"It's nothing serious," the medic at Oscorp Labs concluded after examining the bite on Gwen's neck. "The spider isn't poisonous. Just apply an ice pack and it'll be fine. If you're still worried, I can give you a tetanus shot."
Peter Parker and Mr. Bell both let out a collective sigh of relief. "Let's get the tetanus shot, just in case," Peter said.
"Yeah," Gwen agreed, nodding. In moments like this, Peter was always very reliable.
On the way out of the lab, Peter noticed Gwen seemed distracted. "Gwen, are you sure you're okay?" he asked with concern.
Gwen snapped back to reality, a little embarrassed. "I'm just... feeling a little hungry," she admitted.
"Hungry? Let's go grab some burgers," Peter suggested. "I remember there's a great burger joint near here. Even Iron Man loves their cheeseburgers!"
"Cheeseburgers, yes!" The hunger in her stomach was growing more intense by the second, and Gwen readily agreed.
Buzz.
A strange sensation vibrated in Gwen's head, accompanied by a strong feeling of unease. On pure instinct, she reached out and pulled Peter, who was trying to get his bearings. With a powerful tug, she yanked him back toward her.
"Hey, what was that for?" Peter stumbled, nearly falling into her arms.
CRASH!
A clay flowerpot plummeted from a window above, shattering on the exact spot where Peter had been standing just a moment before.
Peter's eyes went wide. "Gwen, you saved me! It would have landed right on my head!"
Gwen was just as surprised. She hadn't seen the flowerpot fall; she had just acted on a gut feeling.
"But Gwen," Peter said, rubbing his shoulder, "you're so strong! I feel like my arm is going to fall off!"
"Huh?" Gwen looked at her hands, confused. She hadn't felt like she had used much force at all. Although Peter was thin and a frequent target for school bullies, he had never been so easily manhandled by a girl much smaller than him. Gwen's strength in that moment felt greater than that of Flash Thompson, the school's star quarterback.
The two didn't dwell on the incident. After cleaning up the broken pot shards, Peter led Gwen to the burger shop. Inside, Gwen devoured the last bite of her cheeseburger and immediately ordered two more. Peter stared at his own half-eaten burger, his eye twitching slightly. Gwen had already finished six and was now starting on her seventh.
Gwen noticed his expression and asked cautiously, "Peter, why don't I pay? I know you're a little broke."
Peter shook his head, feigning indifference. "It's fine. I have enough for this. I promised to treat you. But Gwen, where did you get this sudden appetite?"
At that moment, Gwen finished another burger, her face flushing slightly. "I don't know. I just feel so hungry, like I can't stop eating."
"Could it be from the shock of the spider bite?" Peter speculated.
"No way!" Gwen retorted, her pride stung. "It was just a little spider. I'm not that timid!"
"That's weird," Peter mumbled, still pondering the mystery.
The next morning, Gwen woke up and stretched. A ripping sound echoed in her quiet room as her pajama top tore clean across the back. That's strange, she thought. The quality can't be that bad, can it?
After changing, she went to the mirror to wash her face. Splat. With a gentle squeeze, a glob of toothpaste shot out and hit the mirror. "How weird," she muttered. Then she discovered something even stranger.
"Hey, why do these seem bigger?" she wondered aloud, poking at her chest. They had never been this prominent before.
Five minutes later, her bedroom was a disaster zone. The faucet had been ripped from the pipe and was now hastily plugged with a towel. The bathroom doorknob was still clutched in her hand, torn from the door she had accidentally pulled off its hinges. Her clothes were in tatters.
"What is happening to me? Have I become a monster?" Gwen panicked, not understanding the changes wracking her body. Not only was her strength amplified, but her hands and feet seemed to be perpetually sticky. A corner of her bedsheet was currently stuck to her foot.
Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Could I be a mutant? Did my powers just awaken?" The more she thought about it, the more it seemed possible. Fear washed over her. Most of what she had ever heard about mutants was negative. While she didn't discriminate, the idea of being one herself was terrifying. She was afraid of what it might mean for her family.
"Peter," she whispered. "Yes, Peter is so smart. He'll know what to do."
Gwen gently picked up a fresh set of clothes, carefully dressing herself this time. With a final, firm tug, the doorknob came free from her hand. She wanted to walk out the front door, but she was afraid of scaring her parents. After a moment's thought, her eyes drifted to her bedroom window.
At the Parker residence, Peter was still sound asleep. He had spent the entire previous day with Gwen, who had been bursting with an inexplicable energy. He had been completely exhausted by the time he got home, while she had still been bouncing off the walls.
"Peter... Peter..."
A faint voice seemed to call to him from a great distance. "I thought I heard Gwen," he thought dazedly. "Must be a dream."
"Peter, wake up! It's me, Gwen! Something big has happened!"
The voice, now accompanied by a persistent tapping sound, finally broke through the fog of sleep. Peter forced his eyes open and looked toward the source of the sound. This time, he was wide awake.
A ghostly female figure was clinging to the outside of his window, staring in at him.
"Ahhh!" Peter screamed, his heart leaping into his throat.
"Calm down, Peter, it's me, Gwen!" the figure said.
"Gwen?" Peter's panic subsided. He could see her clearly now. He rushed over, opened the window, and stared at her in disbelief. "Gwen, why are you outside my window? How did you get up this high?"
Gwen gracefully climbed through the open window into his bedroom. She had been there countless times and was completely at ease. She moved a chair and sat down in front of him, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Peter, I know we're close, but it would probably be better if you put some clothes on."
Peter looked down and realized he was only in his underwear. He quickly turned around, grabbed some clothes from his bedside, and dressed himself.
"Gwen," he asked again, "you still haven't told me why you were climbing my building."
"Well..." Gwen hesitated, not knowing how to begin. After a moment, she took a deep breath. "Peter, I think I've become a mutant."
Peter stroked his chin, then shook his head. "A mutant? You? I don't think so."
"Why not?" Gwen asked, confused.
Peter gestured dramatically. "I've heard that mutants all have green skin and fangs, and look like monsters. Gwen, you're still so beautiful. You don't look anything like a monster!"