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New York City from MSM screen

New York City.

New York City is the main setting of the Marvel's Spider-Man series series. Mirroring the real-world city as depicted within a Marvel universe, the city is the home of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and almost all of the heroes and villains who appear throughout the series.

The city in the Marvel's Spider-Man universe has been shaped by influential entities such as Oscorp, Wilson Fisk's criminal empire, the Maggia crime families, and Roxxon Corporation. Each also have direct connections to an array of supervillains and have contributed to streams of crises, requiring the intervention of the Spider-Men. Norman Osborn, founder of Oscorp, was elected mayor of the city, but forced to resign after the Devil's Breath crisis of his own making. Much of the news is covered by the Daily Bugle newspaper.

New York's portrayal in the Marvel's Spider-Man series closely mirrors its real-world counterpart geographically, featuring the borough of Manhattan in the first Marvel's Spider-Man series and in Miles Morales, while the boroughs Queens and Brooklyn (the homes of Peter and Miles respectively) are introduced in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Prisoners are held on Ryker's Island, while more dangerous convicts are held at the Raft. The city's landmarks weaves real-world landmarks such as the iconic Empire State Building alongside locales inspired by Marvel characters and organizations.

History[]

Before Marvel's Spider-Man[]

Spider-Man's First Appearance

Spider-Man made his debut to the public

Eight years prior to events of Marvel's Spider-Man,[1] Peter Parker became Spider-Man, initially stopping petty crimes around New York. Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson, opinions on him varied, with some seeing him as a menace and others as a hero.[a]

Over the years, a number of supervillains wreaked havoc in New York, including Shocker, Electro, Vulture, Rhino, Scorpion, Rhino, Scorpion, Sandman, Lizard, Swarm, and Mysterio. Mob boss Wilson Fisk had a foothold over the city, controlling many police, judges, and city councilors,[11] though his presence also kept other criminals in check.[b] Spider-Man, teaming up with police captain Yuriko Watanabe, fought Fisk and the supervillains over the course of these years.[12]

Oscorp had a large presence in the city, funding revolutionary technologies including batteries that recharged themselves from sound waves and microbes that could provide clean water.[15] Its CEO, Norman Osborn, was elected mayor of New York, and was in office as of 2018,[13] running for re-election. Elsewhere, the F.E.A.S.T. shelter was established in New York City by Martin Li.[16] New York City grant also funded Otto Octavius' research at Octavius Industries.[17] News in the city was covered by the Daily Bugle, an oft-derided source.[18]

Marvel's Spider-Man[]

In 2018,[13] at the beginning of Marvel's Spider-Man, Wilson Fisk was arrested, leading to a power vacuum and a subsequent surge of crime.[b] One such insurgent gang was the Inner Demons led by Martin Li, who attacked an Osborn campaign rally at City Hall killing many including officer Jefferson Davis. The attack caused Osborn to hire Sable International mercenaries to help protect the city and his own interests.[19] The Demons subsequently planned to release a bioweapon created by Oscorp named Devil's Breath at Grand Central Station and frame Mayor Osborn for the incident, but the attack was prevented by Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson.[15]

Later, Otto Octavius freed a number of prisoners at Ryker's Island and supervillains from the Raft, forming the Sinister Six, and himself releasing Devil's Breath. The bioweapon infected up to half a million New Yorkers and caused a citywide quarantine.[20] Spider-Man, working with the police, managed to defeat the Sinister Six and stop Octavius, securing an anti-serum developed by Oscorp,[21] saving the city. Mayor Osborn resigned in disgrace, and convicts were slowly rounded up and returned to prison.[22]

City That Never Sleeps[]

Sometime after the Devil's Breath crisis, Maggia don Hammerhead sparked a power struggle against the other Maggia dons, with the goal of seizing power from them and then take over New York. Though he became formidable after stealing left behind Sable International technology, he was defeated by the efforts of Spider-Man, Black Cat, and Silver Sable.

Miles Morales[]

A new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, trained under Peter Parker and took over while Parker was in Symkaria. Elsewhere, Roxxon established a plaza within Harlem, while Rio Morales, running for city council, protested their arrival. Roxxon, under leadership of Simon Krieger, had plans to bring Nuform reactors to provide a new source of clean energy, but when they learned Nuform caused sickness, covered it up, believing the people uptown were disposable.[23] Phin Mason, whose brother had been killed by Roxxon, then worked with the Underground, causing an internal battle that culminated in a battle at Harlem, until Spider-Man stopped them and Phin, realizing the damage she had done, sacrificed herself to save Harlem.[24]

Marvel's Spider-Man 2[]

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Geography[]

Overview[]

As with the real-world city, New York City is a densely-populated coastal city located at the metting of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, spread across a few islands connected by bridges. The city comprises five boroughs, within which are a number of districts and hundreds of neighborhoods with distinct architecture and communities.

