The neon glow of streetlights bathed the bustling streets of New York City as Ben Reily walked home from his late shift at the gas station. His backpack felt heavier than usual, weighed down by exhaustion and the monotony of his part-time job. The chill of the night bit at his skin, but he barely noticed—he was used to walking these streets alone.
His mind wandered as he passed a dark alley, its entrance illuminated only by a flickering streetlamp. A strange, glitching noise echoed from within, faint but distinct. He froze, curiosity pulling him closer despite his better judgment. Peering into the shadows, he saw something shimmering faintly against the cold brick wall—a spider.
But this was no ordinary spider. Its body flickered, almost as if struggling to exist in reality. Its segmented legs twitched with jerky, unnatural movements, and strange neon-like lines pulsed across its black-and-red body.
"What the hell…?" Ben whispered, taking a cautious step closer.
Before he could react, the spider vanished in a static-like glitch. He blinked, thinking maybe he was hallucinating from exhaustion. Then he felt a sudden, searing pain in his neck—sharp and electric.
"Ah—!" He slapped the back of his neck reflexively and winced. When he pulled his hand back, he saw the same strange spider lying dead in his palm… before it flickered out of existence just like before.
Breathing heavily, he looked around the dark alley, heart pounding. After a long, tense moment, he convinced himself it must've been a weird prank or some kind of malfunctioning drone. His neck still burned, but he shook it off. He'd had enough strange encounters in New York to know that weird stuff happened all the time.
With a tired sigh, he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and continued walking home.
Ben pushed open the creaky door to his tiny apartment and tossed his bag into the corner. His stomach growled in protest, reminding him he hadn't eaten since lunch. He dragged himself into the kitchen and scrounged together some grilled chicken and rice—simple, quick, and filling.
As he ate, an intense wave of dizziness hit him like a freight train. His vision blurred, and a piercing ache spread through every muscle in his body. His breath quickened as cold sweat dripped down his temples.
"What… what's happening to me?" he gasped, gripping the edge of the counter.
His legs buckled, and he stumbled toward his room, barely managing to reach his bed before collapsing onto the thin mattress. His world spun out of control, and darkness consumed him.
The Next Morning
Sunlight streamed through the cracked blinds as Ben slowly stirred awake. His entire body felt… different. He stretched and immediately froze. His muscles felt tight—not in a painful way, but powerful, as though he were wearing a body forged from steel.
He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, still groggy. As he caught his reflection in the mirror, his eyes widened in disbelief.
His once-skinny frame was gone, replaced by lean, sculpted muscle. His chest, arms, and shoulders were thick with definition, and when he lifted his shirt, he counted—ten perfectly carved abdominal muscles. His fingers traced the lines of his torso, disbelief etched across his face.
"This… this can't be real."
Desperate for some sense of normalcy, he gripped the sink—but something felt off. When he tried to pull his hands away, they wouldn't budge.
"What the…?"
He yanked hard, and with a sickening crack, the entire sink ripped free from the wall, spraying water everywhere. Ben stumbled back, holding the broken sink in his hands, stunned beyond words.
"I need to call Johnny."
Later That Day
A frantic knock echoed from the front door. Ben cautiously opened it a crack, seeing Johnny Storm's familiar smirking face on the other side. He opened the door with barely any effort—too easily.
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Dude, what's with the emergency text? You sounded like you were freaking out."
Ben shifted nervously, still in shock himself. "Just… come in."
Johnny stepped inside, eyeing Ben suspiciously as he sat on the worn couch. Ben pulled the blanket tighter around himself, trying to hide his transformed physique.
"Okay," Johnny said slowly. "Why do you look like you're about to confess to a crime?"
Ben took a deep breath and threw off the blanket, revealing his newly muscular body.
Johnny blinked, stunned, but quickly recovered. "Alright… looks like someone's been hitting the gym. But why is this a big deal?"
Ben's eyes narrowed. "Watch."
Without another word, he took a running leap toward the wall. Johnny flinched, expecting a crash—but Ben stuck to the ceiling like it was second nature, hanging upside down with his hands and feet firmly attached.
Johnny jumped back in shock. "Holy sh—!"
"Language!" Ben snapped.
He gracefully flipped down, landing in front of Johnny, who was still gaping. Before he could demand an explanation, Ben grabbed his friend's shoulders with a determined look.
"Listen to me." His voice was steady, serious. "I think… I think I have powers."
Johnny took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus. "Start from the beginning."
Ben explained everything: the weird, glitching spider in the alley, the bite, the strange pain, passing out… and waking up like this. Johnny listened carefully, processing every word without interrupting.
When Ben finished, there was a long silence.
Johnny finally stood, pacing the small living room. His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Dude. You have superpowers. You're like… like someone from the Justice League!"
Ben hesitated but couldn't suppress a growing smile. For the first time since the bite, he felt something beyond confusion or fear—hope.
"Maybe I can be something more," he said slowly. "But I can't do this alone. We need to figure out what I can do… together."
Johnny grinned. "Good thing I know a place. There's this old warehouse near the docks—completely abandoned. We can train there, no questions asked."
Ben extended his fist. "We got this?"
Johnny bumped fists with a grin. "We got this."
Their handshake sealed the unspoken promise between them: whatever came next, they were in it together.