Frankie Stevens (Earth-711)

"'Let's start from the beginning... one more time... My name is Frankie Calloway Stevens. I was bitten by a freaky spider after I broke into an abandoned Oscorp R&D facility, and for the last ten years I've been the one and only Aurachnid.'  -Frankie Stevens"Engineer, photographer, professor, and vigilante, Francis "Frankie" Stevens is the vigilante hero of Earth-711.

Frankie had a relatively normal childhood, being raised by their fathers in Brooklyn. At 15 years old Frankie gained spider-like abilities, which they attempted to ignore. However, upon losing their girlfriend during the collapse of Midland Circle, Frankie followed the example of Spider-Man and took to the streets under the alias "Arachnikid," later changing it to "Aurachnid."

Together Arachnikid and Spider-Man fight a large portion of the crime in the five boroughs.

Early Life
Frankie Calloway Stevens was born on October 13th, 2001, to Dr. David Clark and Mark Stevens. Dr. Clark is a scientist of some renown, and Stevens was an Army Medic before becoming an ER nurse. Frankie was a surrogate child carried by Dr. Clark's sister, Sarah Windsor. The Clark-Steven's household practices Neo-Paganism, specifically Hellenic Polytheism, and celebrates the Sabbats as well as the more common Christian holidays.

Frankie grew up rather comfortably and was able to get HRT and top surgery rather soon after coming out as agender. Despite their middle-class status, Mark makes sure the family stays humble, insisting on living in an average-sized apartment, and that Frankie apply for scholarships to their private high school, and later for college.

Frankie had a number of friends growing up, despite factors that made it difficult, and they had a lot of energy. Though they tried various sports and hobbies, the only one that stuck was free-running, a subcategory of parkour with an emphasis on stylizing the journey from point A to B with various flips and twists. Frankie often sneaked out of their home or boarding school to indulge in their hobby.

In high school, Frankie met and started dating a fellow student, Paige Aarons. Paige's interest in art led to Frankie taking up urban exploration (urbex), in order to photograph inspiration for their girlfriend. Frankie incorporated urbex locations into their parkour routes for this reason.

Spider bite
In May of 2017, at the age of 15, Frankie journeyed out of their high school to do a parkour circuit over the city's rooftops. The middle of their circuit landed at the Oscorp R&D Building in Brooklyn, where they broke in to take photos for Paige. The building had been suddenly and swiftly abandoned just weeks after Spider-Man made his debut as a vigilante. While there, Frankie failed to notice an experimental spider had gotten loose until after it had bitten them. Soon after, Frankie felt fatigued and decided to take the subway back to their school instead of completing their circuit. Upon sneaking back into their dorm, Frankie's nose started to bleed and they passed out on the floor. Since they lacked a roommate, they were left on the floor until the next morning.

Upon waking, Frankie immediately recognized that something has changed, aside from the general discomfort from not washing up before bed and sleeping on the floor. The morning after the spider bite, Frankie no longer needed corrective lenses and displayed alarming strength when they accidentally crushed a piece of solid wood. In the days following, they developed many other abilities, including heightened senses, enhanced reflexes, the ability to stick to walls, and bio-luminescence. For several days Frankie did not associate their newfound abilities with the spider bite. Instead, they assumed that it was due to the activation of some previously latent X-gene. It wasn't until the end of the school year when they saw a video of Spider-Man, that they realized the similarities and made the connection. A few days later they decided to go back to the Oscorp building to get answers but found that it had been demolished.

Despite knowing the origin of their abilities, Frankie knew that the Mutation Disclosure Act still applied to them. The Mutation Disclosure Act would force Frankie to register their mutant status and have their mutation assessed for public safety. Should their mutation be deemed unsafe, then Frankie would be required to move to a government-approved teaching facility, such as Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. This would mean moving away from their friends and family, so Frankie chose to keep their new abilities a secret. In the meantime, New York City was plagued by constant low-level earthquakes.

A Great Loss
Just a few days after the last day of school, Frankie and Paige went on a date. After seeing a movie and getting dinner, Frankie offered to walk their girlfriend home. Paige declined since her family lived in Manhattan, the opposite direction from Frankie's own Brooklyn home, and the two parted ways on the subway platform. Just before Frankie arrived home, a final, stronger earthquake rocked New York City, which made them inexplicably anxious.

Paige and Frankie had agreed to text one another when they made it home safely, but Frankie never received a message from Paige. They assumed she had just forgotten or fallen asleep, and turned in for the night. The next morning, Paige still had not texted them. Frankie texted her several times to no avail. When they called her, the call went straight to voicemail. Ignoring their instincts, Frankie told themself that Paige had probably just broken her phone, and attempted to email her. This also gleaned no response.

As the day continued, Frankie got more and more anxious about the lack of communication from their girlfriend. In the early evening, on the day following their date, Frankie's papa (David Clark) got a phone call. Unfortunately, thanks to their super-hearing, Frankie was able to hear the entire call. An NYPD sergeant told their father that Midland Circle had collapsed, and in the rubble, they had found the body of Paige Aarons.

Frankie took the news hard, cycling between crying and feeling numb. Due to the condition of the body, the funeral was closed casket, but Paige's mom allowed Frankie to see Paige one last time in the morgue to say goodbye. In the days following the funeral, Frankie was incredibly depressed by their grief, spending most of their time sleeping or reminiscing about Paige.

Becoming Arachnikid
While reminiscing on Paige's final artwork, pencil interpretations of the pictures Frankie took at Oscorp, Frankie spots Spider-Man swinging down the street outside their window. As they watch him, Frankie has an epiphany. They realize that they were given superpowers for a reason, and losing Paige just reminded them of their strong desire to protect people who can't protect themselves.

The epiphany is enough to finally pull Frankie from their semi-dissociated depression, inspiring them to do good in their own way. Frankie reverse-engineered a web fluid based of off samples of the polymer Spider-Man used, before engineering their own web shooters. After creating their own suit, Frankie finally hit the streets as New York's second spider-themed vigilante, earning the moniker "Arachnikid."

Year One
Frankie debuted as Arachnikid in July of 2017, at just 15 years old.

The First Failure
Frankie's first couple months as Arachnikid were almost easy, with them mostly stopping purse snatchers and car thieves. It was all too easy for the young vigilante to get overconfident in their abilities, which became a problem when the Rhino appeared, rampaging across the city and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Arachnikid, trusting in their strength and speed to keep them safe, taunted the massive armored figure, allowing bystanders to escape by drawing attention to themself. At first, the fight seemed to be going in their favor until Rhino took a shot at some remaining civilians. Arachnikid jumped in front of Rhino's fist, just barely catching it with their super strength. Unfortunately, they were so occupied by holding up the Villain's first fist, that they couldn't dodge the second one. Rhino took the shot at Arachnikid's undefended torso, slamming into their core with the force of a subway train at full speed. Arachnikid was flung through the plate glass front of a Sears department store, crashing through several shelves before falling unconscious after colliding with a structural cinder block wall.

Frankie awoke sometime later after Rhino had fled, in an immense amount of pain. Frankie didn't want to be caught by EMS, and so they limped back to their dorm room. After painfully cleaning up and licking their wounds, Frankie throws their suit in the garbage. Their defeat had shaken their resolve to protect the city, and they thought it was better for everyone that they give up. However, this would not last. While they recovered, Frankie found themself watching videos about Spider-Man, most notably a fail compilation. While watching this video, Frankie realized how strong the vigilante's will really was, as he got up after every defeat. It was enough to push Frankie out of their own head and inspired them to continue their fight.

Still incredibly injured, Frankie used the time to create a new suit and gather information on the Rhino, who they now knew was named Aleksei Sytsevich. Several days later they would track the armored man to Central Park and finally defeat him, though not for the last time.

Befriending Spider-Man
In the early fall of 2017, Frankie met Spider-Man as Arachnikid, their very inspiration for donning the mask. The pair had a rocky start due to Spider-Man making assumptions and Arachnikid getting defensive, but eventually, the two cleared the air. The two often made jokes at the other's expense, with Spider-Man questioning the choice of "-kid" in their alias, and Arachnikid teasing Spider-Man about his choice in costume colors. Neither vigilante revealed their identities to the other, but they became fast friends, splitting up patrol duties, backing one another up against more powerful villains, and exchanging schematics and formulas for spider-related gear.

In November of the same year, Frankie agreed to meet with Spider-Man on a rooftop in Queens. By this point, Frankie had noticed feelings of fatigue and strong reactions to the cold, which they ignored. However, immediately upon arriving, Arachnikid passed out. They woke up sometime later in an unknown bedroom, still wearing their mask but stripped of the rest of their costume and under several blankets. Spider-Man entered the room just moments after Frankie woke up, dressed casually but still wearing his own mask. He helpfully informed Arachnikid that spiders cannot regulate their own body temperature, making spider mutates like himself and Frankie both much more susceptible to hypothermia. He offered them tea, which Frankie accepted, though they noted to themself that the tea was not well made.

The two made idle conversation before Frankie decided to take the plunge. They commented that someone who saved their life and let them sleep in his bed was definitely worth trusting with their identity. Spider-Man assured Frankie that they didn't have to, but they insisted before removing their mask. Surprisingly, Spider-Man quickly recognized Frankie as the "AcaDec coach from BAT" before he removed his own mask, revealing himself to be Peter Parker. Frankie recognized the boy immediately from Midtown's own Academic Decathlon team. After the identity reveals, the two became even closer, forming an almost sibling-like bond.

Befriending other Heroes*
Frankie's friendly nature and young age endeared them to most every hero, anti-hero, and vigilante in New York City, resulting in many informal pseudo-parental relationships, and almost no non-villainous enemies.

 Daredevil -  Arachnikid's first meeting with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen was just as dramatic as their meeting with the Punisher. While patrolling Hell's Kitchen, Frankie decided to take a break on top of a building, well out of sight of the passersby below and removed their mask. After a few minutes, their spider-sense alerted them to a threat with just enough time to dodge a flying club. Arachnikid pulled their mask back on and confronted their attacker, none other than Daredevil himself. Arachnikid reacted defensively by webbing the man's eyes, but Daredevil wasn't phased and threw a second billy-club at the young vigilante with startling accuracy. Alarmed, they tried to reason with the man, at which point he commented about their young age, something Frankie didn't appreciate. Frankie speculated aloud that the Daredevil must be blind because he wasn't impaired by the webbing, but he dodged the question and fled the scene before they could pry.

A couple of weeks later, Arachnikid ran into Daredevil again, though this time neither of them came to blows. Frankie had been catching their breath on another Manhattan rooftop, with their mask off, when the man arrived. He told them that they had several rib fractures, and which ones they were. Frankie asked the man if his apparent blindness would prevent him from outing their identity to the Daily Bugle, at which point the man accurately described their appearance down to the color of their hair, though he did admit to being completely blind. After some banter, Frankie realized they needed to get back to school if they were going to get any sleep, leaving Daredevil behind as they swung away.

Arachnikid continued to run into Daredevil. At their next meeting, Daredevil questioned whether Frankie's fathers knew what their kid was doing at night, implying that he knew Frankie's identity. Arachnikid got defensive, insisting that they could take care of themself, but Daredevil insisted that they take the burner phone he offered them, later referred to as the Vigilante Hotline. He informed the young hero that the phone contained the numbers of the Defenders, as well as Claire Temple, a nurse willing to patch up vigilantes in a pinch. Frankie thanked the man by confirming their identity, a gesture that Matt Murdock mirrored in a show of trust.

