Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: Full story recap

The ending of Spider-Man 2 is both optimistic and heartbreaking. With tons of action, drama and emotional key moments, we’re here to go through it in detail just in case you missed some major bits while at it.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 showcases Peter Parker and Miles Morales taking on their biggest challenge yet. There is a whole host of villains they have to go up against, such as Kraven, the Lizard, and of course, Venom.

However, with all of those villains to juggle and a whole ton of collectibles you could be interacting with, it’s fair enough if you’re feeling a little lost while playing through the last acts of the game. We’re here to help.

If you’ve reached the end of your journey in the game and still have questions or would like to go over everything, read on. Do note, that we will not be going over the post-credit cutscenes and what they might mean. For that, head over to our post-credit cutscene article which is full of speculation.

And, this should be obvious, but end-game story spoilers are below.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: story recap

Before we get to the ending, it’s worth just going over the basics of the earlier parts of the game. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 starts with both Peter and Miles trying to find their place in the world outside of Spider-Man. Peter is finding it impossible to hold down a job, and Miles needs to apply for college.

After thwarting an attack from Sandman, Peter returns home to meet Mary Jane. However, once there Harry Osborne, son of Norman and Pete’s best friend from childhood shows up. Harry has suffered from a degenerative disease, but a cure had been found in the form of a new “suit”, which was worked on by Dr. Connors. Harry then shows Peter that he has been building an impressive research facility called the Emily-May Foundation, named after the deceased Emily Osborne and Aunt May. The foundation has one goal – to heal the world. Peter decides to join Harry as a co-founder.

While this is going on, Kraven the Hunter is drawn to New York by the villains and superheroes running around. He and his hunters free many of the worst villains in custody, including Martin Li and Mister Negative, which drives Miles to consider taking revenge for his father’s death at the hands of Li. It’s later revealed Kraven is dying of cancer, but he refuses to succumb to it. Instead, he chooses to dedicate the rest of his life to finding his equal who will best him in combat.

The hunters attack Coney Island, almost resulting in civilians dying, as it proves to be too much for Peter. That’s when Harry’s suit comes to life, a strange black mass of goo and tendrils. Together they are able to save the day.

The two then intend to work together as superheroes, but that dream predictably doesn’t last long. With Spider-Man and Harry circling in on Kraven, they go to meet him in a confrontation. However, this doesn’t go to plan, and Kraven is able to beat both of them. This ends with Peter Parker getting stabbed, and dying momentarily. However, Harry’s suit then transfers itself to Peter in order to save his life.

During this time, Peter tries to transfer the suit back to Harry, but doesn’t know how. However, before he can figure it out, Kraven activates the dormant Lizard in Dr. Connors. Peter uses the suit to take down the enormous Lizard, realizing just how powerful it is in the process.

Peter then begins to act erratic and brash, with a growing sense of anger and violence. He also starts to change his mind about giving the suit back to Harry, despite Harry revealing he will die of his disease without it. Eventually, Peter even becomes somewhat feral attacking Miles and Mary Jane. This results in Miles being kidnapped by Kraven and forced to fight Martin Li, who enters Miles’s mind and learns about his past. Miles eventually saves Martin Li, throwing him out of the arena and telling him to get Spider-Man for help.

Peter, somewhat begrudgingly, finds Miles’s location and goes to save him. After a confrontation with Kraven, Miles has to take on Peter, who is convinced that Miles wants the suit for himself. They then fight, with Miles eventually doing enough damage, and with the sound of a bell, is able to help Peter separate himself from the parasite.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: Venom arrives

After Peter removes the Symbiote, he travels to Dr. Connors with the entity being trapped in a containment jar to figure out what to do next. However, when arriving at the lab, he and Connors are interrupted by a dying Harry. Harry claims Peter isn’t willing to save him by giving him the symbiote. 

The alien is then able to break out of its containment and rebond with Harry. We then see Harry become the classic version of Venom, who quickly disposes of Spider-Man and then runs rampant through Oscorp (with the player controlling him). Venom then jumps to the middle of Times Square, continuing to cause havoc. It’s then that Kraven jumps in, feeling he has discovered his match – the being who will give him the death he seeks. 

Venom is able to overpower Kraven, and knowing he is defeated, Kraven thanks the Symbiote. Venom then bites Kraven’s head off. Harry has a very minor crisis of conscience about this and goes to his mother’s grave to seek guidance. It’s here that the Venom symbiote mimics the voice of his mother, further corrupting Harry into believing that by creating a world infested with Symbiotes, he will finally be able to heal the world.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: Saving Peter Parker

Peter discovers that Venom is changing civilians into Symbiotes. He eventually is pulled away though, as after calling Mary Jane, who is back at his house, he sees Harry with her over a video call. Once he arrives, and after a small altercation with Harry, he watches on in horror as Venom attaches a Symbiote to Mary Jane, who becomes the Marvel villain Scream. 

After a lengthy boss battle, Peter is able to save Mary Jane. He then goes about tracking down Venom and eventually finds him in a bank. He and Miles try to clear out the aliens but are eventually overrun, with Peter having latent remnants of the Symbiote activated in him. It’s then that Martin Li arrives and attempts to help Miles by entering into Peter’s mind to push out the remnants of the Symbiote. Once inside, Miles and Li travel through Peter’s troubled mind, and after alterations with various villains from Peter’s past, they find the source of the infection. 

Li realizes in order to save Peter he needs to transfer all of his power into the Symbiote. He does this as Miles holds off Symbiote attackers. They are both successful and save Peter’s life. The transfer of Li’s powers transforms the Symbiote inside Peter Parker into Anti-Venom power, giving him a white Symbiote suit. Li then leaves, powerless, and promises to remember who he is and do good in the world.

