Happy New Year

I don't own Spider-Man the Animated series.

The Neogenic Hell.

Peter watched the dismantling of the Neogenic Laboratory at Empire State University with mixed feelings; on the one hand, the scientist within him was distraught that the science which could have opened the doors to a new age where medicine was thrown on its head while people were made genetically more resilient to disease, perhaps not completely resistant since the immune system depended on sickness to ensure growth.

Realistically Peter understood the logic behind the decision to ban neogenic research; after the mess with the Man-Spider and the discovery of Morbius, a student at Empire State University being a vampire (Peter closed his eyes in regret, cursing himself for his selfish desire to remove his powers and how he hadn't bothered to properly pay attention to his surroundings), such a decision was a logical no brainer.

But on a more personal note, Peter was worried. He had wanted to use neogenic research to help him fully understand just how far his own Spider-Man powers went. Hell, he had wanted to use neogenics to completely remove his powers, and look where that had left him.

But most of all he had needed the science to help him understand and cure a growing mutation he'd had ever since the Insidious Six composed of some of his worst enemies - Rhino, Doctor Octopus, Chameleon, Scorpion, Mysterio and Shocker had attacked, and his powers had switched off; even now he didn't know what had happened or if it would happen again.

But the worst of it was the fact his enemies had banded together; Mysterio and Doctor Octopus were perhaps two of his smarter enemies even though Shocker came dangerously close, while Rhino and Scorpion were more muscle-bound types, really. On their own they were challenges. Together they were even more dangerous. At the same time, Peter wondered why they had joined together in the first place.

Why had they? He hadn't gotten the impression they were fond of each other. They were also fixated on their own rivalries with one another despite their clear envy and jealousy of the abilities of the other. Chameleon had a holographic belt allowing him to take the forms of anyone around him. Doctor Octopus had long metallic tentacles allowing him to fight multiple opponents at the same time. Mysterio had the experience of an actor and the knowledge of a practical effects man. Scorpion was the only member of the group to pose a serious threat given how scorpions were stronger and faster than spiders. Rhino was all about brute force, ignorance, and stupidity. Shocker was good, but Peter had always seen him as a mercenary.

So what had connected them?

The good news was Peter's powers had stabilised. But then he had gotten terrible news in the aftermath.

For a long while - he didn't know when it had started; it might have begun the moment his DNA was rewritten when that radioactive or genetically altered spider bit him on the hand during that experiment, or it had simply happened as his body had evolved and the spider DNA had evolved with him - Peter's biochemistry had been mutating him into a Man-Spider creature/monster. Doc Connor's discovered the mutation, and he and the scientist had spent a lot of their time trying to discover the root cause in the hopes of finding a cure. He had rushed Dr Crawford's work, so desperate to cure himself and make himself into a normal human being again regardless of the risks and Mariah's warnings. He had even smashed her laboratory in his arrogant belief he came first.

The result?

He had gained four extra arms, and the mutation had been accelerated by the stress of the investigation he'd run into finding out more about Morbius the Vampire and the Punisher's own appearance. The Punisher had only come after him because of the rumours of Spider-Man attacking people and draining their plasma; even if he felt nothing but contempt for Jameson's editorials, Peter had to admit there was some logic to their fears since so many people hated and feared him. They wouldn't think anything about spinning the attacks to make it look like he was responsible.

It was one of the reasons why Peter had been so fixated on his obsession to get rid of his Spider-Man powers and become normal again. After the way he had heard Morbius who had transformed back into his human form, he had lost the will to keep on being Spider-Man. Not that he had ever had much of one. He had only become a superhero to make amends for putting himself up before anybody else, and Uncle Ben had paid the price.

It had taken Peter was while, but he had started to see the only reason he had put himself first was because of what had happened to Michael Morbius. Ever since he had learnt he was changing into something inhuman, he had tried to find a cure. He had gone to the X-Men, to Professor Charles Xavier, but the telepaths response had thrown him into turmoil and he had offended the mutants there by saying he didn't want to be a freak, before that mess with Landon and Hobgoblin who was trying to blackmail the scientist when he discovered - lord knew how; it was likely Hobgoblin had someone on the inside - Landon's attempts to wipe out all mutants.

When the X-Men angle failed, Peter had decided to conduct research himself into the mutation…. But he had been so thoughtless that he had left the blood sample he'd been examining in a locker. A locker! Morbius, who saw him as a rival for Felicia's affections, had spied on him and stole the sample. Peter would never know what the entire sequence of events was, but he could guess after seeing Morbius's belfry laboratory that the other man was examining bat DNA, and one of the bats had escaped its cage to feast on the blood given its vampire bat nature before it was exposed to the neogenic recombinator.

God, he was so stupid. So reckless. He had been so fired up on his fears he hadn't bothered to look out at the potential consequences. And Morbius had paid the price. He was now a vampire. In a way, he was no better than Anastasia Hardy, whose decisions led to Doctor Octavius, a scientist whom Peter had admired and respected for years, which was even more impressive since the man was someone whom he had known as a kid, or Jameson, who was responsible partly for Mac Gargan's transformation into the Scorpion.

What made it even worse, and even made Peter ill was how Felicia had told him that Morbius came from a country where everyone suffered from a terrible illness. He had left and he had promised to become a scientist in the hopes of getting a cure.

God, he had done it again! He had caused more pain and grief by his actions and his thoughtless irresponsibility. If he had been more careful then Morbius would never have suffered. And more people would pay the price for his habit of putting himself above others and not thinking of what others might do behind his back.

Peter only hoped Morbius had seen the blood as a potential lead in finding a cure for his people's illness. But at the same time, Peter wondered if there was an alternate world where Morbius and he had worked on the blood together; they could have perhaps found a cure for their respective diseases. But sadly not.

Sighing, Peter ran a hand through his hair; he was relieved that he was young again with the disease out of his body thanks to the Vulture and his use of the Tablet of Time. It was ironic, really; the Tablet of Time had proven to be the cure for his mutation disease and it had never occurred to him, but he hadn't realised it until the Vulture transformed himself into the Man-Spider.

As he stood in the background, Peter wondered what the repercussions of the neogenics hell would be. It might be over, but there was still the chance there was worst to come.