Superheroes and comic book characters have entertained the public for decades, usually starting with kids who eventually become adult fans. Plenty of us have dreamed of the day we might get our own superheroic powers, wether by evolution, radiation, or a spider-bite. Although a group of young men in Bolivia took these stories a bit too literally, as they reportedly let a black widow spider bite them in an attempt to gain their own powers a la Peter Parker. Don't try this one at home, kids.
The incident in question happened in the country of Bolivia, and involved three boys with ages ranging from 8-12. They found a black widow spider while reportedly herding goats in the province of Chayanta. And when they discovered the spider, the boys poked it with sticks repeatedly until they were each bitten. Unfortunately, the group didn't start climbing walls and developing a spider-sense as a result of this encounter.
According to The New York Post, the boys mother actually found the trio crying over their wounds, before rushing them to a nearby hospital. Black widow bites are known to affect the nervous system, due to the venom secreted by the spider. While Peter Parker became a bonafide superhero as a result of his bite in the Spider-Man comics and various film adaptations, that wasn't the case for the three Bolivian boys who had subjected themselves to their own bite.
Luckily, there is a happy ending at the end of this harrowing tale that is sure to inspire a few nightmares for parents out there. The boys reportedly spent a week in various hospitals, suffering from fevers and tremors during their stay in treatment. But all three were released from the hospital, and likely won't be messing with any big spiders in the future. Even if they want to suit up and join The Avengers.
Spider-Man is one of Marvel's most popular heroes, and Peter Parker's adventure as the web crawler has been adapted from the comics into various other forms of media. The character will continue to dominate pop culture in the coming years, particularly on the big screen. Tom Holland is playing a live-action Spider-Man in the MCU, while Sony is developing its own cinematic universe with Spidey foes like Venom and Morbius. Finally, the animated blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won an Academy Award, and is expected to get a sequel in the next few years.
Plenty of us have dreamed of acquiring Spider-Man's iconic abilities, but seeking out a rogue spider bite from a black widow isn't the right way to make it happen. You can't blame the young kids for making such a dangerous mistake, although luckily the trio of Spider-fans were able to recover safely.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Spider-Man, although hopefully we won't be reporting any more child hospitalizations. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