 The Punisher -  For most of their first year of heroism, Arachnikid made a conceited effort to avoid coming into contact with Frank Castle, given the trail of blood he had carved across most of the city to avenge his family. Despite their extensive experience combating firearms, Frankie didn't think their abilities were strong enough to combat the man's incredible skill and accuracy. However, once Billy Russo, going by the alias "Jigsaw," turned up dead, and the murder spree slowed considerably, Frankie made less of an effort to avoid him. It was in January of 2018 that their streak of avoidance was finally broken.

While taking down a local drug ring, Arachnikid was interrupted by gunshots outside the building. Upon investigating, Frankie found that Castle had murdered twenty-three (23) members of the same ring Frankie had been taking down. They confronted the man, and only narrowly avoided being shot, but before they could give him a piece of their mind, the police arrived. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there. Upon getting wind of the story, the Daily Bugle blamed Arachnikid for the murders. Outraged, Frankie tracked down the Punisher and confronted him again. Though he tried to argue, he eventually gave in to the young vigilante's demands to set the record straight. However, this was not the end of the relationship between the pair.

After an attempted mugging ended in Arachnikid mildly injured, Castle brought them back to his safe house to get patched up. At some point, Frankie fell asleep, and woke up still wearing their mask. Citing the rule they had established after Peter saved them from hypothermia, Frankie revealed their identity to the man. It was after this that the pair became fairly close, though later events would secure Castle's role as their father figure.

 Iron Fist -  Frankie first met Danny Rand well before they were Arachnikid. They first became acquainted with the man in March of 2017 while running parkour lines around a park in Chinatown. This was coincidentally just after Rand had returned from K'un Lun and was living in a homeless camp at the park. The two made small talk before Frankie had to sneak back to their school. They found out a couple of days later that the man from the park was the subject of the famous cold case plane crash then years prior.

The pair did not meet again until after the events of the Defenders and Frankie became Arachnikid. While patrolling Chinatown, Frankie watched the self-proclaimed "Iron Fist" punch the engine out of a moving truck before battling several well-armed members of the Golden Tigers, a local gang. Arachnikid kept their distance but decided to follow the man once he left the scene. They trailed him for several blocks before getting him alone and revealing their presence. However, the man they now recognized as Rand told them that he'd known they were following him since the battle. He also told them to stay away from anything related to the Triad, which Frankie agreed to before the pair parted ways. Frankie did not reveal that they knew Rand's identity.

The two ran into each other fairly infrequently in the crime-fighting scene, however, they exchanged information about their respective cases with some regularity. The next notable interaction they had with Iron Fist was a month or so after the man's brawl with the Golden Tigers. The man found Arachnikid injured from a battle and limping through Chinatown, on their way to Claire Temple's apartment to seek medical attention. He offered to take the young vigilante to his own home since it was closer, and Arachnikid reluctantly accepted the help. Once inside the dojo-turned-apartment, Rand removed his mask. Deciding it was only fair, Frankie removed their own mask, causing Rand to comment on their age. After they were patched up, Arachnikid revealed that they knew Rand's identity, which he tried to deny to no avail. Frankie reminded him that they had met more than a year ago at the park.

Frankie's relationship with Danny Rand isn't quite as parental as with Castle and Murdock, with the man treating Frankie as more of a younger sibling. Rand puts a high value on Frankie's education and often scolds them for skipping class and staying up so late they sleep during the classes they do attend.

 Other Defenders -  In the same year that they met Rand and Murdock, Arachnikid also became acquainted with Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, though their relationship is not nearly as familiar. Arachnikid trusts them in a fight, but it was a long while before either were trusted with the young hero's identity. However, it is worth mentioning that Frankie never blamed the Defenders for the death of Paige Aarons, and that the tragic collapse of Midland Circle never negatively affected the relationship between the vigilante and the informal hero team.

Tragedy Strikes
In late April of 2018, in every corner of the known galaxy, there was an audible "Click!" before the world ended. Similar to the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos gathered all the Infinity Stones and used them to disintegrate half of all life in the entire universe. This event was referred to as "the Vanishing,"  or "the Snap." Arachnikid and Spider-Man had little influence on any battles related to the collection of the Infinity Stones.

Victims of the Vanishing included those canonically dusted in the film, Matt Murdock and Claire Temple, the former of which was a close friend of Frankie's. They had a hard time coping with the loss of Peter Parker, someone they considered their closest friend. However, the hardest loss for Frankie to deal with was the loss of both of their fathers. Frankie was on the subway, returning home from school when people on Earth started turning to dust. Upon realizing what was happening, Frankie raced to their fathers' apartment, arriving just in time to see their fathers disintegrate.

Frankie had no time to grieve, as New York lost many of their heroes, leading to a surge in crime with fewer heroes and police to stop it. Frankie repressed most of their feelings about the loss, expending most of their energy to keep the city safe, and put on a mask of normalcy. Frankie squatted at their apartment for several months, until it they were discovered. Given that they were an orphaned minor, CPS attempted to put Frankie in the custody of their Aunt Sarah. However, Sara Windsor lived in Texas, so Frankie filed for emancipation in order to remain in New York to finish their schooling and protect the city in the meantime. In order to give proof of employment, Frankie took a position as a photographer with the Daily Bugle newspaper, selling pictures of their alter ego to the infamous J. Jonah Jameson. During their time squatting they had worked as a freelance photographer, however, they coaxed Jameson into making it a recognized position.

The following Autumn, Frankie continued to attend their boarding school, using their dad's GI bill to pay for tuition. Frankie's senior year was a struggle, as extra patrols and prep for graduation took up most of their time, and their lack of real funds prevented them from consuming the large number of calories required by their enhanced metabolism. As a result, Frankie's grades slipped and they often made mistakes as Arachnikid and required assistance from the remaining vigilantes. Most frequently, they called on Frank Castle for backup, solidifying the bond between the two.

Wait, What's in the Sewers?
Following the Vanishing and running away from the group home during the emancipation process, Frankie became overwhelmed and needed another outlet for their emotions. This led to them using the sewers as a "void," into which they would occasionally venture for the sole purpose of wordlessly screaming until they were feeling more relaxed. This habit led to them discovering a group of four mutated sentient turtles and their mutated rat sensei. The turtles were as tall as Frankie, walked on two legs, and were fluent in English, though they used an excessive amount of 80s surfer slang. Their sensei, a rat named Splinter, was equally mutated and intelligent. The turtles were all named after renaissance artists, Leo (Leonardo), Raph (Raphael), Donnie (Donatello), and Mikey (Michelangelo), and were training to be ninjas. The "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," as they called themselves, fought crime on the surface occasionally. It had only been through sheer coincidence that Aurachnid hadn't run into them during patrols. Frankie hung out with them on occasion, both in the sewers, and when they crossed paths on patrol.

The Goblin's Debut
June marked the debut of a new villain, a woman in green and purple armor using the alias of "the Green Goblin." The Goblin was different from almost every other villain in Aurachnid's Rogue Gallery since she didn't seem to have any greater plan than her desire to cause wanton destruction. Her weapons of choice included bombs, toxic gasses, a sharpened staff with a built-in taser, a bat-shaped glider with sharpened edges, and clawed gloves with the ability to dispense a poison of her choice. During one of their first battles, Goblin used said claws to dose Aurachnid with "Anti-Venom," a substance that suppressed Frankie's mutated spider DNA and also left them delirious and sick for several days. After being dosed the first time, Frankie called Castle to their rescue, which he begrudgingly did, taking them to his own home and doing what he could to make sure their fever didn't kill them.

It's later revealed that Nora Osborn, CEO of Oscorp, is the civilian identity of the Green Goblin. However, any attempts to press criminal charges for the death and destruction left in her wake were thwarted by the fact that Goblin seemed to be a second personality, and Nora had no memory of the things she did while Green Goblin.

Year Three
In May of 2019, exactly a year after the Vanishing, several statues were commissioned by the city of New York to memorialize the heroes and vigilantes taken by the tragedy. These included one in Queens of Spider-Man, one in Hell's Kitchen of Daredevil, and another in Central Manhattan of Dr. Strange. Frankie attended the dedication of Spider-Man's statue as a civilian, and frequently visited the statue as both Frankie and Aurachnid.

Chronic Academia
In April, Frankie began receiving acceptance and rejection letters from the universities they applied to. Though they had been rejected from MIT due to their grades, Frankie had been accepted into every other university they applied to. These included Gotham University, a college they said they'd only enroll in if it was the only college on earth, and Nikola Tesla School of Innovation (NTSI). In June, Frankie graduated from high school, an achievement that was diminished by the lack of family and friends attending their ceremony. Since becoming emancipated, Frankie had drifted away from their few friends at school and had become increasingly isolated from their civilian peers, instead choosing the company of their fellow vigilantes. After much hesitation, Frankie eventually reached out to Frank Castle and asked him to attend their graduation, which he agreed to do. This was a big step in Castle and Frankie's relationship, as it showed Castle becoming more paternal and less like a distant uncle. During graduation, it is also revealed to the audience that Frankie's school is also attended by Gwen Stacy, who had gone unmentioned until that point. In September they enrolled in college at Nikola Tesla School of Innovation, where they would meet their future girlfriend, Nicky Briggs.

Rebranding
After graduating from high school and enrolling in college, Frankie felt that their alias was ill-fitting. In the eyes of the law, and most people, Frankie was a legal adult. So, Arachnikid was abandoned in favor of Aurachnid. The name kept with Frankie's theme of portmanteaus, with "Aura" referencing their ability to luminesce, creating a green aura-like appearance. Aurachnid also did not carry the immature or "sidekick-esque" connotations of their previous alias.

During this time, Frankie also re-imagined their suit, changing to a mostly black and navy color scheme with green accents and more web patterns than before. This is often referred to as their "edgy phase," due to the drastic change from white to black which is a symbolic representation of grief in many cultures. However, the in-universe explanation is that living on their own caused Frankie to realize how expensive stain-remover was, given their frequent use of it, and it became much cheaper to invest in a fabric that wouldn't stain so obviously. Small changes have been made to the suit since its original design, but it is still highly similar.

College Life
After enrolling in college, Frankie met several new people, the first of which was Nicola "Nicky" Briggs. Nicky was an electronics engineering major and a member of the NTSI's varsity rowing team. The pair met during orientation when Frankie ran into the young woman, knocking her to the ground but thankfully preventing any serious injuries. Through Nicky, Frankie met several more people. Comet King was a member of the same rowing team before xe quit, and majored in Creative Writing. Comet wears hearing aids due to an injury from Loki's invasion of NYC in 2012. Through the rowing team, Frankie also met Alex Atkinson, a coxswain for the rowing team following a shoulder injury. Alex majored in Journalism and Political Science and uses no pronouns. The final good friend that Frankie made in college was Toby Park, a member of the men's rowing team who majored in Nutrition. Alex is two years ahead of Frankie and Nicky, while Comet and Alex are only one year ahead.

After their respective graduations, the group stays in touch, though they are not as close as they were. Frankie never knowingly revealed their secret identity to the group, but they often suspected that Comet already knew and just decided to keep it a secret.

Temporal Distortion Anomalies
In October 2019, spaces known as Temporal Distortion Anomalies (TDAs) opened across much of New York City. Though their effects are mostly benign, they caused major panic in the city for several weeks. The cause of the TDAs, informally referred to as "Time Bubbles," is either unknown or highly classified. There are 1,312 known TDAs, according to the NYC government TDAs range in size from a broom closet to several city blocks, and it is estimated that they occupy roughly one-third of the total volume of the city. Each one is attached to a single, unchanging year ranging from 1802 to 2108.

