Six Villains Not in Marvel's Spider-Man (For Now)

With apologies to inFamous 2, Marvel's Spider-Man is the best superhero game I've ever played.  Naturally, I have thoughts.  So allow me to share some of them, particularly what might happen in a potential sequel.

Marvel's Spider-Man for the PS4 is a hell of a game.  It's a well-designed open-world action game, an excellent adaptation of classic Marvel characters, and perhaps my favorite experience in capturing the fantasy of being a superhero.  I played through Spider-Man over a few weeks in September, and it was a true delight.  I'll probably never get the full platinum trophy on it because A) there's a lot of shit to collect and B) the Taskmaster challenges are pretty damn challenging, but it's definitely worth playing for fans of open-world action games and superhero stories.   

Spider-Man isn't my favorite Marvel property (perhaps bafflingly it's still the X-Men) but I've always admired Spider-Man stories for their appealing core cast and colorful villains.  Peter Parker's struggle balancing school life as a teenager with responsibilities as Spider-Man was the first of its kind, and his relationship with Mary Jane Watson is one of the great romances of superhero comics.  Spider-Man's rogues gallery of adversaries is probably my second-favorite in all of comics, behind that of Batman.  Sure, most of them are either names of animals (Vulture, Scorpion, Rhino, Doctor Octopus) or named in an extremely self-evident manner (Electro, Sandman, Hydro-Man), but I love their balance of pathos with comic-book silliness.  So of course I'm curious about what villains show up in a Spider-sequel. 

The game has a multitude of costumes to unlock

So that's the exercise of this blog post. I'm going to detail six of my favorite Spider-Man villains who do not *directly* show themselves in PS4 Marvel's Spider-Man.  I doubt the sequel will create a new Sinister Six like they did in 2018, but I have a few ideas of who might make an appearance.  The characters listed below might be mentioned in supplemental materials like backpack items, audio logs, or side dialog in the PS4 game, but never appear in person and in costume.  I won't list every single villain that those conditions disallows, but the game didn't skimp.   

I'm dividing these six into two categories: "Foreshadowed Villains" have either their human alter-ego or circumstances of their origin story clearly appear in-game, while "Surprise Villains" might be hinted at or mentioned, but don't appear in-game in-person.  So let's get to speculating: 

Foreshadowed Villain # 1

Green Goblin

Late in the story of Marvel's Spider-Man, Mary Jane discovers a hidden lab in the Oscorp building, where Norman Osborn conducts secret research related to Devil's Breath, a deadly pathogen that Osborn was convinced could potentially purge the body of genetic diseases.  In the same lab you find explosives, a mask, and a jet propulsion prototype that is clearly the Goblin Glider.  I would be shocked if Green Goblin ISN'T a major part of the Spidey-sequel.  

I'm excited for this.  Green Goblin is a very personal villain, as he's Peter Parker's best friend's father, but also a very agile and mobile villain, who I'm sure is a perfect airborne opponent for Spider-Man as a second-half boss battle.  For story reasons, gameplay reasons, and Marvel tradition reasons, Green Goblin is all but certain to appear in the next Insomniac Spider-Man game.  

Foreshadowed Villain # 2

Morbius the Vampire

One major NPC in Marvel's Spider-Man is Morgan Michaels, a biochemist who is central to the Devil's Breath storyline.  Michaels worked on the deadly compound (which also has antigen and possibly healing properties) for Norman Osborn, and later on helps Peter, Mary Jane, and others in circulating a cure for people suffering from Devil's Breath.  More importantly though, "Morgan Michaels" in the comics is an alias for Michael Morbius, who develops vampire-like powers following a mutagenic affliction.  

It all fits.  Morgan Michaels is a geneticist, Morbius's powers originate in genetics, and Marvel's Spider-Man II (working title) needs some more villains.  Morbius has several traditionally-vampiric powers, like super strength, agility, and toughness, the ability to mesmerise targets, and a hunger for blood, but without a few of the weaknesses like exposure to garlic, crosses, or the sun.  Could be a really fun storyline watching Dr. Michaels succumb to vampirism and turn into a deadly enemy of Spider-Man.  At least I hope so.  

