Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the best cinematic superhero films to date, with the film’s post credits scene setting up the upcoming sequel.
In that scene, a new character named Miguel O’Hara aka Spider-Man 2099 (voiced by Oscar Isaac) enters the scene and seems to have the ability to travel dimensions through technological means.
As showcased in the first sneak peek for the film, this ability is going to come into play as Miles Morales is seen fighting the Spider-Man of the future through multiple dimensions.
While the character may be portrayed as an antagonist in the sneak peek, Miguel O’Hara is one of the good guys and is set to be one of the main characters alongside Miles and Ghost Spider fighting against a presumably large threat. Spider-Man 2099 may have appeared in some media over the years, but there are some newer fans that will be unaware of who he actually is and how he came to become 2099’s version of Spider-Man.
Spider-Man 2099 Origins
Miguel O’Hara lives in the year 2099, nearly 100 years into the future after the age of heroes that the common fans are familiar with. The original Spider-Man Peter Parker has passed and serves as an inspiration for O’Hara with his work. In the 2099 timeline, Miguel works at a company called Alchemax where he works as a geneticist. He is charged with creating a brand of super soldiers for the company and uses Spider-Man as inspiration for his work and wishes to create a being with similar abilities to Peter Parker.
However, he soon changes his stance on experimenting when one of his tests kills a human test subject. Miguel plans on leaving the company, but is tricked into taking an addictive drug called Rapture that is only distributed through Alchemax. Sensing there is no way out, Miguel makes a last ditch effort to alter his genetic makeup to free himself of the substance. While the plan seemed like it was working, the machines were sabotaged by one of O’Hara’s colleagues which alters Miguel’s genetics in an unexpected way. This alteration made Miguel’s DNA 50% spider, thus giving him similar abilities to the Amazing Spider-Man.
Miguel soon fashioned himself a costume to conceal his identity and while he planned on trying to cure himself of his spider abilities, he decided to declare himself a superhero and battle against the mega corporations such as Alchemax and bring hope to people who have not had anyone to inspire them since the Age of Heroes.
Spider-Man 2099’s Power and Abilities
Miguel harbours many of the same abilities as Peter Parker, including having super strength and the speed and agility of a spider. Miguel also possesses the ability to stick to surfaces with his hands and feet and swing from webs, much like Peter Parker is able to do. However, while the pair share a number of abilities, they also have a variety of differences.
While Peter Parker has his spider sense to alert him of incoming danger, Miguel is unable to do so. Instead, Miguel has the ability to see anything in the dark and has enhanced vision and hearing. Miguel is also more spider like than Peter Parker or Miles Morales, with his hands consisting of talons that are razor sharp and can cause injury, with the talons not being able to be retracted like Wolverine’s claws.
Spider-Man 2099 also has sharp teeth and venom glands, meaning that if he bites someone it can be quite lethal. If Miguel bites his foes, he can cause them to be paralysed for a brief period of time, giving him various different ways of subduing foes when compared to other Spider People such as Parker and Miles Morales.
In other media
While Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will feature Spider-Man 2099’s theatrical debut, the superhero has been featured in a variety of media throughout the years. He has appeared across multiple comic books, and is a main character in the video games Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Spider-Man: Edge of Time where he teams up with other Spider-Men such as Peter Parker and Spider-Man Noir.
The hero also appears in the animated Ultimate Spider-Man series, which incorporates the multiverse and a Spider-Verse event that could likely inspire the upcoming film as it showcases Peter Parker travelling across multiple dimensions fighting the Goblin (including Spider-Man 2099’s dimension).
Many fans are excited for the inclusion of Spider-Man 2099 in the Spider-Verse series, and it will be interesting to see what role the character plays in Miles’ adventures going forward. Oscar Isaac is set to have a huge role in the film, as he is billed in the leading cast alongside Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is set to release in theatres October 2022.