Properties
Any inorganic matter left inside the space for twelve hours will suddenly and rapidly change form to match the year connected to the bubble, with some exceptions. For example, a cell phone left in a TDA connected to 1956 may transmute into a rotary landline. Conservation of matter is highly selective, but transmuted matter does retain some properties of its original form. For example, a garment made of Kevlar might be transmuted into wool, but would still retain the tear and heat-resistant properties.

Exceptions: Prosthetic limbs and accessibility devices (such as hearing aids) do not qualify as inorganic matter inside a TDA. It's theorized that this is because the logic of TDAs considers them to be part of their user. This means that they will not transmute, even after being inside the boundaries of a TDA for 12 hours. Mobility devices (i.e. canes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs) are conditional exceptions. Canes and crutches will transmute to the closest equivalent for the given year, though they will be sized identically, and are generally able to perform their function without much issue. Devices like wheelchairs are subject to transmutation, but the 12-hour time limit only begins once the user is no longer in physical contact with the mobility aid. If the user resumes physical contact, the time limit is paused, but not restarted.

In order to combat this phenomenon, some companies have created wheelchair "kits" that bypass the anomalous properties of a TDA. These kits are transmuted prior to assembly inside the TDA, meaning that they do not change any further once assembled. Though the materials are subject to change, the chair still looks and operates identically to its modern equivalent.

TDA Tests
Several scientific organizations ran tests on the properties of Temporal Distortion Anomalies, which were compiled into a publicly available record. The table below contains the results of some of those tests, as well as some accidental results collected by Frankie.

Unwilling Inter-dimensional Travel
In November of 2019 after finishing a battle with the Green Goblin, Aurachnid was unexpectedly sucked into a portal that appeared in their apartment. When emerging from the other side, Aurachnid was thrown face-first into a billboard in Times Square. Upon recovering from their collision, they noticed that the world around them looked strange. Their surroundings seemed to have an appearance similar to a comic book, with surfaces outlined in black or shaded using Ben Day Dots. Frankie asked JUDOS where they were but received no response as the AI was apparently offline. After a few moments, Aurachnid was greeted by a boy in a black and red suit who introduced himself as the Spider-Man of this dimension. After the jarring realization that they had traveled the multiverse, Frankie was quick to recover and asked Spider-Man how they were supposed to get home. Spider-Man revealed that he was not the one who had pulled Aurachnid through the multiverse, but instead, a friend of his. He admitted that it seemed like his friend had made a miscalculation and that if Aurachnid followed him, he would be able to contact her and hopefully solve the problem. Frankie agreed, though not without a fair amount of caution.

Spider-Man took Frankie to a "spider lair" hidden in the shed in the Parker's back yard where they both revealed their identities. The boy, named Miles Morales, was a second Spider-Man who had taken over after the Peter Parker of this universe had been killed, something that Frankie was familiar with. Miles reached out to a friend using a super-computer inside the lair, and Frankie was introduced to Peni Parker, a young woman who seemed to be stylized to look like an anime character. According to Peni, the portal machine was supposed to lock onto herself, but due to a slight miscalculation, it had found Frankie instead. She explained that instead of locking onto the closest "spider-signal," it had locked onto Frankie instead, because their signal was the strongest, equating their unnaturally strong signal to a lighthouse. Neither Frankie nor Peni were sure why this particular version of Frankie had such a strong signal, but Frankie agreed to be bounced around various universes in order to help Peni and Miles find their friends. Peni promised to give Frankie some notice before sending them to another universe next time before she sent them back to their own universe.

Continued Dimensional Travel
 Earth-Noir -  In early 2020, Frankie received a text from Peni while on patrol, warning them that another portal would be opening soon. Not five minutes later, one opened directly in front of Aurachnid which took them to another universe. Frankie remembered Miles referring to another Peter Parker, nicknamed "Noir," which they soon realized was very literal. The universe Frankie landed in was entirely grayscale, with high-contrast shadows, and technology that clearly hadn't advanced past the Great Depression. Frankie's own suit remained in color, but changed styles to match the era, similar to when they had accidentally stayed too long in the 1942 TDA.

Just a few moments after they arrived, Aurachnid ran into Spider-Man. This version was also grayscale and was wearing a fedora and a costume not unlike an airman's uniform. He notably also carried guns, something which surprised Frankie. Before the man could get too suspicious, Aurachnid explained that Peni had sent them to help locate and contact the other spider-folk, so that they could see one another again. Noir invited Aurachnid back to his own place, citing the fact that their colorful costume would attract attention, and Frankie agreed. The pair exchanged identities and chatted for a while to kill time. After seven hours in Noir's dimension, Peni opened another portal and sent Frankie home.

 Earth-65 -  Several weeks after returning from Earth-Noir, Frankie was woken up by another text from Peni, barely giving them enough time to leap out of bed and get halfway into their suit before the portal opened and threw them into another universe. This universe held a rather pastel color palette, and blurred around the edges, not unlike stereoscopic imaging. Just moments after arriving (and pulling their suit on the rest of the way), Frankie was greeted by another arachnid hero. She wore a mostly white, hooded costume, and called herself Ghost-Spider. She was very excited by the news that she would get to see the friends she had met in the multiverse, and invited Aurachnid out for coffee, though she admitted she'd need to change clothes first since she wasn't exactly in the public favor at the time.

The pair rendezvoused at a small cafe, where Ghost-Spider introduced herself as Gwen Stacy. Since they were in a separate universe, Frankie felt no need to conceal their own identity and introduced themself to the young woman. The two killed time for several hours until Peni opened another portal.

 Earth-616 -  Just two weeks after their trip to Earth-65, Frankie was once again dragged into a portal with little warning and dropped into another universe. Soon after landing, Frankie was greeted by what they refer to as a "Standard Spider-Man," meaning one that is dressed in red and blue. Like Miles, this Spider-Man mistook Frankie for Gwen before they corrected him. Before Aurachnid could explain why they were there, Spider-Man invited them back to his own house, a residence that Frankie recognized as the one Miles took them to in his own universe. However, Frankie realized quickly that this home no longer belonged to May Parker, as this version was no longer alive. Instead, the home belonged to Peter B. Parker and his pregnant wife, Mary-Jane Watson.

Seeing an older more haggard version of Peter Parker was hard for Frankie, as it reminded them of the loss of their own best friend less than two years prior, and how young he had been. However, they tried not to let that affect them too much as they conversed with the older hero and his wife, explaining why they were there and what little Peni had told them about traveling the multiverse. They ended up sticking around for a few hours before Peni opened another portal and Frankie returned to their own dimension.

 Voluntary Multiverse-Travel -  In May of 2020, Frankie received another text from Peni, though for once it was not a warning of another portal opening to suck them into the multiverse. Peni informed them that she had found the rest of the spider-folk she was looking for with the help of someone called "Miguel" so they wouldn't be unexpectedly stolen from their universe going forward. Attached to the message was a file that included plans for an "Inter-Dimensional Traveling Device" which Frankie nicknamed their "Web Watch." The message also included data on the location of Miles' universe. Once the device was finished, Frankie was able to use it to reunite with the other spider-heroes they had met, along with a few new faces, Spider-Ham and Miguel O'Hara. The web watch is also what allows Frankie to travel to other universes and meet even more spider-themed characters.

Moving On
After the death of Paige Aarons, Frankie was reluctant to seek out another relationship. Any attempts were unconsciously sabotaged before they can go further than a few dates, leaving Frankie single for more than four years. Not to mention, being socially isolated and reluctant to make friends outside of the vigilante community. However, on a spontaneous excursion to Earth-748, Frankie meets an alternate version of themself, Frankie Brooklyn Stevens, nicknamed "Frankie B." to avoid confusion. Frankie B. is very different from their counterpart as they had never been bitten by a radioactive spider and their papa had been killed by Kingpin. Instead of becoming Aurachnid, Tony Stark had taken Frankie B. under his wing and helped them to become Iron Knight. However, the most important difference was that Frankie B. had never lost their Earth's version of Paige Aarons.

Earth-711's Frankie, nicknamed "Frankie C," was shocked to see Paige, and she noticed. When they were given a moment alone together, Paige pried into Frankie C's loss and the resulting loneliness. She told Frankie C to move on and to find someone who cared about them the way that they cared for others, giving them some of the closure they had never gotten with their own late girlfriend. Paige told Frankie, on no uncertain terms, that they are not someone who is meant to be alone. Upon returning back to their own universe, they reached out to a classmate, Nicky Briggs, and asked the woman on a date.

Visiting Earth-748 is not the end of Frankie's inner conflict regarding Paige. That came just a few months later when yet-unknown circumstances caused Frankie to travel back in time to the day after Paige's death, landing just outside the morgue that housed her body. Frankie had only seen Paige's body once before the closed casket funera, when her mother had allowed Frankie to come by and give their goodbyes. When Frankie lands in the past, it is the middle of the night, just hours before they remember their past-self coming down to the morgue.

Confused, and with renewed grief, Frankie entered the morgue to find Paige's body almost exactly as they remembered. The only difference is that Paige's body is exactly as it had been when it was pulled from the rubble, covered in dust and blood. The damage to Paige's body had been extensive, with major lacerations to much of her upper body, several crushed bones, and notably, the caving in of the left side of her skull and facial bones. After a moment to collect themself, Frankie decided that their past-self should at least be spared the sight of their recently deceased girlfriend's corpse covered in dirt. Since the morgue was closed, Frankie was able to go about their task without interruption.

One of Frankie's biggest hang-ups about Paige's death, whether they knew or not, was that a stranger had cleaned the blood from her face and made sure that she was taken care of. Those thoughts had weighed on Frankie for years. However, these events allowed them to realize the truth. Though Frankie was several years late, they had taken care of Paige. This realization, paired with their conversation with Earth-748's Paige, allowed Frankie to finally let go of the last of the regret and guilt that had been holding them back.

Year Five
2021 marked the third anniversary of the Vanishing, and that August, Frankie and Nicky rented their first apartment together, following their first anniversary in June.

We Get It, You Vape!
In April, Mysterio made her debut fighting a Titan-like beast made of wind in Seoul, South Korea. Presenting herself as a master of the mystic arts, Mysterio was an individual who could operate internationally to disable super-powered threats usually reserved for the Avengers. She immediately won the favor of the general public and, surprisingly, the Daily Bugle, despite her anonymity and extreme power. Even Frankie was impressed with her power. When Mysterio came to New York City, she claimed that it would be the location of attack for a second Titan, this one made of earth. Mysterio reached out to Aurachnid upon getting to the city and told them that she needed their help to prevent as much collateral damage as possible. Frankie agreed, and the two began planning for the Titan's arrival. Unfortunately, Mysterio was not as honest as she first appeared.

In an effort to gain Aurachnid's trust, Mysterio removed her fog-filled helmet and introduced herself as Alejandra Beck, a 26-year-old woman from Puerto Rico. Aurachnid refused to remove their own mask at the time, a decision that frustrated Beck, but promised not to keep it a secret forever.

After three days of planning, the earth Titan finally showed its face when it attacked the Bronx. Together, Mysterio and Aurachnid defeated the earth Titan, but the battle razed several blocks. True to form, the Daily Bugle excused Mysterio for the damage and pinned all blame on Aurachnid. However, Frankie was growing suspicious of Beck. During their battle with the earth Titan, Frankie's spider-sense seemed to be acting up at random, leading to easily preventable injuries. In addition, some of the injuries Frankie had acquired during the fight didn't match up with how they remembered getting them. For example, Frankie recalled being knocked back by a blow from the titan and landing on their back several yards away. However, after the battle, Frankie found that the front of their suit had been singed despite a distinct lack of recent explosions. They chose to keep the information to themself for the time being, in case Mysterio couldn't be trusted.

