Spider-Man: Edge of Time

"This could be the end of Spider-Man."

Amazing Spider-Man: O'hara! There's nothing left here to trash! You still there?
Spider-Man 2099: Yeah. For the most part.
Amazing Spider-Man: Did they turn into something else? Like, I don't know, kittens?
Spider-Man 2099: Yeah. Small, metal, robotic, killer kittens.
Amazing Spider-Man: Aaaawwww...

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is a 2011 video game made by Beenox and published by Activision, and is the second game produced by the studios to be based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man (following on from their work on Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions). In the game, players control both the Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099 in two connected timelines that follow the untimely death of Peter Parker. It will feature all-new 'cause-and-effect' gameplay, where choices and actions can have unintended outcomes on the Spider-Man in the opposite timeline, and a storyline written by Peter David, co-creator of Spider-Man 2099.

The plot kicks off when evil Alchemax scientist Walker Sloan travels back to modern-day New York and uses his future tech to found Alchemax decades ahead of time. This causes Alchemax to become an even-more mega Mega Corp which has managed to Take Over the World. Spidey 2099, having gained wind of this plot, learns that a key factor is the death of Amazing Spidey and devises a way to communicate with Amazing Spider-Man to help stop Sloan.

Tropes used in Spider-Man: Edge of Time include:
  • Alliteration: The Achievement/Trophy names have noticeable alliteration to them.
  • All There in the Manual: the backstories of new characters like Walker Sloan, Black Cat 2099 and the CEO are all on their figures in the bonus gallery.
  • Alternate Continuity: If the events present in the story are any indication, then Edge of Time seems to be ignoring "One More Day" as it has Mary Jane still in a relationship with Peter (whether they're married or not, like their pre-OMD selves, is not explained). Elements from thev Brand New Day era of the comics are used however (such as Anti-Venom)
    • Justified in the altered timeline that Sloan's changes happened well before they even got together, which changed their whole history. However, this may still be the case in the regular timeline as Peter is seen trying to arrange a date with her before history changed.
      • It's implied the story takes place in 1999, several years before One More Day. It's constantly brought up that there's a 100 year difference.
    • Interestingly, the "Temporal Paradox" move pulls up flickering images of what seem to be Mary Jane and May Parker. Make of that what you will.
  • And Your Reward Is Clothes: You can get various alternate costumes.
    • Two more were announced after the game as being able to be unlocked through code: The Last Stand outfit, and the Poison costume, with a few more to be announced on the way.
  • Back from the Dead: Anti-Venom apparently does succeed in bringing Amazing Spider-Man to his death (or at least very near it), but Spider-Man 2099 saves him with his future healing tech.
  • Bad Future: As the result of Amazing Spider-Man's death.
  • Big Bad Ensemble: Walker Sloan/Atrocity and Peter Parker 2099.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Anti-Venom, due to mind control chips.
  • Butterfly of Doom/Conqueror From the Future: Amazing Spider-Man's death in the present, at the hands of Anti-Venom controlled by Walker Sloan, a scientist from the year 2099 creates a Crapsack World, which is where Spider-Man 2099 comes in.
  • Canon Foreigner: Walker Sloan, the game's Big Bad and Black Cat 2099. Atrocity, a combination of Sloan, Anti-Venom, and Doctor Octopus. Shocker 2099 and Big Wheel 2099 for the Nintendo DS version.
  • Cloning Blues: Black Cat 2099 is a clone of the original Black Cat and there are other clones who serve as Mooks.
  • Clothing Damage: Amazing Spider-Man's costume gets wreaked over the course of the game.
  • Cluster Shock Bomb: Spidey 2099 still has his potty mouth. Amazing Spidey lampshades this.

Spider-Man: *crawling away weakly, Anti-Venom poised to strike* O’Hara…maybe I would’ve listened to you…if you didn’t say “shock” all the time.

