Alien Spiderman?

(Spiderman is Copyright Marvel. I own nothing but the idea)

So… I had another one of my full-night dreams. I was on meds to help me actually STAY asleep, so this one played out for quite some time. And… for once, it wasn’t about my childhood or other nightmare material. What more, it struck me as something that might be worth sharing- or at the very least bring to the table of discussion.

Spiderman, Spider Woman, Venom and Carnage are all aliens.

Not as in a theory, but as in an actual setting. That is the plot. They are aliens.

I’ll try to share it how it played out in my dream…

Basically, the four are kinda-sorta childhood friends who just graduated their planet’s version of High School and took a joyride a little too close to Earth. Exactly what caused them to crash wasn’t specified, as it played out like an episode for me, keeping certain aspects in the dark. But somehow, S.H.I.E.L.D was involved in actually causing the four to perform an emergency landing. Giving the group contact with Nick Fury, who seemed a bit annoyed over having been made the male parent role over these four alien youngsters, yet pleased to have a few extra super-powers under his command. But it WAS made clear early on that to avoid crashing INTO any of the buildings, “Peter” managed to land ontop one of the older and sturdier buildings of Manhattan that kinda had a good runway-looking roof. The Daily Bugle.

JJJ literally had a bunch of space teens illegally immigrate onto his roof, causing minor damages in the process, which was all he needed to eternally hate the four new supers. Even after SHIELD had them and their shuttle removed. But yeah, that part actually made me laugh because it was the first time I felt JJJ had a -reason- to hate Spiderman outside of just “because he does”. But I am getting off track…

The group are the same age and species but from different clans. Different breeds in the same way Africans, Asians and Scandinavians are compared to each other. And their super-names are just code-names given to them by Nick Fury based on these facts. Like how Venom can naturally poison foes, being from the Toxic Clan, and Carnage just have a hardon for violence since he is from the Warrior Clan. In my dream Spider Woman was called “Spinneret” and came from the “Weaver Clan”, apparently having more developed silk glands that produced both finer, faster and stronger webs. And Spiderman got the generic name due to being of mixed breeds, making him the jack-of-all-trades put in charge of the group due to being the smartest of them.

From there… it was pretty much business as usual.

The whole concept of Web-Swinging is natural to all four of them, it is just their species native means of transportation. And to pretty much earn their protection, housing and resources from SHIELD, they are loosely leached agents and part-time heroes. Being the first of their species seen by Mankind, it is argued that their presence should be a positive one to ease the people of Earth into the idea of having these super-strong spider-anthro-people swinging around. Publicly displaying their good will and benefits on a daily basis… whilst also testing their capabilities, intelligence and priorities. Something deemed necessary early on, as Brook in this version is kind of a jock meathead and Carnage is borderline psychopathic by human standards. And all four of them needing an all-protein diet, establishing early-on that the weaker humans are tempting prey, but that they do not wish the public to know that and panic.

Having all adopted human names, Peter actually getting his last name out of mockery from his friends after landing on the Daily Bugle like he did. JJJ storming up to the ship and demanding to know who just crashed on it, Venom telling him that he should talk to their designated driver, “the oh-so great park-er”. Jona being Jona, misses the pun and just goes on to call the easily picked-on runt of the litter “Parker”. Robbie, after seeing what the kids can do, manages to break a deal to calm JJJ down. Having Spiderman take photos for the Bugle whenever in a fight or in an interesting location. Pictures that would be impossible to get otherwise, and Jona has to begrudgingly agree to it. So yeah, in this setting, Jay Jona Jamesson actually KNOWS that it is Spiderman taking photos for him, yet refuses to call him by that name and sticks with Parker. All whilst slandering the four aliens for whatever situation they end up in or resolve.

Something that I can imagine being one of many elements that strokes Venom and Carnage the wrong way and keeps adding to their lacking enthusiasm. Having what was meant to be their summer off spent serving under a less technically advanced race at the far corner of the universe as combat janitors? Venom finds the situation beneath him, whilst Carnage quickly finds the full and restrictive length of his leach. Neither of them being used to people being as weak and incapable as the humans are, not understanding how such soft-skins can allow themselves such high opinions and broad egos.