While searching for the next Titan, one apparently made of water, Mysterio told Aurachnid that the beasts were the product of her former mystical mentor, who had become jealous that his pupil had surpassed him, and enraged that his efforts to kill Beck had led to her becoming a hero in the eyes of the public. However, Frankie felt that Beck's story was suspiciously self-aggrandizing. The battle with the next titan never came, as a week after the battle with the earth titan, New York City was attacked once again, this time by a cloaked figure who identified himself as Master Kee, Mysterio's mentor. Aurachnid and Mysterio fought hard against the new opponent, but his extreme skill with magic made it difficult. As the battle raged, Master Kee taunted both Mysterio and Aurachnid, before making a grave mistake. Master Kee taunted Aurachnid with the death of Paige, something Frankie had only mentioned in passing to Beck in one of their planning sessions. Aurachnid immediately confronted Mysterio about it, but she denied telling anyone about anything Aurachnid had told her. Frankie didn't believe her, especially when their confrontation caused Master Kee to falter in his attack, as Mysterio was distracted. However, once she realized that her charade had been compromised, Mysterio admitted that Aurachnid was right and that Kee and the titans were just holograms and special effects. Mysterio then attacked Aurachnid directly, feigning sympathy as she released a canister of gas that Frankie was forced to inhale. The gas Mysterio administered had mild hallucinogenic effects as well as stimulating the fear center of the brain. Combined with her holograms, Frankie was forced to endure some of their worst nightmares. These included watching their loved ones turn to dust all over again, seeing themself causing the deaths of their living loved ones, and more, all while being told that it was their fault. After hours of battling hallucinations and their own racing heart, Frankie finally managed to escape the illusions and take down Mysterio, however, they were unable to prevent her from escaping.

Though the Daily Bugle would continue to praise Mysterio as a hero, most media outlets and individuals were convinced that she was not the hero she claimed to be. This was aided by the fact that Beck had admitted to her lies in a public setting which was subsequently recorded and posted on the internet, along with clips of her attacking Aurachnid.

Alejandra Beck uses a combination of hallucinogenic chemical weapons and illusion tech to fight, preferring not to get her own hands dirty. The illusion tech is courtesy of her father, Quentin Beck's, work, while the chemical weapons are a result of her own experiments in her former day job as a neuropharmacologist.

Interning at Octavius Industries
During Frankie's junior year in college, they applied for an internship program at Octavius Industries. In prior years there had been more than a thousand applicants, but due to the Vanishing, the numbers dropped to just a few hundred. Despite the increased odds, Frankie doubted their chances of getting the single position available for an engineer. Despite their doubts, Frankie was given a direct internship under Dr. Otto Octavius himself. Frankie enjoyed their time there immensely, as Dr. Octavius treated them as an equal and placed a high value on their ideas. The pair worked on a joint project over the course of the internship. The initial proposal was a wearable set of tentacle-like limbs that could be used as extra hands as well as aiding in movement over difficult terrain. The hope was to augment the human body in a way that would keep the wearer safer in hazardous environments, and increase efficiency.

Reconnecting With Old Friends
While interning at Octavius Industries, Frankie ran into Holly Osborn, daughter of Oscorp's CEO, Nora Osborn (aka Green Goblin). The pair literally "ran into" one another, colliding in the hallway while Frankie was returning to the lab from the store room. It was revealed that the two had been close friends in middle school before they went their separate ways in high school. However, Holly didn't immediately recognize her former friend, having only known Frankie before their transition, and was suspicious when they knew her name. Frankie realized why Holly was confused and tried to jog her memory as much as they could without directly referencing their prior name or identity. It worked, though Holly nearly called them the wrong name before catching herself. Frankie apologized for knocking Holly over and spilling her coffee, promising to replace it. The two made small talk which is how Frankie learned that Holly was also on internship at Octavius Industries, in the Business program. The two promised to keep in touch before parting ways.

Over the course of the internship, Frankie and Holly conversed extensively, catching up on everything that had happened in the years they had been out of contact. They texted frequently and Frankie talked about Holly so frequently that Nicky teased them for having a crush on the woman. Frankie came to learn that Holly had been diagnosed with Oshtoran Syndrome several years prior, a degenerative and terminal illness. She revealed that she was now the first person to suffer from Post-Oshtoran Syndrome and that the serum that had cured her was a refined version of the same one that had turned her mother into the Green Goblin.

Year Six
2022 marks Frankie's sixth year as a hero, and the fourth year since the Vanishing.

Disaster at Octavius Industries
Over the course of the internship, Frankie and Octavius grew to be close friends, and Frankie enjoyed their time with Octavius as their mentor. The pair grew close enough that Dr. Octavius invited Frankie and their family over for dinner with his wife the night before their big presentation of the arms, and Octavius's personal project: a specialized reactor that could theoretically provide power to the entire city,

On the day of the presentation, everything was going to plan. The arms worked as designed until Dr. Octavius was presenting his deuterium-tritium reactor to a group of potential sponsors. The reactor, in addition to generating its own gravity field that tore apart the lab and killed Octavius's wife, created a massive energy surge. The energy surge fried the neural-blocking chip that protected Octavius's mind from the artificial intelligence controlling the arms. The damage to the neural-blocking chip, and the emotional distress from losing his wife, allowed the AI to gain control of Octavius's thoughts and body, creating the villain known as Doctor Octopus.

Despite Frankie's attempts, the arms had become permanently fused to Octavius's spine. A replacement neural-blocking chip would allow Octavius to regain control, however, the AI in the arms was determined to keep itself alive and in control. Frankie became conflicted. Despite knowing that Octavius, without influence from the arms, would want his mind back, Frankie couldn't convince themself to act without his clear consent on the matter. Though the outlook was bleak, however, Frankie refused to give up on their mentor. Any time he was arrested Frankie attempted to reason with the villain and convince him that a new chip was for the best. Without fail, Doc Ock always refused.

Frankie blamed themself for Octavius's condition, citing their lack of foresight regarding power surges, and the fact that they allowed their mentor to test the experimental technology instead of offering to do it themself.

Sexuality Crisis
During their first disastrous fight with Doc Ock, Aurachnid was seriously injured and was forced to make a tactical retreat. Their injuries were so severe that they were unable to make it back to their own apartment and instead only made it as far as the Osborn penthouse. Thankfully, Frankie knew that Nora Osborn was out of town, and reluctantly accepted that they would have to reveal their identity to Holly if they were going to live to fight another day. Upon finding the hero on their balcony, Holly expressed disbelief that they hero would come to her, given her mom's side career as a supervillain, and she only became more baffled when Frankie revealed their identity.

Against her better judgment, Holly invited the vigilante inside and patched up their wounds, lecturing them on protecting themself better. While Frankie agreed with the sentiment, it reminded them of the people they had lost, and made them defensive. Both Holly and Frankie's anger fizzled out shortly after their respective outbursts, and they apologized before Holly got back to work patching them up. Frankie watched Holly while she works, noting many of her habits and traits, which was when Frankie realized they had developed very strong romantic feelings for the woman. The realization alarmed Frankie, seeing as they were currently in a relationship with Nicky, someone they also loved very strongly. Just admitting to themself that they were attracted to Holly made them feel guilty, so they decided not to think about it for the time being. After Holly had finished treating their wounds, Frankie thanked her and left to make their way back to their own apartment.

Despite their ongoing crisis, Frankie tried to keep up some sort of normalcy when interacting with Holly and Nicky. However, they still ended up subconsciously distancing themself from Holly and doubling down on showing Nicky how much they loved her. Both women noticed the change in Frankie's behavior, but when confronted, Frankie did their best to dodge the question. Over the next few weeks, Frankie did extensive research to try and explain their own feelings, before finally stumbling across the one answer that felt right: Polyamory. It took another week for Frankie to gather the courage to bring their realization up with Nicky, and admit to their feelings for Holly. Though initially a little alarmed and uncertain about the idea of Frankie having feelings for someone else, Nicky took the news gracefully, revealing that she already knew about their feelings for Holly. She told Frankie that she had no personal desire to seek out another relationship, she would be open to them starting a relationship with Holly.

A week later, following Doc Ock's first escape from prison, Aurachnid ended up wounded on Holly's balcony again. In a moment of emotional vulnerability, Frankie kissed Holly. Holly did not react well, initially believing that Frankie was cheating on Nicky, and unwilling to be the "side piece" despite her own romantic feelings. Frankie was quick to explain themself, haltingly recounting their most recent sexuality crisis and the conversation with Nicky. Though a little hesitant, Holly believed Frankie and was willing to give them a chance. A few days later, all three met up to discuss what they were comfortable with in terms of the new addition to their relationship. For the time being, they decided that Nicky would publicly date Frankie's civilian identity, while Holly would publicly date them as Aurachnid. This worked well for the three of them, though Nora Osborn was understandably upset by the idea of her daughter dating her nemesis.

Year Seven
In April 2023, after six months of dating Frankie, Holly moved into the apartment with them and Nicky. In May the three of them graduated from college. Holly from Empire State University, and Frankie and Nicky from NTSI. Once again, Frank Castle attended at Frankie's request. May also brought the fifth anniversary of the Vanishing. Despite their famously anti-vigilante sentiments, the Bugle used the occasion to print a memorial piece to honor Spider-Man. Soon after, in June of 2023, Frankie quit as photographer for the newspaper, and took a job at Alchemax as a transportation engineer, a position which afforded them the resources to begin work on their Masters Degree.

The Fantastic Four
June brings a new team of heroes to New York, the Fantastic Four. After illegally launching their rocket, and subsequently crashing it, it was revealed that Dr. Reed Richards, Dr. Sue Storm, Jonathan "Johnny" Storm, and Benjamin "Ben" Grimm had accidentally acquired superpowers. The fallout from the reveal was quite massive and went on for several weeks before the four became a hero team called the Fantastic Four, some more reluctantly than others.

The Reverse Apocalypse
The Vanishing came to a climactic end in November 2023, more than five years after it started. The Avengers eventually managed to track down Thanos and the infinity stones from where they had hidden in the cosmos. Through the actions of the Avengers, those taken by the Vanishing were returned to their rightful places, an event referred to as "The Returning." The ensuing battle on Earth required all hands on deck, including Aurachnid. The fight lasted many hours and resulted in many casualties, but when it was all over Frankie only had minor injuries, and they were reunited with Peter Parker on the battlefield.

Those brought back by the Returning remained exactly as they had been five years before, but Frankie was just grateful to be reunited with their best friend. Given the chaos of the recent events, Frankie took Peter back to their apartment so that they could catch up and Peter could be reunited with Aunt May and his friends. After the Returning, Nicky decided to move cross-country to help with rebuilding efforts. In December of that same year, Harley Keener took on the mantle of Iron Lad. The two work together with some frequency and consider one another friends, however, Frankie doesn't approve of Harley working under SHEILD.

Year Eight
In February of 2023, Frankie and Nicky decided to terminate their relationship. Between Frankie's night job, Nicky's busy life, and the time difference, it became increasingly difficult for the pair to make time for each other. They broke up on amicable terms and agreed to discuss giving their relationship another shot if Nicky ever moved back to New York City.

On the Run
In July, Frankie was forced to flee NYC after their mutant status was anonymously revealed to the government. It was later revealed that the source of this information was the Kingpin himself, Wilson Fisk. Since Frankie had broken the law by not disclosing their mutations under the Mutation Disclosure Act, MDA Enforcers were sent to arrest Frankie and bring them in for testing. However, before they arrived, Frankie chose to flee. This decision was supported by their friends and family, and Holly herself provided Frankie with a train ticket to Albany and several thousands of dollars in cash since she was unable to leave NYC with her girlfriend. Frankie was also provided with a forged New York ID with the name William Walker Evans, or "Billie" for short, courtesy of Micro.

