What If Insomniac Games Made Spider-Man 2?

The revelations that occur in Spider-Man’s final story sequences show us Insomniac Games is making a sequel or is terrible at wrapping up stories. The teases are not subtle, and if Insomniac sticks to this script, clearly outline who the protagonists and villains will be in this second game...and perhaps the third! The omission of iconic suits also points to Insomniac thinking ahead to the future. We can even draw potential plot threads from some of the random items contained in Peter’s backpacks.

Now’s the time for the obligatory spoiler warning. I can’t accurately outline what may come next without revealing the big story developments from the first game. I know most of you have already played through the game, but if you haven’t, hit the back button on your browser. You owe it to yourself to experience this great superhero story by playing through it without knowing what happens beforehand.

With that warning out of the way, let’s dive into the sequels!

Peter’s Parents
Insomniac has stated this Spider-Man story exists outside of any current continuity, but some of it syncs up to specific stories, especially when it comes to history. One example is Richard and Mary Parker. In a backpack players can find, we learn Peter has a locket containing their pictures. When Peter reflects on it, he says “People know my parents died in a plane crash. I still can’t tell anyone they were government agents.”

This brief bit of history hints at the Parkers' work against Red Skull from the main comic book continuity. Richard was a spy for the United States Army, and Mary worked as a C.I.A. translator and data analyst. On an assignment to investigate the Red Skull, their plane was taken down by Karl Fiers (a.k.a. The Finisher).

Conversely, in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, his parents also died in a plane crash, but Richard was a biologist who was working on a cure for cancer. He was creating a symbiotic suit that could repair the body. His work obviously didn’t go as planned, and he realized he may have been creating a weapon instead of a cure. Shortly after shelving the project, his plane crashed, and the suit was transferred to a different lab. That research, which focused on military applications, gave birth to "Venom."

So what role will the Parkers play in the sequel? There's a chance Richard’s work is shown in the secret lab in Norman Osborn’s penthouse. The black webbing in Harry Osborn's tank is probably his suit.

Venom? Probably Not
I know people won’t like hearing Venom isn’t a space alien and was instead created in a lab, but Insomniac will likely go in the direction of science rather than space. In the first game, Insomniac kept the narrative tidy and centralized to the Spidey family. I doubt that focus changes in the sequel. Addressing Secret Wars or anything cosmic doesn't fit that tone. The greater Marvel Universe is on the periphery – I like that.

Peter's father doubling as the father of Venom is about as cool as it gets. In this game's story, Harry is clearly the first host to this symbiote, but I don't think he'll become Venom. The suit is healing him, and that will be the extent of it. If I had to guess, the suit will eventually be Peter's, and he'll be the one who loses his mind wearing it. I don't see Eddie Brock coming into play until the end of the game, either – at the most in a credits sequence that shows the monstrous Venom we know and love as a tease for the third game. Peter versus the suit is a powerful story hook, especially with Miles Morales waiting in the wings. Peter as a Venom-like adversary would be fantastic, right?

Miles Morales
I fully expect the next game's introductory sequence will focus on Peter training Miles. The player will control Peter in a mission, Miles in the next, you get the idea. Since Miles was bitten by a different Spider filled with an enhanced mutagen, I suspect he will have a different move set than Peter's, but the basics of traversal and combat will be the same.

When the black suit finally comes into play, that's where things get tricky. Playing as Spidey as he loses his mind would be awesome. Playing as Miles as he tries to help Peter would be equally as awesome. Introducing the "Peter as a menace" card makes so much sense, especially when the true threat will likely be Green Goblin. The binding theme here is power corrupts. Peter experiences it. Norman does too. I guess Eddie does too, but I think he needs to be built up as a side character for a game like Norman was.

Green Goblin
The green glow on Norman's face is brilliant foreshadowing. We also see some of Green Goblin's tech in the lab during one of Mary Jane's missions. Which Osborn will be Goblin? There is a good chance it'll be Harry. He is after all sleeping in what appears to be a vat of OZ, a mutagen created by Oscorp Industries for a super soldier program.

That Harry tease seems too easy to me, however. I'd rather see Norman take up the green. Norman is primed. He's desperate, and will likely make a mistake that turns him. Green Goblin has to be the main threat. Harry needs to be a friend Insomniac can put into harm's way.

Green Goblin being the big bad is why I say Venom is unlikely. Venom needs to be the central focus for a game, especially since Insomniac could go deep with the symbiotes and Carnage. Venom, Carnage, Kraven...that sounds like a great third game to me. Green Goblin, Lizard, Sandman, and crazy symboite Parker would make a hell of a middle chapter.

A Return to New York
As much as I would love to see Spider-Man in different regions of the world, odds are Insomniac will expand the size of New York with the boroughs we haven't visited yet. That doesn't mean Manhattan won't return. New threats and interiors can make that well-traversed area feel fresh again.

And that's a wrap. Let me know what you think of my speculation in the comments section below, and please, share your own take there as well!