'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' Explained: Who Is The Lizard?

Venom isn’t the only ravenous villain Peter Parker and Miles Morales are facing in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, with the two heroes taking on the formidable Lizard in the PlayStation 5 game. The reptilian alter ego of tragic scientist Dr. Curt Connors, the Lizard is an especially personal foe for Peter, in particular, given his shared history with Connors. However, the two Spider-Men aren’t the only costumed characters in New York City looking for the Lizard, resulting in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, with the Lizard as a voracious wild card that doesn’t want to be found.

The Lizard is one of Spider-Man’s oldest enemies, having menaced the webslinger since he made his debut in the comic books in 1963. The character, both in his human and reptilian form, has since resurfaced in everything from animated series and video games to live-action movies, including The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man: No Way Home. With so much history to draw from, here’s what gamers should prepare themselves for with the Lizard’s prominent role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and how it compares to his extensive appearances throughout the comics.

The Lizard’s Role in the Marvel’s Spider-Man Franchise Thus Far

Dr. Curt Connors is mentioned in passing by Peter during Marvel’s Spider-Man, with Peter briefly recalling that he helped develop a serum that reverted Connors back to his human form. However, Peter notes that this cure proved to only be temporary, leaving the door open for Connors to reawaken the monstrous beast within a moment’s notice. It wouldn't be until Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales that Connors would make his debut in the video game series.

In the mid-credits scene to the 2020 game, Mayor Norman Osborn continued to monitor his terminally ill son Harry Osborn from his penthouse suite in Manhattan’s Oscorp Tower. Connors is brought in as a medical specialist to assist with Harry’s condition, keeping the young man in an advanced stasis tube. Despite Connors’ concerns, he agrees to release Harry from stasis at the end of the game in response to Norman’s orders to do so.

What to Expect from Lizard in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Connors plays a much more active role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, including the first on-screen appearance of his transformed state as the Lizard. Also introduced in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is Kraven the Hunter, who leads his highly-armed mercenary group, the Hunters, to New York on a twisted big game hunt. Among Kraven’s targets is the Lizard, with Peter and Miles scrambling to keep Connors out of Kraven’s merciless grasp.

In his transformed state, Connors grows to 10 feet as the Lizard, develops superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and fully scaled skin. These scales provide the Lizard a degree of protection from most conventional weapons, while the villain’s reptilian physiology also grants him an accelerated healing factor. Not just isolated to the sewers of New York, the Lizard’s sharp claws allow him to climb buildings rapidly, forcing Peter and Miles to really hustle to keep up with him whenever the Lizard’s on the loose.

The Lizard’s History in the Comics

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #6, Curt Connors was a combat veteran who lost an arm while in combat with the military. After returning home, Connors drew from his expertise in biology to devise an experimental serum replicating reptiles ability to regenerate lost limbs and used it on himself in a desperate attempt to regrow his arm, despite the risks. Instead, the serum transformed Connors into the Lizard, a feral villain who prowled the streets of New York and was eventually defeated by Spider-Man and restored to his human form through an antidote.

Like in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, this cure proves to be only temporary, with Connors periodically reverting to his ravenous alter ego and battling Spider-Man. During these uncontrollable times as the Lizard, Connors killed his young son Billy, a murder which loomed heavily on the scientist after he regained his senses and humanity. Constantly struggling with guilt over his actions as the Lizard, Connors is one of the most tragic figures in Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, painfully aware of the evil his alter ego is capable of.

It’s this tragedy that makes the Lizard stand out from the other prominent villains in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, with Peter well-aware of the man trapped inside of the monster. This distinction comes strongly into play throughout the game as Kraven comes gunning for the Lizard, with only the Spider-Men able to stand the hunter and save the misunderstood beast.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available now only on PlayStation 5. Order the title on PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct or your friendly neighborhood retailer!

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