Spider-Man 2

Box Art

Spider-Man 2 is an action-adventure game developed by Treyarch, The Fizz Factor, Vicarious Visions, Digital Eclipse and published Activision and Aspyr, and is a sequel to Spider-Man: The Movie. The game is based off of the 2004 Sam Raimi movie Spider-Man 2 and is part of the Activision Spider-Man Series. The game has the player take control of Peter Parker, a young man living on his own, trying to make ends meet as a person while also being the masked superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man 2 came out on June 29th, 2004 to generally positive reviews, with reviewers praising the realistic map based off on Manhattan, the large variety of crimes to stop, or the vivid use of Spider-Man's abilities, while critics criticized for it's repetitive side missions.

## Plot

### Console Version

Two years after the events of the first game, Peter Parker is struggling to balance his civilian life with his duties as Spider-Man. This dramatically affects his personal life, as he is frequently late or absent for school and leisure time with his friends: his crush, Mary Jane Watson, and best friend Harry Osborn, who blames Spider-Man for his father's death. While stopping a museum robbery, Spider-Man encounters cat burglar Black Cat, who manages to escape from him. Black Cat later returns and befriends Spider-Man, helping him fight crime on several occasions.

Spider-Man defeats the supervillain Rhino and is challenged by special effects artist Quentin Beck to partake in a series of "games" meant to prove he is a fraud. After Spider-Man prevails, an embarrassed Beck assumes the identity of "Mysterio" and leads attacks on both an opera and the Statue of Liberty, which Spider-Man foils. He then finds Mysterio's hideout and overcomes another series of challenges, learning that Mysterio is a fraud in the process. However, he is unable to capture him due to Mysterio using illusions.

Harry introduces Peter to Dr. Otto Octavius, a nuclear scientist who is trying to make a fusion power experiment, sponsored by Oscorp, which would provide an unlimited power source to Manhattan. Octavius befriends and begins to mentor Peter throughout their subsequent meetings. While handling hazardous materials, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. During a public demonstration Peter and Harry attend, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical – killing his wife and burning the inhibitor chip blocking the arms from his nervous system. Peter, as Spider-Man, shuts the experiment down, destroying it in the process. Later, the arms' AI begins to influence Octavius, and he becomes the villain Doctor Octopus after a confrontation with his former friend and colleague, Curt Connors. Blaming Spider-Man for what happened to him, Octavius becomes determined to retry his experiment and robs a bank to fund it. Peter, who is coincidentally there with his Aunt May, suits up as Spider-Man and fights Octavius. Octavius takes May hostage, forcing Spider-Man to rescue her while Octavius escapes with the stolen money.

Spider-Man later learns that Mary Jane is getting married to John Jameson, and reunites with Black Cat, who tries to convince him to give up on his civilian life to be Spider-Man full-time. The pair then work together to track down the Shocker, who escaped from prison during Beck's initial competition with Spider-Man. They defeat him, but Shocker escapes after injuring Black Cat. Later, Spider-Man stops Mysterio from robbing a convenience store and unmasks him as Beck before taking photos of him for the *Daily Bugle*. Publisher J. Jonah Jameson uses the photos to make it look like Spider-Man and Mysterio were in cahoots; Peter decides to confront Jameson as Spider-Man but is stopped by Black Cat, who informs of Shocker's return. After capturing Shocker, Spider-Man tells Black Cat that he must continue living a double life, which she understands, before parting ways.

Requiring the isotope tritium to fuel his reactor, Octavius visits Harry to demand it, who agrees to help in exchange for Spider-Man. Harry tells Octavius to seek Peter, who he believes is friends with the hero. Octavius locates Peter, tells him to find Spider-Man, and kidnaps Mary Jane. Spider-Man confronts Octavius and battles him on top of a New York City Subway train. Octavius sabotages the controls and leaves Spider-Man to save the passengers, which he does at a tremendous physical toll. Spider-Man falls unconscious, allowing Octavius to deliver him to Harry. As Octavius leaves with the tritium, Harry prepares to kill Spider-Man, only to be shocked to see Peter under the mask. Peter convinces Harry to direct him to Octavius' lair, as bigger things are at stake. As Peter arrives at Octavius's waterfront laboratory and attempts to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, Octavius discovers him, and they battle while the nuclear reaction swells. Peter ultimately subdues Octavius, reveals his identity, and helps him return to his senses. Realizing the error of his ways, Octavius sacrifices himself to destroy the fusion reactor, while Spider-Man rescues Mary Jane, who is now aware of his secret identity.

On her wedding day, Mary Jane abandons John at the altar and runs to Peter's apartment. She confesses her feelings for him and says she will fully support his double life. As they hear police sirens in the distance, Mary Jane encourages Peter to go help as Spider-Man.

### Windows

Nuclear scientist Dr. Otto Octavius attempts to make a fusion power experiment, sponsored by Oscorp, that would provide an unlimited source of energy to Manhattan. While handling hazardous materials, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robot tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. During a public demonstration that Peter Parker and Harry Osborn are attending, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical – killing his wife and burning the inhibitor chip blocking the arms from his nervous system. Peter, as Spider-Man, shuts the experiment down, destroying it in the process. Later, the arms' AI begins to influence Octavius, and he becomes the villain Doctor Octopus, seeking to complete his work at all costs.

While patrolling the city, Spider-Man spots a van being chased by the police and follows it to the prison, where a riot breaks out. He defeats some of the escaped inmates before Rhino bursts out of jail and attempts to escape, only to become caught in a laser cage set up by the police. Spider-Man fights Rhino, who manages to escape from the cage, but rams into a gas station, causing an explosion that knocks him out. Spider-Man puts out the flames while Octavius retrieves the unconscious Rhino. Later, Octavius attempts to rob a bank to fund a second experiment. Peter, who is coincidentally there with Aunt May, suits up as Spider-Man and fights Octavius inside the vault. Octavius takes May hostage, forcing Spider-Man to rescue her while Octavius escapes with the stolen money.

