The final moments of the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hinted that the multiverse is going to be opened up to the various Spider-Heroes and their allies, thanks to the Spider-Man of the year 2099. Briefly appearing after the credits and played by Oscar Issac, Miguel O'Hara might be the key to the future of the Spider-Verse.
With a sequel to the 2018 smash hit in the pipeline, it's worth looking back at the history of Spider-Man 2099 to see what kind of role he could take in the ongoing franchise.
SPIDER-MAN 2099
Miguel O'Hara was born in the 2099 era, long after the end of the "Heroic Age" where superheroes protected this version of the Marvel Universe. He became the head of a genetics program for Alchemax, one of the most powerful corporations in the time period. Working on an attempt to recreate the powers of Spider-Man, a brief crisis of conscience over the death of a test subject leads him to try and shut down the program. But Alechemax CEO Tyler Stone, who has secretly addicted Miguel to a drug known as Rapture, tried to blackmail him into continuing his work. Miguel tried to rewrite his genetics to get around the addiction, but the process is sabotaged by one of his workers. Miguel actually survives the incident, and his DNA is rewritten to give him his own variant of Spider-Man powers.
Miguel (along with help from his loyal AI assistant Lyla) became reluctant protectors of his world. Seeing the effect that the role has on the people of New York, Miguel becomes a hero for the underprivileged and vows to fight the megacorporations that run his world. He became one of the definitive heroes of the 2099 era, working with the other crime-fighters as the world falls apart around them. He fought alongside the original Spider-Man during a time-crossing adventure where, because of their actions, the 2099 universe was prevented from becoming the de facto future of the 616-universe. Miguel even eventually proved worthy to briefly wield Thor's iconic hammer, Mjolnir.
Eventually, however, Tyler Stone (who is revealed to be Miguel's real father) is stranded in the present Marvel Universe. With Lyla as his only true ally and no way to go home, Miguel committed himself to monitor Alchemax (which was just established by Liz Allan). He was crucial during the events of Spider-Verse, working with Lady Spider to return to his own time and analyze new ways to fight the Inheritors (as well as confronting his father for trapping him in the past). Miguel drifted back and forth between the present and the future. Along the way, he even encountered his own future son, Gabri, who would one day become Spider-Man after him. He's currently back in the present, working with Peter to prevent a dark, altered future.
WHERE WE GO FROM THERE
Miguel appeared only briefly in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, during the post-credits sequence of the film. He's shown living in his own reality and working with his assistant, Lyla. Having been monitoring the events of the film, Miguel now has a connection to the multiverse. He and Lyla have even designed a means to move autonomously through the multiverse by using a portal device. Miguel's expertise with technology gives him the chance to open up the cosmos to the heroes.
Miguel initially uses the device to travel across time and space, ending up in the 1960s animated Spider-Man universe. He quickly gets into a shouting match with that version of Peter, which ends the film on a fantastic comedic moment. But the potential for the device should be obvious, even before he spreads it to the other Spider-Heroes. This could allow him to team up with other heroes like he has Peter, helping alter the future of the multiverse. He could even take on the role that Billy Braddock, aka Spider-Man UK had in the original Spider-Verse event. Miles and Lyla could serve as the ears and eyes of the Spider-Heroes going forward in the franchise, which would be a fun command position for O'Hara to take over with the rest of the heroes.
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To add fuel to that theory, the final moments of the film, which show Miles Morales being approached through a dimensional rift by his friend Gwen Stacy, suggests that Miguel has been able to expand the portal tech to the rest of the multiverse. This development could further unite the Spider-Heroes for whatever threat comes their way in Into the Spider-Verse 2.
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse stars Shameik Moore, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake Johnson, Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld, Liev Schreiber, Luna Lauren Velez, Lily Tomlin, Nicolas Cage, John Mulaney and Kimiko Glenn. The film is available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. The sequel is set to premiere in April of 2022.
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