From Albany, Frankie caught a Greyhound bus to Syracuse. After a few days in Syracuse, they walked the roughly fifty miles to the town of Geneva. In Geneva, Frankie stocked up on things they would need for a life on the road, as well as black hair dye, to mask their bright pink hair. From there they hitchhiked to the city of Buffalo. Frankie didn't stay in Buffalo for long, only spending two nights in a motel before they purchased a used bike and began the 73 miles (117 km) to Amity Park.

The Phantom of Amity Park
In Amity Park, Frankie tracks down Jack and Maddie Fenton of Fenton Works. They introduced themself as Billie Evans and were able to sweet talk their way into staying with the family under the pretense of wanting to study ectoplasm with the experts. This immediately makes the Fenton's youngest, a boy named Danny, suspicious since almost everyone thinks his parents' research is a joke. He was also suspicious of how nervous Billie seemed, and despite not setting off Danny's "ghost-sense," Danny noticed Billie had extra-long canines, and his eyes were the same shade as ectoplasm.

Determined to protect his family, Danny broke into Billie's motel room using his intangibility. Among "Billie's" belongings, Danny found a questionable amount of cash and two New York ID cards, each with a photo of the same person, but otherwise completely different information. According to one ID, Billie was a man born on August 10th who lived in Albany, New York. According to the other ID, their name was actually Francis Stevens, a non-binary person with pink hair who was born on October 13th and was from New York City. This encouraged Danny's belief that Billie/Frankie meant harm to the Fenton family, and that perhaps they were a half-ghost in the employ of Vlad Masters. During Frankie's time in Amity Park, the high concentration of supernatural caused their spider-sense to "glitch." Instead of the usual anxiety accompanied by buzzing in their jaw, there is a near-constant static feeling at the base of their skull, which occasionally "spikes" by spreading into their temples and jaw. The first spike occurred when Frankie met Danny Fenton, the second time is later on the same day when they are confronted by Amity Park's resident spectral hero, Phantom. This, combined with the physical similarities, caused Frankie to realize that, somehow, Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are one and the same. However, having seen some of the extent of Phantom's abilities and being unwilling to expose their own mutations, Frankie was aware that they were outclassed. There was no way for them to combat an enemy who could stick his hand through their body, even if he was several years their junior. Panicked, Frankie tried to plead with Danny, revealing that they knew his civilian identity, and confessed that they were also a vigilante, "just not a dead one." The two reach an understanding and agree not to fight. Frankie confesses that they're on the run from MDA Enforcers, explaining that their canines and unnatural eye color were the result of their mutations, not caused by anything supernatural. Danny agreed to let Frankie stay in Amity Park for as long as it is safe for them, and the pair formed a tentative friendship.

Frankie spent much of their time in Amity Park with Jack and Maddie Fenton, picking their brains about their ghost-hunting technology and the engineering behind it. During this time, Frankie also found out that ectoplasm could also boost their lumen output to 2000 lumens, ten times their previous maximum. However, due to the unstable nature of ectoplasm, their bioluminescence was harder to control.

Frankie was in Amity Park for just over two weeks when, unbeknownst to them, the MDA Enforcers arrived. Since Frankie's spider-sense wasn't working properly, they didn't know they had been found until Phantom grabbed them in the middle of the street and turned them both invisible before flying away. He gives Frankie all their belongings, which he had gathered from their room, and helps them escape town undetected. The MDA Enforcers questioned the Fenton family but gleaned nothing useful. After the close call, Frankie made it a personal rule not to stay anywhere for longer than a week, though a few exceptions were made.

The Henderson Cabin
After leaving Amity Park, Frankie changed their course southward. They believed that it would throw off any pursuers since anti-mutant sentiment was more prevalent in the southern states and it would be the last place a fugitive mutant would flee to. Over the next few weeks, Frankie journeyed through Ohio, West Virginia, and into Kentucky. After staying a week in Hazard, Kentucky, Frankie reached out to Frank Castle, since the MDA Enforcers would have no reason to monitor his communications which posed less of a risk than contacting their known loved ones. Upon realizing Frankie was in Kentucky, Castle gave them directions to the off-grid cabin belonging to the late Gunner Henderson, located in Harlan, Kentucky.

Frankie left Hazard the next day and traveled 57 miles (92km) to Harlan by bike. From there, Frankie followed Castle's direction through the woods. With no path to follow, it was hard to find the cabin, which reassured Frankie that they were unlikely to be found. However, after being abandoned for more than half a decade, the cabin was in poor condition and less than waterproof, which was a problem given the storm on the horizon. Frankie used the last of the meager daylight to patch up the holes in the cabin before the rain started to fall. After settling in, Frankie had a minor breakdown regarding their situation. The isolation was getting to them, having not spoken to anyone in weeks save for their conversation with Castle, which had been incredibly short.

Frankie stayed at the cabin much longer than their one-week limit. Instead, they remained in Harlan from August 29th to September 12th, only leaving once they had run out of food and any more trips to the store would leave more of an impression than they were comfortable with.

Southern Hospitality
After leaving Harlan, Kentucky, Frankie continued south, traveling through Tennessee for a couple of weeks, stopping in Atlanta, Georgia, and then crossing into Alabama. At this point, Frankie was running rather low on funds and relied mostly on hitchhiking to get between stops. This had the added benefit of making their route more erratic, which would hopefully throw off any Enforcers. Despite the anonymity that a large city would provide, Frankie stuck to small towns and villages to preserve their dwindling funds, occasionally offering physical labor in exchange for a bed that night. In one of these small towns, known as Smoke Rise, Alabama, and located just thirty minutes north of Birmingham, Frankie was able to catch a small break.

While biking through the village, consisting mostly of large homestead properties, Frankie spotted a quilt hanging from a farmhouse clothesline, a quilt with a red and purple friendship star pattern, a dog whistle that could signify a safe house for fugitive mutants. Tired after more than three months on the run, Frankie decided to take the risk, hoping that they'd be able to get out of any potential trap, and knocked on the door. The door was answered by a grey-haired woman who introduced herself as Mary Phillips. In an excess of caution, Frankie introduced themself under the alias of Billie Evans, per usual.

Mary brought Frankie inside and introduced them to her husband Richard and their dog, a Border Collie named Bella. The pair offered Frankie a warm meal and the use of their spare bedroom for as long as they needed. To repay them, Frankie did odd jobs around the house that the pair were too old to take care of themselves. Over the course of their stay, Frankie learned quite a bit about the Phillips and their family, and the reason for their willingness to shelter mutants. Mary told Frankie that their granddaughter, a woman named Anna, was a mutant. However, her ability to siphon the life force of others, combined with her inability to control it, made her unsafe in the eye of the law and she was taken from her family. Luckily, Anna had been given a place at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, instead of a more hostile government facility. Unfortunately, her mutation led to her being disowned by her parents, something the Philips disagreed with. The experience led to the couple becoming radically pro-mutant rights and doing whatever they could to protect individual mutants who came through town.

After the first few days of staying with the Phillips family, Frankie grew to trust them and was immensely grateful to meet someone they didn't have to lie to about everything. However, Frankie and the Phillips agreed that "Billie" would not tell them their real name, or the full extent of their mutations, though their super-strength had been inadvertently revealed while Frankie was performing chores around the homestead.

Frankie stayed in the village for longer than their usual week, living with the Phillips from the 15th of October to the 25th. However, the were forced to leave town in a hurry when a knock at the farmhouse door revealed Enforcers from Birmingham. Mary hid Frankie in a secret room under the summer kitchen until the Enforcers left after several hours of searching the house. Despite their protests, Richard gave Frankie two-hundred dollars before sending them on their way at dawn the next morning.

Take Me Home, Country Roads
After leaving the village, Frankie headed further south through Montgomery to Mobile, Alabama. After that, Frankie traveled northwest across the Alabama border toward Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They continued toward Jackson, Mississippi before crossing into Louisiana and stopping in Monroe. From Monroe, Frankie hitchhiked around Louisiana for several weeks, stopping in Ferriday, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and eventually, New Orleans. By this point, Frankie had been on the run for five months and had become despondent about their situation. They had been out of contact with their girlfriend for more than a month, and even longer for the rest of their loved ones. By the time Frankie reached New Orleans, they were considering turning themself in and getting it all over with just so they wouldn't be so lonely. They considered New Orleans to be a good end to their fight since they were able to visit Cafe Lafitte, something they had wanted to do for a long time.

However, on Friday, December 20th, 2024, while sitting in the aforementioned Cafe at two in the afternoon, a news broadcast announced that the Mutation Disclosure Act had been overturned, effective immediately. Having been without a phone for the last month, Frankie instead headed straight for the airport, booking a flight back to New York City with the last of their cash.

Homecoming
Due to their lack of a phone, Frankie was unable to contact any of their loved ones to inform them that they were on their way home. Instead, Frankie made the trip back to the city on their own and arrived back at their apartment in the early hours of December 21st, which was fittingly the Winter Solstice. After letting themself in, Frankie found Holly pacing their living room and fiddling with her phone as if she was waiting for a phone call. Hearing the door open, Holly looked up and saw that her girlfriend was home. Frankie immediately embraced Holly and the two fell to the floor, both crying tears of joy. It was then that Frankie realized they wanted to marry Holly.

After spending several hours with Holly and reuniting with their fathers, Frankie decided to go on patrol and seek out Spider-Man, who had taken on extra responsibilities in Frankie's absence. Upon finding him, Aurachnid called out to him, startling the other vigilante so much that he crashed into the side of a building. However, the minor collision did nothing to sour their reunion, and Spider-Man commented that he was glad to take a load off, shocked that Frankie had taken on that same amount of work for five whole years during the Vanishing.

Also after returning home, Frankie set about getting their motorcycle license, since going on the run entirely by hitchbiking and public transportation had been extremely difficult, but they didn't have the space to store a car. After this point in the timeline, Frankie is occasionally seen riding a modified, black, sports-type motorcycle. However, web swinging is still their default mode of transportation. Thankfully, they were also able to return to their job at Alchemax.

Year Nine
In January of 2025, Frankie met with Nora Osborn alone, something that did not happen often due to their animosity towards one another. Nora had always resented Frankie for dating her daughter, claiming that they weren't good enough for Holly and their public relationship as Aurachnid put Holly in danger. At times, Frankie even believed what Nora said and tried to break up with Holly, to no avail. The fact that they stayed together through months of no contact while Frankie was on the run was a testament to how strong their relationship and Frankie wanted to take the next step.

Frankie asked Nora to meet them for coffee while Holly was out on business for OsCorp. Nora agreed, albeit reluctantly, sitting in an inconspicuous cafe with her nemesis who looked comically nervous. Nora noted that Frankie looked more nervous than any of the times she had threatened their life. Frankie stumbled over their words for a long while before they managed to ask Nora for her blessing to marry Holly. "'I know you've never liked me, but I've always respected you as Holly's mother. You love her in ways I can't even fathom, and you've risked everything to make sure that she's safe and healthy. That's why... That's why I wanted to ask for your blessing to marry her.' -Frankie, to Nora Osborn."Nora got up from the table without giving Frankie an answer and left the cafe. Unsure of what that meant, Frankie waited for twenty minutes before admitting that Nora's speedy exit probably meant they weren't getting the blessing that they had hoped for, which dampened their mood as they headed back to their apartment. Despite their low mood, they managed to get some work done as they waited for Holly to come home.