  • Comes Great Responsibility: You knew this line was coming, but evil CEO Peter Parker is the one who says it.
  • Combat Tentacles: Doctor Octopus is an aversion, generally just being an extra in the story. Atrocity, however...
  • Continuity Nod: When Miguel contacted Peter via Applied Phlebotinum telepathy, the latter asks, half-jokingly, if any other "selves" are in his head too. [1]
    • It's given a second nod in the bonus costumes, with the Spider-Man 1602 and New Ultimate costume referring to the "Crisis of the Shattered Dimensions".
    • Also, there's the various archive rooms of Alchemax's CEO aka Peter Parker 2099. They're filled with statues of Amazing Spider-Man's villains from Shattered Dimensions, bearing the exact same designs.
    • On his route to trying to stop Anti-Venom from killing Peter, one of the rooms Miguel passes through contains the body of Scorpion 2099 in a tank of chemicals. Scorpion was one of the opponents Miguel defeated in Shattered Dimensions. Spider-Ham can also be found at the beginning of Chapter 15 in a similar tank.
    • The Sandman can also be found in a chemical tank in "present day" Alchemax, whilst Peter is fleeing from Atrocity.
    • On the desk of the CEO in his office, is the Tablet of Order and Chaos from the previous game.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: The future version of Peter Parker, who runs Alchemax. He almost looks a bit like Norman Osborn.
  • Cross Counter: How Amazing Spider-Man's fight with Anti-Venom ends.
  • Crossover: A "truer" crossover than the previous game, the two Spider-Men are in direct contact with each other, their timelimes are "bleeding" together, and they each even spend a couple of levels in each others timeline. They still don't spend a lot of time in the same timeline simultaneously, though...
  • Cyberpunk: 2099
  • Damn You, Muscle Memory!: If you're used to the Shattered Dimensions controls, you might have some initial adjustment trouble with the Wii version. Thankfully, The Dev Team Thinks of Everything and you can switch to the previous game's controls.
  • Darker and Edgier: While the previous game had some dark moments, this game amps it up with a generally darker tone and more immediate threats of death and action consequences.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Both Spider-Men bring this in full force.
    • When Spider-Man 2099 fights Anti-Venom and Anti-Venom proves to be unable to drain his powers due to them not being radiation-based, Walker says to Spider-Man 2099's reveal:

Walker: Didn't know, don't care.

