10 Scientific Secrets Of Spider-Man Only Geeks Will Love

7. Spidey Heals Fast, Just Not “Wolverine-Fast”

Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man
Marvel Comics

It isn’t hyperbole to say that Spider-Man is tougher than he looks. His skin is denser, his muscles are thicker, and his bones are stronger and more resistant to breaking. This gives him greater shock-absorbing capabilities and general resilience, and while Peter is far from invulnerable, this “hardness” greatly enhances his health and vitality.

Thanks to healing at an accelerated rate, Peter was able to abandon the glasses he wore as a teenager. Cuts and bruises healed in a day or two. Broken bones and larger wounds healed 2 to 3 times as faster than a normal person, such as the broken arm in New Avengers #3 that healed overnight. A gunshot wound will still give Spider-Man pause but will heal far faster than the Average Joe. He also ages slightly slower now, accounting for that famous Parker “boyish face”.

In Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #25, the Masked Marauder completely blinded our hero, but he could see with some light sensitivity two hours later. Because of his metabolism, Spidey has a high tolerance to drugs and disease and was able to heal from a vampire bite in Blade #4. He was once stung by thousands of bees and recovered a day later. In Amazing Spider-Man #700, he admitted to healing quickly but not “Wolverine-quick”, referencing his fellow New Avengers teammate and friend.

Contributor
Contributor

John Wilson has been a comic book and pop culture fan his entire life. He has written for a number of websites on the subject over the years and is especially pleased to be at WhatCulture. John has written two comic books for Last Ember Press Studio and has recently self-published a children's book called "Blue." When not spending far too much time on the internet, John spends time with his lovely wife, Kim, their goofy dog, Tesla, and two very spoiled cats.