Around mid-afternoon, there was a knock on the apartment door. Knowing Holly wouldn't be home until much later, and that they weren't expecting anyone, Frankie approached with caution. They opened the door to find Nora Osborn, looking rather put upon to be in the somewhat run-down building. She handed Frankie a small ring box, telling them that it was the ring her mother had given to Emily Lyman to propose decades prior and that it had been handed down from Osborn to Osborn for several generations. She said that it was now Holly's turn to receive it, indirectly giving her blessing. Frankie proposed a few days later on impulse.

Who is this Kid?
In December of the same year, while battling the Lizard, Aurachnid was approached by a teenage boy. He claimed that he needed to talk to them and that it was important. However, since they were in the middle of an intense battle, Aurachnid swung the boy out of harm's way and told him to track them down at a better time. After the fight was over, the boy was gone. Frankie shrugged off the interaction and went home to continue planning their wedding.

Year Ten
By 2026, Frankie had been fighting crime as a vigilante for an entire decade.

Wedding Bells
Frankie and Holly tied the knot on January 20th, in a ceremony attended by their family and friends. On Frankie's side of the aisle were their fathers, Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, Sarah Windsor and her family. Peter Parker was Frankie's best man; Johnny Storm, Ned Leeds, and Harley Keener were the groomsmen. On Holly's side of the aisle were her mother, the Stacy family, and the Allan Family. Nicky Briggs traveled back to New York to act as her Maid of Honor. Gwen Stacy, Liz Allan, and Michelle Jones were her bridesmaids. Other notable guests at the ceremony were Karen Paige, Susan Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Danny Rand, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. Frankie also invited Richard and Mary Philips, though they were unable to make the trip.

There was some debate over who would walk Frankie down the aisle, since the role typically fell to the father of the bride, and Frankie had three of those. Instead, Frankie insisted on taking a more groom-like role and walking down the aisle solo to wait at the altar. Holly was walked down the aisle by her mother. The ceremony was small and private, off limits to the press, and officiated by Franklin "Foggy" Nelson. The pair wrote their own vows and exchanged rings. While Holly wore the heirloom ring, Frankie's was simple band made from Vibranium, so as to withstand any impact from their vigilante lifestyle.

While the ceremony was private, the guest list for the reception was much larger. The most notable guests at the reception being Edith Brock, in attendance on a press pass, and Deadpool, who was not invited, but was polite enough that no one bothered to kick him out. Doc Ock was also invited, but he refused to come. For their first dance, the newlyweds chose "The Resistance" by Muse.

Honkie Chateau
For their honeymoon, the pair flew to Alaska to stay in a cabin almost completely off the grid. The choice was made to get both of them away from their responsibilities, particularly away from Frankie's near-excessive dedication to the city. The couple spent a week there, spending a lot of it cozied up inside the cabin since neither Holly nor Frankie did particularly well in the cold. However, they also hiked to nearby hot springs and had snowball fights. It was very relaxing for the both of them, and they made plans to return if they ever had the chance.

Another One?
Frankie returns from their honeymoon at the beginning of February. Just a few days later they are confronted in public as a civilian by the same kid who had tried to get their attention last November. He introduced himself as Miles Morales, a name Frankie recognized from their time traveling the multiverse. Miles said he needed their help. When Frankie asked him to elaborate, Miles revealed that he had discovered their secret identity and that he believed a spider bite at Alchemax had given him super-human abilities. Frankie took Miles back to their apartment and asked him to prove it, at which point Miles jumped upwards and clung to the ceiling by his fingertips, clearly displaying the same spider-like adhesion of Aurachnid and Spider-Man.

Frankie agreed to start training him the following month, believing that it would be the safer option. Miles was so set on becoming a hero he would do whatever it took, and Frankie wanted him to have training and safety nets, instead of taking to the streets without them. The training was intense, and Miles grew to be close friends with both Frankie and Peter. In June, following the end of the school year, Miles made his debut as a vigilante under the name Spider-Man. For the sake of clarity, however, many often referred to him with variations such as: Spider-Man Jr, Spider-Boy, Spider-Kid, Brooklyn Spider-Man, and occasionally, Hombre-Araña. His suit is mostly black with accents of red.

The Man Called Apocalypse
In September an ancient mutant by the name of En Sabah Nur, aka Apocalypse, rose from a centuries-long slumber. Upon waking, he recruited four "Horsemen" to his cause. The role of Famine fell to Ororo Monroe, aka Storm, a young mutant with the ability to manipulate the weather. The title of Pestilence was given to Caliban, an albino mutant who had the ability to sense other mutants. Abraham Kieros, a formerly-paralyzed veteran with the mutant ability to create explosions, took the mantle of War. Finally, the leadership role of Death fell to Warren Worthington III, aka Angel/Archangel, a winged mutant who had been injured several months prior and lost the ability to fly. Apocalypse manipulated the Four Horsemen into joining his cause with promises to fulfill their greatest desires. Ororo was given stronger abilities. Caliban was granted enough power to take revenge for his family. Abraham received an end to his full-body paralysis. Warren was given the ability to fly again with metallic wings with feathers that could be fired as projectiles.

In order to distract those who would try to stop him, Apocalypse ordered the Horsemen to attack New York City while he followed his own plans in his home country of Egypt. While the distraction would ultimately prove to be a failure, the Four Horsemen's attack on the city was vicious and destructive. Several members of the X-Men were sent to top them. These included Iceman, Nightcrawler, Gambit, and Cyclops. Despite their efforts, the power of the Horsemen was too much. Upon realizing the battle was taking a turn for the worst, Frankie and Peter joined the battle and were aided by Iron Fist and Power Man. With their combined power the X-Men and NYC Vigilantes managed to match the Horsemen in strength. This allowed Iceman the opportunity to fake his death at the hands of Archangel. The shock of murdering his friend was enough to shock Archangel into abandoning his leadership of the Horsemen. Storm followed his example, however, Caliban and Abraham remained firm in their loyalty to Apocalypse, fleeing the city when they realized the tides of battle had turned against them.

Cyclops thanked the vigilantes for their help before the X-Men and former Horsemen retreated to their nearby jet and returned to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

A New Job
In February of 2027, Frankie was contacted by Professor Charles Xavier, founder, and headmaster of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, a private school for mutants to get an education and learn to use their abilities in a controlled setting. He had seen their fight with the Four Horsemen several months prior, clearly revealing that he knew their secret identity. He also mentioned seeing the way they had trained Spider-Man after the Return, as well as their work with the second Spider-Man.

Xavier assured them that their identities were safe and that he meant no harm, informing Frankie that he wanted to offer them a part-time position at his school as a combat instructor. He reasoned that it would be beneficial for his students to learn from someone with their experience and perspective, as well as test their skills against a combatant they hadn't fought before. Frankie accepted the offer and began teaching combat lessons twice a week during the school year and four times a week during the summer. In order to preserve their secret identity, Frankie taught in full costume and used a voice modifier unless they had to pull up their mask for hard-of-hearing students.

During this time, Frankie became good friends with several X-Men, including Warren Worthington III (now using the alias "Angel") who they had known in middle school. They also became friends with Ororo Monroe, Kitty Pryde, Kurt Wagner, and Remy LeBeau.

An Even Newer Job
As summer came to an end, Frankie became less fulfilled by their work at Alchemax and found more personal satisfaction during their part-time work with the students at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Being a telepath, Charles Xavier was aware of this which lead to him offering Frankie a teaching position at his school in the subjects of Mathematics and Physics. The position would be full-time and included access to a lab so they could continue to work on their doctorate. Frankie accepted the job offer after consulting with their wife.

Keeping their identity a secret as a full-time professor was considerably harder than it was during their time as a combat instructor, and many of the X-Men learned their secret identity given Frankie's minor celebrity-by-proxy status. Still, Frankie attempted to prevent this as much as possible by wearing a mask while teaching, even in the classroom, though they did take it off when they were alone, or with people who already knew their identity.

Given how often they are at Xavier's School, and by proxy X-Men Headquarters, Aurachnid often found themself involved in battles alongside the X-Men, either because the X-Men asked for their help, or because Frankie insisted on tagging along. Because of this, Aurachnid gained intermittent status as a member of the X-Men and was given a suit to match.

Years Twelve Through Twenty-Seven
⚠️ [Major Work in Progress] ⚠️

Aurachnid's Final Year [WiP]
By 2043, Frankie had been acting as a vigilante for 28 years. In July of that same year, at the age of 41, all of that would come to an end.

A Hero's Sacrifice
During a fight with Carnage, in an effort to protect the younger hero, Frankie shielded Spider-Man (Peter Parker) with their own body. The villain's claws sliced through their lower back and completely severed Frankie's spinal chord between the T12 and L1 vertebrae. They were able to escape with their life, but despite significant advancements in medicine, their healing factor, and the considerable wealth of the Osborn-Stevens family, the damage was permanent and Frankie was paralyzed from the waist down. Consequently, Frankie's identity as Aurachnid was also compromised.

The combination of their paraplegia and the overwhelming attention from the media took a toll on Frankie's mental health. They feared that the reveal of their identity would compromise Peter's and Miles' secret identities, or that it would put their family in danger. Additionally, they feared their recent loss of mobility would prevent them from protecting their loved ones should their enemies want to take revenge. Losing their ability to operate as Aurachnid also caused issues, as Frankie felt they had lost their sense of purpose. As a result, Frankie became incredibly depressed during their recovery and often lashed out at their loved ones. It was only with consistent therapy, medication, and support that Frankie eventually overcame the mindset and adapted to their new way of life.

Aftermath
[Outline: Criminal proceedings because vigilantism is, technically a crime. Peter feels guilty about Frankie's injury. Frankie starts a training initiative/charity for young vigilantes.]

Personality
Frankie is a very go-with-the-flow person in their everyday life. Minor inconveniences roll off their shoulders, and they're very adaptable. They have a good sense of humor and a strong sense of justice. They are fiercely protective of the people they care about. However, they tend to have trouble admitting when they're wrong, and they often come off as flaky when their duties as Aurachnid interfere with everyday life. Due to their neurodivergence, non-traditional family life, and distinct appearance, Frankie was often the target of bullies in their early school years. This led to a lack of confidence that carried through into their adult life. Eventually, they gained more confidence, but they maintained a meek personality in order to protect their identity.

As Aurachnid Frankie exhibits more confidence than in civilian life. They come off as fearless, even in the face of great danger. They tend to cover up any nervousness with humor and quips at the expense of their opponent, though they may waver at times they are truly afraid. They are quick to put themself in harm's way if someone else is in danger, and prone to anger when there is danger to civilians. Their strong feelings regarding collateral damage are a result of their high school girlfriend dying in the collapse of Midland Circle.

Team-Work
As an independent vigilante, Frankie gets along best with other independent vigilantes and heroes. They work well with others but don't hold official hero teams in high regard. They feel the Avengers and SHIELD/government-sponsored teams have become more like super-powered police, with a high risk of corruption and abuse of their power. They have a slightly more favorable opinion of the X-Men, though they have mixed feelings about the young ages of some members of the team. They do admire Professor Xavier for his desire to protect his students and assure them of their worth, despite rampant mutant-phobia, and his emphasis on giving everyone a good education. As for the Fantastic Four, Frankie is rather indifferent. Their family dynamic and transparency make them easy to trust, which Frankie does with caution.

Powers and Abilities
Though somewhat resembling the Cyriopagopus lividus, aka the cobalt blue tarantula, the spider that bit Frankie is of an unknown species, potentially an amalgamation of different species considering their various abilities which can not be attributed to a single type of spider. Though they have little background in biology or arachnology, Frankie themself has theorized that the spider may have sported a combination of DNA and traits from jumping spiders, peacock spiders, and other non-arachnid organisms. Being bitten severely changed Frankie's physiology in a number of ways.

