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  • Newest Spider-Man Trailer Holds Major Endgame Spoilers

    Newest Spider-Man Trailer Holds Major Endgame Spoilers

    Warning: big old spoilers from Avengers: Endgame wait ahead. If you don’t want to have the film’s biggest twists spoiled for you, avoid this article and the Spidey trailer!

    The newest trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home has hit, and it’s a doozy. Peter Parker and Happy Hogan are dealing with the fallout of Endgame, including the fate of Tony Stark. Iron Man sacrificed himself to make the world safe, but now it’s up to Peter to take up the mantle and save the day.

    Far From Home

    Much-Needed Vacation

    Well, Peter’s going to be taking up the mantle just as soon as he gets back from vacation. In the meantime, he’s going on a school trip to Europe to spend time with his crush MJ! The trailer shows Peter blowing off calls from Nick Fury, choosing instead to enjoy some much-needed time off.

    Considering he just spent five years as a pile of dust, we can’t blame him.

    Duty Calls

    Of course, Fury finds Peter easily enough, even when he’s abroad in Europe. Spidey is quickly swept up in a SHIELD operation to protect the world from new elemental threats. Also on the team is new character Mysterio, who the trailer tells us is actually from an alternate reality.

    This seems… odd. Mysterio is one of Spidey’s most enduring villains in the comics, and it’s unlikely he’s here to help. Traditionally, Mysterio has no powers but a penchant for movie special effects and a desire to be perceived as a hero. Could Far From Home be setting up this comics-accurate plot point?

    End of an Era

    Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed that Far From Home will be the final MCU film in Phase 3. It will serve as an epilogue to Endgame and as a prologue for the next ten years of Marvel films. In the capable hands of Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange, we’re sure these films will continue to bring pulse-pounding superhero action for years to come.

    Far From Home will swing into theaters on July 2nd. You know we’ll be the first in line to see it when it!

  • Top Ten Greatest Spider-Man Villains

    Top Ten Greatest Spider-Man Villains

    Spider-Man, who is starring in his own video game on PS4 now, has a massive rogues gallery. As one of Marvel’s most popular characters, it’s only natural that he would have so many villains oppose him. In fact, there are so many that we wonder how the wall-crawler manages to keep track of them all! Today, we’re looking at the ten greatest Spider-Man Villains! We’re considering both their popularity and “coolness,” but if your favorite didn’t make the list, that’s only because there are so many great choices!

    Ten Greatest Spider-Man Villains

    Sinister Six

    Featured Image Credit: Villains Wiki

    10. Carnage

    Photo Credit: Marvel Database

    First Appearance: 1992, Amazing Spider Man 361. Real Name: Cletus Cassidy

    This edgy and unhinged villain is an offshoot of the symbiote that resulted in another Spidey villain, Venom. Carnage, for his part, is a symbiote bonded to the criminally deranged Cletus Cassidy. With none of Eddie Brock’s underlying morality, Carnage earns his name whenever he strikes, making him one of Spidey’s most unsettling foes.

    9. The Lizard

    Photo Credit: ThoughtCo

    First Appearance: 1963, Amazing Spider Man 6. Real Name: Kurt Connors

    First appearing way back in 1963, Dr. Connors has gone through several redesigns over the years. He is a dark reflection of Peter, a man twisted into an animal-like form due to science gone wrong. The Lizard is fast, super-strong and possesses enhanced healing capabilities, making him as much a physical match for Peter as a mental one.

    8. Sandman

    Photo Credit: Marvel Database

    First Appearance: 1963, Amazing Spider Man 4. Realm Name: William Baker

    The shape-shifting criminal known as Sandman is often characterized as a petty thief who happens upon his shape-shifting powers. In some stories, he even fights alongside Peter. What makes him so memorable, though, is the genuine pathos that goes into his often-tragic backstory. It’s hard to hate a guy who just wants to make a mark on the world!

    7. The Rhino

    Photo Credit: Reddit

    First Appearance: 1966, Amazing Spider Man 41. Real Name: ‎Aleksei Sytsevich

    The big, bumbling oaf Aleksei Sytsevich is much more terrifying when he’s in his trademark Rhino armor. The lumbering behemoth is a match for even superheroes like the Hulk and the Thing, making him downright terrifying for Spidey to match up against. However, Peter often triumphs over the Rhino thanks to his quick wits and fast fighting style.

    6. Electro

    Photo Credit: Spider-Man Wiki

    First Appearance: 1964, Amazing Spider Man 9. Real Name: Maxwell Dillon

    Maxwell Dillon was once a powerline repair man, but a freak accident resulted in him becoming a human electrical capacitor. His electric powers make him lethal to any normal human, and he uses them to steal and terrorize the people of New York. Thankfully for them, Spider-Man handles villains like Electro whenever they rear their heads! Whenever Peter and Electro cross paths, sparks fly and the fight is awesome!

    5. The Vulture

    Photo Credit: Marvel Movies Wikia

    First Appearance: 1963, Amazing Spider Man 2. Real Name: Adrian Toomes.

