Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse: Unmasking Miguel O'Hara

What do we know and what can we conclude about the the side antogonist of ATSV? (SPOILERS AHEAD)

With the second installment of the Spideverse films ending in a cliffhanger, many theories surround the menacing villain spot, the prowler version of Miles Morales, or what might occur in the last film. But to me, the most fleshed out and compelling part is that Miguel O’Hara, otherwise known as “Spider-man” 2099, is clearly a vampire hiding behind the heroic suit of Spiderman. Instead of Miles Morales, whose existence as Spiderman is believed to have destabilized the universe, being the original anomaly, it’s possibly Miguel. His glowing rope-like “webs” and inability to cling to surfaces are all the necessary details to support the idea that Bro… is NOT actually Spiderman. On a quick side note, I will not use any sources other than the film itself.

We first encounter Miguel when Gwen Stacy struggles to apprehend the Vulture, a renaissance-like creature from evidently another dimension. They are joined by another spider woman variation, Jessica Drew, as they fight the anomaly together. Observing their intricate movements, of course, Jessica and Gwen are seen shooting the classic webbing from either their fingertips or a part of wrist-mounted mechanical web-shooters. On the other hand, Miguel uses a glowing lariat, way thicker as compared to the fine threads of organic or synthetic webbing. Although yes, we are introduced to various trailblazing hybrids of spider people, meaning they could possess unique abilities that differentiate them from everyone. But why is it when the legion of spider people, along with Miguel, try to catch Miles Morales, quite literally everyone is seen to have the exact same webbing? Is Miguel O’Hara so special to have his own set, or is he just a fake?

Being bitten by a radioactive spider gives Spiderman another arachnid ability, the ability to cling to surfaces or ceilings, which Miguel seems to lack. His way of getting to a certain location is much more brutal than that of anyone in Spider society, as he has sharp claws that he uses to climb through walls. During the intense chase scene on a highway train, Miguel employs his formidable talons to tear through metal barriers as he relentlessly tries to catch Miles. At this point, Miles raises doubts about his superhero persona by questioning, “Dude, are you even Spiderman?” which was definitely not a throwaway line.

My so-called short “theory” might possibly be taken down by copious amounts of comics featuring Miguel O’Hara and his backstory of becoming one of the most unique Marvel heroes. However, one thing about Sony studious (with the association with Marvel) is that they do not follow the original script. Sony is already known for challenging the typical Disney/Pixar animation look with spider verse, forcing animation to evolve. Therefore, we can not yet adhere to the pages of the comics and hear my spider-verse rot brain out.