Spider-Man’s New Picotech Costume Just Flipped His Coolest MCU Trick

Warning: Contains spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man #3 (2024)

The new Ultimate Marvel universe has given Spider-Man a picotech costume, functioning similarly in many ways to Peter Parker’s iconic nanotech Iron Spider uniform from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like a function prominently featured in No Way Home, Spidey’s newest costume is able to be paired with other devices for remote control; unfortunately for Peter, this time he finds himself on the receiving end of that trick.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 – by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit – finds the recently empowered hero intervening in a fight between the Green Goblin and Bullseye. Though Peter had been on a stakeout waiting for the Green Goblin, hoping to discover why he’s attacking Wilson Fisk, he comes to the Goblin’s aid when Bullseye attacks.

After working together to defeat Bullseye, Green Goblin comments on Spider-Man’s costume before adding that it’s “proprietary.” He then pairs his own suit with Spider-Man’s picotech uniform, forcing it to remove Peter’s mask – mirroring a famous scene from No Way Home.

Ultimate Green Goblin Has Control Over Spider-Man’s Costume

The First Seed Of Future Conflict

Spider-Man’s new costume was given to Peter by Tony Stark, known in the new Ultimate Universe as Iron Lad. It was Tony who gave Peter the radioactive spider that resulted in his powers, along with a picotech stealth suit of unknown origin. The suit, it appears, uses technology owned by the Osborns. With a new Spider-Man continuity being woven from scratch, it was inevitable that the Osborns would appear – though Harry’s introduction in Ultimate Spider-Man #3 was yet another delightful surprise for readers, swerving away from their expectations in the most exciting possible way.

When Green Goblin pairs his suit with Spider-Man’s, Peter finds himself on the opposite end of a familiar situation – at least, familiar to Peter Parker from 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. In the film, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man met Otto Octavius when the two fought on a bridge. Under the overpass, Doc Ock absorbed some of the Iron Spider suit’s nanotechnology into his own robotic arms. This allows Peter to pair his suit with Octavius’ machinery, taking control of the arms and using them to keep Doc Ock in check. Now, on Earth-6160, Peter finds that he’s on the receiving end of this tactic.

Ultimate Spider-Man’s Costume Is A Focal Point Of His Early Adventures

Savoring The Origin Story

Though Peter has only been active at Spider-Man at this point for a few months – and only just got his costume’s iconic colors in this issue – this encounter may prove that it’s already time for an upgrade. With Goblin’s ability to pair his suit with Spider-Man’s, Peter knows that his suit can be compromised. Though the two are currently allies, Goblin could use this trick against him in a future confrontation. This isn’t something Peter would have to worry about with a traditional fabric costume. Meaning, a fight against the Goblin may signal the need for a change in wardrobe.

In a sense, when Green Goblin pairs his suit with Spider-Man’s, he highlights something this universe’s Peter Parker has struggled with for months: he hasn’t made Spider-Man his own. Here, Peter’s identity is revealed to a stranger as a result of him using a suit made from borrowed technology. His powers and costume were both given to him. In this issue, however, we see Peter put a stamp on his uniform: he chooses his colors with his daughter. Maybe having this MCU trick used against him will push the new Ultimate Marvel Spider-Man into being his own hero.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.