It is a great time to be a Mysterio fan. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the popular supervillain in Spider-Man: Far From Home shines a new spotlight on the maniacal failed actor who uses his special effects knowledge to conjure up sinister illusions that torment Spider-Man, Daredevil, Wolverine, and a long list of Marvel heroes.
Mysterio’s green jumpsuit, eyeball emblems on his cape's clasps, and signature fishbowl helmet create one of the most iconic costumes in comic books. As always with Mysterio, you are probably not too surprised to learn there is more to the ensemble than meets the eye. Here are 10 things you never knew about Mysterio’s suit.
10 Mysterio didn’t build the suit
Despite his expertise as a mechanical engineer and special effects wizard, Mysterio’s original suit was actually built by the Tinkerer, a minor Spider-Man villain who hired the master illusionist to stage an alien invasion as part of a scheme to sell military secrets.
While Mysterio certainly added dozens of additional gadgets over the years, the suit never strays too far from the Tinkerer’s original design. Given the Tinkerer prefers to work alone to keep a low profile, it’s no surprise his partnership with a villain dedicated to bravado and showmanship did not last very long.
9 The dome is one-way glass
On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense for someone trying to conceal his or her face to wear a glass dome over their head. However, Mysterio goes to great lengths to ensure his foes never get a glimpse of his secret identity, aka Quentin Beck.
The helmet is made of one-way glass, which means Mysterio can see out but his enemies can’t see his face. Various depictions of the character disagree on exactly how strong the glass is, ranging from fragile acrylic to bulletproof plexiglass that even heroes with superhuman strength have a tough time penetrating.
8 Except when it's not
In more recent Mysterio appearances, you can often see directly into his helmet. It is usually portrayed with a smoky interior that transforms Beck’s face into an ominous silhouette, reminiscent of an enchanted crystal ball. He achieves the look by wearing a fog machine attached to a neck brace.
The cloud released by the neck brace is also crucial to protecting Beck from the toxic gasses he sprays at opponents since it contains chemicals that counteract the effects of the hallucinatory fumes his enemies inhale. This feature obviously impedes visibility, but the suit contains an advanced sonar system that allows Mysterio to easily watch his step.
7 The best offense is a good defense
Mysterio’s entire con is that he is an expert at intimidating and disorienting heroes with clever trickery, despite the reality that he does not possess any actual superpowers. Unlike Iron Man, the actual integrity of the Mysterio suit offers Beck little protection from direct physical attacks.
Although Beck’s early career as a stunt performer turned him into a competent fighter, his suit is equipped with nozzles that release smokescreens and hallucinatory toxins to distract opponents while he makes a clean getaway. He even designed a special chemical that instantly dissolves Spider-Man’s webs.
6 It can block Peter Parker's spider-sense
Speaking of Spider-Man, do you ever wonder how Mysterio is able to pull a fast one on a superhero with a specific ability to detect imminent danger? Well, Mysterio thought about that, too. Most of his appearances depict the villain as only partially visible behind a cloud of smoke.
It’s not just for aesthetics. When he fights the friendly neighborhood wallcrawler, Mysterio’s suit surrounds him with toxic gas designed to block Spider-Man’s famous spider-sense. Despite being effective against Spider-Man, the gas has virtually no effect on other superheroes with extrasensory abilities.
5 It has web-shooters
To know your enemy, you must first become your enemy. Impressed by Spider-Man’s web-slinging, Mysterio designed his own web-shooters and a gun that fires web fluid. Despite their effectiveness, Mysterio still cannot quite replicate Spider-Man’s unique web fluid because the material disintegrates before he gets a chance to study the chemical composition.
Once again, Mysterio’s web-shooters are used more often than not for self-defense. They allow him to trap opponents, but the imperfect formula is not nearly as durable as the original. It may slow them down, but individuals with superhuman strength can eventually break free.
4 Multiple characters wear it
Quentin Beck is Mysterio, first and foremost. That doesn’t mean other characters haven’t donned the suit during Mysterio’s five decades of comic book history. After Beck’s apparent death during a failed prison escape, Daniel Berkart wore the suit while posing as Mysterio’s ghost. After Berkert’s plan imploded, the Mysterio mantle passed to Francis Klum.
The first version of Mysterio with actual superpowers, Klum almost defeated Spider-Man and Black Cat using his teleportation abilities. Before Beck finally reassumed the role, a revamped character called Mysterion also made a brief appearance, although his true identity was never revealed.
3 The suit in Spider-Man: Far From Home is the real deal
The Marvel Cinematic Universe often relies on digital effects to bring superhero costumes to life on the big screen. Iron Man, War Machine, Vision, Black Panther, and even Tom Holland’s Spider-Man are just a few examples of MCU costumes that aren't fully realized until post-production.
Spider-Man: Far From Home costume designer Anna B. Sheppard went a different route. She actually built Mysterio’s suit out of flexible plastic painted to look metallic, and hidden wiring that lights up the chest plate and cape. However, the fishbowl helmet still had to be completed digitally for the sake of safety and practicality.
2 It almost looked completely different
Before finally deciding that Mysterio’s vintage comic book look was an oldie but a goodie, Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts worked with Marvel Studios’ head of visual development, Ryan Meinerding, to create 70 alternative designs.
Meinerding claims the hardest part of the costume to get right was the helmet because he worried it might come across as too “jokey.” Leaked concept art from early development confirms initial suit designs modernized the costume to more closely resemble Tony Stark’s tech that MCU fans already recognize, including a smaller helmet that draws less attention to itself.
1 It gets juicy inside
As far as we know, there is no comic book evidence to suggest the interior of Mysterio’s suit has any method for controlling the temperature. Since Mysterio spends his days battling against superheroes, it is safe to assume he gets seriously sweaty inside that thing.
Wearing the suit must feel like sitting in a car with the windows rolled up on a hot day. Whatever you are smelling, Spider-Man, it's not hallucinatory gas. That is probably a detail you still wish you never knew about Mysterio’s suit.