Wolverine’s New Pal? You Won’t Believe Who It Is!

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Insomniac Games is planning to broaden its Marvel video game universe by developing the eagerly awaited title, Marvel’s Wolverine. To create a sense of continuity between the Wolverine game and the Spider-Man games, it would be logical for the two series to feature some common characters. Although I’m not suggesting that Spider-Man should appear in the Wolverine game, it would still be reassuring to have official confirmation that both games are set in the same universe. The Spider-Man games have already hinted at the presence of characters such as Doctor Strange and the Avengers, but a stronger connection between the worlds needs to be established in Wolverine.

To begin with, it seemed Venom would make an ideal fit. Previously, we witnessed Wolverine battling him, even in games like Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. However, considering that at the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Harry Osborn is powerless, and given the timeline of the game didn’t allow for a midquel similar to Lion King 1.5, he’s probably not an option. Nevertheless, there’s another Marvel character who could serve as a brilliant link between these franchises.

Jessica Drew Would Be The Perfect Marvel Crossover Character

Jessica Drew Has History With Spider-Man And Wolverine

Jessica Drew, known chiefly by her heroic identity Spider-Woman, was first introduced in Marvel Comics as an adversary rather than being connected with Peter Parker. She debuted as the antagonist “Agent Arachne” serving Hydra in Marvel Spotlight #32, a collaboration between Archie Goodwin, Sal Buscema, Jim Mooney, and Janice Cohen. Over time, Drew teamed up with Spider-Man in the Avengers, and her role expanded significantly within the spider-themed hero universe as Marvel gradually focused excessively on such characters.

Marvel has devised a collective known as the Spider Totems, encompassing numerous spider-themed characters for storylines similar to those in the Spider-Verse comics. Given her frequent appearances in such crossovers, Jessica Drew seems an ideal candidate for inclusion in a Marvel’s Spider-Man game. Although Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 did include one of the game’s Spider Bots referencing her, this isn’t definitive proof that she exists within the game’s universe, as these bots were designed to reference alternate realities.

One reason Jessica Drew effectively functions as a crossover character is her strong ties with SHIELD, the Avengers, and other Marvel organizations. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to encounter her in stories unrelated to Spider-Man, given that she often appears in these contexts. In fact, there’s a solid foundation for her to make an appearance in “Marvel’s Wolverine,” as suggested by some classic runs of the “Wolverine” comic series.

Spider-Woman Was A Big Part Of Wolverine’s Madripoor Storyline

Marvel’s Wolverine Is Rumored To Take Place In Madripoor

It’s been hinted that the setting for Marvel’s Wolverine could be Madripoor, an island from Southeast Asia, first introduced in The New Mutants #32 by Chris Claremont and Steve Leialoha. Wolverine has a history of being involved in many stories set in Madripoor; one of these stories even marked the start of his second solo comic series back in 1988, also penned by Chris Claremont.

In issue #1 of the Wolverine series by Claremont, John Buscema, Al Williamson, and Glynis Oliver, Wolverine is on a mission to find the Muramasa Blade when he encounters an old acquaintance named Lindsay McCabe. She informs him that she doesn’t possess the sword, but her friend Jessie will be delivering it shortly. As it turns out, Jessie is actually Jessica Drew, who plays a key role in Wolverine’s Madripoor saga for the rest of this comic book run.

It’s highly unlikely that the upcoming Wolverine game, Marvel’s Wolverine, will follow the exact storylines from Chris Claremont’s Wolverine run in the ’80s. Similar to how Marvel’s Spider-Man games have used comic book material as inspiration but deviated from direct adaptations, it seems that Insomniac Games might focus more on creating unique narratives. For instance, they introduced Harry Osborn as the first Venom. However, just because the new Wolverine game is likely to be an original story doesn’t mean it won’t draw inspiration from the comics.

It’d feel odd if Marvel’s Wolverine didn’t include characters for Logan to exchange words with, considering his grumpy persona is a big part of his appeal. It’d be unfortunate not to provide opportunities for him to engage with others. As for Jessica Drew, she shares some history with Logan, having gone through medical experiments too, so the game could depict them developing a bond based on their shared traumatic pasts.

Jessica Drew Would Make An Interesting Addition To Marvel’s Spider-Man 3

Jessica Drew Would Help Expand The World Of Spider-Man 3 Without Stealing Too Much Focus

In various online posts, fans have pondered about the location of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Marvel’s Spider-Man games. It’s reasonable to assume that developer Insomniac intentionally kept them out of the picture to keep the focus on Spider-Man, given the criticism surrounding the MCU for overtaking solo Spider-Man movies featuring Tom Holland. However, it is somewhat peculiar that the Avengers are depicted in the game but remain absent during significant crises like Venom’s invasion of New York.

Introducing Jessica Drew, with her spider-themed persona, could perfectly complement the team – be it SHIELD or the Avengers. She’s not as widely recognized as Iron Man or Captain America, which makes her less likely to overshadow Peter or Miles. Moreover, if she has already made an appearance in “Marvel’s Wolverine” (provided the game is released first), her guest role would add a delightful link to the other game without dominating too much screen time.

Jessica Drew could be an excellent addition due to the fact that she hasn’t been extensively used like many other Marvel characters, as she has yet to appear in the MCU. For most players, Jessica Drew might be unfamiliar, with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse being her only known appearance thus far. Introducing her in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 could make a crossover event featuring her more thrilling because it would refer to Insomniac’s interconnected game universe rather than acknowledging external Marvel properties.

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2025-04-30 03:15