Journal Entry #3
Interesting fun fact, apparently spiders don't shoot out webs. They have these special organs called spinnerets that allow them to create their webs, which they have to slowly weave. If they tried to shoot them out like I would eventually be doing as Spider-Man, it would cause them immense amounts of pain and could potentially damage their spinnerets (and more than likely kill them.)
Apparently while I got the adhesion, agility, spider-sense and proportionate strength of a spider, I didn't get the spinnerets (which looking back I'm thankful for because considering where actual spiders have their webs come out of... Yeah let's not go there.)
Well, being the science nerd I was I decided to go with the obvious solution. Build my own webs.
Since my band broke up after the Battle of the Bands (To make a long story short our drummer's parents got transferred to another state, our bass player decided he'd rather play classical, and our lead singer got offered a solo deal which he took without a second thought.) I didn't have much to do aside from hanging out with Thorax, so after school the two of us would meet up and work on what would eventually become the Mark I Web Shooters. We floated a bunch of different designs before settling on wrist mounted devices, as they'd be easier to use than if they were handguns.
The design we settled on was a bit clunky, but still functional. A carousel loaded system which would feed me the next cartridge of web fluid when the current one ran out, with a trigger that would only activate when I pressed my middle and ring fingers on the triggers built into the glove. This way I wouldn't accidentally shoot a web line if I made a fist or grabbed something. A nozzle just above my wrist would shoot the webs as either small shots or thick web lines, with plans to eventually modify them for other firing modes when I got the components. A small but powerful battery in each web shooter would power the air jets that would propel the web fluid out.
The web fluid itself was a bit more complicated. Fortunately Google exists, so it wasn't too hard to find out what spider webs were made of. Also I'm very good at chemistry, so I was able to come up with a formula for synthetic webs that would function just as well as the real deal, but also have greater tensile strength. It took about two days and several failed batches, but I eventually made the first batch of web fluid. The webs themselves stuck like instant super-glue and were strong enough to hold up a large truck engine. Yet like most spider webs they were biodegradable, meaning they dissolved after roughly an hour.
Then the time came to test the web shooters.
I put on one of the web shooters with the glove on, aiming it at a target. "Got the camera ready, Thorax?"
Holding a small camcorder, Thorax nodded. "We're rolling."
"Fire extinguisher?"
He nudged it with his foot. "Always."
"Okay, Web Shooter Mark I Testing. Test #1 in 3... 2... 1!"
I pressed my fingers on the trigger-
-and it sparked before starting to smoke. Before I could try and take it off Thorax blasted it with the fire extinguisher until it stopped smoking. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
After replacing the fried components and did a bit of tweaking we tried again.
"Test #2 in 3... 2... 1!"
I pressed my fingers on the trigger-
-and it didn't fry itself this time.
But it did spray me in the face with strands of webbing. That was not a fun hour of waiting for it to dissolve.
So once I replaced the cartridge and modified the nozzle, I tried again.
"Okay, third time's the charm. Test #3 in 3... 2... 1!"
I pressed my fingers on the trigger-
-and a single web shot fired out and nailed the target dead center. I couldn't help but smile, so I tried again and fired a web line, pulling the target done with a swift yank of my strength. "Yes! Ladies and gentlemen, we have achieved the impossible! We have made the first ever artificial spinnerets!"
"And the first ever synthetic webs," Thorax added. "Now you just need fangs, eight legs, venom sacs-"
"Very funny, Thorax."
Thorax chuckled, before looking at my web line and asked "You think it could hold your weight?"
"I know it can. Why?"
He grinned. "I have a crazy idea."
"Thorax, this is either your greatest idea ever, or your dumbest."
We were standing on top of a ten story apartment building, overlooking the street. I made sure my web shooters on and tight, and prepared myself for what I was about to do.
"Hey, hold on." Thorax then pulled out a red balaclava mask from his backpack. "Wouldn't want your face ending up on Youtube if somebody got you on their cell phone."
I briefly pondered why he had this before slipping it on I said "Thank you."
Holding the camcorder Thorax said "Okay. Web Swinging Test #1 in 3... 2... 1!"
And with that, I jumped off of the ledge.
