One Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 player connected the dots between an easy-to-miss Harry Osborn moment on Coney Island and his tragic backstory.
One central aspect of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the relationship between childhood friends Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. The game shows them both as comrades trying to make the world a better place together and adversaries who are torn apart by the Venom symbiote.
Before the sequel was released, all players knew about Harry outside of his friendship with Peter was that he was suffering from some kind of terminal illness. His experimental treatment was used to tease Venom’s involvement in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
With all that in mind, a fan replaying the game noticed a subtle Harry moment that, in context, is pretty heartbreaking.
Note, spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to follow.
Harry Osborn’s reaction to dunk tank shows how traumatic his treatment was
As Reddit user Blue-Albatross2784 spotted, there’s an easy-to-miss moment that makes clear Harry’s treatment had lasting effects on him, Venom aside.
While playing as Peter in the first half of the Coney Island mission, MJ points out a dunk tank. As the player notes, “Harry says no thanks and gets sad for a second.”
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Considering that Harry’s treatment involved being kept in a tank for a long period of time, it makes perfect sense why he wouldn’t want to go near a dunk tank.
That alone would have been traumatizing enough, but a moment from one of the previous games makes it even worse. While he was in stasis for most of the time, the post-credits scene of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales shows Harry regaining consciousness in the tank.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder why Harry wants nothing to do with the Coney Island attraction.
Of course, Peter and MJ are unaware of the true nature of Harry’s treatment – and the symbiote – at this point in the story, so Harry’s reaction goes unnoticed by his friends. Instead, it’s a subtle and heartbreaking detail for those familiar with the full story to find.
If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of our Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 coverage including the guides below:
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