Foreshadowed Villain # 3

Venom

Venom is an alien symbiote which (in different ways depending on which continuity) arrives on Earth and attaches itself to Peter Parker (at first) and later Eddie Brock (most of the time).  Venom makes Peter much stronger and more violent, and after Peter discards Venom, the Eddie Brock version can use some of Spider-Man's powers (absorbed by the symbiote from his time together with Peter).  Venom is also probably the most enduringly popular Spider-Man foe EVER, and there will definitely be interest from all sides to include Venom in the sequel.  

Exactly how is Venom foreshadowed, though?  An inky black goo appears in a holding tank containing Harry Osborn, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's dear friend, in Norman Osborn's lab (but Mary Jane never realizes Harry's there when she discovers the lab), and black goo in a Spider-Man game usually spells Venom.  It's unclear if it's really an alien symbiote or something connected to Devil's Breath, but it's enough for me to go on.  I would love to see Venom in the next game, even if he isn't an alien.  That trainwreck of a Venom movie somehow did extremely well at the box office.  

Surprise Villain # 1

Mysterio

Mysterio is in vogue right now.  The master of illusions and special effects was prominently featured in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Jake Gyllenhaal delivered a great performance.  Mysterio is also popular from his appearances in Spider-Man cartoons, and is a natural fit for a "dreamscape scenario" villain like the Scorpion poison scenes in Spider-Man PS4 or the Scarecrow segments in Batman: Arkham Asylum.  Mysterio does not appear in the PS4 Spider-Man, but is mentioned a few times in menu entries and semi-random banter.  

I don't know how Mysterio would fit into a larger plot for the game (especially since I don't know the central conflict of this inevitable sequel) but he's a perfect choice for a mindfuck / nightmare scenario like Scorpion or Scarecrow mentioned in the previous paragraph, and he's also a unique and fun villain with plenty of room for interpretation.  Both for how recent he starred in a big movie and how popular he is with fans, Mysterio is an ideal choice for a future big-budget Spider-Man title.  

Surprise Villain # 2

Kraven the Hunter

One of the odder Spider-Man villains, who is treated with differing levels of seriousness depending on the story.  Kraven is a Russian master hunter who has captured or killed all the big game the world has to offer, so he decides to dedicate his life to hunting Spider-Man.  Some Kraven stories are treated with surprising sensitivity - he had a romance subplot in the 1990s Spider-Man TV show, and his 1980s "Kraven's Last Hunt" is a legendary set of Spider-Man issues. 

I think Kraven is an ideal equivalent or even replacement for the Taskmaster duels in the PS4 Spider-Man game.  Occasionally ambushing Spidey and requiring specific strategies or gimmicks in each duel, with a hero with a distinct look and personality.  Kraven isn't the most popular Spider-Man villain, but I've always liked him despite the odd persona and silly accent; those two aforementioned storylines were a factor. 

Surprise Villain # 3

Black Tarantula

Black Tarantula is the most-obscure and least-popular Spider-Man villain on this list, but it's not for lack of badassery.  The first Black Tarantula gained his powers from a special potion centuries earlier, and the superhuman strength from said potion is inherited through the firstborn son of each Black Tarantula.  Over several generations, the various Black Tarantulas created a criminal empire, with its ruler being the intellectual equal and superior physical specimen to Peter Parker. 

Black Tarantula blends several types of supervillain: mystical origins (thanks to that potion), martial arts mastery (trained by ninjas at first, then previous generations of Black Tarantulas), genius-level intellect, overwhelming strength and speed, and control of a massive criminal empire.  Add a ruthless personality backed by a personal code of honor and you have a pretty excellent villain.  Black Tarantula is like if Black Panther was a super-criminal bent on killing Spider-Man.  I really like Black Tarantula and not-secretly hope he's a major villain in the Spider-Man video game sequel. 

Shocker, the very definition of "Mid-Boss"

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I beat Marvel's Spider-Man in late September and started writing this not long after, but didn't post until mid-December.  That gives you some idea of how sometimes-busy-sometimes-unproductive my October and November were.  Regardless, I want to finish one last blog post before the end of the year.  My blogging goals have failed, my personal goals are a mixed bag, and my gaming goals... may yet succeed?  We'll see.  Wish me luck.