Major Powers

 * Superhuman Strength: Jumping spiders are capable of lifting 170x their body weight. This means that Frankie, who weighs 160 lbs (72.5 kg), is theoretically capable of lifting 27,200 lbs (12337.7 kg). However, they have only been known to lift as heavy as 24,000 lbs (10886.2 kg). This may be due to the limitations of human skeletal and muscle systems. It's possible that this is what allows their joints to withstand the high strain of web-swinging with minimal issues.
 * Superhuman Reflexes: Spiders of every species have much faster reaction times than humans. Frankie estimates that their reaction time is about five times what it was prior to the bite. In reality, their reaction speed is about ten times what it was before, and twelve times the average human. Without the assistance of their spider-sense, Frankie's fastest reaction time is 15 ms and averages around 20 ms.
 * Superhuman Constitution: Due to both their enhanced physiology and their own willpower, Frankie is capable of brushing off attacks that would kill the average human. They are particularly resistant to high-power blunt force traumas, but only moderately more resistant to puncture wounds, or wounds that result in extensive blood loss. They are seemingly more durable than many other spider heroes, including Earth-711's Peter Parker. Because of this, Frankie's fighting style involves taking a lot of hits to tire out their opponent, even opponents who are considerably stronger.
 * Superhuman Agility: Before the bite, parkour gave Frankie a lot of flexibility, balance, coordination, and agility. However, their agility has since multiplied even further. Tricks that they had been stuck on previously now come easily, they are capable of jumping several times average and they are as flexible as the most skilled contortionist. Unfortunately, this particular ability has a less-than-desirable side effect. Frankie sometimes favors more spider-like positions and behaviors when relaxing. This includes resting in a hammock made of webbing, hanging from the ceiling, walking or sitting on the walls, and even sleeping in contorted positions on surfaces in ways that physics shouldn't allow. Observers sometimes find this behavior unsettling.
 * Adhesion: The pads of Frankie's hands and the soles of their feet are covered in millions of microscopic pro-tractable structures similar to a spider's setae. These fibers allow Frankie to stick to any number of surfaces and are capable of supporting dozens of times their body weight. Being pro-tractable means that these setae are inactive by default, and require some degree of concentration to extend. However, in times of high stress, Frankie has been shown to accidentally adhere to various surfaces. The setae are long enough to reach past the fabric of Frankie's suit, allowing them to stick without leaving their hands and feet exposed. However, Frankie has also been shown sticking to surfaces through thick boots, this is likely an intentional choice made by the author for convenience.
 * Enhanced Perception: After being bit, all of Frankie's senses were enhanced far beyond what even the most sensitive non-mutated humans can perceive. The most affected are their sense of hearing, touch, and vision.
 * Enhanced Vision: Frankie no longer requires corrective lenses after being bit, and is even capable of seeing some light on the UV spectrum. Because of this, they have some trouble recognizing people in photographs. They can see better than average in dim rooms, though they cannot see in complete darkness, and it's been calculated that they have 30/10 vision. This means they can see clearly at 30 ft what most people can only perceive at 10 ft. In addition, the bite transformed Frankie's eyes from a natural hazel-green to a shade bordering on neon. Some people find this to be unnerving and, similar to effects observed in nocturnal animals, their eyes seem to reflect light.
 * Enhanced Hearing: Though they are no Daredevil, Frankie hears far more than should be possible. They've been shown to hear the electricity in the walls, the heartbeats of people nearby, and people talking several stories below them. It's not specified the minimum decibels they are capable of hearing.
 * Hypersensitive Touch: Similar to a seismometer, Frankie is capable of feeling tremors in the earth far more minute than what normal humans are capable of recognizing. They can also recognize changes in air pressure before a storm, and they can roughly estimate the weight and build of a person based on the vibrations of their footsteps. Unfortunately, this means that they are very particular about what clothes they wear, as some fabrics feel overwhelming against their skin.
 * Spider-sense: Like most spider heroes, Frankie has a sort of precognitive sense that allows them to react to danger before they, at least consciously, perceive it. This manifests typically as an overwhelming feeling of anxiety paired with a "buzzing" sensation in their teeth and jaw. Frankie has been known to compare it to chewing tinfoil with fillings. It's unknown how this ability works, though it's speculated to be a subconscious reaction to stimuli compiled by their enhanced senses.

Minor Powers

 * Bioluminescence: Easily the least spider-like of Frankie's powers is their bioluminescence, caused by a luciferin reaction under the surface of their skin. It's an ability not seen in arachnids, but the lab in which they were bit was overgrown with mycena chlorophos, a fungus known for its ability to glow. It's possible that the mutated spider that bit Frankie was crossbred or genetically manipulated to possess this trait. This ability allows Frankie to activate the luciferins or foxfire at will, which presents as swirling patterns along their entire body that produce a pale green light. At first, the average output of their bioluminescence was around 50 lumen, however, they are now capable of a maximum output of more than 100 lumen. With their enhanced eyesight, this is more than enough to illuminate complete darkness. They can also increase their light output by consuming ectoplasm or organisms which produce luciferins. These include firefly shrimp, assorted plankton, squid, snails, and, of course, mycena chlorophos (among other bioluminescent mushrooms). However, while the consumption of ectoplasm is the most effective at boosting their lumen output, the supernatural nature of the substance leads to an inability to control its activation.
 * Scarring: Due to their accelerated healing factor, Frankie does not visibly scar from most injuries. Instead, the luciferins under their skin become concentrated over healed wounds. This means that scars instead manifest only when the biochemical reaction is triggered. This is part of the reason their lumen output has increased since their debut. It's been speculated that this also applies to broken bones, but there is not yet a solid verdict.


 * Accelerated Healing: Thanks to their enhanced physiology, Frankie heals about five times that of the average human. Bruises and light scrapes can fade in as little as a single day, though the severity of the injury is directly proportional to healing time. Broken bones can heal as quickly as a single week if properly treated. Unfortunately, Frankie's tissues heal only marginally more completely than average. Without proper physical-therapy, severe injuries will continue to cause discomfort, especially during shifts in air pressure.
 * Accelerated Metabolism: A major caveat of their enhanced healing is the speed at which their metabolism consumes calories. Pre-bite Frankie consumed about 3000 calories per day to compensate for the energy used for parkour. After being bit, Frankie must consume 4000-6000 calories to ensure optimal performance. That is as much as 150% of the calories consumed by elite male gymnasts. This has forced Frankie to find some creative ways to maintain energy levels without going broke on groceries. In addition to regular meals, Frankie consumes several meal-replacement shakes and bars per day. They also metabolize medications faster than average, rendering many of them ineffective.
 * Enhanced G-Force Tolerance: Spiders have an open circulatory system which allows them to swing around without losing consciousness. Average human beings are only capable of withstanding 9gs for a few seconds before unconsciousness. At the lowest point of their swing, Frankie experiences anywhere from 3-15gs of force. However, due to their enhanced physiology, the blood vessels in their legs contract and allow them to remain conscious under forces that would kill a normal human.

Other Post-Bite Traits

 * Growth Spurt: Prior to being bitten, Frankie measured about 5'7" (170cm) tall. In the week following, their height increased by 5 inches, putting them at an even 6'0" (183cm). This caused a fair amount of growing pains and stretch marks, mostly on their thighs, and Frankie no longer fit most of their pants and had to replace a good percentage of their wardrobe. Growing so much in a short span of time also temporarily impaired Frankie's coordination and resulted in a lot of bumps and bruises.
 * Fangs: Though not noticeable at a glance, after being bitten Frankie's canine teeth became elongated to the point of resembling vampire fangs. Though spiders use fang-like chelicerae to dose prey with venom, and despite cyriopagopus lividus being known for having potent venom, Frankie's elongated canines seem to be strictly vestigial in nature.
 * Aversion to Mint: Spiders have been shown to naturally avoid menthol, a trait that Frankie inherited after being bitten. Frankie finds both the scent and taste of mint to be incredibly repulsive, bordering on nauseating, though it used to be one of their favorites. Now they are unable to use most toothpaste and other dental products and instead have to default to bubblegum and fruit-flavored substitutes. Notably, Holly Osborn has taken advantage of this trait when they are upset with Frankie, chewing mint-flavored gum so that Frankie cannot kiss her.
 * Poor Temperature Regulation: During cold weather, some spiders enter a state similar to hibernation, called diapause. It is widely accepted that this is the reason for Frankie's poor temperature regulation. In temperatures below 50°F (10°C) they are highly susceptible to hypothermia. Because of this, they have a heating system built into their suit to maintain a healthy core temperature. In addition, they also have several long-john adjacent garments with built-in heaters, which they can wear underneath their regular clothing. Unlike spiders, Frankie is warm-blooded, and the consequences for entering a diapause state are potentially catastrophic.

Abilities

 * Genius-Level Intellect: Frankie is highly intelligent, measuring up to even the brightest minds of Earth-711 such as Dr. Reed Richards, and the late Dr. Tony Stark. Though most of their interest, and by proxy their skill, lies in engineering, they also know vast amounts about other fields like chemistry, genetics, and computer science.
 * Skilled Engineer: Frankie has displayed incredible amounts of skill in the field of engineering, having built their own web shooters from scratch, and having built several electronic systems into their suit. Related to this, they have also shown great skill in programming, proven by the functionality of JUDOS, the AI software integrated into their suit and available on several other devices.
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat: Though Frankie initially relied heavily on their superior strength and reflexes to best their opponents, necessity has forced them to become highly adept at melee and hand-to-hand combat. This, combined with their superhuman mutations, makes them a formidable opponent in battle.
 * Elite Acrobat: Given their background in free running and their enhanced g-force tolerance, Frankie's acrobatic abilities rival those of even the most famous circus performers. Their enhanced reaction time and super strength allow them to perform aerial maneuvers that seem to break the laws of physics or would take years for a normal human to master.

Weaknesses

 * ADHD: Due to their metabolism, they are unable to medicate, and have struggled academically. Their enhanced senses have also caused them to become more distractible than before.
 * Low Temperatures: In temperatures below 50°F (10°C) Frankie is highly susceptible to hypothermia, as spiders are incapable of regulating their own body temperatures.
 * Sensory Overload: Due to their heightened senses, it is easy for them to become overwhelmed in the presence of specific, or an abundance of stimuli. This becomes most apparent in times of high stress, and Frankie usually copes with deep pressure therapy and practiced breathing techniques.
 * Short Temper: Due to constant sleep deprivation and emotional disregulation, Frankie has a tendency to snap with minimal provocation. They are usually quick to apologize, but it has damaged some of their relationships.
 * Gaseous Compounds: Several times Aurachnid has fallen victim to sedatives, hallucinogens, and other harmful substances in aerosolized form. They have not yet found a way to keep this from happening, as the low profile of their mask makes it difficult to integrate any sort of functional gas mask. However, it's been shown that they are able to wear a normal gas mask/respirator over the mask of their costume.

Equipment

 * Web-shooters: Devices mounted on the inside of the wrists with a push button on the palm. Capable of dispensing a variety of specialized polymers referred to as "webbing." The original designs were Frankie's own, but future iterations were a collaborative effort between themself and Spider-Man.
 * Webbing: Specialized polymer similar in characteristics to spider silk. Aurachnid's original web formula was reverse-engineered from samples of Spider-Man's discarded webbing. However, once the pair became friends, Spider-Man shared the formula for his own webbing, which was far stronger than Frankie's knockoff version.
 * Degradable webbing: Standard webbing that dissolves quickly when exposed to the elements, particularly UV light from the sun.
 * Impact webbing: Webbing contained in a pressurized mechanism, which can be thrown at a target or fastened to most surfaces. Good for adhering opponents to nearby surfaces.
 * Ribbon Webbing: Low-adhesion webbing that forms a band about an inch wide. Useful for tourniquets, or securing passengers for web swinging.
 * Medical Webbing: Absorbent, sterile, and hypoallergenic webbing. Useful for slowing bleeding until proper medical care can be administered.
 * Electrically-conductive webbing: Adhesive webbing integrated with conductive materials. Capable of delivering between 1,200 - 200,000 volts. Voltage is controlled through the suit's computer
 * Non-degradable webbing: Standard webbing that will not dissolve without the use of a specialized solvent.


