"A young Peter Parker is transformed into a hideous spider hybrid by the ruthless Oscorp Corporation in their pursuit for eternal life. When Oscorp begins to use the secrets unlocked by his mutation to create more human-animal hybrids, Peter embraces his grotesque new form to stop them."
In this terrifying new reality, Peter Parker is not just a high school student, but an online pop-science activist who shines a light on tech corporations’ darkest secrets. But when Peter accepts a job at Oscorp with the hopes of changing it from within, a fateful accident transforms him into something monstrous…
MARVEL.COM: MIDNIGHT SPIDER-MAN retains certain key characters and concepts from Spider-Man’s lore, but also introduces many terrifying deviations to the story fans know. How did you settle on what to change and what to keep familiar?
JOHNSON: The only absolute non-negotiable was Peter’s moral center as the “Power with Responsibility” kid. Close behind that was the element of guilt to Peter’s origin: a big moment of hubris and irresponsibility that results in the great tragedy of Peter’s life. After those two elements, everything else felt open for interpretation.
One big change I was nervous about losing was Peter’s quippy sense of humor, the fun way he banters and talks trash when he’s in the costume. But with all the horrifying things that happen in this book, the usual jokey tone felt super out of place, so that was one of the first things to go. Peter’s still as sharp as they come and there will still be times when his wit shines through, but it’s different.
Another big difference is how inherently scary the world is, and how truly terrifying his rogue’s gallery is as a result. Instead of villains, they are predators. Instead of threats, they are horrors.
MARVEL.COM: “Power makes monsters” is quite the reframing of great power and great responsibility. How will this reframing inform Peter’s approach to his newfound abilities given his monstrous transformation at the end of the issue?
JOHNSON: Peter’s ambitious. He desperately wants to be one of the greats, to do great things and prove to the world you can be powerful but also good, maybe even a hero. But when Peter gives in to his ambition and takes his shot at greatness, his newfound power visibly, physically changes him, and he finds himself turning into a monster like every other powerful thing does.
In his heart and mind he’s the “Power With Responsibility” kid, but like us, he lives in a “Power Makes Monsters” world. Throughout the series, the increasingly-powerful Spider-Man will have to fight his own nature as a monster and prove that “Power with Responsibility” is possible. Whether he’s right or wrong, we’ll find out together.
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