Here’s all you need to know about both Spiderman Multiverse movies

Since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, published by Marvel Comics in August 1962, Spider-Man has featured in countless stories. Despite undergoing many changes over time, the original essence of Spider-Man has remained, and he has become a cultural icon. Peter Parker always faces numerous problems, including evil villains, financial struggles, and constant existential crises. It is the story of an orphan who lives with an elderly couple (Aunt May and Uncle Ben) in Queens, NY. One day, he is bitten by a radioactive spider, granting him superpowers that he uses to keep New York City safe from criminals.

Once the multiversal narrative of Spider-Man began in 2014 with the publication of The Amazing Spider-Man #9 by Marvel Comics it became a huge success. This comic series, titled "Spider-Verse," features all the different versions of Spider-Man that have appeared in comics and other media over the course of the past fifty years. Since then, the “Spider-Verse” has continued to expand and has reached the big screen, resulting in two critically acclaimed movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Now that we are approaching the premiere of the latest movie of the saga (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse) it is important to remember some of the key events from the previous films.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

This is a computer-animated Spider-Man story that features a new character named Miles Morales. Miles is a teenager who lives with his parents in Brooklyn, New York City. Within the narrative logic of the “Spider-Verse”, Miles exists in the dimension known as "Earth-1610". While facing the tough challenge of being “the new kid” in high school, Miles was bitten by a strange-looking radioactive spider. It is some kind of weird tech-spider genetically modified by the “Alchemax” laboratory. This peculiar spider has a number (42) printed on the back, as well as the name of the company that created it. After this incident, Miles Morales will possess almost all of Spider-Man's abilities, such as spider-sense (which warns him of danger with a buzzing sensation in his head), super-strength, agility, reflexes, the ability to stick to walls and ceilings with hands and feet (even with clothes).

“This amazing movie brings a classic superhero to life with cutting-edge animation, faithfully adapting the beloved comic book to the big screen”

In an alternate universe known as “Earth-1610”, it may come as a surprise that Spider-Man meets his demise. Specifically, the Spider-Man of Mile’s world, where he lives a normal life. We must remember that, as usual in the Spider-Man movies, he is not Spider-Man at the beginning of the film. Well, during a battle against the nefarious New York mafia boss, Kingpin, this Spider-Man is defeated and dying. He entrusts Miles with a crucial mission - to prevent Kingpin from repairing and utilizing the Super-Collider again. To achieve this objective, Miles must seek the assistance of alternate universe versions of Spider-Man who arrived in Earth-1610 as a result of the space and time rupture caused by Kingpin's Super-Collider. All of these Spider-Men must unite to save their respective realities from destruction.

Miles will have to work with a very interesting team which include, Peter B. Parker (an older, scruffy version of Spider-Man who lives in the dimension known as “Earth-616”, meaning he is the original Spider-Man, because in the Marvel multiverse, this is supposed to be the dimension from which all other universes emerge), Spider-Gwen (an alternate version of Gwen Stacy, in her dimension, known as "Earth-65", her best friend Peter Parker is killed, and she must become Spider-Woman ), Spider-Man Noir (she is a noir-themed version of the character and emerges in a version of New York during the Great Depression known as “Earth-90214”), Peni Parker (she is an alternate version of Spider-Man from an anime-inspired universe, lives in the year 3145, and controls a psychically powered mech suit originally piloted by her father Peter, partially controlled by a radioactive spider (named SP//dr) who also shares a psychic link with her), and lastly, Spider-Ham (or Peter Porker, is an animated cartoon of a pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man).

“We have these really dramatic elements but then we also have a pig in a Spider-man costume”

- Director Robert Persichetti believes that both humor and drama are essential elements of Spider-Man stories.

Along with these curious characters, Miles has to deal with two challenges at the same time. Firstly, the legal system of New York City where he will have to confront his own father, Jefferson Davis, who despises Spider-Man as a superhero. Secondly, the criminal underworld of the city where he has to face the most dreadful villains of the Marvel Universe, all of them led by "Kingpin", one of the most feared, dangerous and powerful crime lords.

