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Boys let black widow spider bite them in hopes of gaining 'superpowers' and turning into Spider-Man

Saturday, 05/08/2023, 16:55 (GMT+7)

An eight-year-old boy from Vichuloma, Oruro Department in Bolivia, deliberately provoked a highly-venomous black widow spider to bite his hand, hoping to gain 'superpowers' and turn into Spider-Man.

The little lad found the dangerous insect while playing near a river and discovered it hiding under a rock. As known, this spider has venom around 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake, making it a potentially lethal arachnid.

Boys let black widow spider bite them in hopes of gaining 'superpowers' and turning into Spider-Man 1
Image: Jam Press

The young boy's action was driven by the Marvel character Peter Parker, who was bitten on the hand by a spider in the film series, turning into Spider-Man.

According to local health authorities, the unnamed child put the black widow on the back of his hand and provoked it until it bit him. This incident occurred in the village of Vichuloma in Bolivia.

The boy then allowed the venomous spider to bite his hand and placed it in a jar before returning home. Not long after, he started experiencing body aches and severe muscle contractions. However, he still refused to tell his parents about the incident with the black widow.

Boys let black widow spider bite them in hopes of gaining 'superpowers' and turning into Spider-Man 2
Image: Jam Press

As a consequence, his condition worsened, and eventually, he confessed to his mother about the spider bite.

He was taken to the nearest hospital and received prompt medical attention. Doctors swiftly administered an antidote serum that quickly stabilized the boy’s condition

The health department stated: "The serum is a specific antidote against the venom, which neutralizes the toxicity of the poison in the person’s body so it does not have any effect."

Boys let black widow spider bite them in hopes of gaining 'superpowers' and turning into Spider-Man 3
Image: Jam Press

The head of the Zoonotic Diseases Programme for the Departmental Health Service of Oruro, Ernesto Vásquez, said: 'The child, without calculating the risks, picked it up and, according to him, put it on the back of his hand where the arachnid made the respective bite.

Once the boy had made a full recovery, he was questioned about the incident, and  he confessed he "wanted to become Spider-Man."

Boys let black widow spider bite them in hopes of gaining 'superpowers' and turning into Spider-Man 4
Image: Getty

Additionally, his mother added that her son is an ardent Spider-Man fan who thoroughly enjoys watching the movies.

Vásquez said: "We are extremely concerned because it came to our attention from the analysis and responses from the child after he had recovered that he used the arachnid for one simple purpose. He wanted to become Spider-Man."