An unnamed 15-year-old boy in India, who dreams of becoming the superhero Mercury in Marvel comics, is desperate to inject mercury into his body. Unfortunately, the part of the body that was injected became ulcers.
Instead of being Mercury as he idolized, this boy had ulcers that would not heal. He also let the spider bite him in an attempt to become another Marvel superhero, Spider-Man. Of course that effort was also in vain.
In the comics, Mercury's body is made up of a non-toxic metal that resembles the mercury in its name. This mercury content can be reshaped or solidified at will.
This unusual case is written about in a report in the National Center for Biotechnology Information. As quoted from the Daily Star, the report revealed the injuries the child suffered after he intentionally injected mercury into his body.
He was treated at a trauma center in India, but several ulcers on his left arm were difficult to heal. Medics suspect that substance abuse is a major factor in the disease. The medical team is also trying to conduct a psychiatric evaluation.
The teenager revealed that he purposely injected himself with mercury which he managed to extract from the thermometer. He did this because he was inspired by Mercury.
"Interestingly, he has a record of several spider bites due to simulating himself into Spider-Man. Surprisingly, this child has no mental problems and has a normal IQ," the report said.
The doctor performed a toxicological examination to check the level of mercury in the teenager's blood. Because of the injection, the boy lost all major blood vessels while injecting mercury. Her ulcer had to be cut to stop the spread and she had to undergo a skin graft. If all goes well, the boy will make a full recovery.
"The patient did not show clinical signs of chronic poisoning. This proves that subcutaneous mercury injection has a low risk of systemic toxicity, and histopathology plays an important role in the diagnosis," concludes the report.