Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Friends & Foes

What’s up G&Gs!  I just got done replaying Marvel’s Spider-Man on Spectacular Difficulty and it got the old theory crafting juices flowing again for the sequel.  For those of you interested, I did a topic discussing theories on the Miles Morales spin-off game we’ll be getting later this year.  You can click on my profile and give that a read before or after this one or whatever you do you.  But for this topic, I’ll be discussing potential characters that could appear and what their role will be.  Let’s begin with a few supporting characters both returning and making their debut:

Yuri Watanabe AKA Wraith: Towards the end of the Silver Lining DLC episode, Yuri has embraced becoming a vigilante that kills the worst criminals imaginable and instilling fear in the criminal underworld.  Her Earth-616 counterpart accomplished this by becoming Wraith, a vigilante using yellow and purple elastic bands for capture and traversal as well as tech from Spider-Man’s rogues gallery.  This includes equipment from Mysterio, a Chameleon mask, and Mister Fear’s fear gas.  In the sequel, Yuri will probably be gunning for some of the super villains prompting Spider-Man to intervene.  Hell she might end up murdering Wilson Fisk.

Flash Thompson:  During one of your visits to F.E.A.S.T, you can view a bulletin board and trigger a topic of homeless veterans that Peter mentions his good buddy Flash, a U.S army vet, trying to help with.  This implies that whatever beef Peter and Flash had at Midtown High has long since been squashed and became friends in college much like their 616 counterparts.  Despite the Venom tease at the end of the first game, I don’t believe this Flash will become Agent Venom.  In a world without Aunt May, Peter needs friends now more than ever to get through this tough time and who better than avid Spider-Man fan Flash Thompson?

Col. John Jameson III: son of former Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson, John is a colonel in the U.S Air Force and one of the first people Spider-Man ever saved (Amazing Spider-Man #1).  John’s 616 counterpart has lived an interesting life as an astronaut, pilot for Captain America, husband to She-Hulk and warden of Ravencroft.  Most notably, he is known as the Man-Wolf.  John Jameson’s role in the sequel would probably be hanging around his father during a leave from the Air Force, which brings us to…

J. Jonah Jameson: I’m not going to sugarcoat it, J.J might be the next mayor of New York in reference to the Big Time era.  Consider that it was his booming voice that kept New Yorker’s calm during the Devil’s Breath incident, the people probably voted him into office.  This would transform the “Just the Facts” podcast into the “Mayoral Address”.  Despite his Anti-Spider-Man policies, Jameson was a pretty decent mayor in the comics.  No doubt this will lead to some questionable decisions in defending the city he loves.

Madame Web:  This one is questionable even for me.  With Aunt May gone, Peter’s going to need some sage advice from an elderly white woman.  Madame Web could appear to Peter as a hallucination of Aunt May at first to guide him in his lowest moments.  The use of this character is wholly dependent on how far down the comic book rabbit hole Insomniac is willing to go.

Capt. George Stacy: With Yuri Watanabe on administrative leave (who are we kidding she quit) her position of police captain needs to be filled.  While other notable characters like Jean DeWolff and Frank Quaid could fill that position, I think Stacy will come into play as a decorated and renowned police officer.  Hell much like a few of his multiverse counterparts, he’ll deduce Peter’s identity as Spider-Man.  However, the only reason I bring up this character is because of…

Gwen Stacy: Isn’t it interesting that Gwen was completely missing in the first game, no mention at all.  Considering Norman Osborn isn’t the Green Goblin yet means she’s still alive.  This tells me something that a lot of people might hate or love, Gwen is going to be Miles’s classmate and potential love interest at Midtown High.  This also signifies her position as this Earth’s Spider-Woman.  Personally I have no problems with Peter, Miles and Gwen as the Spider-Trinity, but I hope Gwen gets her powers in a slightly different way.

If there any other supporting characters I missed and would like to discuss please share your thoughts.  Let’s move onto villains:

Kraven the Hunter:  This is one of the few iconic Spider-Man villains that got no mention at all in the first game.  This tells me he will play a big role in either the sequel or the sequel’s DLC.  Hell, with more than one Spider themed hero swinging around it can turn into a family affair with Sergei bringing his wife, sons, and daughter into the hunt.  They could combine elements of storylines like Kraven’s First Hunt, Kraven’s Last Hunt, the Gauntlet and Grim Hunt into a single campaign.  However he’s used, here’s hoping for Kraven to appear.

The Chameleon:  Included in the Kravinoff family is Sergei’s half-brother, Dmitri Smerdyakov AKA the Chameleon.  Not only is he the very first villain Spider-Man fought but he got name dropped in the “Spider-Men” side mission.  And here’s the best part, for all we know he could have been in the first game!  Chameleon is a master of disguise and mimicry.  Any secondary or tertiary character we saw on screen like Charles Standish, Dr. Morgan Michaels, and David Obademi that are still alive could be Chameleon.  Could Chameleon be working for the tyrannical Symkarian government to spy on Oscorp and Sable International?