But I am getting ahead of myself again.

Design-wise they all kinda had a modern Venom look. Wide mouths with sharp teeth, smooth carapace-like skin that can flex and bend and absorb a decent amount of damage. Thin but wide, tear-shaped clusters of tiny white eyes and no visible ears. Humanoid physique in general, just slightly longer arms and legs with bug-like clawed fingers and toes. They all produce silk the same way, but have varying quantities, qualities and attributes. SHIELD issues them all custom-made armours to both keep track of- and to enhance the combat-styles of each arachnid.

Spiderman looks kinda-sorta how we expect him to look, but in my dream he had a look that was almost reminiscent to that of a dog. Looking like he had a Red base-colour with large Blue spots, proof of his mixed blood. He was introduced into the story as the group’s geek. Not necessarily part of the crew due to liking most of them, but because no-one else would have him. So whilst they do mock and bully him quite a lot, it is still better than being ALONE and bullied. After Nick Fury assigns him as leader, meant to strategize, organize and report back to him, he feels a purpose for the first time in his life. Being a cross-breed having always made him feel like an outsider, as most others have a bred-for role to fill. SHIELD creates a thin, high-tech and web-themed chainmail. Light-weight and flexible, constantly emitting some kind of force field to help the scrawny intellectual to absorb damage without getting in the way of his agility-based movements.

“Spinneret” has a classic almost purely Red design with perfectly symmetric patterns of Yellow on her hands, feet, face and stomach. After landing on Earth, she spins herself a silver wig to better fit in, later given a black one by SHIELD. Taking on the name Mary Jane, for reasons I never heard, she finds herself torn in the developments that follow. A classic situation bordering on cliché: Starting out as Venom’s partner, but has to put plans of breeding and parenthood aside to deal with the situation they find themselves in on Earth. Quickly coming to notice her partner’s flaws during attempts at team-work and interactions with mankind, along with her own view on herself widening. Similarly to Spiderman, she finds herself with a bigger role as a Hero on Earth, rather than just a layer of eggs as she was expected to become back home. Causing her to put her relationship with Venom on hold to explore and pursue her newfound career. More often than not refusing any items offered to her by SHIELD, but accepts a utility belt for necessity.

Venom is the largest of the crew, almost twice as tall as Spiderman with a purple-black hue. Not as comically bulky as you might imagine, but certainly strongly built. More like a naturally adept basketball player who also body-builds. He was a professional athlete on his home planet, training to basically partake in mixed Olympics, making him the most physically adept out of them all. Having always relied on Peter for homework and tests in exchange for protecting him from other bullies, he isn’t stupid… just full of himself and poorly educated. With his professional future possibly on the line, forced to work for what he considers a lesser race due to their weaknesses, his long-time girlfriend with him he planned to mate demanding her own bed, their every good deed slandered by the local news… and having the looks of adoration and envy he is used to being replaced by glares of disgust, fear and anger? Eddie soon finds himself consoling more and more with Carnage, who is the only other of his friends that is displeased with the situation. He wears a metallic Spider-shaped harness, the flag of his homeland as he is quite the patriot.

Carnage himself was happy back on their home world. Being of the Warrior Tribe, he was enlisted in the military branch of schooling at an early age to hone his senses and learn to control his natural bloodlust. And whilst he did never rank the highest in his classes, he is a natural when it comes to creative executions and combat. Specializing in using his surroundings and webs more so than actual hand-to-hand combat. Often first to develop or demonstrate techniques like shaping squirrel-suit wings, grabbing and launching items, webbing himself with armour or gloves, etc etc. He displays a fair sense of intelligence whenever calm, often find dissecting various insects or animals in his down-time to learn more about the nearby world. Just as often sneaking away to unknown locations, only to return hours later at a better mood. Carnage is the only one who straight-up refuses to wear or carry ANYTHING SHIELD offers, blaming it on his soldier training and needing to rely on only what nature gave him, but mostly because he does not want to be tracked.

