Spider-Man 2099's Powers Explained - Is He Really A Vampire?

When it comes to naming popular wall-crawling menaces, movie audiences now have a lot more to choose from than they did before 2018. Besides Peter Parker, cinemagoers were introduced to Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and — by 2023 — the Spider-People in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" welcomed the likes of Hobie Brown, Ben Reilly, and Pavitr Prabhakar. One standout web-slinger that might have surprised some was the reality-rectifying leader of the Spider Society, Miguel O'Hara, better known to comic book aficionados as Spider-Man 2099.

Butting web-heads with Miles in the critically acclaimed sequel, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the film fundamentally changed Miguel as a character who was teetering more towards foe than friend, unlike the rest of the Spider-People. Was his determined and authoritative nature in-line with the source material, and just what about Miguel's past puts him in Marvel's future? More importantly, how in a world full of masked vigilantes with a spidey-sense for danger does this one bare teeth that are sharper than the rest? Well, to learn what we can about Miguel O'Hara, we need to take the Doc Brown approach and head back to the future to get a greater understanding of the legendary Spider-Man 2099, and his monstrous character traits that have fans questioning if he's something else entirely. 

Debuting in 1992, Spider-Man 2099 swung into the Marvel universe in a dystopian future thanks to the creation of Peter David and Rick Leonardi. Under the mask is Miguel O'Hara, a Nueva York local of Mexican and Irish descent, making him the first biracial Spider-Man. Unfortunately, while Miguel might be a hero of tomorrow, his origin story proves that Marvel characters still can't learn from the lessons of the past; a botched science experiment gives him similar powers to Peter Parker, with an extra bit of edge that might make him an even more dangerous character to go up against.

In an effort to rid himself of an addiction to the drug Rapture (implanted in him by his employer at Alchemax, Tyler Stone), Miguel attempts to alter his DNA and rid himself of the issue. Sadly, the experiment doesn't go to plan thanks to a devious colleague, who sets the machine up to give Miguel 50% DNA of a spider. The transformation gives him all the familiar Spider-Man perks, along with a few others that make him ever so closer to a ferocious fighter for truth and justice that can quite literally cut deep into Nueva York's criminal underbelly.

Climbing up walls? Swinging between rooftops? Genius intellect? Pah! Those perks of being a spider-themed hero are so last century. In the case of Spider-Man 2099, Miguel O'Hara has a whole different bag of tricks that even Peter Parker might be envious of. For starters, O'Hara has superhuman vision and hearing, the likes of which his predecessor doesn't possess. Besides being able to see from great distances, Miguel's abilities allow him to see in total darkness, which is always handy when you're living in a dystopian future.

An upgrade that might seem more of a curse than a blessing are Miguel's talons, which allow him to latch onto and crawl along surfaces, as opposed to simply sticking to them like Peter and other web-warriors. With these, he can actually cut through flesh and even make a dent in some metals, giving him a lethal leg-up against anyone that stands against him. His spider DNA also goes as far as his teeth, which have turned into sharp fangs that can secrete a venom to incapacitate his adversaries if he's feeling a bit bitey. It's this trait and Miguel's weakness that fans argue make him less like Peter Parker and more akin to the likes of Doctor Michael Morbius and Blade. With all these enhancements that are predatory in nature, is Miguel O'Hara less of a Spider-Man and more of a vampiric one?

Just like Miles Morales has his Venom Strike, Miguel's venomous fangs set him apart from spider-folk in the Marvel universe. The extra add-ons that come with this unique power set also lead to certain ailments that suggest he could be an alternative vampire — especially when you consider the history of vampires in the Marvel universe. For example, while his vision might be great in the dark, his transformation in the comics makes him suffer under natural light, forcing him to wear shades to handle the rays. Without them, Miguel's red eyes are in full view as a mutation from his life-changing event, very similar to someone when they succumb to the thirst of a vampire.

Besides that, there's also the obvious giveaway of Miguel's newly upgraded fangs. While it could understandably be a much worse spider-like transformation with them protruding heavily from his face, O'Hara's canines can be kept hidden — but only by Miguel making a conscious effort not to move his mouth too much. It's this and his bite packing a poisonous punch that make him easily mistaken for a member of the undead. Let's just be glad he's not and Spider-Man 2099 is on our side. Well, in the comics, at least.