10 Hidden Secrets in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

10 Hidden Secrets in Spider-Man 2

Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re using our Spidey-sense to track down secrets and easter eggs you might have overlooked while saving the city from all manner of chaos.

As always, there will be mild spoilers ahead so swing with caution true believers.

Big Name Businesses

New York City is an enormous playground for players to get themselves lost in but also one where it can be all too easy to overlook some of the buildings and businesses while web zipping across the skyline. For those who take the time to investigate, they can find references to not only other Marvel heroes and their business fronts but also Insomniac themselves with devs walking in and out hopefully hard at work on the next Spidey adventure. Much like in the first game, players can find not only Avenger’s Tower, but also Rand Industries headed by the Iron Fist, Fisk’s Union Allied Construction, and just as they clean up after superhero battles in the comics, Damage Control is diligently cleaning up after Sandman’s attack at the start of the game.

Nice Kitty

While in pursuit of Kraven, Peter crosses paths with his pet Tiger Dima. Naturally the pair get off on the wrong foot as Dima doesn’t appreciate intruders interrupting what is supposed to be her dinner time. Although Peter is able to soothe the savage beast with a hearty steak, once Kraven and his Hunters have effectively been run out of the city by the Spider-Men as well as Venom and his symbiotes, whatever happened to Kraven’s big kitty? Well, if players make their way to the Central Park Zoo, they’ll find Dima has a new home and seems to be adjusting well, even allowing Peter to get up close for a couple of scratches and a selfie or two.

Web of Callbacks

Spider-Man 2 isn’t the first time Venom and the symbiote have taken over New York City in video games and Insomniac seems all too aware of the similarities between their sequel and the much beloved Spider-Man Web of Shadows. After tracking down what they believe to be one of Kraven's targets, Spider-Man can explore a fancy apartment while a recording comments on their investigation. If players wander near the grand piano in the foyer, the voice will comment that his guest will “surely remember this refrain” as Beethovan’s Moonlight Sonata. While this might not seem like much of an Easter Egg, those who played Web of Shadows will immediately remember the music used in the game’s intro as Spidey considers the risks of using the symbiote suit. Nice to see Insomniac paying homage to the classics that came before.

Pete’s Room

Early on in Spider-Man 2, players get the chance to tour Aunt May’s home where Peter grew up and see his early development as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. One of the most prominent easter eggs is a copy of the Daily Bugle with a picture of Spidey rescuing an innocent civilian on the cover, which we later discover was Peter’s first picture as a photographer for the Daily Bugle. However, this photo is a much deeper cut than it initially appears and is a direct reference to Spider-Man’s very first appearance in comics in Amazing Fantasy #15 way back in 1962. Another blink and you’ll miss it easter egg is the Hank Pym science award hanging on the wall, only further building the world of Insomniac’s connections to the Marvel universe. Peter’s bookshelf is also a treasure trove with books nodding to Superior Spider-Man as well as Advanced Idea Mechanics or A.I.M.

Coney Island

Peter and his friends don’t get a lot of downtime with the city almost always under attack, but when they do, there’s no better place to cut loose than Coney Island. However, this is Insomniac’s Coney Island and in turn references numerous heroes and villains that don’t appear within the game proper. These include nods to the often-overlooked Spidey villains Big Wheel, Hydro Man, King Crab, Rocket Racer, and Speed Demon. Doc Ock even gets a shoutout here with the Octoride which features an octopus with a old time doctor’s head mirror on it, clearly referencing Doc Ock from the first game. Some heroes manage to get in on the action as well with the X-Men Dazzler’s Dance Stage, and the Flying Mantis most likely referring to Mantis from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Don’t forget to crush as many Hydra Heads as you can before two more pop up in their place!

Baxter Building

Spider-Man might not cross paths with the larger Marvel universe, but that doesn’t mean other big-name heroes aren’t out there saving the world while the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man keeps things under control in New York. Alongside the Avengers Tower, players have found a major reference to Marvel’s first family and that they may be setting up shop in downtown New York City. While swinging through the skyscrapers, players can find the under-construction Baxter Building, the home base of the Fantastic Four, and by scaling the building to the roof, will find the group’s familiar family crest in the process of being painted. While this could be nothing more than a passing nod much like Avengers Tower, Insomniac could also be spreading the seeds of their own MCU full of numerous big-name heroes in their pocket of the Spider-Verse.

Daredevil & The Hand

Although Insomniac’s Spider-Man is seemingly mostly contained within its own universe, there are no shortage of nods and references to other heroes within the Marvel roster and players believe at least one street level hero may be joining Spidey sometime in the future. No more than a reference in the first game, Nelson and Murdocks’ law firm is back in Spider-Man 2, but the implication of Daredevil being in New York goes even deeper. Some Spidey-eyed players have discovered what they believe to be a secret room tied to The Hand behind a bookshop. The room is adorned with various occultist symbols as well as guns, swords, and skulls. Strangely, players can enter the bookshop, making this one of the few buildings Spidey can freely enter, and find a ram’s skull adorned to the wall directly opposite the secret room. So, is this a Daredevil DLC tease or just some sleight of Hand?

Knull

While Venom might be the overall antagonist of Spider-Man 2, there might be someone else behind the scenes pulling the symbiote’s webs. Although still relatively new to the world of Spider-Man, the reveal of Knull, God of the Symbiotes, aspires to spread the symbiote plague across the universe and is a major threat to Eddie Brock and Venom in the comics. While most casual fans might be unfamiliar with the eldritch god, comic fans were undeniably surprised to see Knull’s familiar spiral design on the meteorite Dr. Conners found and the Venom symbiote spawned from, as well as what the ramifications of Knull existing in Insomniac’s corner of the Spidey-verse could mean for the series going forward. Only time will tell if this is just an easter egg or an omen of things to come.

Mascot Cameos

Attempting to make a little extra cash, Peter and Miles will snap some pictures of the city and its citizens for Robbie Robertson at the New York Bulletin. While snapping the numerous photo ops, Spidey will come across two cat mascots dressed like Spider-Man outside a Bodega. It would be easy to just take the pic and swing off but if you hang around and listen, you might recognize the voices of the mascots as Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, lifelong friends and stars of the beloved Firefly series. The two will riff endlessly back and forth and in between their hilarious bouts of dialogue will try to include the player in the banter. Since there was no fanfare made about the duo’s cameo, it’s very easy for many players to have missed these two entirely.

Villain Fates

Kraven makes quite the entrance upon arriving in New York and immediately sets to work building up to his greatest hunt, hoping some of the super villains of the city will provide him with his last great challenge. While players witness Kraven easily dispatch Scorpion, they wouldn’t discover the fate of some of the other major players of Spidey’s Sinister Six until MJ attempts to rescue Dr. Conners. Seems Kraven had been busy after freeing numerous prisoners from the raft as MJ discovers seemingly all that remains of Vulture, Shocker, and Electro. But there is one big elephant in the room that seems to be missing. Or should we say, Rhino? Well, if players glitch through the map, they can find what appears to be Kraven’s Throne Room that was seemingly cut from the game along with his trophies hanging on the wall, and the centerpiece is none other than the big guy himself Rhino.


What secrets did you find while swinging the streets of New York? Drop us a webline down in the comments.