Miles is a young man who must learn to control his superhuman abilities in order to become a true Spider-Man. It's important to note that every Spider-Man has a unique set of powers that can't be replicated by any other. Miles has the ability to turn invisible, which allows him to blend in with his surroundings and avoid detection by his enemies. He can also use his "Venom Punch" power, which involves producing bioelectric threads from his fingers to temporarily paralyze anyone he touches. However, Miles must understand the responsibility that comes with possessing these incredible powers. To do so, he will need the guidance of two important characters: Peter B. Parker and his uncle Aaron. These two mentors will help him navigate the challenges of being a superhero and shape his path as Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a necessary piece of the Marvel Multiverse puzzle. It's a true masterpiece, especially for comic book lovers. At first, it may seem a little childish, as it's basically a cartoon, but if we give it a chance and stay glued to the screen, we'll soon discover a great story with an interesting narrative structure. The animation is also unique and makes us feel like we're looking at comic book pages come to life. In short, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the most innovative and attractive proposals the Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced in recent times.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The story maintains the elements that made it a resounding success. But in this sequel, we get to see the life of Miles Morales after the events of the first film. Miles is now trying to adapt to his new life as the only Spider-Man in his dimension (Earth-1610). There is a significant change in Spider-Man's popularity in the city, as the police now collaborate with him. However, Miles' relationship with his father only seems to worsen as he decides not to reveal his secret identity. Additionally, a new villain, “The Spot”, makes an appearance in Miles' life.

"The story maintains all the incredible narrative elements that made it a resounding success."

Apparently, when the Kingpin Super-Collider explosion occurred, one of the scientists working there managed to survive, but at a very high cost. “Alchemax” employee Dr. Johnathon Ohnn became “The Spot.” A strange mutant creature without a face, with completely discolored skin and, as its name indicates, has moving black spots that cover its entire body. Dr. Johnathon Ohnn gained the ability to open interdimensional portals and smaller scale portals, which he uses to travel long distances instantly and commit crimes.

This new villain introduces himself as Mile’s nemesis. Apparently, Dr. Johnathon Ohnn was part of the team of scientists for the Kingpin-funded Super-Collider project. To advance the project, this group of scientists had to experiment with a spider from another dimension (Earth-42). This spider escaped and bit Miles while he was painting graffiti with his uncle Aaron on the subway. Basically, “The Spot” created the spider that turned Miles into Spider-Man, and to a certain extent, Miles was responsible for the explosion that caused the birth of “The Spot”. Now that Dr. Johnathon Ohnn has lost his entire life, he will try to destroy Miles and the other Spider-Man's to obtain all the power of the Multiverse.

“My spider turned you into Spider-Man. I created you, and in some way, you created me. I am your nemesis.”

- Said the villain "The Spot" in a scene from the movie

Miles will once again need his friends’ help to confront this villain. The only way to do so is by embarking on an adventure through the Multiverse, and for this, Miles will team up with Gwen and a new group called the "Spider-Society". This society consists of elite Spider-Men whose primary objective is to prevent the Multiverse from collapsing.

The founder of a secret organization is Miguel O'Hara, is the Spider-Man who exists in the year 2099, who was introduced in the post-credit scene of the first film. This scene is crucial as it reveals an important aspect of the story's narrative. In the scene, we see Miguel O'Hara, who we had not previously seen in his Spider-Man suit, conversing with "Lyla," a futuristic hologram programmed as a female artificial intelligence and the Spider-society's A.I. assistant. O'Hara is preparing for his mission to recruit different Spider-Men from different timelines to establish order within the "Spider-Verse." He has taken it upon himself to create this organization.

“Although they tend to be very brief, the post-credit scenes became an essential element within the genre of Marvel superhero films”

With the help of this society, Miles will have the opportunity to stop "The Spot" and reunite with his old friends, Peter B. Parker, Gwen and Peni Parker. However, he needs to make friends with the other members of this organization too. Together with Miles, we will meet Jessica Drew, a Spider-woman from "Earth-332" who is O'Hara's right-hand person and drives a motorcycle. We will also meet Pavitr Prabhakar, a version of Spider-Man from India in the "Earth-50101" dimension who uses a yo-yo as his primary weapon and lives in Mumbattan (a combination of Mumbai and Manhattan). Additionally, we will meet Hobie Brown or "Spider-Punk," an Afro-descendant British punk rock version of Spider-Man from "Earth-138" who uses his guitar as his primary weapon.

Miles pays close attention to the instructions given by O'Hara regarding the rules that the Spider-Man belonging to the organization must follow. O'Hara explains the challenging task of restoring order to the "Spider-Verse" after the explosion of Kingpin's Super-Collider created a massive rift that allowed villains like "The Spot" or "The Vulture" to end up in other dimensions. Now, the organization's mission is to send everyone back to their rightful place before space-time collapses.

A crucial concept in the film is "canon events," which has even become a trend on social media. The Collins Dictionary selected "canon event" as one of its ten candidates for Word of the Year in 2023, defining the term as "an event that is essential to the formation of an individual's character or identity". Apparently, the lives of all Spider-Man's, from all dimensions, are interwoven in the “Spider-Verse”. The nodes that join these timelines are known as “canon.” That is, they are unbreakable rules that make every Spider-Man become a true Spider-Man. They are basically pivotal moments in all the stories of all the Spider-Man's. For example, the moment of the spider bite or the death of a family member or close person.

