Insomniac’s Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 is a game that keeps on giving, and right now, it’s giving players a reason to care about the Fantastic Four again. Peter Parker’s latest outfit is a direct reference to his days as part of the superhero team, and it’s just one part of a larger initiative to revive the Fantastic Four’s presence in Marvel multimedia, particularly in gaming.
On Monday, a new, free DLC pack was released for Spider-Man on the PS4. The free pack contains two new Fantastic Four-related costumes, both worn by Spider-Man in the comics. One of them is his sleek white Future Foundation costume, which Spidey wore when he joined Mister Fantastic’s Future Foundation (first formed in Fantastic Four #579).
The other costume, the one almost everyone will be using from here on, is the “Bombastic Bag-Man,” Peter’s hilarious makeshift suit courtesy of Johnny Storm as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #258. When Spidey was separated from the symbiote thanks to Mister Fantastic, Spidey needed a disguise to get back home. So Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, lent him an old Fantastic Four jumpsuit and gave him a paper bag as a mask.
Oh Johnny. What a guy!
"The Bombastic Bag-Man," in 'Spider-Man' for the PS4.
Spider-Man joins the Fantastic Four
This DLC pack was teased earlier this month by Marvel, in a week-long event dubbed #FantasticFourWeek. The event saw major Fantastic Four content, including playable characters, added to existing mobile games like Marvel: Future Fight, Marvel: Contest of Champions, and Marvel: Puzzle Quest.
At the end of the week, the official Marvel Games Twitter account teased new content for Spider-Man on PS4. This morning, Marvel’s Ryan Penagos, VP and Creative Executive of New Media, confirmed that this DLC pack is what was teased during #FantasticFourWeek.
#FantasticFourWeek, too, is just part of a larger revival of the Fantastic Four at Marvel. After years in dormancy following the failure of the 2015 reboot movie, Marvel began to revive its “First Family” across its portfolio. It started last summer, when former Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott became attached to write a brand new Fantastic Four comic book series.
Spidey's Future Foundation suit, in 'Spider-Man' for PS4.
While the film rights remain at 20th Century Fox, Disney’s impending acquisition of the studio means that the Fantastic Four will likely get a movie — hopefully a decent one — under its home banner of Marvel Studios.
Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 is available now.
