SPOILER WARNING. As the title implies, this article spoils the ending and just about everything else about Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is now out, and it is spectacular. By the game’s ending, Peter and MJ are back together, Aunt May has died, Doctor Octopus exists, and Norman Osborn seems to be in possession of the symbiote. There are plenty of places for the inevitable Spider-Man sequel to go, but you may have missed a couple of the countless plot threads that the game has woven. Let’s do a deep dive into what future Spider-Man games could cover.
Harry Osborn, Symbiote Host?
The most obvious story premise comes from the post-credits scene, which reveals that Norman Osborn has the symbiote and is trying to use it to cure Harry’s genetic disease. Though it’s fair to say that most of us expected Venom to be the main villain of his own game, the idea of the symbiote controlling Harry Osborn is a novel one. Eddie Brock, Mac Gargan, and Flash Thompson are all well-known for their times with the symbiote, while Harry has only ever gotten it in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. Whether Harry becomes Venom or loses the Symbiote to another host is anyone’s guess, but either way, we’ll probably be seeing Spider-Man wear it at some point.
And with Venom, there is often Carnage. As the “child” of the Venom symbiote, the Carnage symbiote is known for fusing with Cletus Kasady, a serial killer of the worst caliber. Carnage is infinitely more vile than Venom, relishing in bloodshed and the suffering of others. As a fan-favorite villain of the 90’s, I’m sure Carnage will show up in a future entry. There are other “children” of Venom, like Scream and Toxin, but none were ever as popular as Carnage, so I can’t see any of them being anything more than side-missions or easter eggs.
Kid Arachnid, or Young Adult Arachnid?
Miles Morales has spider powers, and all is right in the world. Since his unveiling in the PSX 2017 trailer, it was inevitable that Miles would be bit by a radioactive spider at some point in the game. Though the comics only have miles become Spider-Man (or Kid Arachnid) after Peter Parker’s death (which only happens in the Ultimate continuity, so you can relax), the universe of Marvel’s Spider-Man has both Spider-Men alive and kicking. Peter and Miles even know about one another’s powers, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Peter will likely be mentoring Miles in the next game. Does this mean we’ll be able to swing around New York as Miles? Good lord, I hope so.
Yuri Watanabe, Vigilante
Yuri Watanabe is one of Spidey’s firmest allies in Marvel’s Spider-Man, but her future could be a bit more ominous than you might think. In the mainline comics Yuri becomes the Wraith, a darker vigilante who fights crime a bit more harshly than the webhead. While I think this iteration of Yuri is still a ways off from becoming the Wraith, it would be exciting to see her grow into an anti-hero, especially if Spider-Man has to battle her at some point. Until then, I’m happy with Yuri being Spidey’s Otacon.
Taskmaster’s Organization
Upon completing the final Taskmaster challenge and boss fight, Taskmaster tells Spidey that he works for an organization that was interested in hiring the wall-crawler. He promptly disappears without revealing the company’s name, which one can only assume means we’ll be learning of their identity in a future title. In the comics, there’s nary an organization that Taskmaster hasn’t been involved with, but my two biggest guesses for his employers in the game would be S.H.I.E.L.D. and A.I.M., with A.I.M. seeming the most likey.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is particularly present in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic and television series, with the latter heavily featuring Taskmaster as well. Spidey works with or even for S.H.I.E.L.D. at multiple points of different stories, so it would make sense for them to be interested in him in Marvel’s Spider-Man. The fact that Taskmaster endangered innocent lives as part of his challenges makes me think it’s probably not S.H.I.E.L.D. though, as they’re supposed to protect innocent people rather than risk their lives to test a possible employee.
This leaves us with AIM, or Advanced Idea Mechanics. A.I.M. is best known for creating M.O.D.O.K., the large-headed man whose name stands for “Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing”. They’re a scientifically advanced terrorist organization that deals in weapons and wants nothing less than global domination. Surely A.I.M. would be interested in Spider-Man’s abilities, and more than willing to hire a renowned mercenary to test him,even if some innocent lives are lost along the way. A.I.M. is a major figure in Marvel comics, and while I don’t think they’ll be the main villainous group of the next game, I think they’ll certainly continue to have an increasingly menacing presence. Even Octavius has a mug of theirs in his lab, which seems kind of weird. I feel like terrorist groups can’t make merch, but it’s a fictional world so who knows?
The Green Goblin, Unmasked!
In a less-than subtle moment of foreshadowing, a bright green light shines on Norman Osborn’s face as he looks at his symbiote-riddled son. Even throughout the main story, Norman is essentially a supervillain in a tailored suit, so it’s only natural that he’d eventually become the Green Goblin. The prototype handheld bombs that Mary-Jane finds in his secret lab just adds fuel to the fire, so I’d expect one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes to make an appearance in the not-too-distant future, especially if he were pushed over the edge by something traumatic, like his son falling victim to the symbiote.
Otto Octavius, the Superior Spider-Man?
If I had a dollar for every time Doc Ock mentioned to moving his mind to a better body, I’d definitely be at least a few dollars richer. Both before and after his villainous transformation, Octavius would frequently bring up his failing older body, and how he could do so much in a younger, healthier body. For most this would be wishful thinking, but for Otto Octavius, it’s entirely possible.
The controversial (but fantastic) Superior Spider-Man storyline revolves around Doc Ock after he trades minds with Peter Parker. In his new body, Octavius decides to outdo Parker by being a superior Spider-Man, which naturally leads to blackmail, lethal justice, spider-robots, and what is essentially a Spider-Man-run police state. Too many hints were dropped in Marvel’s Spider-Man for me to write this off as a cheeky reference, though I’m not sure how Insomniac would tackle the premise of playing as Octavius’s more lethal Spider-Man. Still, after Marvel’s Spider-Man, I certainly have faith in them.
Silver Sable Strikes Again
Right before the climactic battle with Doc Ock, Sable calls Peter and says she’s returning to her home country in order to re-evaluate her life. Like in the comics, I assume Sable will either create a new mercenary group (the Wild Pack), or join another group that is less antagonistic towards Spider-Man. The Heroes for Hire haven’t been entirely established, so becoming the leader of the Wild Pack seems like the clear path, but Insomniac could always surprise me. Whatever happens, we certainly haven’t seen the last of Silver Sablinova.
Villains on the Rise
Easter eggs have confirmed that Mysterio, the Lizard, and Sandman are already established, meaning any of them could show up in the next title. It’s not a long shot to say that any of them could have escaped during the Raft breakout, making them prime candidates for some of the spotlight in the next Spider-Man game. If that isn’t enough, Spider-Man has more than enough villains to fill out entire games. Hammerhead, Morbius, Jackal, Chameleon, Kraven, etc etc.
The Amazing Spider-Man 3’s Planned “Revival” Serum
Just kidding, that’s a horrible idea lol.
What do you think will be covered and adapted in the sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man? Leave a comment below, and stay tuned for more Spidey coverage in the coming months.
