Spider-Man’s MCU Nightmare Has Taken Over Marvel Comics
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Devil's Reign #4
As the Kingpin launches a full-scale assault on the heroes of Marvel Comics, he has succeeded in turning New York City into Spider-Man’s MCU nightmare. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spidey is forced to battle Mysterio who uses an army of drones to cast his illusions. In Marvel Comics, Kingpin is using a similar method to ensure all superheroes across the city are captured and neutralized, effectively making the MCU’s Spider-Man’s worst fears come true.
In Devil’s Reign #4 by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, the Kingpin has seemingly successfully conquered the superheroes of New York City. At the beginning of this crossover event, the Kingpin championed a new state law that made it illegal to be a superhero in New York. Once enacted, Kingpin hired known villains to enforce the law and lock up any and all known heroes they could get their hands on. In this issue, some time has passed since the initial strike and the Kingpin is maintaining order by using a method the MCU’s Spider-Man would be all-too familiar with.
The Kingpin is using drones to spy on New York City residents and in doing so is keeping a watchful eye out for any superheroes that have escaped his clutches. Not only are drones being used for villainy, the entire action is perfectly legal in accordance with Kingpin’s new law. The last notable Marvel villain who used drones to feign heroism was Mysterio in the MCU’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. Mysterio’s drones were nearly the death of Spider-Man and frightened him to his core, that is until he found the courage to face his fears and stop Mysterio in his tracks. Just as MCU’s Mysterio used drones to fight Spider-Man in the movie, Kingpin is using them to hunt down heroes in the comics.
While the same methods are being used by these two Spider-Man supervillains, the delivery is completely different. Mysterio was hiding the fact that he was using drones to eliminate Spider-Man and make himself seem like a hero. Kingpin, on the other hand, is completely out in the open with his drone usage and doesn’t pretend like it is anything other than what it is, a full-on superhero hunt. In a way, the fact that the Kingpin has the law on his side makes his way of using drones against Marvel’s heroes even more terrifying since he has no fear of being exposed for his villainy as Mysterio did in the MCU.
The drones were such a threat to Spider-Man in the MCU that they actually made him fear for his life. Once he was able to get them back under his control, however, that fear was neutralized and he moved past that experience as a more developed hero. However, the Kingpin’s drones cannot be controlled by anyone except the Kingpin and his posse, meaning that fear Spider-Man felt in the MCU could not be conquered until the Kingpin and everyone who works for him are brought down for good. Spider-Man’s MCU nightmare has taken over Marvel Comics, and it is even more terrifying than he could have imagined.