Spider-Man 2 ending explained: Unpacking the final scenes & post-credits

Now, before we jump into the Spider-Man 2 ending and what it all means, be aware that this is a spoiler-filled article! So if you have not yet rolled credits and beaten all of the side-missions, it's worth exiting immediately and coming back once you've done so.

Seriously! There are some big spoilers that happen throughout the main story missions that we wouldn't want to ruin.

Listen to our One More Life podcast - with an episode about Spider-Man 2!

Still here? Are you sure? Last chance. Alrighty, keep reading to find out the Spider-Man 2 ending - with all its twists, turns and consequences for the web-crawler going forward.

This means we're looking at everything from the final few moments – including those post-credits scenes with Doc Ock and Cindy – as well as all of the side-missions and what they potentially might mean for the next inevitable next entry in the Spider-Man game series from Insomniac and PlayStation.

What was Venom's evil plan in Spider-Man 2, and how was it stopped?

In a larger evil scheme than we've seen from other Venom adaptations in recent memory, the symbiote baddie in Spider-Man 2 wants to spread its mind-altering black goo all over the planet and assimilate all human life into its hive mind.

In a twisted sort of logic that has mixed in with host Harry Osborn's charitable desire to 'heal the world', Venom seems to believe that enveloping all of mankind in its alien substance will altogether be a positive thing for the planet.

Our heroes, naturally, disagree with this concept. In a thrilling three-pronged finale, the goodies put things right.

MJ, after being freed from her brief stint as the symbiote host Scream, steals the mysterious meteorite that seems to allow Venom to spread himself further and control more people.

Miles repeatedly attempts to shove the meteorite into the particle accelerator that had been previously been seen to negatively impact the symbiote (it doesn't like sonic blasts, either).

Peter does the lion's share of actually fighting Venom in a series of tricky boss battles, although Miles does sub in at one point.

Eventually, the gang manages to blast the meteorite with the machine and pound Venom into submission. Peter uses his Anti-Venom powers (a handy gift from Mr Negative) to blast the black goo off his pal.

Harry appears to be dead for a moment, in a sad echo of Aunt May's demise at this point in the previous game, until Miles miraculously uses his electrical powers to zap Harry back to life. Who needs a defibrillator?!

Where do we leave Peter, Miles and MJ in Spider-Man 2?

At the end of Spider-Man 2, Miles Morales is established as the main Spidey that is currently active in New York. (That being said, you can still swap to Pete later if you want to play as him in your post-game exploration.)

Peter Parker, despite promising to help in times of crisis if anything major requires his superheroic attention, has vowed to step away from the spandex for the most part and put his civilian life first for a change.

Pete has set up an office in his garage, where he seems to be relaunching the Emily-May Foundation, the science-heavy charitable institute that Harry introduced earlier in the game.

Mary Jane, meanwhile, has quit her soul-destroying job at The Daily Bugle and decided to launch her own podcast (who'd think of doing that?!). It's called The New Normal, and it will document how the citizens of New York are coping and adapting to this ever more bizarre world.

As for the Venom symbiote, it seems to have been defeated, but you can never really say never with these things. There's a chance that traces of the symbiote remain in all its previous hosts, with the goo slowly biding its time before mounting a comeback.

Perhaps we'll even see Carnage in a sequel or spin-off. After all, we did get to play as Venom, so would Insomniac really create those controls just for one level? Only time will tell!

What happened to Harry, what is Norman doing and what is the G-Serum?

Harry undoubtedly gets the worst ending (unless you count Kraven, who got brutally murdered by Venom earlier). Harry seems to be in a coma with little hope of recovery and minimal brain activity, and his dad, Norman Osborn, is clearly holding the Spider-Men accountable for this outcome.

With the doctors seeming to suggest that traditional medicine can do nothing to help Harry, Norman orders one of his lackeys to 'get the G-Serum ready' as soon as possible. What could go wrong?!

Any fan of the comics or movies can predict that the G-Serum is a powerful chemical compound that will probably turn Harry and/or Norman into a version of the villainous Green Goblin in a later game (should such a sequel get made). Maybe it might be changed up to the Hobgoblin to shake things up.

Harry has already had his villain arc in this game, so we'd predict that Norman himself will be the one gaining super strength, donning a silly costume and attacking the city in the next game. Dodging those pumpkin bombs won't be easy!

What is Otto Octavius up to in the post-credits scene?

