There are countless callbacks to comic continuity in Miles Morales's cinematic debut, but arguably one of the greatest Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse references of all came in the post-credits scene. This bit involves Miguel O'Hara, AKA the Spider-Man of 2099, visiting the world of the classic '60s animated Spider-Man series.
Any fan of the Marvel 2099 imprint - or Marvel Comics' modern Spider-Verse crossovers - were no doubt stoked for Spider-Man 2099's appearance, but casual audience members probably exited the theater wondering, "Who is Miguel O'Hara, and why is everyone so excited about him?"
The answer is complicated, but suffice it to say that he's one of the best alternate Spider-People ever who wears one of the greatest alternate Spidey costumes out there. He's also far more than merely anInto the Spider-Verse Easter egg, to which his decades of comic book history can attest.
The '2099' Imprint Sent Marvel Comics More Than 100 Years Into The Future
In 1992, Marvel Comics launched one of their most inventive alternate universes with Marvel 2099. This imprint's setting takes place in the year 2099 during one of the many "possible futures" from the greater Marvel Universe. Unlike most alternate imprints introduced in the '90s comic boom, Marvel 2099 enjoyed a lengthy run through 1998 and had a lasting impact on Marvel continuity.
Despite taking place more than a century after the then-present state of Marvel Comics, the world of Marvel 2099 is full of futuristic versions of familiar heroes and villains. The Fantastic Four, X-Men, Punisher, and even Doctor Doom got reimagined in the 2099 vein, but none proved as popular as Miguel O'Hara.
The breakout character from the Marvel 2099 imprint is Miguel O'Hara, better known as Spider-Man 2099. Vaguely aware of Peter Parker's legacy from a century ago, O'Hara acquires a powerset and costume reminiscent of the original Spider-Man, but with a unique futuristic aesthetic.
Like all citizens of this alternate world - known as Earth-928 in the Marvel Multiverse - O'Hara speaks in the slang of 2099, with futuristic swears, such as "shock" and "I'll be jammed." Both Peter David and Rick Leonardi created the character, though David would go on to write the vast majority of O'Hara's adventures in the Marvel Universe.
Spider-Man 2099's Origin Story Involves Corporate Intrigue, Mind-Altering Substances, And Genetic Experimentation
Spider-Man 2099's origin story involves more intense incidents than a mere bite from a radioactive spider, which seems fitting for the dystopian future of Marvel 2099. Miguel O'Hara starts as a genetic engineer at Alchemax, the mega-corporation that practically rules the New York - or Nueva York - of 2099.
When O'Hara's boss, Tyler Stone, asks the protagonist to experiment on human subjects unethically, O'Hara attempts to quit, only for Stone to dose him with a highly habit-forming hallucinogen. Desperate to eliminate his dependency, O'Hara subjects himself to the genetic experiment he had refused to try on innocent people.
He succeeds and survives the procedure, but the DNA of a spider unexpectedly gets thrown into the mix, resulting in O'Hara's transformation into the Spider-Man of 2099.
Like most iterations of the superhero, Spider-Man 2099 has the usual array of spider-like superpowers: increased levels of strength, speed, agility, and durability - but his full potential extends beyond that of Peter Parker. Miguel O'Hara has a number of spider-like physical features that allow him to defeat baddies in a more harsh fashion than the typical Spider-Person, including retractable talons, venomous fangs, and a pair of "spinnerets" in his wrists that emit a web-like substance.
In addition, O'Hara possesses a low degree of telepathy and significant healing factor.
Spider-Man 2099 Has A Time-Traveling Adventure With The Original Spidey
Spider-Man 2099 doesn't merely uphold the original Spider-Man's legacy - he eventually develops a relationship with him. Through time travel, Miguel O'Hara and Peter Parker share an adventure, in which they venture to the even-further-flung future of 2211.
There, they encounter the Hobgoblin of 2211 and defeat him; Parker takes the time to impart important lessons on the young O'Hara, who at that point is beginning his career as a web-slinger. While O'Hara has a more impressive powerset than Parker does, there's still something to be said about a direct mentorship from a veteran Spider-Man.
Miguel O'Hara's Brother Was Green Goblin In '2099' - Until He Wasn't
Unlike most superheroes who are either orphans or only children, Miguel O'Hara has numerous surviving relatives, including his mother, Conchata, and a brother named Gabriel. During a conflict with the Green Goblin of 2099 - one of many in a string of updated 2099 spins on classic Spider-Man foes - O'Hara starts to suspect that the Goblin is none other than Gabriel.
While writer Peter David intended the Gabriel clues to be nothing more than a red herring, he unexpectedly ceased writing the book in 1996, and the author who replaced David rolled with the idea of Gabriel as 2099's Green Goblin. It wasn't until David returned to writing the adventures of Spider-Man 2099 toward the end of the 2099 imprint that this reveal got retconned as a ruse perpetrated by a shapeshifter.