"Canon events" are the connections that unite the lives of all Spider-Men. But if these connections are broken, an anomaly can occur, which generates changes in the timeline and can cause the collapse of the "Spider-Verse". For Miguel O'Hara, this is what happened when Miles was bitten by the "Alchemax" spider, making Miles an anomaly. This spider did not belong to Miles' dimension, "Earth-1610", but to dimension "Earth-42", which is why O'Hara believes that Miles should not have been bitten. According to him, there is a world in dimension “42” that does not have a Spider-Man to protect it, because the spider that bit Miles was taken from there by the "Alchemax" scientists for the Kingpin project. Miguel thinks that Miles becoming Spider-Man was a mistake, and that if the spider had not bitten Miles, Peter Parker from dimension "Earth-1610" would still be alive and could have stopped the Kingpin collider before it exploded. This would have prevented the creation of "The Spot" and avoided all the chaos that followed.

“You don't belong here. You'll never will"

- In a dramatic scene Miguel O'Hara confesses his thoughts to Miles.

After hearing Miguel O'Hara's true intentions, and realizing that all his friends knew about his plans, Miles feels betrayed and decides to leave the “Spider-Society”. He receives help from Margo, also known as "Spider-Byte", who manages the teleportation device that allows Spider-Men to travel through the multiverse. When Miles finally feels safe in his home dimension, he thinks it's time to talk to his parents about his secret identity. However, his mother's response confuses him. She doesn't seem to know who Spider-Man is. Suddenly, Miles experiences some kind of a space-time glitch and realizes that he has been sent to “Earth-42”, the dimension where the spider that bit him came from. In this world, there is no Spider-Man, and Miles's father has passed away, while his uncle Aaron is still alive.

It is from this moment where Miguel O'Hara's theory became solid. The spider that was supposed to bite Peter Parker in this reality (“Earth-42”) was taken to “Earth-1610”, another dimension. As a result, no one was bitten by a radioactive spider in this dimension and there is no Spider-Man to protect the city. In this dimension, New York City is plagued by rampant crime and evil villains. Without the influence of his father, who was an authoritarian and responsible figure, Miles had to grow up with his uncle Aaron, who was "The Prowler", one of the most dangerous villains of New York City in the Earth-1610 dimension. This caused Miles' life to be very different, and with his uncle Aaron as his only model and mentor, all his paths seem to converge towards a single place. In a surprise ending, the story shows us Miles' destiny in the Earth-42 dimension: he dedicates himself to being "The Prowler".

The story leaves us in suspense and wanting for more when “The Spot” launches a multiversal attack, Miles needs to escape from "Prowler Miles" from dimension "42", while Gwen forms a team to search for Miles. This team is composed of Peter B. Parker, Mayday, Pavitr, Hobie, Margo, Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker and Spider-Ham. Fans of the movie can rest assured because the third part of the saga has already been confirmed. It will be titled "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" and is expected to be released sometime in 2024.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that the second film of the story is much longer and complex than the first one. The plot has many twists that may divert us from the original story, making it more challenging and interesting. Though there may be some minor changes in the animation, especially when the film takes us to different dimensions, it still maintains the essence that made it a resounding success. In short, it is a great story, which includes very interesting new characters, settings that are outside of what is known in the world of Spider-Man, and although it is an animated film, we are facing one of the best and most original CGI animated stories of recent times, for their particular way of transporting comics to the big screen.

The legacy

Stan Lee's original idea sixty years ago was to create a superhero with whom teenagers could identify. Today, with the "Spider-Verse" saga, it's clear that this desire still lives on. Spider-Man has always defied the stereotype of a perfect hero - the tall, muscular guy who saves the day without a scratch, gets the girl and wears a cape. Right from the beginning, he broke this stereotype and became the representation of all real teenagers who struggle to survive day to day.

The "Spider-Verse" story, like most Marvel movies, features a relatable cast of characters that reflect modern popular culture. As a result, the story directly challenges us in our daily lives. These characters resemble us in many ways; they speak like us, behave like us, frequent the same places as us. They are not superheroes from a distant galaxy, but rather individuals who could be your neighbor, classmate, boyfriend/girlfriend, or a family member.

In short, Spider-Man has always depicted the alternative stuff of life itself. The story of Spider-Man itself acquires its characteristic signature by exalting these everyday elements as an essential part of the hero's journey. In the 60s and 70s, it was unheard of to associate such elements with a hero, but Stan Lee made it the hallmark of Spider-Man's story. Although the concept of "alternative" that Lee used is not the same as what we understand today, we can be sure that Spider-Man stories will always represent the average teenager from everyday life, albeit with some variations depending on the era. We have no doubt that in the "Spider-Verse" saga we will continue to see the legacy of this great master of letters and imagination materialized.