Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, much like its predecessors, has several references to other heroes who inhabit Insomniac Games’ Marvel Universe.
Whereas Marvel had previously announced that the games based on its IPs would not be interconnected, with different studios developing titles in their own continuity, this doesn’t seem to be the case with Insomniac’s universe, which is taking advantage of the vast roster of Marvel characters that inhabit New York as part of its world-building. While some of these character references can be obvious to the casual comic fan there are plenty of others that can be rather obscure.
1.Peter Parker
The Original Spider-Man
The original Spider-Man, Peter Parker, was the first character players were introduced to in Insomniac’s Marvel Universe. Although many Spider-Man adaptations opt to focus on Peter’s years developing as a hero in high school, Insomniac wisely opted to eschew the well-known origin story in favor of a new story that took place eight years into his superhero adventures, with Peter having been Spider-Man for almost a decade by the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
2.Miles Morales
The New Spider-Man
Miles Morales was introduced in Marvel’s Spider-Man as the son of Jefferson Davis, an NYPD officer who was an ally to Spider-Man, but sadly died at the hands of Martin Li’s Inner Demons gang. While assisting May Parker at the F.E.A.S.T. shelter, Miles was also bitten by a modified Oscorp spider and developed powers of his own. Peter mentored Miles and then the younger Spider-Man grew into his own hero during the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, with both him and Peter working together as an established crime-fighting duo by the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
3.Wraith
Yuri Watanabe’s Vigilante Alter-Ego
Captain Yuri Watanabe was Spider-Man’s main ally within the NYPD during Marvel’s Spider-Man, but the loss of many of her officers during that game’s story DLC, The City That Never Sleeps led her to become the vigilante known as Wraith. When Peter meets Wraith again in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘s side missions, she is tracking down a sadistic cult known as The Flame, but the two heroes clash over their ideologies and Wraith’s lethal approach to crime fighting. Despite this, the two still work together to fight The Flame, team up to face several crimes across the city, and will likely join forces again in the future – potentially in story DLC – after how their story ended in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
4.Agent Venom
Harry Osborn’s First Symbiote Identity
When Harry Osborn returns from his experimental treatment, he believes his terminal illness has been cured, and for a part of the story, Harry uses the symbiote suit that is keeping him alive for good. With the symbiote’s powers, Harry teams up with Peter in the field and dons a look similar to Agent Venom’s in the comics, although he never technically uses the alias. Unfortunately, the symbiote left Harry to bond with Peter in a bid to save his life but ultimately ended up corrupting him, driving a rift between the two friends. When Peter finally separated himself from the symbiote, it bonded with Harry again but became the more monstrous depiction of Venom instead
5.Silk
Cindy Moon Appears In A Post-Credits Scene
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘s post-credits scene introduces another potential spider-person, Cindy Moon. After many prior attempts throughout the game’s story, Rio finally introduces Miles to the man she’s been dating: Albert Moon. Albert is Cindy’s father and introduces his daughter to the Morales family, but Insomniac has yet to reveal if she has already become her superpowered alter-ego Silk. Silk got her powers from being bitten by the same radioactive spider as Peter Parker in the comics, but with her being a similar age to Miles in Insomniac’s story it’s possible her origin story may be changed to fit this new dynamic.
6.Wolverine
Logan’s Getting A M-Rated Solo Game
Insomniac and PlayStation announced Marvel’s Wolverine in the same showcase as they announced Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and confirmed that the fan-favorite mutant would be sharing the same universe as the Marvel’s Spider-Man games. There has been very little information surrounding Marvel’s Wolverine since other than confirmation of its M-rating, however, the reveal trailer teased both Logan’s “Patch” alias, and the location Madripoor, which could set up a very different kind of story for Wolverine that hasn’t been seen as much in other media outside of the comics.
The Insomniac Marvel Universe has since been deemed Earth-1048 in Marvel’s Multiverse.
7.The Avengers
The Team May Be On The West Coast
Avengers Tower is one of the tallest buildings in Insomniac’s version of New York, although the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” are nowhere to be seen throughout any of the Marvel’s Spider-Man games, despite Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 having a full alien invasion in its final act. Upon swinging past the tower in the first game, Peter speculates that the team must be on the West Coast as a nod to West Coast Avengers to explain The Avengers’ absence.
Avengers Tower can be found in the Upper East Side of New York.
Thor and Captain America got specific shoutouts, however. In Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Miles finds a 3D-printed molecule he made alongside Phin Mason where the two speculated what Thor’s hammer Mjolnir was made of, and in Marvel’s Spider-Man‘s The City That Never Sleeps DLC, Peter tells a shield-wielding enemy that he “knows a guy with a way cooler shield” in reference to Captain America. There is also a note in Peter’s apartment in the opening scene of Marvel’s Spider-Man about a job offer for “T.S.” and while this isn’t confirmed, it could also be a reference to Tony Stark, aka. Iron Man.