One thing people would probably ask me is how it feels when I web swing. Truthfully, it's hard to describe. I mean, half the time I'm praying that I don't misjudge how long my web line is and pray that I don't become a smear on the pavement.
The other half is the feeling of weightlessness, of this strange joy that comes when I'm swinging through the air and feeling the adrenaline rush.
But as the old saying goes, the first time is usually the worst.
I will not lie, I screamed as I fell for a few seconds before I shot out the web line at the building across the street, nailing it and pulling myself into the swing. It felt great, the wind in my face, the adrenaline pumping through my veins...
...and then I noticed that I was getting a bit too close to the building.
Moving quickly I let go of the line I was holding and shot out another one while pivoting my body, snagging another building and swinging towards it. I repeated the process, before finally web zipping back and then crawling up the building I had started at.
Thorax was beside himself with joy. "I can't believe that actually worked!"
Taking a deep breath and taking of the mask, I replied "I can't believe I let you talk me into doing that."
"Hey, it worked. And you looked freakin' awesome!"
Seeing the footage on the camcorder I said "Yeah. I guess I did."
The next day at school I saw Bulk Biceps handing out flyers for something. "Hey Bulk. What'cha got there?"
He handed me a flyer. "There's this wrestling gig downtown Friday night. They're offering three thousand bucks if you can last three minutes in the ring with their champion."
"That sounds awesome."
"YEAH!"
Honestly it did. I didn't have a job so any money I got usually came from either Uncle Ben or Aunt May, my cut from the gigs my band did (which wasn't much and since we broke up, you get the idea) or some odd jobs I occasionally did for my neighbors. And truth be told I hated asking for money from my Aunt and Uncle. They have bills to pay and yet they're still willing to give me money for any of my science projects (and I'm not talking about the ones for school.)
Frankly, getting three grand for them seemed like the perfect way to pay them back.
Looking back to Bulk I said "You have a good day, Bulk."
"YEAH! You too, man!"
I was already forming the plan in my head as I walked to my next class.
"Dude, you're crazy."
I rolled my eyes at Thorax's response to my plan, having expected it. "Come on, Thorax. With my superpowers, I can last longer than three minutes with some champion."
"Yeah, wouldn't that be considered cheating?"
"Not really. Do you know how many pro wrestlers take performance enhancers?"
"Fair enough. But still-"
"Uncle Ben has always told me that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. What greater responsibility is there than one's family? This money could help pay off a majority of the bills they're trying to pay. Plus, the whole event would be a good way to test my powers further than what we're doing in here."
"You've never wrestled before. Professionally, anyway."
"Neither have half of the guys on WWE, but nobody calls them out on it. I can do this."
Thorax sighed. "Okay fine. But if you're going to go to some WWE knockoff, you're gonna need a costume. Preferably something that covers your face because in the off chance that your Aunt and Uncle might see this on TV, they'll probably recognize you in an instant."
"Definitely a good point. We also don't want it to be too bulky or too heavy. And we also have to make it on a small budget."
"How small?"
I pulled out my wallet and pulled out all the cash I had. "A whopping twenty bucks."
"Eh, we've done more with less. Remember when we made that bird costume for our biology class."
"Five bucks and a lot of feathers we got from Rarity. And a lot of black spraypaint."
"Yeah. We can work with this. It'll definitely look cheap, but it'll be functional."
"How bad could it look?"
The final product was a pair of blue pants and a blue long-sleeve shirt, with red boots and gloves. The red balaclava was back on my head, now with the addition of a pair of goggles sewn in that didn't hamper my vision. The web shooters were over my gloves, and over all of this was a red hoodie with a spider-logo sewn onto the front and the back.*
It was cheap, clearly homemade, and may have been the lamest excuse for a costume the world had ever seen.
But it was functional and it kept my identity hidden, and that was good enough for me.
Thorax looked at me and said "Now you just need a name. Something related to your powers. Like, 'The Human Spider.' Or maybe 'Arachnid Man.'"
I snorted. "Let's just go with Spider-Man."
Thorax grinned. "Well, not the worst wrestling name I've ever heard. But for that extra pizzazz, how about 'The Amazing Spider-Man?'"
"That my friend, sounds great."
"No my friend," Thorax said. "It sounds like a franchise."
I couldn't help but smirk at that. Because in all honesty it did.