Fans are hoping that an iconic meme can be recreated in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Earlier this week, fans finally got the first look at the gameplay of Insomniac’s upcoming superhero adventure, two years after the game’s initial reveal. This entry already sees a massive shift from the previous game, where players will not only get to play as Peter Parker, but Miles Morales within the same adventure. It also brings the insidious Venom symbiote to the forefront, with fans hoping that Insomniac Games can recreate an iconic meme that involves both the black suit and Shocker.This meme originates from an episode of the Spider-Man animated cartoon that aired during the 90s. Much like this game and the comics, Peter Parker inevitably comes into contact with the Venom symbiote, which ends up enveloping him and forming his iconic black suit. It also begins corrupting his personality and making him more aggressive. This is shown in its zenith when Shocker bumps into him, causing Spidey to give chase while yelling threats at him. The scene itself is memorable for a few reasons, with many fans want to see it recreated in this game.The circumstances were pointed out by Twitter user MrFlippy616, who states that the game has the opportunity to do “the funniest thing ever,” accompanied by screenshots of Spider-Man in his black suit and Shocker. The “funniest” part comes from the scene itself, where Christopher Daniel Barnes, the voice actor for Spider-Man in the 90s cartoon, delivers an over-the-top performance while pursuing Shocker, which in the eyes of fans blends between unintentionally hilarious and effectively threatening.
The stars have apparently aligned for this opportunity, as players can see Spider-Man got the Venom symbiote at some point, along with Shocker being an active member of Peter’s Rogue’s gallery as well. Hilariously enough, one boss battle in the first game is a chase sequence with Shocker. The trailer focused on Kraven also showed a mini-map, where it showed Shocker out and about. With Yuri Lowenthal doing a similarly dark and gruff voice for when Peter's negatively affected by the symbiote, fans are hoping that this sequence of events can be recreated in some way, overly hammy voice acting and all.
The Venom symbiote’s corruption can be seen in Spider-Man 2’s gameplay trailer, where Pete’s behavior changes from the friendly neighborhood superhero to the aloof and pragmatic antihero. Fans have noticed smaller details that showcase it in the trailer too, such as when he hesitates to rescue a civilian, and rather callously throws them to the ground once they’re saved. It’ll be interesting to see how Peter’s character arc with the symbiote pans out this time around.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launches this fall for PlayStation 5.