Marvel superheroes get their powers in a myriad of ways. Many are born with extraordinary gifts, such as mutants and the gods that call Asgard home. Not everyone is that lucky, though, as it takes experiments or freak accidents to give some characters powers. Spider-Noir, Prime Video’s latest comic book project, takes a clear stand on where it thinks abilities should come from, leading to the creation of several super soldiers.
Spider-Man’s origin story is as iconic as any: Peter Parker ends up on the wrong end of a radioactive spider bite and gains super strength, enhanced agility, and so much more. Well, Spider-Noir isn’t a traditional Spider-Man story. For starters, it takes place in the 1930s rather than modern-day New York City. With that major creative liberty already taken, the show takes things a step further by switching up its protagonist’s backstory.
It takes a few episodes, but Spider-Noir eventually reveals Ben Reilly’s deepest and darkest secret. While serving in the United States Army in World War I, he came across a German camp that was full of POWs. As any hero would, he did everything in his power to free his comrades. But what he didn’t expect to find was a bunch of soldiers hooked up to machines that were splicing their DNA.
On paper, the sequence sounds a lot like what Steve Rogers went through in Captain America: The First Avenger when Dr. Abraham Erskine administered his perfected Super Soldier Serum. Spider-Noir even goes as far as to describe the subjects of the experiments as “super soldiers.” However, their lives are anything but super, as their gifts are uncontrollable at times and put everyone they care about at risk.
Spider-Noir Features Plenty of Super Soldiers
Man-Spider
Reilly was still wrapping his head around his discovery during the war when he ran across a soldier who was more spider than man. While trying to help him, the ailing prisoner bit Reilly, forcing another soldier to intervene and put him down. Immediately, Reilly could tell something was wrong. The man left a parting gift, altering Reilly’s DNA and cursing him with great power and great responsibility.
The Spider
The US government subjected Reilly to endless tests after learning about his transformation, hoping to weaponize him against their foes. Eventually, the war hero decided enough was enough and made his way back to New York, where he adopted a new identity and became the vigilante known as The Spider. Unlike the other super soldiers, though, his mutation doesn’t put his life at risk, making him the key to saving everyone else.
Sandman
Flint Marko survived the war, but not without a few battle scars. The Germans’ experiments made it so that he could turn his body into sand. After returning to NYC, he used his abilities to become an enforcer for the crime boss Silvermane. Despite being made of sand, Marko has a heart of gold, dedicating his life to protecting his beloved, Cat Hardy, and fantasizing about running away with her.
Tombstone
When Marko has to lay low for a while in Spider-Noir, he seeks out his old friend Lonnie Lincoln. The two have a lot in common because they were both part of the crew that the Germans experimented on. Rather than being able to turn into sand, Lonnie gains nearly indestructible skin that makes him a tough matchup for anyone, even The Spider. Fortunately, he also has the world’s best interests in mind, wanting nothing more than to be cured and live in peace.
Megawatt
Dirk Leydon doesn’t follow in his comrades’ footsteps. While they’re trying to make the most of a bad situation, he uses his electrical powers to hurt people and steal from shops in the city. His first appearance in Spider-Noir puts him on the battlefield against the titular hero, and he holds his own for the most part. That’s because Leydon has a killer instinct that’s difficult for even someone as influential as Silvermane to rein in.
Jimmy Addison
The first clue Reilly gets that something fishy is going on in NYC comes when he tracks down Jimmy Addison, a seemingly mild-mannered guy who burned down Silvermane’s mansion. While being confronted by Reilly and another PI, Addison projects fire out of his hands, leading to a stressful fight for an out-of-practice Spider. Addison doesn’t make it out of the night alive, which is a shame because he could’ve been a valuable ally for Reilly and Co. in the first season of the Prime Video show.
Ogden
While trying to learn more about the soldiers he’s up against, Reilly and his journalist pal, Robbie Robertson, visit Dr. Faber, who’s helping them. Her assistant, Ogden, is a strange cookie, and it soon comes to light that he, too, was experimented on by the Germans. He got the short end of the stick, though, as his mutation made him age significantly instead of giving him a useful power.
