Who is Spider-Man 2099 – The Futuristic Sci-Fi Arachnid Version

Spider-Man is Marvel Comics’ most popular superhero. The success of this character has promoted the creation of alternate versions. Some variants have fallen into oblivion, and others have gained popularity. One was Spider-Man 2099, a character created in 1992 by Peter David and Rick Leonardi. He was intended to be part of the Marvel 2099 line of comics. Regardless, he went his own way.

This reinvention of his namesake, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is Miguel O’Hara, a bright Irish-Mexican geneticist. He lives in Nueva York, renamed New York City in 2099.

This scientist initially sought to recreate the original Spider-Man’s abilities in other people. But, after suffering an accident, he ends up with half of his DNA rewritten by a spider’s genetic code.

Spider-Man 2099 – Publication History

Image: Marvel Comics

One of the characters that Marvel Comics successfully reinvented was this Spider-Man of the Future. The Marvel 2099 comic book line shows different future versions of classic comic book characters where. This period happens approximately 107 years after the then-current Marvel Universe period.

The first time the existence of Spider-Man 2099 was known was in The Amazing Spider-Man 2099. After that, the superhero’s own issue was short of coming. In the beginning, when the Marvel 2099 stories were published, it was thought to represent the Marvel Universe.

Artists Rick Leonardi and Peter David were the creators of Spider-Man 2099. The goal was to create an alter ego of the original character. His first solo appearance was in Spider-Man 2099 #1. This issue was the best-selling individual comic of the collection.

Spider-Man 2099 – Biography 

Spider-Man 2099’s biography is one of the richest and most science-fiction oriented on the character’s history:

Becoming Spider-Man 2099

Miguel O’Hara is a scientist who becomes head of the Alchemax genetics program. The aim was to generate new soldiers with controlled superpowers. To achieve this, Miguel takes inspiration from the records of survivors associated with Spider-Man.

Therefore, his dream is to create an individual with similar power to the original Spider-Man in the future. When the experiments begin, Miguel has a person die. So, he decides to stop these operations.

Instead of letting him go, Tyler Stone tricks him into taking Rapture. This substance is a radioactive drug that bonds with its user. In order not to be addicted and not to be charged by the authorities for drug theft, he sneaks into Alchemax.

Miguel’s idea was to alter his own genetics with the machine used to rewrite DNA. But, his assistant varies the device and makes 50% of the DNA arachnid. Miguel manages to survive, realizing he has the powers of a spider.

Tyler, realizing the existence of a person with similar powers to the original Spider-Man, sends a manhunt for him. To hide, Miguel uses a disguise that he used on the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Meeting Spider-Man

In 1995, in the one-shot, Spider-Man 2099 meets the original Spider-Man. Miguel and Peter have switched places at that time, with no apparent explanation. Miguel wakes up next to Peter’s wife, Mary Jane.

Faced with such a puzzling situation, they both discover that this is due to Fujikawa in the modern age and Alchemax in 2099. Both corporations are conducting experiments on a temporal energy generator.

This is how, each in their own time, they also meet their enemies. Miguel faces Venom, who is Eddi Brock. And Peter faces the Vulture of 2099. This leads them to unite and fight the chaos that has ensued.

Venom, Submariner, and Goblin 2099

Miguel encounters a modern version of Venom, Spider-Man’s original foe. The former Venom symbiote, still alive but slightly altered, assumes the host’s body.

Veno attacks Tyler Stone, who needs medical attention after being shot. After a fight between Spider-Man 2099 and Venom 2099, Dana dies. Soon after, a new villain, Goblin, enters the scene.

This villain starts a smear campaign against Spider-Man 2099, showing a reality out of context. Thus, he tries to prove that the corporations are trying to sell him as a hero to the people.

Miguel receives help to fight this battle. And Submariner seeks to take over Spider-Man’s city. It ends with Spider-Man confronting the Goblin, but he learns it is his brother Gabe. In the end, Miguel’s mother and Tyler Stone perish at the hands of the Atlanteans.

The “Spider-Verse”

In Spider-Verse, Miguel O’Hara witnesses several deaths. He watches as Morlin murders his Avengers counterparts, Tomestorm and Exiles. All this before his version could flee to Earth-616.

After this portal closes, Miguel seeks out Peter Parker to tell him everything that has happened. As a result, Spider-Uk recruits him and the other 6166 to join the Spider-army.

Using dimensional travel technology, Miguel returns to 2099, precisely when the assassination of Daemos Heir occurred. There, Miguel teams up with Lady Spider (May Relly) and Six-Armed Spider-Man, seeking to find the weakness of the Heirs. At the end of the battle, the good guys win.

All-New, All-Different Marvel

Following the Secret Wars plot, Miguel finds himself stranded in the present. After a crime incident that ended badly, Miguel decides to retire. Peter, seeing this, offers him a job at Parker Industries.

Thus, Miguel rethinks his goal. He wants to improve the world without being Spider-Man. But, a portal created by himself reveals a devastated 2099. And the death of his lover by a terrorist attack forces Miguel to return to action.

Miguel searches for the man responsible for these attacks, Doctor Chronos. Who is the one who taught Victor von Doom robotics before his expulsion. During the fight, and before dying, this Doctor reveals that he works for an organization called “El Puño”.

At the same time, it is revealed that Roberta Mendez, Captain America of 2099, is trapped in the past. And it is discovered that the bounty hunter Venture escapes to the present through the time portal that Miguel created.

Miguel and Roberta join forces in vain. The venture is recovered and recruited by the Fist. The story shows that through this portal, the superheroes could travel several times, triggering several stories.