    Popularized by the excellent Spider-Man: Homecoming, Adrian Toomes is a tragic figure. Toomes uses his wingsuit to pursue personal wealth, but only because of his mistreatment by massive corporations. In the comics he is much less sympathetic than his film counterpart, but his motivations are similar. It certainly helps that the version seen in Homecoming has a significantly cooler suit and design.

    4. Kingpin

    Photo Credit: Marvel

    First Appearance: 1967, Amazing Spider Man 50. Real Name: Wilson Fisk.

    While you might be more familiar with him as an enemy of Daredevil, Fisk first made his mark as an enemy of the Web-Slinger! Kingpin is a nigh-unstoppable force, both in the world of business and in a fight. His dual nature makes him a tough customer for any superhero, so it’s no surprise he’s harried Spidey for years!

    3. Dr. Octopus

    Photo Credit: Marvel Database

    First Appearance: 1963, Amazing Spider Man 3. Real Name: Otto Octavius.

    Dr. Otto Octavius is on a mission to prove that he’s better than anyone else. After all, he’s a genius and a supervillain! Shouldn’t everyone love him? Otto’s deranged attempts to take down Spider-Man and make a name for himself as one of the greatest minds in the world have come to a head occasionally. Recently, he even spent some time in the body of Peter Parker! He made a mess of things for Spidey, proclaiming himself the “Superior Spider-Man” and ruining Peter’s reputation.

    2. Venom

    Photo Credit: Alternative Press

    First Appearance: 1988, Amazing Spider Man 299. Real Name: Eddie Brock

    One of the most iconic Marvel characters, Venom is another direct foil to the Wall-Crawler. Venom started life as a symbiote attached to Peter, but eventually found a more permanent home bonded to Pete’s nemesis Eddie Brock. As Venom, the two entities have forged a path as a villain and occasional anti-hero. They occasionally team up with Peter to fight bigger threats (usually Carnage) but that doesn’t make Venom less of an essential Spidey antagonist.

    The Greatest Spider-Man Villain: The Green Goblin

    Photo Credit: Villains Wiki

    First Appearance: 1964, Amazing Spider Man 14. Real Name: Norman Osborn.

    Who else could have possibly snagged the number one spot? Norman Osborn, father of one of Pete’s closest friends and CEO of Oscorp is Pete’s most enduring nemesis. As the man who killed Gwen Stacey and the center of the Clone Conspiracy saga, Norman has had a huge impact on Spidey. The ongoing battle between the two has been the center of Spider-Man comics for half a century, and it’s likely to continue for 50 years more.

  • Spider-Man PS4: An Excellent Return to Form for Superhero Video Games

    Spider-Man PS4: An Excellent Return to Form for Superhero Video Games

    Since it was announced that legendary developer Insomniac Studios was working on a Spider-Man game for PS4, expectations have been high. Will it live up to the lofty heights of games like Spider-Man 2? Can they capture what makes Spider-Man the world’s greatest superhero? And, most of all, will Insomniac live up to their own stellar pedigree? Well, Spider-Man PS4 is here and we have good news for you: it rocks. Let’s sling some webs!

    spidermanps4

    Featured Image Credit: Variety

    What Wicked(ly Awesome) Webs we Weave

    Swinging from a building, seeing the skyline bob in the distance and then plummeting to the street below is a blast. Pummeling muggers and supervillains alike is smooth and natural. Insomniac has put in some serious work making everything in this game feel as easy and fun as a superhero game should. There is a fast-travel system in this game, but will you really want to use it? Slinging from buildings and flipping in mid-air is so fun and engrossing that it’s just a blast. You’ll find yourself just relaxing and taking in the game’s world as you fly around Manhattan.

    The combat will look familiar to anyone who has played Rocksteady’s Batman games. In places, it’s comfortingly familiar. In others, it’s painfully obvious that this is a take-off on that game. At least, in this game, the dodge-and-counter mechanic is explained by Spider-Sense. And the protagonist’s capacity to take down twenty guys is explained by his super-powers. Batman really has no business winning in a fight that lop-sided…

    Familiar Faces, and Some Uncanny Ones

    Insomniac’s generally done a pretty good job with the facial animation in this one. In some scenarios it dips briefly into uncanny valley, but it rarely stays there too long. The somewhat-cartoony features help this, as the game looks ever-so-slightly like a comic book. It has largely the same stylized, sleek feeling of the big-budget MCU films it borrows its atmosphere from.

    The story is, sadly, less than inspired. In trying to make a more generalized Spidey tale, Insomniac has leaned on some tried-and-true Web-Slinger tales. This can be less than exciting for longtime fans, even if it leans heavily into safe, foolproof storytelling.

    Bottom Line

    This game is excellent, if familiar in many places. The story doesn’t break any new ground for a character who’s been around for over 50 years. But then again, did it need to? The bones of Peter’s tale of responsibility and great power are rock-solid, and the voice actors all put in great work. The gameplay is fun and flowing, even if it feels like a few other games welded together. Spider-Man 2’s web-slinging mechanics are married beautifully to Rocksteady’s combat. If you’re a Spider-Fan, you’re going to love this game. If you don’t like superheroes, Insomniac’s latest outing isn’t changing your mind.