5 Most Surprising Easter Eggs in Spider-Man Games

The Spider-Man franchise is filled with references and Easter eggs. Some of them point toward future games. Others harken back to the past, giving long-time fans of the superhero a fun nod to games they enjoyed during previous generations. Many times, the teams at various studios are overt with their references. They want people to see them, so why hide them? However, there are also quite a few tucked away that you won’t notice unless you know where to look. Here are five relatively obscure Easter eggs found across the various Spider-Man video games.

5) The Hand – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Insomniac has consistently referenced Daredevil across its Marvel’s Spider-Man games. You can find a business card from Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson in the original game and track down iconic locations from the comic series. It makes sense. Both series take place in New York City, so they’d obviously overlap. However, Insomniac decided to hide one of the more interesting references in a room you can barely see in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

You’ll need to head to the Upper West Side district and look for a building with an emblem over the garage-door-style entrance. If you look through the window (or use tools to clip through the walls), you’ll see a room filled with firearms, ancient swords, and a five-point symbol that seems to hint toward The Hand, one of Daredevil’s many enemies. The organization hasn’t appeared in an Insomniac game yet, but it could be coming in the future. The developers love to tease fans, so it wouldn’t be a surprise. And it also won’t be the only time this game appears on the list.

4) Goblin’s Lair – Spider-Man 3

This location isn’t exactly hidden, but it’s very easy to miss. As you’re swinging around New York, you can stumble upon Norman Osborn’s mansion. If you walk up to the doors, they’ll automatically open, giving you an inside look at where Osborn spends his free time. That’s cool enough, but if you break the gigantic mirror in the room, you’ll find something even more interesting.

Hidden behind that mirror is a secret lair. Here, you’ll find the Green Goblin’s glider, pumpkin bombs, and even a replica of the mask Norman wore in the first film. However, if you keep walking deeper into the lair, you’ll find the chamber where Norman was transformed into the Goblin. It’s a neat reference that’s also movie-accurate, as Harry Osborne similarly found his father’s lair during the films. Osborn’s potential transformation is also referenced in Insomniac’s games during one of MJ’s segments, so like The Hand, we might see the Green Goblin as a future villain in that series.

3) Deadpool Breaks the Fourth Wall – Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised about Deadpool breaking the fourth wall in anything he appears in. Still, the way they do it in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is something that plenty of players likely missed. In this game, Deadpool is a bad guy. He’s very anti-mutant and runs a show where mutants are forced to face each other in deadly combat. Thankfully, Spider-Man is here to save the day.

Unless you happen to take a bathroom break during the boss fight, you’ll never hear this Easter egg. See, the only way to hear Deadpool lambast you for taking too long on the pause screen is to sit on that menu for 30 seconds or more. You either have to know that it’s going to happen or have a well-timed emergency to stumble upon this one. He’s got a few solid jokes, too, so it’s worth taking the time to seek this one.

2) The Punisher – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

This is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment from the opening of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. MJ is going through some of the crime families that have taken up residence in New York City when she mentions the Costa Family. For most players, this reference likely goes right over their head. However, if you’re a longtime Marvel fan, your ears might’ve perked up.

That’s because the family was originally behind the killing of Frank Castle’s family, which set him on his wide-ranging tour of revenge. Marvel has changed that backstory a few times over the years, but veteran Punisher fans will instantly notice the name and wonder what’s up. Is Insomniac teasing the appearance of The Punisher in a future game? It’s certainly possible, especially with how often he and Spider-Man have been teaming up in the MCU franchise. Sure, it might just be a fun reference from the developers, but they seem to be pretty intentional with stuff like this. Here’s hoping.

1) Miles’ Neighbors – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Miles Morales was the star of his own spin-off in the Insomniac series, and it has one of the stranger references in the franchise. That’s because this one doesn’t reference any other Marvel character. Instead, it appears that Miles might be living next to a few deadly killers and a pair of toys. It sounds weird, but stick with me.

Outside of Miles’ apartment, you’ll see an intercom listing all of the building’s tenants. First, you’ll notice Waldo, which could be a reference to the timeless character who nobody can ever find. Then, there’s Andy and Buzz, which seemingly points toward Toy Story. I’m not sure why Woody isn’t included, but space is at a premium in NYC. Things get a bit darker after that. There’s a tag reading Cthulhu, which is certainly unsettling. A cute squid is drawn next to the name, so maybe this is the nice version of the cosmic terror. But finally, you’ll notice a blood-stained tag at the very bottom that says, “Fred and Jason.” Are Miles and his mom living next to Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees? It sure seems like it. Hopefully, Miles’ Spidey-sense alerts him to homicidal killers appearing in his dreams.

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