Full spoilers follow for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1 episodes 1 and 2.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (YFNSM) has finally made its debut on Disney Plus. The first two episodes of the webslinger’s latest animated adventure were released on January 29, and, surprising no one, they’re packed with Spidey-based Easter eggs and wider Marvel references – 42 to be exact.
Some are easier to spot than others, so you might not have found all of them yet. Luckily for you, I did, so you can use this handy guide to track down the ones that you probably missed. I’ve put them in chronological order, too, so you don’t need to jump ahead or rewind each episode.
Full spoilers follow for the show’s two-episode premiere, so turn back now if you haven’t streamed them yet. Better yet, read my review of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man to see if it’s worth watching, check out both episodes, and then come back to see if you found every Spider-Man and/or Marvel secret hiding in plain sight.
Episode 1 – ‘Amazing Fantasy’
- Queens, New York – The borough that Peter Parker hails from. Its name appears on the screen in bold, white lettering as soon as YFNSM begins. It’s also a throwback to the same giant ‘QUEENS’ location card that’s shown on the screen prior to Peter’s introduction in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War movie.
- Avengers Tower – the building formerly known as Stark Tower can be seen in YFNSM’s very first scene. Indeed, you can’t miss the iconic skyscraper, which stands tall among its brethren on the Manhattan skyline.
- Amazing Adult Fantasy – don’t worry, Peter Parker didn’t fall asleep while reading an adult-themed magazine! He does wake up, though, with his copy of his face when Aunt May calls him to tell him he’ll be late for school. For the uninitiated: this magazine’s title is a play on Marvel’s real-life Amazing Fantasy comic book series. Peter and his legendary superhero alias made their debuts in Amazing Fantasy #15 in June 1962, hence the call-back here.
- Iron Man Car Mirror Toy – An Iron Man accessory can be seen hanging from the rear-view mirror of Aunt May’s car as she drives Peter to school.
- Midtown High – This is the science and technology school that Peter attends in the comics. In YFNSM, it’s his first day – it’s known as Orientation Day in the US – attending this prestigious institution. It also ends up being his final day at the school because, well…
- Alien Symbiote – …No sooner do Peter and Aunt May arrive at Midtown High, than it’s attacked by a symbiote that looks a lot like Shathra (also known as Spider-Wasp), a Spider-Man villain who dwells in the Astral Plane in Marvel’s source material. The symbiote itself is a call-back to the parasitic lifeform that originally bonds to Peter in the comics and, later, finds a new host in Eddie Brock and becomes Venom. There are other symbiotes, but Venom is the most iconic of the bunch.
- Doctor Strange – Just as he did in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Sorcerer Supreme has a small supporting role in YFNSM‘s first episode. He battles the aforementioned symbiote, rescues some of Midtown High’s students from becoming the alien’s latest meal, and actually has a role in the creation of Spider-Man in this universe. His sentient Cloak of Levitation, Eye of Agamatto/the Time Stone as well as numerous Mystic Arts spells, including Astral Projection and the so-called Impenetrable Shield of Seraphim, also make appearances.
- Nico Minoru – Peter’s fellow Midtown High freshman, Nico is saved by her soon-to-be bestie from being attacked by the symbiote creature. In the comics, Nico is a member of a teen group called the Runaways, possesses supernatural abilities, and is the child of parents who – spoiler – are supervillains. It seems that she has (or will have) superpowers in YFNSM, too, as her purple necklace is a reference to the Staff of One, a powerful artefact that she can summon and wield if she bleeds.
- Radioactive spider – emerging from the same inter-dimensional portal that Strange and the symbiote did, this experimented-on arachnid is – surprise surprise – the creature that bites Peter and imbues him with superhuman abilities.
- Iconic Spider-Man Theme Song – The tune that plays during YFNSM’s title sequence, which is called Neighbor Like Me, references the classic Spider-Man theme song from the wallcrawler’s 1960s animated series. Indeed, parts of that ditty have been remixed and incorporated into YFNSM’s intro track, including famous lines like “there goes the Spider-Man!”.
- Black Spider-Man Suit – briefly seen during YFNSM’s title sequence, this is a call-back to Spidey’s symbiote costume, which he acquires during the 1984 Secret Wars comic series after his first encounter with the alien symbiote.
- Tobey Maguire’s Wallcrawling Homage – The first of many throwbacks to Spider-Man’s various live-action films (read our guide on how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order while you’re here), YFNSM‘s title sequence shows this reality’s Peter crawling up the side of a building. This is a reference to Tobey Maguire’s take on the character doing exactly the same thing in his first outing as the webslinger in 2002.
