The world of fiction offers numerous glimpses at how science experiments that don't go as planned can bring about both wonders and atrocities. When Peter Parker was bitten by an irradiated spider, the tiny creature gifted him with amazing powers. When Dr. Curt Connors attempted to regrow the arm he had lost during his army days by unlocking the secrets of reptilian regeneration, his efforts created the monstrous Lizard, the Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll. And when brilliant biochemist Dr. Michael Morbius experimented with vampire bats and electric shocks to find a cure for his unique blood disease, he developed both vampiric powers and the curse of bloodlust.
The three characters crossed paths in the pages of 1971's "Amazing Spider-Man" Vol. 1 #101, a particularly stressful point in Parker's life. In the previous issue, the webslinger had tried to get rid of his powers by ingesting an untested potion he'd been working on since he first became Spider-Man. Unfortunately, it ended up giving him four extra arms. Desperate for a cure, he calls Dr. Connors, who lets Parker work at his Southampton lab. There, they encounter Morbius in his debut appearance, and the sudden rush of excitement turns the one-limbed scientist into his scaly alter ego.
Morbius' bite, however, causes Connors to partially revert; Parker and Connors theorize this is due to an enzyme in Morbius' blood. Working together, they defeat Morbius, obtain his blood, and successfully craft a cure for Spider-Man.
