'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' Explained: Who Is Mister Negative (Martin Li)?

One of the most corrosive powerful Spider-Man enemies is Martin Li, better known by his electrifying alter ego Mister Negative. Striking particularly close for both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, Mister Negative plays a major role in Marvel’s Spider-Man and its epic sequel Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, changing the course of both heroes' lives forever. Able to transform into a photo-negative version of himself, Martin Li leads one of Marvel's New York’s most vicious gangs and can corrupt anyone who has the deep misfortune of crossing paths with him.

Here is everything you need to know about Martin Li, including how Mister Negative cost Peter and Miles’ personal lives with losses that the two heroes had never endured before, his surprising return in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and how his appearances in the games compares to his history in the comics.

Martin Li’s Impact Before Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Martin is introduced as the founder of F.E.A.S.T., one of the largest nonprofit organizations in Marvel's New York, benefitting the neglected communities throughout Manhattan. May Parker quickly became a vital part of F.E.A.S.T., rising as Martin’s most trusted associate at the nonprofit, introducing her nephew Peter to her employer. However, Peter eventually learned that Martin was secretly Mister Negative, a villain with a corrupting touch, superhuman strength, and the leader of a gang known as the Inner Demons.

Peter learned that Martin was experimented on years ago by Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius, with the resulting genetics experiments giving Martin his powers, at the cost of his parents’ lives. Swearing revenge, Martin vowed to expose Norman for his crimes and humiliate him by unleashing a secret bioweapon, Devil’s Breath, that Oscorp had developed. Martin attacked a mayoral event honoring police officer Jefferson Davis, Miles’ father, with Jeff heroically sacrificing himself to protect bystanders from a blast of Negative energy.

Exposing Martin to the public as Mister Negative, May took over F.E.A.S.T. while Spider-Man defeated Martin and had him incarcerated at the Raft. After becoming the villainous Doctor Octopus, Otto broke out a number of inmates from the Raft, including Martin, and fulfilled his goal of unleashing Devil’s Breath on Marvel's New York. Mister Negative was defeated by Spider-Man once again and sent back to prison, but May died from being infected with Devil’s Breath.

Martin Li’s Role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

At the beginning of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Martin remained in police custody and was being transferred out of the Raft to a more secure location. This transfer was intercepted by Kraven the Hunter and his army of mercenaries, with Martin among the villains who escaped in the resulting confusion. Catching sight of Martin, Miles was conflicted on how he should approach his father’s killer, with Miles’ bioelectric powers affected and augmented after coming into contact with Martin’s unique abilities.

After Venom symbiotes overwhelmed Marvel's New York, Martin’s powers proved invaluable in stopping the spread of the symbiote, with Martin helping Miles stem the symbiote invasion. Miles admitted that though he could never forgive Martin for killing his father, he didn’t want to be consumed by his thirst for vengeance. Using his powers, Martin purges the Venom symbiote’s control over Peter, inadvertently creating the Anti-Venom symbiote. This cost Martin his powers as Mister Negative, with Martin vowing to make the most of his redemptive second chance.

Martin Li in the Comics

Mister Negative was introduced in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2007) #1 by Dan Slott and Phil Jimenez as a super-powered crime boss in Chinatown. In contrast to the games, Martin received his powers from genetic experimentation conducted by the Maggia crime family, creating a lifelong grudge against the organized crime elements in New York City. Though Martin Li and Mister Negative are two distinct personalities in the comics, they are fully aware of each other’s existence and have an agreement not to interfere with their counterpart’s business.

Mister Negative’s distrust towards other crime outfits placed him and his gang of Inner Demons at war with a villain army led by the Hood and H.A.M.M.E.R., a militant branch of the government led by Norman Osborn. During this conflict, Martin acquired evidence that Oscorp was behind the experiments that gave him his powers, using these documents to force Osborn and H.A.M.M.E.R. to stand down. This allowed Mister Negative to maintain his criminal empire in New York, with the Inner Demons growing bolder in the scope of their activities.

Unaware of Martin’s dual personality, Eddie Brock began volunteering at F.E.A.S.T. at a period when he was especially hard on his luck. Martin’s corruptive touch affected the Venom symbiote particles in Eddie’s body, turning him into Anti-Venom, a figure capable of purging invasive properties in others’ bodies, forcibly removing Mac Gargan’s bond to the full Venom symbiote. One of the most deadly enemies Spider-Man has faced, Mister Negative can stand toe-to-toe with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and commands a full army of zealots to build his empire throughout the Marvel Universe.

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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