The group’s dynamic changes heavily during the series.

At first they go through the typical “what the fuck are we doing?” encounters, where there is little teamwork displayed or functional. Peter desperately trying to get them under control whilst making typical mistakes himself, overstepping his boundaries as newly appointed leader and just making bad calls. But through the quickly growing NEED to cooperate in order to get what they want from SHIELD, whether it be resources, freedom or access to entertainment, they eventually figure out their own flaws and start working better and better as a team. Not always happily, but effectively. With Spidey wanting efficiency to prove himself to Nick Fury, Spinneret wanting the boys to be on their best behaviour for the public, Venom always wanting the spotlight and the most praise, where as Carnage simply hates it when someone “butts in on his hunt”.

Towards the end, the group splits from a disagreement and free-for-all fight between all four, as months of tension, stress, differences and homesickness boils to the surface. Two teams are formed from this. Spiderman and Spinneret on one side, who shares the most priorities in that both wants to keep being Heroes and fulfil their newly found purposes, Venom and Carnage on the other and simply wants to be free to do what comes natural. For a time they are all still heroes, even if the latter two no longer follow SHIELD’s command and have made a living for themselves, but over time their methods become more and more brutal. Especially as there is no clean-up crew to swoop in after them to care for any webbed, cut or poisoned foes… and those are still the lucky ones. With SHIELD no longer providing for them, Venom and Carnage has to feed themselves. Needing a constant source of protein…

This eventually leading to a finale where as one side has to get rid of the other.

The message is still the same.

Rather than having Peter’s dead uncle impart the wisdom of “great powers births great responsibility”, it is a lesson he learns on his own. Back on his planet, he was considered a weakling for not having a single strong attribute, as purity of blood and breed is cultural essentiality to his race. But on Earth? Even a “weakling” Arachnid is far more capable than even the strongest (regular) Human. And whilst there certainly are those that can go toe-to-toe with Spiderman- even a few who could easily hand him his own ass, they are few in numbers compared to the civilian masses. So rather than him being weak and suddenly given powers, here he is the same as he always was… only placed amongst those far weaker than himself. Able to relate to them out of having always thought of himself AS weak despite his inherited powers, having never thought that what he took for granted to be something others lower than him would kill for.

Giving him a new outlook on his abilities and what he could do with them. Basically abandoning the elders and superiors of his own race since they would never fully accept a cross-breed like himself, instead focusing on helping those who might actually be grateful for his existence and efforts. Said appreciation being the driving force for him pushing harder and harder to prove himself and eventually having to face his own kind and friends.

Oh yeah… you know how Spiderman from 2099 (I think) has an AI to help him out? I think that is what inspired my dream to make Aunt May something similarly. I mentioned that Nick Fury fills somewhat of a Fatherly figure to Peter, not fully out of his own choice but rather because of Peter’s own issues demands guidance… well, Aunt May is actually the salvaged AI from their ship, modified by SHIELD to act as a third-party supervision over the crew. Having taken all that stored knowledge of the Arachnid people, culture, history, biology, etc etc, and combined it with their own knowledge about Earth to help the Arachnids adapt and learn. All whilst giving it a personality to bond with the crew and more easily tailor the lessons to them individually.

Can you imagine a holographic Aunt May scowling Venom for snatching hotdogs form an abandoned cart? I can/could, and it was freaking hilarious!

Now…

This dream very much played out before me in a similar fashion as the 90’s cartoons I grew up with. But the idea itself kinda stuck with me. Especially as I am a big fan of arachnid and insectoid characters to begin with! Things could be made to take on a far more mature- or even adult tone. I am just here to present the “vision” I had and introduce the base concept. See if there is any interest in more of this being produced. I wouldn’t mind writing a chapter or two on this, throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks… an apt metaphor now that I think about it, considering the topic… but yeah! Any opinions on this?

Any suggestions?

Changes?