“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.” ——Stan Lee
In 2018, the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse garnered countless accolades and went on to win the 2019 Oscars and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, along with numerous prestigious animation awards. This year, its highly anticipated sequel, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, is set to hit the big screen in June. Before delving into the second installment, let's take a moment to rewatch the first movie and explore the details and easter eggs that deserve our attention, providing us with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the sequel.
Miles Morales
Miles Morales made his debut in the comic book "Ultimate Fallout" issue #4. Following the sacrifice of Peter Parker in the "Spider-Verse" storyline, Miles unexpectedly acquires spider powers and makes the courageous decision to don the mantle of the second Spider-Man.
In addition to possessing similar abilities to Peter Parker, Miles also gains additional powers of invisibility and the ability to deliver electric shocks that can immobilize his adversaries.
In the comic, Miles initially had no intention of becoming a heroic figure as Spider-Man, despite discovering his superhuman abilities. However, witnessing the sacrifice of Peter Parker in his attempt to thwart a supervillain deeply affected Miles. He felt guilty for not taking any action at that crucial moment and gradually realized the importance of using his powers for good. Later, when the headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. came under attack by Electro, Miles assisted in defeating the villain, earning the recognition of Nick Fury. As a token of appreciation, Fury presented Miles with a set of black Spider-Man suit, solidifying his role as the new Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol 2 #23
Tobey Maguire Spider-Man
In the opening narration of the movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, several iconic scenes from the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man trilogy are referenced, including:
1 The upside-down kiss, featured in the 2002 movie Spider-Man.
2 Peter Parker's heroic act of saving a train, depicted in the 2004 movie Spider-Man 2.
3 The encounter with a car crashing towards Peter and MJ during their date, also from the 2004 movie Spider-Man 2.
Iconic Line
The classic line from the Spider-Man series, "With great power there must also come great responsibility!" is spoken by Uncle Ben at the beginning of the movie. This line originated in the comic book "Amazing Fantasy" issue #15, marking Spider-Man's first appearance. Initially, it was merely a narrative caption in the comic, but it later evolved into Uncle Ben's most profound teaching to Peter Parker, inspiring him to use his abilities to become a hero.
Amazing Fantasy #15
The opening scene pays tribute to a poignant moment from the comic book "Ultimate Spider-Man" issue #160, where Uncle Ben and Peter are depicted supporting each other as they ascend to heaven. This imagery beautifully echoes the iconic scene, which also marked Peter's demise in "The Ultimates". By referencing this significant comic book moment, the movie not only honors the source material but also adds a profound layer of emotional resonance to the narrative.
Spider-Man's Product Endorsement
In the movie, Spider-Man endorses a breakfast cereal called Spidey-O's. Interestingly, this fictional endorsement bears resemblance to a real-life collaboration that took place in the 1990s between Ralston Corporation and the Spider-Man animated series, resulting in a Spider-Man-themed cereal. This clever inclusion not only serves as a nod to the character's enduring popularity but also adds a touch of nostalgic charm for fans who remember the earlier cereal tie-in.
Spider 42
In the movie, Miles is bitten by a mutated spider labeled as "42," which grants him superpowers, consistent with the comic book setting. However, there is a difference. In the comics, the spider labeled as 42 is a result of a serum developed by Norman Osborn, and it is Peter Parker who becomes Spider-Man after being accidentally bitten.
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol 1 #1
The number 42 appears multiple times in the movie, including before Peter's opening monologue and as the number on the taxi that Miles crashes into after jumping off the building. In the comics, the number 42 is also the one Miles is assigned when he is selected for a school spot through a lottery system.
Spider-Man Comic
Throughout the movie, there are multiple appearances of comic books titled "True Life Tales of Spider-Man," corresponding to the real-life Untold Tales of Spider-Man published in 1995. Moreover, the comic book covers shown in the movie have identifiable sources:
The comic book cover that appears during Spider-Man's opening monologue is from The Amazing Spider-Man issue #186.
The comic book that Miles holds in his hand after discovering his spider powers is from the classic "Amazing Fantasy" issue #15, which is the first appearance of Spider-Man.
When Miles encounters Peter from a parallel world, the scene features a comic book titled "Two Spider-Men." Interestingly, there is an actual comic book called "Spider-Men" that tells the story of Miles and Peter's first meeting.
Before Miles' roommate faints upon seeing the Spider-Men, he holds a comic book titled "Imagine That There Was More Than One Spider-Man," perfectly reflecting the storyline. It is worth noting that this hypothetical comic book does not actually exist, but Marvel has indeed released a comic book series called "What If?" The series collects various hypothetical stories set in parallel worlds, such as "What If Flash Thompson Became Spider-Man."
In Miles' dorm room, there are also comic books visible, including The Amazing Spider-Man issues #7, #40, and #46, with covers featuring Vulture, Green Goblin, and Shocker, respectively.
Stan Lee
In the movie, there is a heavyweight figure making a cameo appearance, and that is none other than Stan Lee, another co-creator of Spider-Man who is widely beloved. This comic legend also left us in 2018, but unlike Steve Ditko's low-key personality, Stan Lee was enthusiastic about making cameo appearances in film and television works, always bringing surprises to the audience whenever he appeared on the silver screen. In the movie, as Miles and Peter fall onto the streets of New York, we can see Stan Lee walking past them.
Multiverse
In the movie, the collision of parallel universes creates a time-space rift, leading to the simultaneous appearance of different versions of Spider-Man. This easily brings to mind various storylines from the comic series, such as Secret Wars and Spider-Verse.
In Marvel's major event of 2015, Secret Wars, the "Marvel Universe" and "The Ultimates" collided, resulting in the formation of an all-new and alternate reality (which later became the main universe). Peter Parker (E-616), Miles (E-1610), and Spider-Gwen (E-65) are among the survivors of this major event.
Leading up to the outbreak of Secret Wars, a terrifying family called the Morlun began traversing parallel universes, slaughtering those with spider abilities to harvest their life force. Witnessing this, the Superior Spider-Man decided to assemble a team of Spider-Men from parallel universes to resist the Morlun’s invasion. This is the Spider-Verse event where numerous Spider-Men come together.
Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham, who appear in the movie, have been documented in the comics and are all Spider-Men from their respective parallel universes.
Post-credit scenes:
After the international release version of the movie's credits, there is a heartwarming tribute paying homage to the late creators of Spider-Man, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, along with a quote from Stan Lee.
“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.”
There is also a post-credit scene featuring Spider-Man 2099 and his holographic assistant, Lyla. Spider-Man 2099, as the name suggests, comes from the year 2099 in Earth-928. Spider-Man 2099, whose real name is Miguel O'Hara, first appeared in Marvel Age issue #114.
Miguel was once a top scientist at Alchemax Corporation, specializing in studying the combination of human and spider DNA. As a result of an accident, he gained superhuman abilities and took on the identity of Spider-Man 2099 to fight against the evil Alchemax. It's worth mentioning that Oscar Isaac provides the voice for Spider-Man 2099.
At this point, you might be wondering just how many Spider-Men there are. In a forthcoming article, we will introduce different Spider-Men, different Spider suits and famous villains. Do you like Spider-Man? Will you go to the cinema to watch Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse? Follow me and let me know which Spider-Man works you enjoy!
Easter Eggs in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’
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