Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine was finally released for the PlayStation 5 on September 15, and many players have already discovered quite a few Easter eggs and references to Insomniac's Spider-Man video games, tying the two franchises together. Since Insomniac and Sony released Spider-Man 2 in 2023, fans have been patiently waiting for the game developer's Wolverine title to drop. Marvel's Wolverine was announced in 2021, and after five long years, it finally hit shelves and allowed fans to play as Wolverine.
Despite being two completely separate titles that do not directly cross over regarding on-screen characters, storylines, or missions, Insomniac's Wolverine game is set in the same universe as its Spider-Man titles. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that Insomniac included a few references to the past games.
In total, 11 Easter eggs have been found that connect to Marvel's Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2. As time goes on, more hidden references will likely be spotted.
Every Reference and Easter Egg to the Spider-Man Games in Marvel's Wolverine
The Daily Bugle
Spider-Man fans know how important the Daily Bugle is to the web-slinger, and although it is a publication based in New York City, the Bugle made its way into Marvel's Wolverine.
Specifically, a copy of one of the Daily Bugle's newspapers can be seen in the mission that is titled "The One That Got Away," appearing in Leech's warehouse.
While the inclusion of a copy of the Bugle is a Spider-Man reference itself, there is a notable headline on the front page that reads, "King Con: Slammer For Wall Street Scammer." Most likely, this headline is referencing Kingpin (aka Wilson Fisk) being put in jail following his defeat at the hands of Spider-Man.
This defeat happened in the first Spider-Man game, as the player was able to battle Fisk early on in their playthrough.
Along Came A Spider
In Marvel's Wolverine, there are multiple books that can be seen sitting on a shelf. Many of the titles of these books are direct references to Marvel and Spider-Man. For example, one book is called Along Came A Spider, which is a reference to a Venom comic where he battled Spider-Man.
Many fans will remember that Venom was one of the primary antagonists of Spider-Man 2, which featured multiple battles between both Spider-Man characters (Peter Parker and Miles Morales) and Venom.
Pizza Time
There is another book on the same shelf in Wolverine that is titled Pizza Time: A Pizza Cook Book. This particular Easter egg is a reference to multiple Spider-Man projects. The one fans will be the most familiar with is Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 film, as Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker delivers pizza to a corporation and says the line, "pizza time."
However, it can also be traced back to Insomniac's Spider-Man games. Specifically, in the City That Never Sleeps DLC, Peter picks up a pizza from Eddie's and goes to a rooftop. Players can wear Maguire's iconic Spider-Man suit in the game, so players can make it appear as though Maguire's Spider-Man is having a pizza time of his own in that game.
Earth-1048
In Marvel's Wolverine, there is a dog tag in Logan's cabin. The tag itself has a hole in it, but "1048" can clearly be seen on the bottom of the tag. This "1048" designation is a reference to Wolverine and Spider-Man sharing a universe.
The universe that Marvel's Wolverine and Insomniac's Spider-Man games take place in is Earth-1048. It has been confirmed multiple times that the Spider-Man world is Earth-1048, and that Wolverine takes place in the same universe.
Silver Sable International
Madripoor is a major location in Marvel's Wolverine. In Madripoor, one of the buildings has a sign on it that reads, "Silver Sable International." This company is run by Silver Sablinova, who was featured in Insomniac's Spider-Man franchise.
Silver Sable played an antagonistic role in Spider-Man and then formed a bit of an alliance with the web-slinger.
Fisk Building
The Silver Sable International building is not the only place in Madripoor that includes a reference to the Spider-Man games. Specifically, fans can also see a building in Madripoor that has "Fisk" on its side.
This is obviously a direct reference to Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin), who, as mentioned, was featured in Spider-Man as one of Peter Parker's main villains.
Alchemax Building
Alongside the Silver Sable and Fisk buildings in Madripoor is another building that is an Easter egg to Insomniac's Spider-Man games. This time, the building belongs to Alchemax, an antagonistic corporation that has a presence in the Spider-Man games.
One of the most notable connections to Alchemax in the Spider-Man titles is Tombstone (aka Lonnie Lincoln), who was exposed to Alchemax chemicals, which developed his powers.
Advanced Combat Mechanics
Another book that is on that shelf in the Wolverine game, where the other titles are, is called Advanced Combat Mechanics. Then, beside that one, there is a book about gliding. Gamers who have played Insomniac's Spider-Man games know all about the advanced combat mechanics in the game, and just how intricate the combat system is.
The Spider-Man games also implemented a gliding mechanic to make traversing the map quicker, so both of these books on the shelf are definitely nods to those mechanics.
The Pigeon Side Quest
Marvel's Wolverine has one extremely deep cut regarding references to Insomniac's Spider-Man games. On that bookshelf that was previously mentioned, there is a book titled Deklyn's Guide to Training Pigeons. This name may not mean anything to general audiences, but it will mean everything to Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and Spider-Man 2 fans.
In Spider-Man, players are introduced to a character named Howard. Howard takes care of quite a few pigeons, and it is rather easy to get attached to him. The character shows back up in Miles Morales, and then once again in Spider-Man 2.
In Spider-Man 2, there is a side quest where the player has to help Howard relocate his pigeons to a forest in Queens. However, at the end of the side quest, it is revealed that Howard has passed away, going on to be with his wife. It is a touching, yet heartbreaking quest in the game, and one that fans won't forget about anytime soon.
That book about training pigeons in Wolverine is almost definitely a nod to Howard and the pigeon side quest that players can complete in the Spider-Man universe.
J. Jonah Jameson's Autobiography
That bookshelf in Wolverine is littered with Spider-Man Easter eggs, but perhaps the most hilarious one includes J. Jonah Jameson. On the bookshelf, players can find a book with a quote from J. Jonah Jameson on the back. This quote reads, "Probably the most important autobiography of all time."
Considering Jameson's face is on the back of the book, and he is speaking so highly of the book's contents, one would have to assume that this book is actually Jameson's own autobiography.
Obviously, Jameson has deep ties to Spider-Man as a character, but the picture on the back of the book depicts the same exact character design as Jameson in the Spider-Man games. This just reaffirms the fact that the Spider-Man games are set in the same universe as Wolverine, while allowing fans to discover another nod to Insomniac's past work.
As a side note, it is worth pointing out that some of the books on the shelf are reused assets from Spider-Man 2. Specifically, some of the same books from Wolverine can be found in Peter's room in that game.
Roxxon Power
Another building that shows up in the Wolverine game belongs to Roxxon Power, as the corporation's name and logo are plastered on the outside of the structure.
Notably, Roxxon was one of the main antagonists in the Miles Morales game. Miles had to fight Roxxon and protect the city from its Nuform reactor.