Peter then tracks Venom into an Oscorp lab, where a Spiral meteorite, which landed with Venom and which appears to be the source of a lot of his power, is kept. This becomes an object of obsession for Venom, who breaks into the lab and confronts Norman Osborn.

Norman asks for Venom to return Harry, to which Venom says, “We are your son.” He then explains he is healthy and strong, everything Norman ever wanted. Peter then turns up to save Norman. While he does, Venom gets both pieces of the meteorite and joins them together, before escaping.

Connors then reveals to Peter that he can still stop Venom, but he’ll have to kill Harry to do so. Norman Osborne then walks over and asks Peter to save his son.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: Heal the world

When Peter returns to the surface, he finds New York has been entirely taken over by the Venom Symbiote, with huge stalks sprouting into the sky. After some time trying to save people, Peter tracks down where Venom is hiding.

Miles asks Peter to wait a couple of minutes, as Hailey is in trouble. Peter decides he can’t, and ventures into the nest alone. He is nearly swarmed by hordes of Symbiotes but is able to fight them off. He then tracks down Venom who asks for Peter’s help, saying they “need” him.

Venom says they’d like to show Peter something, before transferring a vision to Peter. Harry explains he is now healed, and by allowing the Symbiote to take over the world, they can heal everyone. Venom then says they need Peter with them, on their side and then shares a brief look at the meteorite, revealing its location to Peter. Just then, Miles arrives to save Peter, and blasts a hole in the roof and they both escape.

Miles, Mary Jane, and Peter Parker meet back at Peter’s house where they devise a plan to take the meteorite and beat Venom. Peter says he will have Venom chase him, Miles will fight off the Symbiotes and Mary Jane will steal the meteorite. They then will go to the Emily-May Foundation headquarters and use the particle accelerator to destroy it.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: The Final Confrontation

The three arrive in the park, and despite Mary Jane running into Symbiotes inside the nest, she is able to take the meteorite. She then leaves and goes on the run from the Symbiote Horde with Miles. 

Elsewhere, Venom catches up to Peter Parker and takes him back to his and Harry’s old school, which is suspended in the air. The two then fight, discussing their friendship as they do so. After a prolonged boss fight, Venom grabs Peter, who says that no matter what Venom does to him, he’s never going to heal the world with him. Venom then senses that the meteorite has been stolen. He immediately sprouts massive bat-like wings and flies away with Peter in hand. 

 At the same time, Miles and Mary Jane arrive at the Foundation to destroy the meteorite. However, they are interrupted by Venom crashing through the ceiling with Peter, who is passed out. Miles then has a prolonged fight with the winged Venom. Venom, Miles, and Peter then fight in the sky. They are able to overpower Venom and Miles takes the meteorite and places it in the particle accelerator while Peter and Venom continue to fight. Peter is able to reach Harry a couple of times, who says that Peter will have to kill him. 

They fight back to the center, until Harry starts to tear the symbiote off his chest, telling Pete to “do it now”. Peter then uses his Anti-Venom powers to begin weakening Venom. After some resistance, Peter is able to vanquish the Symbiote, telling his friend he loves him before Harry seemingly dies. The particle accelerator then goes off, breaking the meteorite and the Symbote’s grip over New York. The Venom Symbiote then evaporates.

Peter then returns to Harry’s body, telling him how sorry he is. Miles then jumps in and attempts to revive Harry with his electrical powers. He is successful, but Harry only returns for a moment, before falling unconscious with a very weak pulse.

Peter brings Harry outside to an ambulance where Norman Osborne flies down next to them. Miles and Peter help Harry onto a stretcher. Norman turns to both Spider-Men asking them angrily, “What have you done?” Peter is only able to say, “I’m sorry”. Norman rides to the hospital with Harry.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ending explained: Venom Defeated

Sometime later, we see Harry laid out on a bed back at the Osborne’s house. It’s then revealed Harry has slipped into a coma and his chances of coming back are “very slim.” Norman then asks the doctor to just keep him alive. Norman then takes a walking stick meant as a gift for Harry and starts smashing the room. Peter and Mary Jane leave quietly as Norman tears apart equipment. He then makes a call and asks someone to “get the G-Serum ready.”

Later, we fade to find Mary Jane recording a new podcast, next to a letter confirming she now lives with Peter. She finishes and finds Peter cooking for Miles, his Mom, Ganke, and Hailey. Peter then takes Mary Jane outside and shows that he is working on restarting the Emily-May Foundation in the garage. 

Peter then gets an alert on his phone about Spider-Man’s problems. Mary Jane asks Peter if he has told Miles. He says, not yet. Miles then appears dressed as Spider-Man, asking if Peter is ready. Peter begins to explain, and Miles stops him telling him he’s got this, “all of it”. He then tells Peter to go be Peter Parker for a while, and that he can handle the role of Spider-Man for now.

Miles says there may come a time when he needs Peter’s help in the future. Peter assures Miles that he will always be there for him. Miles then swings away, leaving Peter semi-retired and able to build his life with Mary Jane.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: All suits for Peter Parker & Miles Morales | Spider-Man 2 Photo Mode | Main Story missions list | Can you play as Venom? | How to unlock Webbed Suits | Spider-Man 2 All Marko’s Memories | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 editions | Spider-Man 2 trophies & achievements | All Accessibility settings | Increase health & damage | Spider-Man 2 Photo Ops locations | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 map