Who is the Spot in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse?
Jason Schwartzman voices the antagonist in the new sequel.
New sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has finally arrived in cinemas – and the good news for fans is that it's a very worthwhile follow-up to the excellent 2018 original, Into the Spider-Verse.
The film follows Miles Morales as he's thrown deeper into the multiverse, coming into contact with all sorts of characters including countless Spidey variations - such as Jessica Drew, Pavitr Prabhakar and Hobart "Hobie" Brown.
And, of course, there's a new villain for him to face, in the shape of Dr Jonathan Ohnn - who is voiced by Jason Schwartzman, and is mainly known simply as the Spot.
But who exactly is this character? Read on for everything you need to know.
**CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE**
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Who is the Spot in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?
The Spot's first introduction in the film comes when Miles Morales finds him attempting to steal an ATM from a convenience store towards the start, with the pair then sparring in a brilliantly-executed scene.
The supervillain's unusual appearance is explained by his origin story: he is a former scientist from Alchemax, who was in the super-collider that Miles blew up in the first movie, with his body subsequently becoming covered by interdimensional portals that allow him to travel through space and different universes.
It is explained that since this appearance – and his inability to properly use his powers – meant he was unable to find gainful employment, he instead turned to a life of crime and swore vengeance on Miles.
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Although he has not always been not the most successful villain and is goaded by Miles and others as being a ‘villain of the week’ and an unworthy adversary, he proves to be something of a thorn in Miles's side as the film progresses – with his own super-collider leading to much trouble for Miles and the other Spideys.
In the comic books, the character first appeared without a name in the December 1984 issue Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97 – before becoming the Spot in the following issue.
He was created by writer Al Milgrom and artist Herb Trimpe and has variously been an enemy of both Spider-Man and Daredevil, but this is the villain's first appearance on the big screen.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is in cinemas now. Wondering what to watch on TV? Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
