If he is immensely doped on morphine then he wouldn't be able to do anything. He would too drugged to fight. Also, even if it is a last resort move, what happens if he misses? 

All I'm trying to get at here is that because of the experiment, powers are given through altering someone's genes. If your genes cause the flesh on your arms then that is an automatic failed experiment and you would have "put out of your misery" then minute the defect was discovered.