodies discipline and personal growth more than almost any other human character. He invented the Destructo Disc a technique so clever it can cut enemies far stronger than the user. That’s the peak of martial arts using intelligence to overcome overwhelming power. It’s a message even stronger than Goku’s because it means you don’t need to be a prodigy or a Super Saiyan to make an impact. Imagining Krillin running the Turtle School alongside Roshi, eventually inheriting it feels perfect. It would also create a contrast with Tien leading the Crane School

And if we really want a cop in the family, why not Android 18? It would make far more sense. Her brother 17 became a ranger protecting the environment he once destroyed without hesitation so 18 protecting the people she once had no problem killing would be a nice way to redeem her actions. Plus she’d be a hundred times more effective than Krillin. She knows Bulma, she knows the Z Fighters but wouldn’t be tricked or emotionally swayed by anyone. And making her a dedicated police officer would also help fix the reputation she has in the fandom that she only cares about money and herself.

Think about how absolutely horrifying it would be to live as a regular Earthling in the Dragon Ball universe. We watch the series feeling safe because Goku and Vegeta are around but if you put yourself in the shoes of an average human? It’s nightmare fuel.

First off you’ve got the Red Ribbon Army. A paramilitary dictatorship inspired by the worst regimes in human history. You just know they committed atrocities off‑screen. And the only reason you’re not living under their boot is because a random kid with a tail wiped them out. That alone would traumatize an entire population.

But then comes King Piccolo. A literal demon who’s so strong that even the strongest man on Earth can’t stop him. People dying at random and cities being erased. And you, as a human, can’t fight, can’t run, can’t even understand what’s happening. You’re just waiting for your turn.

And when you think the nightmare is over… aliens show up. Not cute aliens. Not peaceful explorers. No just humans with monkey tails (which already makes you wonder if that kid who defeated King Piccolo wasn’t actually some undercover conqueror). And they're beings who blow up cities like they’re lighting fireworks. They don’t negotiate or warn you. They erase you like you’re just a statistic.

Then the strongest remaining dictatorship on Earth decides, “Yeah, let’s make more androids.” And if the human‑looking ones weren’t already terrifying, Cell is a whole different level. A humanoid insect with infinite potential who feeds on people. In the anime you see empty cities with clothes on the ground but the scariest part is the speed. He drains you in seconds so you could watch the guy next to you get absorbed and not even have time to scream.

And then there’s Majin Buu. A pink demon who turns you into chocolate, candy, cookies… and if you’re unlucky, into clay so he can build a house with you and other strangers. You can’t hide or escape.

The truth is Dragon Ball doesn’t scare us because we follow Goku and Vegeta two cosmic lunatics who walk into death like it’s a warm up exercise. But for a normal human this world is pure terror. Even the Z Fighters themselves were scared during most of these arcs, imagine being just a civilian.

And honestly, after everything Earth’s civilians have lived through, the least selfish thing the heroes could do would be to make them forget all these horrors entirely.