Fans are already drawing theories about another classic villain showing up in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, one that might have been present since the very first game. Insomniac’s well-received Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales were filled with updated versions of classic comic book characters, from titular Spider-heroes Peter Parker and Miles Morales to infamous villains like Norman Osborn, the Sinister Six, and the Tinkerer. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will continue this trend when it launches this October by pitting players against brand-new takes on fan favorites like Kraven the Hunter and Venom.One Marvel’s Spider-Man supporting character that players might have overlooked is Dr. Morgan Michaels, a scientist who worked for Oscorp and played a key role in developing the Devil’s Breath serum that becomes a major threat later in the game. When the only sample of the serum is stolen and used as a bio-weapon by Doctor Octopus and the Sinister Six, Michaels works with Spider-Man to develop an antidote, setting up Spider-Man’s heartbreakingly bittersweet ending. While he appears to be an original character created for Insomniac’s Marvel universe at first glance, Morgan Michaels actually has roots in the comics as one of Spidey’s most tragic foes. As it turns out, Morgan Michaels was originally an alias for Dr. Michael Morbius, aka Morbius the Living Vampire. This bit of trivia is pretty easy to miss while playing Marvel’s Spider-Man, so fans like Twitter user Julian Santiago are surprised when they discover that the unassuming scientist is actually a legendary Marvel anti-hero. With Spider-Man 2 on the horizon, some of these fans have started to speculate that Michaels could mutate into the Living Vampire at some point in the upcoming sequel - either as a traditional vampire or a monstrous bat/human hybrid similar to Batman: Arkham Knight's take on Man-Bat.
While Sony's live-action Morbius movie was met with mockery and derision, the Living Vampire recently gained goodwill among gamers as a DLC playable character in Marvel’s Midnight Suns. As some fans have pointed out, having him appear in Spider-Man 2 would mirror his earlier role in the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii versions of the 2007 Spider-Man 3 tie-in game - which also featured Venom, Kraven, and the Lizard as villains in addition to adapting the famous Black Suit storyline.
Of course, it’s just as likely that Morgan Michaels’s name is simply meant to be a nod to Morbius instead of a sign that the Living Vampire will appear in Spider-Man 2, or he will instead return in a future Insomniac sequel. On the other hand, Morbius would fit in well with Spider-Man 2’s more monster-centric rogue’s gallery, and fans are already excited at the prospect of Peter and Miles battling the Living Vampire when the game swings onto the PlayStation 5 this fall.
Spider-Man 2 launches October 20, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
Source: GamesRadar