8.Doctor Strange and Wong
The Mystical Sanctum Sanctorum Is In Greenwich
Doctor Strange and Wong’s residence, the Sanctum Sanctorum can be seen in Greenwich in every Marvel’s Spider-Man game. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, however, had a more overt reference to the Sorcerer Supreme during its Black Cat missions. To escape Kraven’s hunters and move to her girlfriend in Paris, Black Cat steals the Wand of Watoomb, which can be used to open portals in a sequence reminiscent of the rift mechanic in Insomniac’s previous game Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. After helping her escape, she hands Miles the wand, but it disappears from his hands and a note from Wong is left in its place telling him “The Doctor and I owe you one“.
9.Daredevil
Peter’s “Lawyer Friend” In Hell’s Kitchen
In Marvel’s Spider-Man, Peter Parker had a business card for Daredevil’s alter-ego, Matt Murdock’s law firm in one of his many backpack collectibles. Upon opening this, Peter recalled the time a blind man gave him it and offered Spider-Man some help, wondering how a blind man knew he was Spider-Man in the first place. Players could then visit the exterior of Nelson and Murdock: Attorneys at Law in Hell’s Kitchen, with its plaque displayed prominently by the entrance.
Fogwell’s Gym – where Matt Murdock’s father trained as a boxer – can also be found in Hell’s Kitchen.
Although the plaque was momentarily removed for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘s launch, it has since been added back in. Between this, mentions of Daredevil in interviews with the game’s Senior Creative Director, and the combination of other references to “Peter’s lawyer friends” and other Easter eggs in the open world, many have speculated that Spider-Man could crossover with Daredevil at some point in DLC or a future game.
10.Iron Fist
The Rand Corporation Is Based In Midtown
Superpowered billionaire martial artist, Danny Rand’s family business, the Rand Corporation can be found in Midtown in Marvel’s Spider-Man, but there have been other references to Iron Fist’s alter-ego throughout the games. The fake Spider-Man from Marvel’s Spider-Man‘s “Spider-Men” side mission mentioned training at the Chikara Dojo, which is owned and run by Danny Rand and Colleen Wing, and Ganke also mentions Rand Corporation to Miles during a mission in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
11.Jessica Jones
Alias Investigations Has Closed
In Marvel’s Spider-Man, the grizzled, superpowered investigator Jessica Jones’ detective agency, Alias Investigations, could be seen in Hell’s Kitchen. The run-down building had a “Foreclosed” notice plastered to its door and sported a crumpled cardboard sign for Alias Investigations inside its caged window. Although the location still appears by name as a Photo Op in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered, the sign changed to say “Homeless. Need Help. Thank you.” likely as a nod to the Netflix show’s cancelation between the original game’s release and its remaster, and this remained for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
12Black Panther
The Wakandan Embassy Is Situated In Midtown
When Black Panther visits America, he often resides in the Wakandan Embassy, which can be located in Midtown in the Marvel’s Spider-Man games, and Peter mentions Black Panther’s alter-ego, King T’Challa when swinging past it in Marvel’s Spider-Man. When visiting the embassy in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Miles is able to do the Wakandan salute outside and can wear the Black Panther-inspired “Forever” suit as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
13Fantastic Four
The Baxter Building Is Now In Insomniac’s New York
Fisk Tower has been replaced in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as it takes place nearly two years on from Wilson Fisk’s arrest in Marvel’s Spider-Man‘s opening moments. Instead, the new Baxter Building stands in its place. This building is the home to The Fantastic Four in the comics, and the unfinished painting of the team’s logo on the roof suggests that they could be coming to the Insomniac Marvel Universe in the future. The Fantastic Four had previously been referenced through the Future Foundation and Bombastic Bag-Man suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Peter’s New Blue suit in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a modified version of the team’s uniform.
14Inhumans
Lockjaw Has Replaced Wall Street’s Bull Statue
Due to legal issues, Insomniac had to replace Wall Street’s bull statue with The Inhuman Royal Family’s giant teleporting bulldog, Lockjaw. The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings who manifested their powers through exposure to Terrigen Mist and reside in the city of Attilan on the dark side of the moon.
15Dazzler and Lila Cheney
Miles Had Tickets To See Marvel’s Musical Superheroes
Dazzler and Lila Cheney are both mutants, music sensations, and superheroes within the Marvel Universe, with Dazzler able to convert sound into various forms of light, and Lila Cheney having the ability to teleport across interstellar distances. Miles finds tickets from seeing them live in concert back in 2015 in one of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales‘ time capsules when exploring the Masons’ repair shop.
This reference appears in the main story mission “Someone Left The Lights On” in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
16Spider-Man 2099
Founder Of The Multiversal Spider-Society
Upon completing the Spider-Bots side mission, a mysterious character named Delilah appears through a portal and claims the various Spider-Bots Peter or Miles have collected before mentioning that “Miguel” may come looking for them. Regardless of who players are controlling at this moment, the response to this will be “Who’s Miguel?“.
The Spider-Bots each give off a different signal and represent various different Spider-People from across the multiverse.
Although he doesn’t reside in Insomniac’s Marvel Universe, the Miguel in question is clearly Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, and as Delilah was a deleted character from the acclaimed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie, it’s clear that she is referring to the version in that film who started the Spider-Society and is trying to save the multiverse. As Insomniac’s version of Peter Parker appeared in a cameo in that movie, his reaction to both the portal and mention of Miguel makes it likely that the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 take place prior to it.