  • Death Is Cheap: Amazing Spider-Man lampshades the frequency of this with comic book heroes after his own experience, saying he knows how Captain America (comics) feels. And Jean Grey. And Colossus. He'd have kept going if Spider-Man 2099 hadn't stopped him.
  • Downloadable Content: Four alternate costumes based on the "Identity Crisis" storyline.
  • Dueling Games: Batman: Arkham City launched around the same time.
  • Fallen Hero: Peter Parker 2099.
  • Final Boss Preview: A very subtle one. In the room with the unlockable costume stands, you can find one in the ground with the armor the boss wears, which is also an unlockable costume.
  • Finger-Twitching Revival: Anti-Venom, after the Cross Counter with Amazing Spider-Man.
  • Future Me Scares Me: The true Big Bad: the CEO of Alchemax in 2099, Peter Parker.
  • Five-Bad Band:
  • Future Slang: The all-purpose swear word "shock".
  • Hopeless Boss Fight: The first boss, Anti-Venom. For Amazing Spider-Man. Spider-Man 2099 has better luck.
  • Hope Spot: Amazing's battle with Anti-Venom begins like a normal boss fight and Amazing even tosses him through a door. Then Anti-Venom nullifies his powers bringing an even fight into a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
  • "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Spider-Man tries this on Anti-Venom after learning about the control chips. It doesn't entirely work, but it does get Brock to fight their influence long enough to keep Spider-Man from getting killed right away.
  • Ironic Echo: Tends to be exchanged between the two Spider-Men, such as "do better than your best!".
  • It Got Worse: Quantum Causalities sometimes cause more damage to Miguel's quest. Sometimes hilariously so.
  • Just Between You and Me: Sloane gives a nice monologue of his plan to his holo-assistant early in the game, unaware Spider-Man 2099 is watching from above.
    • Averted later when Amazing Spider-Man meets the CEO of Alchamax, who offers to give him one, but he declines due to other matters. He does get around to giving a short one to Spider-Man 2099 later.
  • Lazy Artist: Thanks to the quick turn around from the last Spidey game, Activision's tendency to try and milk their franchises for all they're worth and the film series reboot set to be released in 2012 (And likely with a tie-in game to boot), people were already voicing concerns that Edge Of Time was just going to be "Shattered Dimensions minus the Ultimate & Noir universes" within a day. Partially averted - early previews have noted that both Spider-Men have similar combat styles to Shattered Dimensions; and screenshots show that whilst Spider-Man 2099 retains the art direction from Shattered Dimensions, Amazing Spider-Man is now rendered in a similar manner, albeit set in the present day.
  • Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
  • Meanwhile in the Future: Both Spider-Men are actually working together & talking to each other whilst in their home time periods - Amazing Spider-Man can destroy things so that they won't be there in the future, after said thing has created a problem for Spider-Man 2099.
    • Justified by the creation of a second time gate, which linked the two moments in history and allowed for instantaneous changes.
  • Monster Closet: The 2099 levels adore this.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Black Cat 2099, of course.
  • Mythology Gag: Jameson speculates that people idolize Spider-Man enough to make a Spider-Man musical.
    • When Spidey is first informed of quantum causality, he says "That's Amazing! Spectacular, even!"
    • Spider Man 2099's swinging hearkens back to the 2000 Live Action films; there's even similar music.
    • The New Ultimate costume notes that there's a new Spider-Man in the Ultimate universe.
  • Old Save Bonus: If you have a Shattered Dimensions save file on the console when you boot up Edge of Time, the game unlocks 10 (8, if you own a Wii) alternate costumes for the player to use.
  • One-Winged Angel: After Anti-Venom gains control of himself, he proceeds to attack Walker Sloan. Sloan runs to the time portal while Doc Ock is repairing it, and all three are tossed into the unstable portal. Out comes Atrocity, a monstrous combination of the three, similar to Monster Ock in the PS 1 game.
  • Orange-Blue Contrast: Pictured above in the poster, also all over the trailer. It seems blue represents the future, and orange the present. If so, prepare to see a lot of this trope.
  • The Password Is Always Swordfish: Subverted when Amazing Spider-Man tries to use Spider-Man 2099's password, which is just "Lyla", to access Alchemax's archives and it doesn't work. It's then play straight when Spidey grumbles that he wishes it could just grant him access and it does.
    • And here lies a bit of Fridge Brilliance: WHY do you think the archive lets Peter Parker have the access he asked for?
  • Powered Armor/Spider Tank: Peter Parker 2099 pilots one of these during the final battle. Amazing Spider-Man speculates that Peter's powers have deteriorated over time, making the suit a necessity.
  • Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Spider-Man 2099 gains this due to being in the time portal just after Walter went back in time. Amazing Spider-Man, of course, doesn't have this benefit.
  • Really 700 Years Old: Black Cat 2099 was given an anti-aging drug, resulting in her looking younger than she really is. Same goes for Evil Peter.
  • Rule of Three: Lampshaded when Amazing Spider-Man has to retrieve three time gate parts, each controlled by three consoles.

Spider-Man 2099: The part will be safe to take after all three consoles around it are deactivated.
Amazing Spider-Man: Why do these things always come in threes?
Spider-Man 299: I have no idea.
Amazing Spider-Man: You know, that's going to bug me the rest of the day.

Miguel: I'd rather not bring our deadline up against the Edge of Time!

  • Tonight Someone Dies: The two Spider-Men are working to prevent the death of Amazing Spider-Man. The title screen even has Spider-Man 2099 carrying Peter's corpse.
  • The Usual Adversaries: Atrocity's tentacles keep annoying both Spider-Men.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Peter Parker 2099 starts ranting at Miguel as he is defeated.
  • What Are Records?: Miguel is rather unfamiliar with past tech and terms, not knowing about the World Series, cell phones or even toasters.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Both Spider-Man call each other out on this. Amazing Spidey chews out his future counterpart for allowing innocents to die by not doing anything while Spidey 2099 snarls at him about not focusing on fixing the time stream.
  • You Fight Like a Cow: It's Spider-Man for crying out loud, and he's being written by Peter David to boot.
  1. ↑ It's not clear if the two games are in the same continuity, or this version of Peter went through Shattered Dimensions, or only the original timeline Peter, or--ouch!
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