Power Inhibitor In Spider-Man: Brand New Day - How Does Peter Become Architect Of X-Men’s Doom?

It so often happens that even the right intentions backed by right actions lose significance due to circumstances, events beyond our control. MCU is rife with examples of such incidents, namely Tony Stark’s decision to create Ultron, or Captain America’s decision to keep the truth about Tony’s parents’ death a secret from him – both of which incidents resulted in disbandment of the Avengers. Similarly, In the newly released “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, Spidey unintentionally ends up creating a crisis with the creation of a universal inhibitor, which will cause major repercussions in the future of the MCU, especially when it comes to the fate of the mutants.

Spoilers Ahead

As shown in the movie, in order to suppress his mutating spider powers, Peter decides to create the universal inhibitor chip and gets the idea to do so after meeting with Bruce Banner. Using a uniquely calibrated machine which kept his DNA and gamma levels at control, Banner was able to put on a leash on the monster inside him. Peter, whose arachnid mutations were gradually growing unstable, proposed the idea of creating an even better device which can nullify powers of the ones who have abilities formed through a genetic level. Hearing this idea, Banner right off the bat warns Peter about consequences of having it fall in the wrong hands. He knows that for him, his power is a curse, but for many others it is a tool to make a difference, or a medium to ensure their survival. Even MJ, despite not remembering her relationship with Peter, advises him against creating a tech like that to muzzle his powers. However, having taken the responsibility to shoulder his burdens all alone, Spidey ends up making an universal inhibitor chip anyway and succeeds in controlling his growing arachnid abilities. 

Viewers will surely remember that even before meeting Banner, Peter had already created a form of universal inhibitor tech in “No Way Home” – which helped him  Octavius, Electro, Lizard and Sandman. The only person who was averse to this idea of ‘curing’ was none other than the worst enemy Peter has ever faced, Norman Osborn aka Green Goblin from Tobey Maguire’s Spideyverse. This idea of reforming villains by imposing a tech was already problematic, as it not only denies the possibility of psychological corruption, it denies them the right to have control over themselves. Peter’s naivety of not realizing this turned out to be a disaster back then, and not learning his lesson still has only compounded his troubles. To control Jean Grey’s powers, Peter used the universal inhibitor chip on her. By doing so, without knowing the motive behind Jean’s actions, he allowed a bigoted, discriminatory scum like Damage Control department chief, Bill Metzger, who has been hounding mutants from the shadows, the power to restrain mutants. 

What happened with Jean was merely a glimpse of what is going to happen with the majority of the mutants and X-Men, as unlike your regular supes, the world persecutes the mutants as unnatural freaks. Yes, Jean has destroyed the inhibitor which allowed Bill to keep her restrained, but the one Spidey removed from body is not seen anywhere in the aftermath of his fight with the Hand. Additionally, Bill Metzger does survive in the end as Jean never gets to take her revenge, and since then he has gone missing as mentioned by  Detective DeWolff. Metzger had arranged a contingency plan for Spidey himself who was helping him to round up criminals, which should be indication enough for what he has planned for the mutants whom he wants to exploit for his/ higher authorities’ nefarious motive. I mean, this guy had his scientists not only restrain Jean’s powers using the inhibitor chip, but also blast her with her own telekinetic/ telepathic energies to strengthen and mutate her brain’s abilities even further. Bill Metzger falls in the class of all the deadly X-Men villains like Bolivar Trask, William Stryker and Cameron Hodge who are regular humans fuelled by their desire to exploit mutants and hatred towards their kind. Viewers who are familiar with comics storylines like “The Days of Future Past”, “The Neutralizer Sage”, “X-Tinction Agenda” already know which length humans can go to ensure mutants remain oppressed and enslaved with the use of different kinds of power dampeners and neutralizers. This one decision Peter made to control his other side will cause a domino effect so severe that it will pave the foundation of upcoming conflict between mutants and world authorities. I won’t be surprised if the persecuted X-Men end up facing Avengers in the battlefield in next major crossovers, calling out the celebrated heroes for their hypocritic behaviours just like in comics. 

Even the upcoming mega crossover event, “Avengers: Doomsday” has Dr. Doom leading an army of Sentinels, the giant mutant hunting robots seen in “The Days of Future Past” storylines. Sure, Avengers will seek help from X-Men for the fate of the multiverse, but whether the help translates for better terms for the betterment of mutants, remains to be seen. Unknowingly, Spidey can create a monster which will now be controlled by the ones in power, and he will be held accountable for this sooner or later. It’s not a stretch to find this to be similar to Oppenheimer handing over the atomic bomb to the warmongers of his country who later make him the scapegoat.