Who is Martin Li in Spider-Man 2? Mr Negative backstory recap
All you need to know about the villain.
Spider-Man has some of the most iconic heroes in all superherodom.
Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Lizard, the list goes on - we reckon Spider-Man ties with Batman in having the most memorable enemies.
And in Spider-Man 2, the new release from Insomniac Games, plenty of these villains come out to play. There is one, however, who played a particularly huge part in the first game, and who makes a return. We're talking about Mr Negative (Martin Li).
Listen to our One More Life podcast - the new episode is about Spider-Man 2!
Forgotten about him? Completely understandable - it's been five years since the first game came out. But his backstory is vital in understanding the plot of the new one.
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If you don't fancy replaying the first Spider-Man, fear not. We'll take a look at Mr Negative's story so far down below.
How did Martin Li get his powers in Spider-Man (2018)?
Let's take a look at Mr Negative's origin story. His civilian identity is the seemingly charitable Martin Li, head of FEAST, the homeless shelter in which Peter Parker and his Aunt May work. This connection to Peter proves difficult, when he witnesses Li's transformation into the leader of the criminal group Inner Demons.
As his name suggests, he has a "negative" form, in which he has a kind of super-strength, along with the ability to cast powerful electrical blasts.
This ability came from a tragic event in his childhood. Norman Osborn used Li as a test subject for the Devil's Breath virus. After this experiment, Li lost control and accidentally killed his own parents.
What was Martin Li’s evil plan in Spider-Man (2018)?
After this tragic event, Li vowed revenge on Norman Osborn for using him in such a cruel experiment. He blames Osborn for the death of his parents (which is fair enough). In an early scene in the game, Li and the Demons attack a re-election event for Osborn as mayor.
But it isn't all about revenge - Mr Negative and his gang of demons are also looking to fill the criminal gap left by Wilson Fisk (who Spidey captured in the game's epic opener).
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Why does Miles hate Martin Li so much in Spider-Man 2?
But why is all this relevant in the sequel? Well, another tragedy occurred in the aforementioned attack on Norman Osborn's re-election celebration: Officer Jefferson Davis, the father of Miles Morales, is killed in the event.
It's one of the most important emotional beats in the first game, and it takes place during the first playable segment as Miles. The return of Mr Negative in the second instalment is bound to remind Miles of the tragedy - were it not for Li's attack, his father would still be alive.
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?
- Spider-Man 2 ending explained - spoilers ahoy!
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