What kind of spider is responsible for the birth of Spider-Man is one of the questions that pops up from time to time. Also, does the spider exist in real life, or is it just a comic-book invention? Here’s what you need to know about the trending “Arachnianthropos Principialis.”
What is the real spider in Spider-Man?
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie identifies the spider that bit Peter Parker as an Araneus Oscorpeus.
While Araneus Oscorpeus is just a fictional species, Araneus is actually a genus of the so-called orb-weaving spiders. While they do possess venom to immobilize their prey, orb-weaving spiders are not harmful to humans. Typically, they’re not radioactive like the one who bit Peter Parker.
Funnily enough, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the only live-action film where the spider responsible for Peter Parker’s transformation is identified. In the original Spider-Man comic book story created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the specific species of spider that bit Peter Parker is not explicitly mentioned.
Over the years, different comic book adaptations and retellings of the origin story have provided varying details about the spider’s species, but the core element remains the same: Peter Parker gained his powers from the bite of a radioactive spider.
Is the spider in Spider-Man real?
The spider in Spider-Man isn’t real.
Getting bitten by a radioactive spider and acquiring a full set of superpowers doesn’t sound bad, right? The reality is way duller, though.
Depending on the spider that bites you, you might get from a simple scratch, to a headache, to a tour to the nearest hospital in excruciating pain, and, in some rare cases, to death. In none of these scenarios will you get superpowers. And while most spider species are not venomous to humans, you should always be careful.
For more Spidey-related content, check out why Tom Holland’s cameo was cut from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Also, here’s a closer look at some unused symbiote suit photos from Spider-Man 3.