Sometime later, as Peter is walking through the city with his friend and crush, Mary Jane Watson, someone steals the latter's car. After telling Mary Jane to wait while he calls the police, Peter, as Spider-Man, follows the carjacker to a warehouse, where he is confronted by the villain Puma. Spider-Man defeats Puma's goons before engaging him in a battle across the city that culminates at a construction site. Puma reveals that Octavius hired him to keep Spider-Man distracted while he kidnaps Mary Jane, then attempts to escape, but Spider-Man captures him. Later, Octavius attacks Oscorp to steal a piece of equipment he needs to complete his fusion reactor. Spider-Man arrives to stop him and must disarm several bombs that Octavius has planted around the building before confronting him. Octavius escapes with the device while Spider-Man is attacked by Rhino, whom he manages to defeat by freezing him with liquid nitrogen. Spider-Man then attempts to pursue Octavius, only to be confronted by the villain Mysterio, who creates the illusion of a floating city.

After defeating Mysterio, he tells Spider-Man where to find Octavius and then vanishes, revealing that he is also just an illusion. Arriving at the subway station, Spider-Man battles Octavius' henchmen before fighting Octavius himself on top of a New York City Subway train. Octavius sabotages the controls, causing the train to derail, and escapes. Still, Spider-Man follows him to his waterfront laboratory, where Octavius is attempting to recreate his experiment and is keeping Mary Jane hostage. Spider-Man tries to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, but Octavius discovers him, and they battle. As the nuclear reaction swells, Spider-Man defeats Octavius and helps him return to his

### PlayStation Portable

While patrolling the city one day, Spider-Man spots several thugs attempting to rob a bank and stops them. Later that night, after having dinner with his friends Mary Jane Watson (for whom he has hidden feelings) and Harry Osborn (who despises Spider-Man, blaming him for his father's death), Peter spots a van being chased by the police and follows it to the Queensboro Bridge, where the chase has led to a massive traffic accident. As Spider-Man, he rescues several endangered civilians and cops before following the van to a warehouse, where he finds thugs unloading explosives. While fighting the thugs, the explosives provoke a massive fire, but Spider-Man is able to put out the flames and deal with the remaining crooks.

Later, Harry introduces Peter to Dr. Otto Octavius, a nuclear scientist who is trying to make a fusion power experiment, sponsored by Oscorp, which would provide an unlimited power source to Manhattan. Octavius quickly befriends and begins to mentor Peter. While handling hazardous materials, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. During a public demonstration Peter and Harry attend, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical – killing his wife and burning the inhibitor chip blocking the arms from his nervous system. Peter, as Spider-Man, shuts the experiment down, destroying it in the process. Later, the arms' AI begins to influence Octavius, and he becomes the villain Doctor Octopus, seeking to complete his work at all costs.

Peter later learns that a prison riot has allowed several supervillains to escape, and tasks his boss, J. Jonah Jameson, with taking photos of a gala at the Wax Museum. When he arrives, he discovers that Mysterio, one of the escaped villains, is holding everyone in attendance hostage and infiltrates the museum as Spider-Man to rescue the hostages and defeat Mysterio. The next day, Octavius attempts to rob a bank to fund a second experiment. Peter, who is coincidentally there with his Aunt May, suits up as Spider-Man and fights Octavius inside the vault. After a chase through the city, Octavius escapes with the stolen money.

After foiling a bomb threat orchestrated by the Vulture, another escaped villain, Spider-Man learns from him that the Shocker has also escaped and is planning a job at a warehouse. Spider-Man goes there and discovers that Shocker has teamed up with Rhino, who broke him and the other villains out of prison. Spider-Man manages to defeat the two villains and leaves them for the police. Before Spider-Man departs, Shocker reveals that Octavius hired him and Rhino to steal some high-tech equipment from the government, which Spider-Man deduces that Octavius needs for his fusion reactor.

Requiring the isotope tritium to fuel his reactor, Octavius visits Harry to demand it, who agrees to help in exchange for Spider-Man. Harry tells Octavius to seek Peter, who he believes is friends with the hero. Octavius locates Peter, tells him to find Spider-Man, and kidnaps Mary Jane. Spider-Man confronts Octavius and battles him on top of a New York City Subway train. Octavius sabotages the controls and leaves Spider-Man to save the passengers, which he does at a tremendous physical toll. Spider-Man falls unconscious, allowing Octavius to deliver him to Harry. As Octavius leaves with the tritium, Harry prepares to kill Spider-Man, only to be shocked to see Peter under the mask. Peter convinces Harry to direct him to Octavius' lair, as bigger things are at stake. As Peter arrives at Octavius's waterfront laboratory and attempts to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, Octavius discovers him, and they battle while the nuclear reaction swells. Peter ultimately subdues Octavius, reveals his identity, and helps him return to his senses. Realizing the error of his ways, Octavius sacrifices himself to destroy the fusion reactor, while Spider-Man rescues Mary Jane, who is now aware of his secret identity.

On her wedding day, Mary Jane abandons her fiancé at the altar and runs to Peter's apartment. She confesses her feelings for him and says she will fully support his double life. As they hear police sirens in the distance, Mary Jane encourages Peter to help as Spider-Man.

## See Also

* Spider-Man: The Movie
* Spider-Man 3
* Activision's Spider-Man
* Beenox's Spider-Man
* Insomniac's Spider-Man
* Spider-Man Games