Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features an engaging – and often dark – narrative that includes many notable deaths. This has pushed the heroes of Insomniac’s universe into some interesting new places, but it also means that several villains have met their ends by the time the credits roll – and even before the start of the game. Surprisingly, though, many of these deaths occur off-screen and may be easily missed if players aren’t paying attention during a specific mission.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.The main story of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 involves Peter, who’s trying to hold a stable job while maintaining a solid relationship with Mary Jane, and Miles, who is learning how to be Spider-Man while balancing being a student at Visions Academy. Together, they face off against villains like Venom and Kraven the Hunter. Both Peter and Miles are reeling from the deaths of loved ones, as Peter is still coming to terms with Aunt May’s death from the first game and Miles is confronted with the aftermath of his father’s death at the hands of Martin Li’s Mr. Negative (an important subplot in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.) With so much death right from the get-go, it’s perhaps odd that other notable deaths occur completely off-screen.
Who Kraven The Hunter Kills In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
These off-screen villain deaths happen because of Kraven the Hunter and his “Great Hunt,” which he brings to New York City in an attempt to kill and learn from the many villains and heroes there. This is an early moment in the main story of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but it has a sprawling effect over the entire game. Initially, Kraven breaks out Mr. Negative and Scorpion during a routine transfer near the Raft. Later on, Miles has to save Martin Li (Mr. Negative) from Kraven, and Peter witnesses Kraven killing Scorpion with his own stinger on-screen in one of the game’s more shocking moments.
However, off-screen, it appears that Kraven killed at least three more villains over the course of his Great Hunt: Electro, Shocker, and Vulture. Like Scorpion’s death, this is shocking because of how common and popular these villains have been in Spider-Man media. Arguably even more shocking, however, is that these deaths are mostly skipped over, requiring players to find out the truth about how each villain met their end by completing specific missions in-game.
Why Kraven Kills Scorpion In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The reason Kraven kills so many villains in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is because he finds them “lacking” in their ability. Kraven is looking for someone worthy to hunt and fight. However, it’s not enough to simply beat them in a battle. If Kraven finds them to be a disappointment, he will kill them and take something from them as a trophy. He will then take what he’s learned from fighting them to try to better himself. During the main story, this is witnessed firsthand with Scorpion, who Kraven brutally murders near the end of the main story mission where Peter discovers who Kraven is – and who might be next on his list.
Does Electro Die In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?
Throughout the mission “Good Men,” players can discover the other villains Kraven has killed. For example, during the section when playing as Mary Jane, some of Electro’s belongings can be found inside the base at the zoo. Although the death occurred off-screen (and perhaps even before the main events of the game), a recording sheds more light on the circumstances, as Kraven calls Electro a waste of his time.
How Electro was killed isn’t explained, and it’s a detail that’s easy to miss since players can easily go past Electro’s belongings and the recording without noticing them. However, it’s clear that Electro is dead in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Is Shocker Dead In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?
In that same mission with Mary Jane, Shocker can be seen on a computer screen along with the word “DECEASED” clearly written underneath him. Beside the computer are Shocker’s gloves and helmet, as viewed in this video from Gaming Stories Only on YouTube:
This leaves very little room for speculation over Shocker’s fate. Clearly, Kraven has killed him, although the details aren’t shown. Again, it’s easy to miss unless MJ goes over to the computer and inspects it.
Is Vulture Dead In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?
During the same mission, “Good Men,” Mary Jane can also find out what happened to Vulture. Vulture’s wings are on full display and there is a recording from Kraven shedding more details on why Kraven killed him. It’s a shocking moment, especially given Vulture’s prominence as a villain in Spider-Man media, and again, it’s totally missable if MJ rushes past this section.
Why Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Killed Off So Many Villains
Insomniac’s Spider-Man games haven’t been afraid to shy away from controversial deaths, even killing off Aunt May at the end of the first game. Killing off multiple villains because of Kraven is a bold decision, but with many of these villains being put away on the Raft, it was unlikely they’d fit within Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘s universe (and any DLC or sequels). There are still plenty of villains who Peter and Miles saved – and ones that have only just been teased – so it’s unlikely Spider-Man‘s rogues gallery will get used up anytime soon.
What is surprising is that these details are so easily missable. Players rushing through this Mary Jane section may miss some or all of these details in the “Good Men” mission, meaning they’re unlikely to know Shocker, Electro, and Vulture are even dead. These dark, off-screen moments show what a ruthless character Kraven is, making it even stranger that these moments can be skimmed over so quickly in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