The Lizard: One of Spider-Man’s more sympathetic villains who from time to time embraces the darker side.  It’s been established that Dr. Curt Connors exists in this Earth and is still the Lizard.  Personally I’d like to see a twist with this character’s story.  For example, I’d like to see Billy Connors as a teenager as opposed to a child and perhaps he becomes this Earth’s version of Iguana.  Will Peter fight a father/son reptile duo or will Peter help Connors save his son?

Sandman: Another iconic villain, Flint Marco is a crook who could be reasoned with.  If you listen in on an Aunt May/Miles conversation, May once talked Sandman out of robbing the F.E.A.S.T shelter.  Perhaps in the sequel Flint will try to go straight, but struggle due to his criminal past.  Or he’ll stay a bad guy and we get a giant Sandman boss battle.

Mysterio: Yet another villain referenced in the first game, I could totally see Mysterio inducing Scarecrow-like hallucinations Arkham style.  I’m having a hard time trying to think what he would do on his own, perhaps a classic framing Spider-Man story?  Honestly this guy works better in a group like the Sinister Six.

Hobgoblin:  That’s right, I want the sequel to pull a Spider-Man TAS and introduce Hobgoblin first.  What’s debatable is which one to go with?  Here’s my take.  Pissed off at Mary Jane and the Daily Bugle, Norman starts paying Ben Ulrich’s nephew Phil to spy on the associate editor and help him rise up as a reporter focusing on the faults of other tech companies.  Perhaps Phil learns Mary Jane has a more personal connection to Spider-Man and Norman provides Phil with the goblin tech for an ambush.  Though I’ll accept Roderick Kingsley or Jason Macendale as Hobgoblin.  Imagine getting Mark Hamill to reprise his Macendale/Hobgoblin role from TAS.

The Bombshells:  This one I’d save for the Miles side of the story.  Lori and Lana Baumgartner are a mother/daughter criminal duo with the ability to fire explosive or concussive energy blasts.  While Lana eventually goes straight and becomes a hero her mother Lori is a criminal to the core.  Hell, Lana even develops feelings for Miles.  In the Ultimate Universe they were on a new Ultimates team along with Cloak and Dagger (another duo I’d love to see in this universe).  It should also be noted that Roxxon turned Lori into a superhuman while she was pregnant.  Perhaps the Bombshells could appear in the Miles Morales game first?

<b>Spencer & Alistair Smythe</b>: Whether it’s Oscorp or Jameson, I believe the father/son duo might be called on to hunt down and capture the Spider-Men with their Spider Slayers.  This story might hit home for Miles if during this storyline Spencer dies and Alistair lashes out at everyone.  Alistair could serve as the dark road Miles could have gone down if he didn’t have the support of friends like Peter and MJ or his mother’s love.

The Return of the Sinister Six:  This one’s going to be long and is technically about Doc Ock and Norman Osborn.  Holed up in a secret lab and without access to vast resources, Norman has no choice but to break Octavius out of the Raft to save his son’s deteriorating situation.  Because Oscorp helped build the Raft initially, Norman sends a small group of villains including Hobgoblin, Chameleon and Mysterio to cause a prison break.  Surprisingly, Vulture and Electro help with Octavius’s escape because their time with the Six improved their very beings.  Rhino and Scorpion however go their separate ways as their time was not so good.  Martin Li however remains in prison wracked with guilt of partially killing May Parker, the kindest woman he ever met.

To everyone’s shock except Norman, Otto has completely forgotten not only the events of the first game but why he hated Norman to begin with.  Norman would have had informants within the Raft report this, explaining why he would ever work with Octavius.  Pretending to be his friend, Norman would give Otto’s arms back, claiming he invented them for his ailing friend in exchange for saving Harry.  Unbeknownst to Norman, the neurological interface restores Otto’s memories over time but Doc Ock plays along for the long game slowly convincing the other villains to join him.

Considering the Sinister Six were the major villains of the first game’s third act, it makes sense their role in the sequel would be more subdued and they escape to reek havoc in the third game.  I also believe with each game we will see the slow formation of the original team consisting of Doc Ock, Electro, Vulture, Sandman, Mysterio, and Kraven.

So those are some of the characters I’d like to see in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.  I left out Venom and Green Goblin because those ones are obvious.  If their are any supporting characters or villains I left out that you want to see in the sequel please let me know.  In honor of G&G, Solo lost money, Reylos are weird, FUCK NAUGHTY DOG, Stan Lee is the GOAT, and I’ll see you in the comment section.