Boroughs[]

Name Description Visited
Manhattan The most densely populated borough, home to most of the city's skyscrapers, major business centers, and cultural attractions. It has at times been the home of Peter and Mary Jane (when renting an apartment there), and Miles and his mother Rio when moving into Miles' abuela's apartment in Harlem. Marvel's Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Brooklyn The most populous borough in the city, known for its cultural diversity, independent art scene, distinct neighborhoods, and architectural heritage. This was the childhood home of Miles. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Queens The geographically largest borough, mainly comprising residential homes. May Parker's house is located in here, and thus it was the childhood home of Peter. Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Districts[]

Name Description Borough
Astoria A lush, green space filled with mostly zoo and forest, and less buildings. It is also the location of the X-Mansion, the headquarters of the superhero group X-Men. Queens
Brooklyn Heights A hometown of original Captain America, Steve Rogers. Brooklyn
Central Park A lush, green space in the center of Manhattan, and the location of the Manhattan Museum of Contemporary Art. Manhattan
Chinatown Located in the southern portion of Manhattan. The main center of F.E.A.S.T. organization. Manhattan
Coney Island A famous carnival island at Brooklyn district. It primarily serves as Mysterium's main base, lead by former Mysterio, Quentin Beck, during Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn Brooklyn
Downtown Queens Queens
Financial District The southern-most district of Manhattan, it is home to a number of real-world landmarks including City Hall, Trinity Church, and Wall Street, and to the Marvel landmark Damage Control HQ. Manhattan
Greenwich A southwestern district known for park areas and lower-rise buildings, the district is main location of Empire State University, and home to the Sanctum Sanctorum. The Daily Bugle used to be based in this district prior to moving to Hell's Kitchen as the main events of the series. It was a base of Octavius Industries during Marvel's Spider-Man. Manhattan
Harlem The northernmost district of Manhattan, Harlem is a cultural district known for its rich history. It is a home of Morales-Davis family, and the district Rio represents as councilwoman. The district is also the location of the Marvel landmark The Bar With No Name, and during Miles Morales, was the location of Roxxon Plaza. Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen A western district, Hell's Kitchen is the location of the real world Madison Square Garden, and a current location of Daily Bugle. It was originally a site of Fisk Tower, a skyscraper owned by Wilson Fisk and his base of operations, until it is bought by Fantastic Four and renamed the team's new base as Baxter Building as of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Manhattan
Midtown A bustling district home to the world famous, Times Square, Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, and United Nations, the district in series.' is also the location of two embassies based on Marvel countries, notably the Symkarian and Wakandan Embassy. It is also the main district where Oscorp Tower is located.

Fisk Tower, which was primarily based at Hell's Kitchen in the previous games, now moves to this district where its new building construction has been completed as of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Chrysler Building used to appear in the first game. However, due to recent copyright issues after its ownership being co-owned with Austrian company SIGNA group, it is replaced by other building as of Miles Morales.[25]

Manhattan
Upper East Side Located northeast of Manhattan, the district in the series is home to the immense Avengers Tower and Osborn family apartement. Manhattan
Upper West Side Located northwest. Oscorp has a secret laboratory which was originally a churching place. It is also the same building where Martin Li became Mister Negative, as a result of to Norman's experiment on him that caused him accidentally kill hid parents and caused Otto to quit the company he co-founded with Norman. Manhattan
Williamsburg Brooklyn

Society[]

New York City society in the series mirrors that of its real-world counterpart, with some notable distinctions. The presence and reputation of Spider-Man are central topics of debate among New Yorkers.[a] Oscorp, a major corporation, holds a significant stake in the city's properties, including a towering skyscraper, and stands as one of the city's largest employers. Additionally, Wilson Fisk's influence is widespread, with Fisk Construction and various Fisk-owned properties prominently contributing to the city's landscape. Amidst these dynamics, the F.E.A.S.T. shelters provide a refuge for the homeless population.

New York's media landscape in the series features the widely distributed Daily Bugle newspaper, which also broadcasts television reports,[20] and has a divisive reputation.[18] The founder of the newspaper, J. Jonah Jameson, hosts the controversial podcast series Just the Facts, while Danika Hart, a younger podcaster, presents the opposing perspective through her Danikast, offering contrasting views on city life.

One of the series' beloved eateries, cherished by Spider-Man himself, is Eddie's Pizza.[26]

Original appearance[]

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Notes[]

Annotations[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Spider-Man's reputation is polarized. Many citizens respect him, defending his actions,[2][3][4] while others side with J. Jonah Jameson's critiques.[5] The police are divided: some, including Yuriko Watanabe, support him,[6] while others buy into Jameson's conspiracy theories.[7] Initially, Sable faulted him for escalating issues[8], but later changed her stance[9]. Mayor Osborn tried pinning the Devil's Breath crisis on Spider-Man[10], though his influence on public opinion is unclear.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Fisk himself claimed responsibility for keeping "order" in New York City,[12] and his words later rang true after his arrest. Martin Li admitted that Wilson Fisk's arrest would bring about the day of revenge he had dreamed of,[13] and the Maggia crime families worked to take control of New York in the power vacuum he left behind.[14]

Citations[]

References[]

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