Spider-Man 2 has two post-credit scenes, one of which is far more obvious in its foreshadowing than the other.

In a scene reminiscent of the Tom Holland movies, Norman Osborn (leaning into the role of overarching big bad) visits Otto Octavius in prison. The former is trying to get the latter to reveal the identity of the Spider-Men.

Doctor Octopus refuses to unmask Pete and Miles, but Norman does notice that his fellow scientist is writing something. Upon being asked what it is, Otto simply says, "The Final Chapter."

This seems to suggest that Otto is planning his next big project, which could spell a lot of trouble for our heroes in the potential sequel. We don't have much else to go on, but we'd assume it's some sort of villainous revenge plot!

Some fans have noted (via Reddit) that the shadows around Otto's eyes seem to resemble that of Spider-Man and, therefore, are speculating that the comic book arc known as Superior Spider-Man could be adapted.

This sees a dying Otto swapping his consciousness into Peter's body to take over as Spider-Man, leaving his greatest enemy to die in his own addled body. That would make one heck of a game storyline, but it feels like a long shot to us!

Who is Cindy in Spider-Man 2?

In the other post-credits scene, Rio Morales introduces Miles to her new love interest, named Albert. When Albert introduces his daughter, Cindy, comic book fans will instantly assume that this is Cindy Moon.

Cindy Moon is the secret identity of a superhero named Silk, who was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Humberto Ramos back in 2014. She's appeared in numerous major comic book events since then, but this is her first appearance in Insomniac's gaming universe.

In the comics, Cindy is a Korean-American student who was bitten by the same radioactive spider as Peter Parker and gained similar powers.

She was bitten mere moments later, in fact, meaning she has been a spider-themed hero for almost as long as the original. We can't image the same thing happening here, though.

However, before Cindy could become a public-facing hero, her mentor, Ezekiel, made the dramatic decision to lock her away in an inescapable facility to protect her from outside threats. (There was a brutal villain called Morlun hunting down spider-powered beings at the time.)

Eventually, Pete found out about Cindy and freed her from the facility. The two, due to their shared spider DNA, share a powerful chemical attraction. They have worked together to take down numerous baddies since then, and Silk has had her own solo books, as well.

Of course, there's no telling how much of this comic canon will translate into the future of the gaming universe. But it seems safe to assume that Cindy will get spider powers of her own and possibly become another playable character.

This would help to keep things fresh in Spider-Man 3 and beyond (assuming Insomniac will keep going with his franchise), especially if Pete takes his Spider-retirement seriously!

What other surprises await in the Spider-Man 2 side-missions?

What happens when you collect all the Spider-Bots?

42 Spider-Bots collectibles are scattered across New York City. Finding all of these little doohickeys will lead to Ganke revealing the spot where the Spider-Bots are coming from.

Heading to this spot initiates a cutscene where a portal resembling the animation from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse opens.

A previously cut character from the movie – Delilah, who runs The Bar With No Name – mentions that "rogue Spider-Bots are dangerous – and bad for business" before taking them all.

She thanks Spider-Man but then mentions that Miguel might come looking for these. This is in reference to Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099, who was voiced by Oscar Isaac in the Spider-Verse sequel.

Who is The Flame's cult leader?

The Flame series of side-missions sees Peter teaming up with his former friend and NYPD captain Yuri, who has since assumed the pseudonym of Wraith.

Now hunting a cult group known as The Flame, the leader is revealed to have previously gone under the name Cletus Kasady: "And when the Crimson Hour rolls over this Earth, it shall bring truth, judgement and carnage."

Marvel fans will recognise this is the name of the supervillain known as Carnage, another symbiote. As Kasady escapes at the end of the storyline, it's fair to say we will see Carnage at some point - potentially in DLC or Marvel's Spider-Man 3 (if it happens).

Read more on Spider-Man 2:

• Spider-Man 2 podcast - hear our thoughts
• Spider-Man 2 review - our final verdict
• Spider-Man 2 missions - all main chapters
• Spider-Man 2 suits - how to get all outfits
• Spider-Man 2 trophies - the full list
• How long is Spider-Man 2? Hours needed
• Spider-Man 2 New Game Plus - is it coming?
• Spider-Man 2 soundtrack - how to listen
• Spider-Man 2 resources - get tokens and parts
• Spider-Man 2 cast - key voice actors
• Spider-Man 2 PC - our predictions
• Spider-Man 2 PS4 - will it happen?

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