I, Monster!

Lurking through the sewers, Spider-Man tries to make sense of his recent transformation that has turned him into a half-man/half-spider. His mind drifts back to earlier that day...

Then

Peter Parker's day started with him cracking the books in order to bring up his grade point average at Empire State University. As he worked, his wife Mary Jane and her Aunt Anna marvel at how Peter can juggle his studies and his job as a freelance photographer so well. Putting his studies aside for the day, Peter tells Mary Jane that he is going to stop by the Bugle and that he will be home soon, although she doesn't believe it. Changing into Spider-Man, Peter swings through the city on what appears to be quiet night. During his patrol, he happens on a young man being mugged in Washington Square Park. After stopping the mugging, Spider-Man swings away unaware that the man he just saved was in fact Everett Thomas, aka Synch, of Generation X.

As Synch walks away, feeling terrible about how there was nothing he could have done against those ordinary muggers as his powers don't work without another mutant around to "synch" powers with. As he walks away, Everett is unaware that he is being observed by the Plantman, who wants revenge against Generation X for a previous defeat. Insulted by this defeat, and how the young mutants made fun of his costume, Plantman vows to make himself their most feared enemy ever. To this end, he uses his powers over plants to infect Synch with a body and mind altering spore. Increased in size and mass and rendered mindless, Synch begins terrorizing the park. As it happens, Spider-Man is returning the way he came and spots the man-monster and tries to stop him from hurting people. Observing this from his hideout, Plantman decides that this is not what he had in mind and commands his plants to pull Synch into the sewers.

Following after Synch, Spider-Man is snared in vines and exposed to the same spores as Synch. This causes Spider-Man to change into a half-man/half-spider creature. What makes this even more horrifying for the wall-crawler is the fact that he has retained his mind and is fully aware of what has happened to him.

Now

Not far away, Synch's mind has returned to normal as the Plantman is trying to decide if he should destroy Synch or unleash him upon Generation X. That's when Spider-Man arrives to stop the madman and his insane schemes. Rather than fight him head on, Plantman summons his simulacrums of soil and root to do his dirty work. Although these creatures are no match for Spider-Man, his foe can simply create more in an empty wave. While his captor is preoccupied, Synch breaks free. As an unforeseen side-effect of the Plantman's spores, Spider-Man and Synch's mutual transformations allow Synch to duplicate the wall-crawler's powers. The pair quickly destroy the last of the Plantman's creatures. The web-slinger demands that their foe turn over an antidote, but when he refuses, Spider-Man sprays the villain with his own spores, transforming him into a plant creature.

Rather than remain a freak, Plantman hands over a syringe of the antidote. Once Spider-Man and Synch are back to normal, Synch saves some antidote for Plantman. Synch thanks Spider-Man for saving his life twice that day. However, Spider-Man points out that Synch repaid the earlier rescue when he broke free and helped stopped the Plantman and wishes him well.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Sync, Plant-Man, Anna Watson, Mary Jane Watson

Continuity Notes

• Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.

• This story states that Plant-Man will battle Gen X in Generation X #25. However, this is not correct. In that story, Gen X battled Black Tom and Mondo. While this encounter is listed as happening, per the Plantman entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #9, it has yet to be depicted.

• Spider-Man asks Synch to give his regards to Husk, Chamber, and Skin. This is because, at the time, Spider-Man had just recently met those members of Generation X in Marvel Team-Up Vol 2 #1.