New York City

**New York City** is the main setting of the *Marvel's Spider-Man* series series. Mirroring the real-world city as depicted within a Marvel universe, the city is the home of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and almost all of the heroes and villains who appear throughout the series.

The city in the *Marvel's Spider-Man* universe has been shaped by influential entities such as Oscorp, Wilson Fisk's criminal empire, the Maggia crime families, and Roxxon Corporation. Each also have direct connections to an array of supervillains and have contributed to streams of crises, requiring the intervention of the Spider-Men. Norman Osborn, founder of Oscorp, was elected mayor of the city, but forced to resign after the Devil's Breath crisis of his own making. Much of the news is covered by the *Daily Bugle* newspaper.

New York's portrayal in the *Marvel's Spider-Man* series closely mirrors its real-world counterpart geographically, featuring the borough of Manhattan in the first *Marvel's Spider-Man* series and in *Miles Morales*, while the boroughs Queens and Brooklyn (the homes of Peter and Miles respectively) are introduced in *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*. Prisoners are held on Ryker's Island, while more dangerous convicts are held at the Raft. The city's landmarks weaves real-world landmarks such as the iconic Empire State Building alongside locales inspired by Marvel characters and organizations.

## History

### Before *Marvel's Spider-Man*

Eight years prior to events of *Marvel's Spider-Man*, Peter Parker became Spider-Man, initially stopping petty crimes around New York. Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson, opinions on him varied, with some seeing him as a menace and others as a hero.

Over the years, a number of supervillains wreaked havoc in New York, including Shocker, Electro, Vulture, Rhino, Scorpion, Rhino, Scorpion, Sandman, Lizard, Swarm, and Mysterio. Mob boss Wilson Fisk had a foothold over the city, controlling many police, judges, and city coucilors, though his presence also kept other criminals in check. Spider-Man, teaming up with police captain Yuriko Watanabe, fought Fisk and the supervillains over the course of these years.

Oscorp had a large presence in the city, funding revolutionary technologies including batteries that recharged themselves from soundwaves and microbes that could provide clean water. Its CEO, Norman Osborn, was elected mayor of New York, and was in office as of 2018, running for re-election. Elsewhere, the F.E.A.S.T. shelter was established in New York City by Martin Li. New York City grant also funded Otto Octavius' research at Octavius Industries. News in the city was covered by the *Daily Bugle*, an oft-derided source.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man*

In 2018, at the beginning of *Marvel's Spider-Man*, Wilson Fisk was arrested, leading to a power vacuum and a subsequent surge of crime. One such insurgent gang was the Inner Demons led by Martin Li, who attacked an Osborn campaign rally at City Hall killing many including officer Jefferson Davis. The attack caused Osborn to hire Sable International mercenaries to help protect the city and his own interests. The Demons subsequently planned to release a bioweapon created by Oscorp named Devil's Breath at Grand Central Station and frame Mayor Osborn for the incident, but the attack was prevented by Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson.

Later, Otto Octavius freed a number of prisoners at Ryker's Island and supervillains from the Raft, forming the Sinister Six, and himself releasing Devil's Breath. The bioweapon infected up to half a million New Yorkers and caused a citywide quarantine. Spider-Man, working with the police, managed to defeat the Sinister Six and stop Octavius, securing an anti-serum developed by Oscorp, saving the city. Mayor Osborn resigned in disgrace, and convicts were slowly rounded up and returned to prison.

### *City That Never Sleeps*

Sometime after the Devil's Breath crisis, Maggia don Hammerhead fought a poewr struggle against the other Maggia dons, with the goal of seizing power from them and then in New York. Though he became formidable after stealing left behind Sable International technology, he was defeated by the efforts of Spider-Man, Black Cat, and Silver Sable.