Spider-Man 2099 Powers, Skills and Equipment

Image: Marvel Comics

Miguel O’Hara stands out as one of the scientists in the field of genetics. He is highly brilliant and qualified with the intelligence of a genius. Despite never receiving training, his combat skills are among his abilities. He developed on his own an effective fighting style, which made him maximize the use of his strength, agility, intellect and superhuman senses.

After rewriting his genetic code from a spider, the scientist develops a wide range of powers. He has the speed, strength, and agility of a spider. His strength is comparable to the original Spider-Man, so he can lift 10 to 15 tons and jump up to 30 feet in the air.

His speed gives him the agility to dodge shots at close range. As well as moving several times faster than any other normal human being. He can also perform complicated acrobatic and gymnastic maneuvers, which would be quite difficult for a trained athlete.

Due to his rewritten genetic code, most of these abilities have been granted instinctively. All this allows Miguel greater resistance and vitality to injuries. Likewise, his metabolism allows him to heal faster than any other human being.

But unlike the original Spider-Man, this version of the superhero does not possess an extrasensory spider sense. Despite this, Miguel has enhanced hearing, vision and senses. 

Among his Abilities Are the Following:

• See in complete darkness.
• Accurately perceive things and people at a great distance.
• Enhanced hearing.
• His forearms have spinnerets that allow him to shoot the same substance as the original Spider-Man.
• He can travel at high speeds.
• He has powerful claws, capable of cutting through flesh and plastics, even tearing through metal armour.
• He has poisonous glands, and sharp and pronounced canine teeth, which paralyze his enemies.

 

It also has Certain weaknesses, Such as:

• Hypersensitivity to light, 
• The irises of its eyes are redder and can become completely white, without irises or pupils that are visible,
• The web it throws at its enemies loses resistance after a while,
• It can unintentionally loosen the straps of its forearms because of the pressure applied to them,
• As the original Spider-Man does, he cannot cling to surfaces with any part of his body. He can only use his hands and feet to do so.

 

Spider-Man 2099 Other Versions

In other versions, Spider-Man 2099 has appeared in:

War of Destiny

In the alternate Avengers visualized in Avengers Forever #12, a version of Spider-Man 2099 is seen. In this Destiny War, during the Spider-Verse plot, Morlun kills this version of Spider-Man 2099.

2998 AD

This version tells the story of The Amazing Spider-Man #439. It all started 1000 years ago, specifically in 2988, in the future, where two archaeologists stumbled upon relics that belonged to Spider-Man. 

And so, they begin to speculate about the superhero’s career and other heroes who inspired the original Spider-Man. Among those who stand out, Spider-Girl, and Spider. Man 2211, and Spider-Man 2099.

The–?!

In What The–?! Issue 26 presents the character Spider-Ham. This is an anthropomorphic pig that made parodies of the original Spider-Man. Marvel Comics reworked this character in a parody of Spider-Man 2099.

This version appeared in Spider-Ham 15.88. Where a lab janitor named “Piguel O’Hara accidentally falls into a spider poison ink. Thus, he acquires spider powers. 

Exiles

In this stage, Marvel Comics created a new timeline and parallel reality. Michael is unmasked and moves away from his world before Doom takes power. At that moment, he identifies himself as Earth-6375.

The fight at this stage is intense; it is about stopping Proteus. So, Spider-Man 2099 joins forces with the Exiles. The idea is that Proteus leaves the world he does not belong to.

Proteus is defeated on the spot. So, Spider-Man continues to side with the Exiles, to try to fix the damaged realities. After a couple of adventures, the Exiles disperse into the multiverse, and Miguel O’Hara ends up in another parallel world.

Warp World

When the “Infinity Wars” events took place, Gamora made her own. Using the Infinity Stones, she manages to bend the universe in half. This leads to the creation of Warp World, merging characters and stories.

In this case, Spider-Man 2099 merges with Ravage 2099, and Arachknight 2099 is born. The story shows how Miguel Ravage gains access to the spider’s DNA through genetic surgery. 

Spider-Man 2099 Appearances 

In other media, Spider-Man 2099 is present in:

Movies and TV

Image: Sony

In cinema, the superhero appears in films such as:

• 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man 2099 appears in the post-credits scenes, voiced by Oscar Isaac.
• 2023, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Isaac is expected to play the role of Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099.

On television, Spider-Man 2099 Appeared in:

• Spider-Man Unlimited 2099. The series shows a variant of the character called Josh Parker, the five-times great-grandson of the original Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
• Ultimate Spider-Man, “The Spider-Verse”, appears in the fourth episode Spider-Man 2099, voiced by Freddy Rodriguez.

Video Games

In video games, Spider-Man 2099 almost always appears as a playable character in:

• Marvel 2099: One Nation Under Doom, the game was planned and cancelled midway through the project’s development.
• Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.
• Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, voiced by Dan Gilvezan.
• Spider-Man: Edge of Time, voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes.

 

The Sci-Fi Spider-Man Futuristic Version 

Image: Marvel Comics

This character is one of the best superheroes of the 2099 storyline. His setting transports us to a futuristic scenario perfect for science fiction lovers. In addition, the narrative arc is very well justified and does not seek to compete with the classic Spider-Man, as it takes place in a different environment.  

We will see Miguel O’Hara soon. The Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse movie is one of the most awaited by the fans. The estimated release date is June 2, 2023. And it is expected that in this story, Gwen Stacy returns to the land of Miles Morales. Everything indicates that it will be a new adventure that spans Spider-Verse, with six of these universes.

We anticipate more than 240 characters to appear in scenes. And one of them is Spider-Man 2099, which will be voiced by Oscar Isaac, as in the previous movie. This character will be another of Peter Parker’s variants, which generates many expectations.

Featured Image Via Marvel Comics 

 

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.