 * Web-watch: A wrist-mounted device that allows Frankie to travel the multiverse. Described as bulky and outdated-looking, the device seems very rudimentary on the surface. The screen uses Cathode Ray Tubes rather than modern LED technology, and has appropriately low image quality. However, the sacrifices made to the appearance were made to increase the functionality of the device.
 * Aurachnid Suit: Following the Vanishing and the events that followed, Frankie rebranded their entire vigilante image, taking on the name "Aurachnid" and drastically changing the design of their suit. The new suit is mostly black and dark blue with accents of white and bright green. The new suit has more web patterns than previous iterations, and is made of a spandex-Kevlar blend dubbed "Kevlex." It also includes a full face mask in black, reactive eye lenses, a large hood, and hard plastic on the gloves and booties to give an advantage in hand-to-hand combat. Unlike many other "Spider-Suits," the body of the Aurachnid suit is one piece and is fastened with a zipper along the spine. The mask, gloves(+web shooters), and booties are removable for cleaning convenience.
 * JavaScript Unsupervised Disc Operating System (JUDOS): An AI assistant programmed by Frankie to assist in Aurachnid duties. As the name suggests, the design was inspired by GLaDOS, from the Portal franchise. This is most obviously reflected in JUDOS's voice. The AI is able to form a number of tasks, including but not limited to, filing police reports, calling emergency services, and tracking crime to a slight degree. JUDOS is also available outside the suit in the form of smart-watches, tablets, and smartphones.
 * Voice Modifier: Starting with their first cohesive Arachnikid suit, every future version includes a voice modifier to protect their identity. The voice modifier doesn't change the pitch of their voice but instead gives it a digital tone. The sound is comparable to a vocoder, though much less harsh so they can be easily understood. This has caused some conspiracy theorists to believe that Aurachnid is actually an android or robot.
 * One-Directional Panels: In order to allow the use of their bioluminescence in the suit, it has several panels that allow light to pass through while seemingly opaque when not in use. These panels are less armored than the rest of the suit, though, in some versions, Frankie has found a workaround, to keep from being cut in the same place over and over.
 * Masquerade Protocol: Due to constant attempts by enemies to remove their mask, Frankie designed the Masquerade Protocol. This program uses nano-particles to reinforce the fabric of the mask and keep it secured to their face. It's described as being able to withstand any blade not made of Adamantium or Vibranium. This has proven useful a number of times but unfortunately makes it more difficult to breathe.
 * Dead-Lock Protocol: In order to make the suit tamper-proof when they are unconscious or otherwise compromised, Dead-Lock Protocol fries all exterior access ports on the suit, located on their wrists, and chest and heavily encrypts JUDOS's software. Once activated, the software is inaccessible without the decryption key, even for Frankie themself. Said decryption key comes in the form of a 3.5 inch floppy disk that must be directly inserted into the motherboard in the small of the back. Once decrypted, the suit does a soft reset, which deactivates any other protocols that were active prior to engaging Dead-Lock. Copies of the decryption key were entrusted to several of Frankie's trusted allies, and members of their family.
 * Winter Suit: In order to combat their poor temperature regulation, Frankie designed a secondary suit for use in the colder months. The suit looks identical to its warm-weather counterpart, but the inside is lined with wool for insulation. The suit also contains the innards of several heated blankets sewn into the lining and attached to a battery. The battery was later replaced with an energy-generating mechanism. This keeps Frankie's body temperature above the threshold to trigger diapause between late October and early March.
 * Vigilante Helpline: A burner flip-phone with the contacts of several NYC-based vigilantes, and Claire Temple. Given to Arachnikid by Daredevil so they could count on backup, should they ever get in over their head. Upon the creation of JUDOS, the Vigilante Helpline was integrated into the suit so they didn't have to carry around a physical phone.
 * Arachnikid Suit (obsolete): Made by Frankie with input from Peter Parker, the suit is a blend of spandex, Kevlar, and titanium nano-particles, integrated with advanced technology of Frankie's own design. The design is mostly black but has large blocks of blue, mint green, and white. The skin-tight suit includes a full-face mask with reactive lenses, a large hood, and hard plastic reinforcements to the boots and gloves.

Relationships
See more info: Arachnikid Relationships (Expanded)
 *  Family 
 * Markus "Mark" Stevens: Father (dad)
 * Dr. David Clark: Father (papa)
 * Sarah Windsor (nee Clark): Surrogate mother and aunt figure
 * Paige Aarons †: Late girlfriend
 * Nicola "Nicky" Briggs: Ex-girlfriend
 * Holly Osborn: Wife
 * Nora Osborn/Green Goblin: Mother-in-Law
 * Frank Castle/The Punisher: Ally and father figure
 *  Friends & Allies 
 * Peter Parker/Spider-Man: Best friend and mentee
 * Miles Morales/Spider-Man: Friend and mentee
 * Matt Murdock/Daredevil: Ally
 * Danny Rand/Iron Fist: Ally
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Allies
 * Danny Fenton/Phantom: Friend and ally
 * Charles Xavier/Professor X: Employer
 *  Enemies 
 * Dr. Otto Octavius/Doc Ock: Mentor turned enemy
 * Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino: Nemesis
 * Edith Brock/Venom: Enemy and conditional ally
 * Venom Symbiote: Temporary ally
 * Nora Osborn/Green Goblin: Enemy and Mother-in-Law
 * Courtney Connors/The Lizard: Enemy
 * Wilson Fisk/Kingpin: Enemy
 * Cletus Kasady/Carnage: Enemy
 * Alejandra Beck/Mysterio: Enemy

Other Versions
 Frankie A. Stevens (Earth-668) 

Frankie Addison Stevens is the original version of Arachnikid. However, due to extensive retcons to the storyline, the character was separated into two canons. The story Earth-668 was pretty much abandoned in favor of the more well-thought-out Earth-711.

The timeline for Earth-668 ends just after the end of the Blip, as it is referred to in this continuity.

In this version, Frankie's dad (Mark Stevens) is a cop, rather than a nurse, and their pa (David Clark) is a robotics engineer instead of a geneticist. Neither were taken in Earth-668's "Vanishing." Also notably, the suit is a gift from Tony Stark, as the early version borrowed heavily from the MCU. This was changed in order to highlight Frankie's own intellect, as well as Peter's, by having them create their own suit, AI operating system, and web shooters. Frankie A's bioluminescence was also blue, to give the impression of a firefly shrimp, since they, like spiders, are arthropods.



 Frankie B. Stevens (Earth-748) 

Frankie Brooklyn Stevens. In this universe, Frankie is not bitten by the Oscorp spider, and Paige never dies. Instead, their papa (David Clark) dies at the hands of Kingpin and Tony Stark takes them under his wing. This version instead becomes Iron Knight, a hero similar to Iron Man, who operates independently of SHIELD but will take over the responsibilities of Iron Man when Stark retires and/or dies. This version is also unaware of the identities of NYC's vigilantes, such as Daredevil and Spider-Man. This version is also a few inches shorter than the others and still needs corrective lenses to see clearly, since the lack of a spider bite means that they never got their growth spurt and their vision was never fixed.

Development Trivia

 * Frankie's name being the same as Frank Castle's son (Frank Jr. aka Frankie) was a complete coincidence. However, the author has chosen to embrace the "happy-little accident" and has since used it as a plot device to build a relationship between Castle and Aurachnid.
 * Frankie's middle name is a running joke, which is coincidentally helpful in differentiating between versions of the character. Frankie A. was created first, followed by Frankie B., and then Frankie C.
 * When choosing a middle name for Frankie C., "Carlisle" was a promising choice that was scrapped in the end. However, it's interesting to note that Carlisle's meaning relates to forts/castles. Considering their close bond with Frank Castle, this had high comedic potential.
 * Frankie's hair is naturally pink, though in previous versions they were said to dye it.
 * The Earth number "711" was chosen as a reference to Frankie's ultra-bright signal across the multiverse. The number 7 is associated with Apollo, the god of the sun, and the number 11 is often associated with light.
 * In previous versions, Frankie's bio-luminescence was a shade of blue similar to firefly shrimp, but now that the source of their luciferin gene is the mycena chlorophos fungi, the color has been changed to a pale green to match.
 * Though audience members expressed distress at the idea of Frankie's fathers being "Snapped," the author maintains that it was necessary. "Half the appeal of Spider-Man is that he's independent and his life is falling apart. I felt that Arachnikid's life was a little too stable. Orphaning them at 16 and leaving them with almost nothing is a conflict that humbles them. It forces them to take care of themself, and forces them to mature past the child-like image they'd cultivated till that point."
 * Despite having traveled the multiverse and having encountered several alternate versions of Doc Ock and Mysterio prior to their respective debuts in Frankie's own story, Frankie gives no indication of this knowledge. In both instances, Frankie is taken entirely off guard when their mentor/ally becomes an enemy.

Character Trivia

 * Frankie is canonically able to see their wiki page (this one) but they are physically unable to read information related to things that haven't happened to them, as their brain won't translate the characters into words.
 * Like a large portion of Hellenic polytheists, Frankie practices veiling (the act of covering one's hair with fabric). However, they only tend to do so on the Sabbats, or when praying to the gods.
 * Frankie B, unlike their counterparts, is an atheist.
 * JUDOS, Frankie's AI, is constructed almost entirely out of 3.5 inch floppy discs, with some compact discs used only to increase the response time of the AI.
 * Gotham City exists on Earth-711 in New Jersey, along with all of its associated DC characters, but operates in a perpetual state similar to the 1999 No Man's Land event. While there is no known government interference, residents outside of Gotham refuse to set foot in the city on principle, due to the frequency of villain attacks. Most residents of Gotham City refuse to move somewhere else out of an extreme sense of loyalty. While some major events do still take place outside of Gotham (Ex. Bruce's training journey to become Batman and Joker's murder of Jason Todd in Ethiopia) others stay within city limits.
 * No other DC cities or characters exist on Earth-711. This means there is no Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, or other members of the Justice League.
 * By sheer coincidence, very few Gotham residents were Vanished, none of which were major characters.
 * Blüdhaven is not its own city, but instead, a district of Gotham.
 * By the beginning of Frankie's second year as a vigilante, Jason Todd has been Robin for two months.
 * Due to their ability to travel the multiverse, Frankie knows the identities of Gotham's vigilantes from reading comic books in other dimensions.
 * After their paralysis at the hands of Carnage, Frankie uses a manual wheelchair to get around. Specifically they use a Tilite ZR model, though they use their robotics knowledge to create specialized wheelchairs for different terrains.

Appearances
Adventures of Aurachnid: Atomic Disaster (Formerly "Adventures of Arachnikid: Radioactive Disaster")

@ask-arachnikid Tumblr blog
 * Arachnikid - A Saga
 * Arachnikid - A Sequel
 * Arachnikid - A Series of Drabbles
 * Aurachnid - Whumptober 2021
 * Arachnikid - A Saga [V2.0 ]

@ask-aurachnid Tumblr blog