Invincible Vs. is set to introduce Agent Spider, a character heavily inspired by Marvel's iconic web-slinger, as a new DLC fighter. The announcement trailer and subsequent details lean into the meta-commentary surrounding the character's existence, acknowledging the obvious allusions to his Marvel counterpart.
Agent Spider first appeared in the Invincible animated series, where he encounters the titular hero during a dimensional rift orchestrated by the villain Angstrom Levy. This encounter also featured Professor Ock, a character clearly inspired by Doctor Octopus. Voicing Agent Spider is Josh Keaton, a voice actor well-known for his previous work as Spider-Man in various projects, including The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. His presence in the role serves as a clear nod to the character's inspiration.
In the original Invincible comics by Robert Kirkman, the hero actually travels to the Marvel universe and meets the real Spider-Man. Kirkman himself wrote a 2005 Marvel Team-Up comic that depicted the aftermath of this crossover, where the two heroes discuss their powers and motivations. The comic also features a humorous exchange where Invincible questions Spider-Man's simple name, only to be met with a similar critique of his own moniker.
The creation of Agent Spider for the animated series was a creative solution to avoid licensing issues with Marvel and Disney. The developers of Invincible Vs. appear to be embracing this meta-narrative, openly acknowledging the character's thinly veiled inspiration. Details regarding Agent Spider's gameplay mechanics in Invincible Vs. have not yet been revealed, but speculation is already mounting about whether another web-slinging character will reach the top tier of the game's competitive meta.