Bent sat before his cluttered desk.
Lying atop an open physics textbook was a spider with vibrantly colored markings the kind that screamed deadly venomous.
It was dead now, its stiff legs curled inward like a closed flower.
"The mutated spider that bit Spider Man."
Bent had obtained it from Oscorp just a few days prior.
Fifteen years ago, Bent had crossed over into this world, becoming a part of the Parker family Bent Parker.
He was also the older cousin of the now famous Spider Man, Peter Parker. Though not the biological son of Ben and May, he had been adopted by them.
When he was ten, during a school trip, Bent had unexpectedly come into possession of the Omnitrix affectionately known by fans as the "rust bucket" or "watch."
The original device could connect to the genetic code river of the artificial organic planet, Primus, allowing the user to transform into over a million different alien sentient species. It was meant to break down barriers between races.
Its inventor, Azmuth, had hoped the Omnitrix would become a Noah's Ark, capable of saving endangered species across the universe.
Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, Bent's watch seemed to have lost its connection to Primus. Its internal system remained a complete blank slate, utterly useless.
If this were just an ordinary world, that might have been fine. But this was one of Marvel's countless universes.
Tony Stark had already publicly revealed his identity as Iron Man, officially kicking off the age of superheroes.
Bent wasn't overly interested in becoming a superhero himself. But living in New York City, a veritable danger magnet, meant he needed some way to protect himself. Thus, he had set his sights on the mutated spider.
He didn't want to steal his cousin Peter's destiny or powers. He'd simply hoped the spider, after biting Peter, might also bite him, granting him strength as well.
But the thing had died immediately after biting Peter, as if its sole purpose for existing was to bestow its power upon Peter Parker and no one else.
"Perhaps this is the power of the Spider Totem," Bent mused. "As unshakeable as a web of fate."
A pity, then, that he neither possessed the specific genes required to bond with the spider's mutation, nor had he been chosen by the Spider Totem.
Even the Omnitrix had shown no reaction to the spider, likely because it wasn't a sentient being. He'd tried using Peter's hair to activate the watch too, but that also failed.
The watch wouldn't extract DNA from non sentient lifeforms, nor could it transform the user into a member of their own species.
With a sigh of resignation, Bent pinched one of the spider's legs, lifting the grim little specimen up to his eyes.
"Looks like I have to take the risky path."
That's right. He had a crazy idea to eat the corpse of the mutated spider!
It was a dangerous decision!
He remembered a Spider Man comic where someone ate a spider's corpse and turned into a monster a human skin filled with spiders!
But he was out of options.
"If I were just an ordinary citizen of New York, maybe I wouldn't take this risk. But I'm Spider Man's cousin." Bent sighed helplessly, staring at the dead spider.
As everyone knew, Spider Man always had enemies.
Choosing to become Spider Man meant a life of constant loss. Those close to him never seemed to end well, just like Uncle Ben and Gwen.
Bent refused to become one of those "lost" ones. He couldn't stand by and let Uncle Ben fall into danger now that Peter had his powers, the fateful moment that would make him Spider Man was imminent!
Bent needed power to stop all this from happening!
Of course, he wasn't deliberately seeking death, recklessly charging ahead knowing he might become a monster.
"The Omnitrix has a genetic repair function. And user protection is probably hardwired into its core programming. This method should force it to activate."
In the cartoons, Ben had used the Omnitrix to cure humans contaminated by the DNA of a Xenocite and to fix the genetic flaws of the Evolved across the universe.
If his plan worked, he wouldn't become a spider monster.
Bent looked down at the watch on his wrist and decided to gamble.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shoved the mutated spider's corpse into his mouth!
The sharp, curled legs stabbed every corner of his mouth like a hedgehog's spines. It felt as if it had sprung back to life, crawling and scraping against the inside of his cheeks, trying to escape.
"Mmph!"
Bent clamped a hand over his mouth, fighting the overwhelming urge to vomit.
Then, he bit down. He felt the spider's body burst open in his mouth. A bitter fluid instantly flooded his taste buds.
"Revolting..."
Bent nearly choked, not just from the disgust and bitterness, but because the mutated spider was venomous. His tongue felt like it was being corroded by the liquid; the pain was so intense he almost spat everything out.
But that would waste all his effort.
Not only did he not spit it out, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the whole thing.
It felt like chugging a large mug of molten, spiked iron. The spider's form writhed down his esophagus
Then came the excruciating pain!
"Ahh!"
Bent curled into a ball, clutching his stomach as convulsions wracked his body.
The watch showed no reaction, but the mutation had begun!
His internal organs felt like they were being sliced open by spider talons. It seemed as if countless spiders were crammed inside his stomach, tearing his flesh apart with saw like mandibles!
The agony was unbearable, like trying to tear off a hangnail and instead ripping away an entire strip of skin!
Now, the pain was everywhere!
THUD!
He toppled over, chair and all. The loud crash startled May, who was washing dishes downstairs.
"They're invading my brain!"
Bent gritted his teeth so hard they might crack. His head felt like it was splitting open, as if hundreds of spiders were squeezing into his skull, their countless limbs scuttling darkly through the fragile, confined space. He could do nothing but clutch his hair in agony, slamming his head against the floor.
He forced one eye open a sliver. Through the narrow gap, he could see both eyes were bloodshot, the vessels like dense spiderwebs!
In despair, he looked at the watch on his wrist. It remained unresponsive.
He had lost his bet.
He felt his senses sharpening, his vision clearing, his field of view expanding of course it was, because he now had countless spider like eyes!
Creak
The sound of footsteps came from the old stairs outside his door.
Bent tensed.
Knock, knock, knock
The door rattled.
"Ben? Are you okay?" came Aunt May's worried voice from the hallway.
Bent's body trembled uncontrollably. The corners of his mouth split, his teeth began to protrude outward, transforming into horrifying fangs!
That poor wretch from the comics, the one who turned into a monster, had devoured his own mother's organs, leaving nothing but her skin... Now, a bloodthirsty desire raged within him!
He wanted to eat. He needed to feed!
Beneath his skin, thousands of mouths waited to be filled!
"Run, May..."
Bent tried to warn her, to tell her to run, but the sound that came out was evil and raspy, the voice of a monster. Before he could even grieve this change, four slender spider limbs forced their way out from behind his eyelids, pushing his eyeballs aside as they sprouted forth!
"What was that, dear?" Aunt May asked, her voice laced with concern. "You sound like you have a cold."
Bent could no longer answer. He gripped his own arms tightly, fighting with every fiber of his being to suppress the bloody craving.
How could he ever hurt May?
The six blood red eyes that had torn through his skin glanced toward the closed window he knew he couldn't stay here any longer. He had to leave!
But he'd barely managed half a step before he collapsed to the floor in agony.
Hearing the heavy thud from inside, Aunt May grew immediately alarmed. "Ben! What's wrong?"
He heard the click of the doorknob turning. The door began to swing open, a sliver of light cutting into the room
"No!"
His heart screamed in despair but in that very instant, the watch on his wrist finally flashed!
[Host gene contamination detected. Omnitrix forced activation.]