### *Miles Morales*

A new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, trained under Peter Parker and took over while Parker was in Symkaria. Elsewhere, Roxxon established a plaza within Harlem, while Rio Morales, running for city council, protested their arrival. Roxxon, under leadership of Simon Krieger, had plans to bring Nuform reactors to provide a new source of clean energy, but when they learned Nuform caused sickness, covered it up, believing the people uptown were disposable. Phin Mason, whose brother had been killed by Roxxon, then worked with the Underground, causing an internal battle that culminated in a battle at Harlem, until Spider-Man stopped them and Phin, realizing the damage she had done, sacrificed herself to save Harlem.

### *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*

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## Geography

### Overview

As with the real-world city, New York City is a densely-populated coastal city located at the metting of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, spread across a few islands connected by bridges. The city comprises five boroughs, within which are a number of districts and hundreds of neighborhoods with distinct architecture and communities.

### Districts

Central ParkChinatownFinancial DistrictGreenwichHarlemHell's KitchenMidtownUpper East SideUpper West SideFisk TowerRyker's IslandThe Raft
## Society

New York City society in the series mirrors that of its real-world counterpart, with some notable distinctions. The presence and reputation of Spider-Man are central topics of debate among New Yorkers. Oscorp, a major corporation, holds a significant stake in the city's properties, including a towering skyscraper, and stands as one of the city's largest employers. Additionally, Wilson Fisk's influence is widespread, with Fisk Construction and various Fisk-owned properties prominently contributing to the city's landscape. Amidst these dynamics, the F.E.A.S.T. shelters provide a refuge for the homeless population.

New York's media landscape in the series features the widely distributed *Daily Bugle* newspaper, which also broadcasts television reports, and has a divisive reputation. The founder of the newspaper, J. Jonah Jameson, hosts the controversial podcast series *Just the Facts*, while Danika Hart, a younger podcaster, presents the opposing perspective through her *Danikast*, offering contrasting views on city life.

One of the series' beloved eateries, cherished by Spider-Man himself, is Eddie's Pizza.

## Original appearance

For more background of New York City throughout comic book history, see **all appearances of New York City** on the **Marvel Database**
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## Notes

### Annotations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Spider-Man's reputation is polarized. Many citizens respect him, defending his actions, while others side with J. Jonah Jameson's critiques. The police are divided: some, including Yuriko Watanabe, support him, while others buy into Jameson's conspiracy theories. Initially, Sable faulted him for escalating issues, but later changed her stance. Mayor Osborn tried pinning the Devil's Breath crisis on Spider-Man, though his influence on public opinion is unclear.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fisk himself claimed responsibility for keeping "order" in New York City, and his words later rang true after his arrest. Martin Li admitted that Wilson Fisk's arrest would bring about the day of revenge he had dreamed of, and the Maggia crime families worked to take control of New York in the power vacuum he left behind.

### Citations

1. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Peter Parker / Spider-Man"
2. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "They're in Cahoots!"
3. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Hostage No More"
4. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Kidnapped!"
5. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "A Loop"
6. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Blindsided"
7. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Error: File Not Found"
8. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Collission Course"
9. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Pax in Bello"
10. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Out of the Frying Pan..."
11. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Wilson Fisk / Kingpin"
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Clearing the Way"
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Hidden Agenda"
14. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "The Maria"
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "The One That Got Away"
16. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* menu § "Martin Li"
17. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "My OTHER Other Job"
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Financial Shock"
19. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Dual Purpose"
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Out of the Frying Pan..."
21. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Step Into My Parlor..."
22. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Mulligan?"
23. ↑ *Miles Morales* script § "Corporate Espionage"
24. ↑ *Miles Morales* script § "The Battle For Harlem"
25. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/spider-man-miles-morales-doesnt-have-the-chrysler-building-due-to-copyright-issues
26. ↑ *Marvel's Spider-Man* script § "Pursuing the Truth"

## References

Video games
* Insomniac Games (2018). *Marvel's Spider-Man* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
* Insomniac Games (2018). *Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
* Insomniac Games (2020). *Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.
* Insomniac Games (2023). *Marvel's Spider-Man 2* [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.