Debuting all the way back in 1962, Spider-Man has had quite the comic book history. Naturally, the last 40 years have given Spider-Man countless comic runs, with some truly phenomenal stories, and some not-so-great narrative arcs. Despite having hundreds of comic book runs under his belt Spider-Man is still finding new stories to tell, but these stories aren’t without their own influences, andMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is certainly looking at a few classic comic book runs for inspiration.
WhileInsomniac’sMarvel’s Spider-ManandMarvel’s Spider-Man:Miles Moralesboth told completely original stories, set in Insomniac’s own Marvel universe, they weren’t afraid of borrowing some key elements from past Peter Parker and Miles Morales stories. Though it’s still early days, with fans only having seen one gameplay trailer so far, it seems as thoughMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is going to follow a similar pattern to its predecessors, and there’s one surprisingly dark comic run that it could be borrowing from in particular.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Could Be Borrowing From Kraven’s Last Hunt
Written by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck in 1987,Kraven’s Last Huntis a five-part comic runthat spans three different Spider-Man books and could potentially be the biggest influence onMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s version of Kraven the Hunter. The general plot ofKraven’s Last Huntsees the titular villain hatch a plan to defeat Spider-Man once and for all, and prove himself to be the better hunter.
Surprisingly early on in the comic run, Kraven’s plan to defeat Spider-Man is actually successful, riddling him with a slew of strong tranquilizer darts. Believing him to be dead, Kraven buries Spider-Man and begins the next phase of his plan. Donning Spidey’s suit—one modeled offthe Symbiote suitof the time—Kraven takes to New York’s streets to prove himself as the more effective, efficient Spider-Man. Kraven, as a Spider-Man imposter, goes around brutally beating up criminals and manages to single-handedly take down the villain Vermin, a foe that Spidey himself struggled to defeat.
After a few weeks in the ground, Spider-Man finally wakes up with the tranquilizer’s effect slowly wearing off. Despite his weakened state, Spidey immediately sets off to find Kraven, and when he does, he begins to attack him. But rather than fight back, Kraven simply stands there, commenting that he won, that he’s finally proven himself to be the stronger of the two long-term adversaries.
Kraven releases Vermin and exclaims that his days of hunting Spider-Man are finally over.Spidey rushes off to capture Verminand Kraven is left to contemplate his thoughts. As Kraven reflects on his life of competition, he states that he is finally happy and at peace, and he proceeds to commit suicide with a nearby shotgun.
Kraven’s Last Huntis one of the darkest comic runs in Spider-Man’s long history, and whileMarvel’s Spider-Man 2probably won’t go nearly as dark for its own storyline, there are some similarities that could be present. For a start, Kraven has been confirmed to play a major antagonistic role inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, and from what fans have seen so far, it seems as though he’s attempting to rid New York City of all its villains, includingfoes like The Lizard.
The Symbiote suit will also play a major role inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s story, and though it’s not a major aspect ofKraven’s Last Hunt, it does affect Peter’s behavior in the comic, just as it’s doing inMarvel’sSpider-Man 2. Even ifMarvel’s Spider-Man 2doesn’t directly borrow any elements fromKraven’s Last Hunt, those two similarities are more than enough to connect the two, and the general tone of the sequel does seem a little darker than its last two predecessors.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2launches on October 20, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
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