- Scarlet Spider Suit – One of many Spider-Man costumes that can be glimpsed during the intro sequence. This costume was worn by Ben Reilly, one of Spider-Man’s clones in the comics, who goes on to become crimefighter himself, using the superhero alias Scarlet Spider.
- The legendary ‘Thwip!’ – one of Spider-Man’s most recognizable sound effects, this literary depiction of Spidey’s webshooters, well, shooting webs has long appeared in Marvel comics and the hero’s many animated projects.
- Scorpion/Mack Gargan – One of Spider-Man’s seemingly infinite number of enemies, Mack Gargan, who adopts the supervillain alias Scorpion, is also one of his oldest foes. He can be seen in the title sequence as the silhouetted figure that Parker squares up to.
- Amazing Fantasy, Indeed – Not content with referencing Spidey’s comic book debut in Amazing Fantasy #15 via the previously mentioned magazine, YFNSM also recreates that real-world comic’s cover art at the end of episode 1’s title sequence. Here, it shows Spidey rescuing Harry Osborn (more on him next), but the actual cover page shows the wallcrawler apprehending a criminal.
- Harry Osborn – the son of Oscorp CEO Norman Osborn and another of Spidey’s villains, known as Hobgoblin. Harry is rescued by Spider-Man from a group of thugs early on in Amazing Fantasy.
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Quote – Not content with naming Spidey’s newest animated show after one of his many pseudonyms, Marvel also references it in episode 1. Peter calls himself ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ after he rescues Harry.
- Rockford Bales High School – The institution that Peter and Nico are forced to attend, after the symbiote’s Midtown High attack causes extensive damage to it. In the comics, it’s another New York City-based school, but one that prioritizes athletic prowess over science and technology.
- Pearl Pangan – Peter’s childhood crush and fellow Rockford Bales student in YFNSM, Pearl is actually another superhero in Marvel’s source material. She’s called Wave, and acquires water manipulation abilities after she’s exposed to an experimental liquid. She doesn’t have superpowers in this Disney Plus show, but she is a talented swimmer, which honors her Olympic swimming roots from the comic book giant’s literary works.
- Spider-Man’s Classic Suit – Peter can be seen doodling mock-ups of his ideal super suit during a school class. Shocking no-one, it’s a carbon copy of the hero’s iconic original costume, complete with web wings, red and blue coloring, and even his original, chest-based Spider-Man logo.
- Do a flip, Klev! – As Spider-Man pursues a van driven by criminals through New York’s streets, he’s seen jumping over a man wearing a light-blue shirt. This is Klev, the hotdog-loving character played by Severance star Zach Cherry, who asked the webslinger to do a backflip in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- A Bus Rescue – In a near-identical recreation of a scene depicted in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man stops a van driven by criminals from T-boning a bus load of people. It’s the same phone-based sequence that Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark shows to Tom Holland’s wallcrawler in the apartment that the latter shares with Aunt May when Stark is trying to recruit new heroes to take his side over the Sokovia Accords. I’m also pretty sure that an animated version of the late Stan Lee is one of the bus passengers, but I could be wrong.
- Lonnie Lincoln – Another of Peter’s fellow Rockford Bales pupils, and Pearl’s boyfriend. In the comics, Lincoln is the civilian name of another Spidey villain named Tombstone, whose powers include superhuman strength and impenetrable skin. He’s also the leader of a crime gang that operates on 110th Street. Here, though, he’s positioned as a more sympathetic individual, so it’ll be interesting to see if he becomes one of Peter’s enemies in future episodes.
- The Daily Bugle – A copy of the print paper that’s synonymous with Spider-Man can be seen on a table in the Lincoln family’s home. In the comics, Peter becomes a photographer for the news outlet, working under the iconic J. Jonah Jameson, i.e., one of Spidey’s fiercest critics.
- Pizza Time – The name of the pizza restaurant that’s robbed by a desperate woman towards the end of episode 1. This is a reference to the ‘It’s Pizza Time!’ line (it’s since become one of many Spidey-based memes) that Maguire’s Peter Parker utters in 2004’s Spider-Man 2 (see where it ranks in our best Spider-Man movies guide while you’re here) when he’s a pizza delivery driver.
