Insomniac Games introduces the influencer gone wrong, Screwball, in Marvel’s Spider-Man. Her personality and elaborate pranks helped her gain a massive internet following in the game. Her comic book origins, however, are simpler.
Screwball is first introduced to Spider-Man when one of her fans asks him to join the “Screwball Challenge” in the Internet Famous side mission. Confused by the entire situation, Spider-Man explains that he has other things to do. But when the fan says it’s for the needy, Spider-Man agrees to take part. He snaps a picture of a matrix plastered on a brick building and immediately gets a Screwball call. Screwball sets in place a series of codes and traps for Spider-Man to handle. The initial mission is minor, but she comes back in the DLC, Silver Lining.
Much like her comic counterpart, Screwball is an online influencer with a massive following; most of her followers just so happen to be criminals. In the comics, Screwball is introduced by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin and is a well-known live-blogging criminal who gained a massive following. She has since worked as a freelance criminal by finding new clients in the Bar with No Name.
Screwball is deceptively cunning and excels at laying down intricate plans. Her introduction in Marvel’s Spider-Man is a series of three challenges for Spider-Man. She forces him to fight a group of “followers,” search for time bombs and save a hostage. All this while finding the locations of her matrix tags. She is the ultimate scavenger hunt planner.
After her first appearance, Screwball takes things to another level. Spider-Man increased her viewer counts, so she naturally continues to feature him on her live streams. She returns in the Silver Linings DLC with even more challenges and trials, this time putting Spidey through combat challenges, bomb scrambles and time attacks. Each mission drives Spider-Man to take pictures while he’s doing them. Gaining new clicks and more followers will continue to fuel Screwball’s criminal habits. Still, it also makes it easier for Spider-Man’s friends to find what she is doing next.
Screwball doesn’t have any superpowers other than her superfans. She is, however, fantastic at parkour. Her agile movements help her dodge Spider-Man’s pursuits and even allowed her to impersonate the hero in the comic books once.
It is also safe to say that Screwball is a tech-savvy entertainer. While she is not a genius like Tony Stark, she can still put together elaborate pranks, film them, and get them out to her fans. All while continuing to entertain with silly quips and a commanding personality.
Just ten years after her first appearance, Screwball has made it to the big leagues of gaming. Her character is a great example of what could go wrong when becoming famous on the internet. Insomniac Games does great justice to who Screwball is with their version of the criminal.