- Norman Obsorn – The aforementioned boss of Oscorp and one of Spider-Man’s most legendary foes. Here, though, Osborn is being positioned as mentor figure to Peter in much the same way that Downey Jr’s Stark was to Holland’s Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Episode 2 – ‘The Parker Luck’
- A Brand New Day – Like episode 1, YFNSM‘s second chapter pays tribute to another Spider-Man comic series, albeit one that was a follow-up to Marvel Comics’ extremely divisive ‘One More Day’ storyline. Episode 2’s cover art pays tribute to the Brand New Day literary series, with its specific homage recreating the front cover to The Amazing Spider-Man #458.
- Roxxon Oil Company – Mentioned by Nico while she’s chatting with Peter during a Rockford Bales American Football match. In the comics, Roxxon is a malicious energy megacorporation that plays both sides in its bid to achieve political and economic power.
- Johnathan Gallo – An Oscorp security guard in YFNSM, Gallo is the civilian identity of a superhero named Ricochet in Marvel’s source material. Fun fact: Ricochet was one of four pseudonyms used by Peter Parker after he’s accused of murdering someone during Spidey’s Identity Crisis comic book series. The superhero alias is later given to Gallo by another hero called Black Marvel.
- Jeanne Foucault – One of Peter’s fellow Oscorp interns, this character will be familiar to some Marvel readers. Indeed, she’s also a vigilante in the comics, who goes by the name Finesse. Like Taskmaster, she’s able to mimic other superpowered beings’ movements because, well, she’s actually Taskmaster’s biological daughter.
- Asha – A transfer student from Wakanda in YFNSM, but yet another supporting character who ends up with superpowers in Marvel literature. She can absorb light and use it to turn invisible or fire laser beams at her foes.
- Amadeus Cho – The third and final (not to mention cocky) Oscorp intern, Cho initially succeeds Bruce Banner as The Hulk in the comics before adopting the new alias Brawn. Like Jennifer Walers/She-Hulk, he retains his personality when he transforms into the Mean Green Machine.
- Bentley Wittman – An Oscorp scientist who reluctantly oversees Osborn’s intern program at Oscorp. That’s a marked departure from who he is in the comics – indeed, Wittman is actually a villain called The Wizard (sometimes he’s referred to as The Wingless Wizard, though) who uses a power suit to commit crimes. He’s run into the Avengers, S.H.I.E.LD, and The Fantastic Four throughout Marvel history.
- Hawkeye – Marvel’s most-famous archer needs no introduction, but he’s referenced by Wittman when he sarcastically scolds Peter as part of the intern group’s first-ever session.
- Doctor Karla Connors – A gender- and race-swapped version of Doctor Kurt Connors, aka another of Spidey’s most iconic villains in The Lizard. Here, Connors is Peter’s experienced research partner as part of the Oscorp intern program.
- Stark ARC Reactor – The device that kept Tony Stark alive and, until Iron Man 3, was used to power his suits of armor. This item is mentioned in passing by Peter as he and Connors begin work on creating a new self-sustaining generator.
- Crusher Hogan – A wrestler who’s name-checked in a news bulletin as Peter and his fellow interns watch some TV during a break at Oscorp Tower. Hogan is the individual that Peter Parker fights and defeats – in the comics and 2002’s Spider-Man – to test his newfound superhuman abilities.
- Butane – A pyromaniac who Spidey battles towards the end of episode 2. In YFNSM, he’s a tech-based villain but, per Marvel Comics, he’s an unnamed individual whose entire body is transformed into a fiery individual by a British mutant (called James Jaspers) who possesses reality-warping powers.
- Mark of the Octopus – After Spider-Man defeats Butane, he notices a peculiar symbol that’s been stamped onto his foe’s weaponry. To the untrained eye, it looks like the symbol used to depict infinity. However, look closer and it appears to be two ‘O’s joined in close proximity. Who’s the only Spider-Man foe whose first name and surname begin with that letter? Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock! Don’t be surprised, then, if he appears at some point this season.
- On Your Left, Cap – After Peter is called into Norman Osborn’s office before ‘The Parker Luck’ ends, a portrait of Captain America posing for a picture with Osborn can be seen on the wall to Peter’s left-hand side.
- Wakanda Forever – A photograph or painting of Osborn standing alongside Wakanda’s late monarch in King T’Chaka is hanging on the wall next to the Cap portrait, too.
I’m pretty confident that’s all of YFNSM episodes 1 and 2’s Easter eggs. If I missed any, though, let me know in the comments! Otherwise, read more of my YFNSM coverage via the links below.
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