| “ | Can feel my power growing, feeding off my anger. Father would say I've lost the path of balance, but he could never understand: the only way to fight a monster is to become one. | „ |
| ~ Martin Li in a recorded message. |
| “ | Beat the demon? I AM the demon! | „ |
| ~ Mister Negative to Spider-Man. |
| “ | Norman Osborn's the reason my parents are dead, so I dedicated my life to making his hell. Instead, you lost your father, Peter lost May and I was too stubborn to see I had become what I despised most. I'm sorry, Miles. | „ |
| ~ Martin Li genuinely apologizing to Miles Morales for the deep pain he caused for him and Peter. |
| “ | I spent years of my life consumed with vengeance...and lost everything for it. You two reminded me that that's not who I am. When you help someone, you help everyone. | „ |
| ~ Li thanking the Spider-Men after his redemption. |
Martin Li, also known as Mister Negative, is one of the two main antagonists (alongside Doctor Octopus) of the 2018 action-adventure superhero video game Marvel's Spider-Man and a major character in its 2023 sequel Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
He is the former director of F.E.A.S.T., the leader of the Inner Demons and the second-in-command of the Sinister Six, as well as a former enemy of Peter Parker and the former arch-nemesis of Miles Morales.
As a young boy, he was experimented on by Norman Osborn, whose experiments gave him powers but killed his parents. Attempting to keep his anger under control for years, Li would eventually lead a terrorist crusade to expose Osborn and destroy his reputation, regardless of any lives caught in the crossfire.
He was portrayed by Stephen Oyoung, who also played Shogun in DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Martin Li was born in 1978 in Dali, China, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Li. As a child, Martin Li developed an undetermined medical condition and was taken to Oscorp by his parents where they later perished at his hands after Norman Osborn injected him with an experimental GR-27 serum that gave him supernatural powers. The event led to Norman's friend Otto Octavius to leave the company.
Orphaned after the experimental serum claiming the lives of his parents, Martin Li spent his childhood in foster care in Manhattan before returning to China by making a living off in a shipping industry later in his life, eventually becoming a billionaire. Li then established Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter, and Training (F.E.A.S.T.) shelter ensuring that nobody will become forgotten or abandoned, opening it in Chinatown at 2013.
Marvel's Spider-Man[]
Martin Li is the director of the assistance shelter F.E.A.S.T. and has an outgoing connection and outreach with the homeless who attend the F.E.A.S.T. building. In the aftermath of Kingpin's imprisonment, Li becomes the ruthless leader of the Inner Demons, using his ability to harness, transfer and emit negative energy. Li blames Mayor Norman Osborn for the deaths of his parents, and begins terrorizing the city to enact vengeance against the mayor. At one point, he orchestrated an attack on Norman at city hall, which led to the death of Jefferson Davis. Li later clashed with Spider-Man and his true persona being revealed and his arrest.
Following his defeat, he becomes the second-in-command of the Sinister Six, organized by Doctor Octopus who liberated them from prison. They seemingly defeated Spider-Man but they didn't kill him on Doc Ock's orders. Later, he comes back quickly and defeats each Sinister Six member. In the story's climax, Spider-Man discovers why Li is doing this. He wants revenge on Norman Osborn like Doc Ock, for using him as a test subject as a kid as his parents were there and disintegrated by his new powers and ever since then, he blamed Osborn for the death of his parents.
Spider-Man catches up and tries to talk some sense into Li, telling him his crusade for revenge won't bring his parents back or change anything, reminding him of the man he was but Li foolishly continues to refuse and blasts Spider-Man as they both get into an intense fight. Li is defeated by Spider-Man a second time, and then Doc Ock appears and betrays Mister Negative as he throws him into a wall for his failure, knocking him out cold. Doc Ock then brutally beats down Spider-Man, takes the antiserum and kidnaps Osborn.
Eventually, Spider-Man defeats Doc Ock and rescues Osborn, knowing now that both Octavius and Li are beyond saving, as they have become nothing but cold-blooded monsters now. The Daily Bugle newspaper mentions that after his second defeat, Li is revealed to still be at large, having regained consciousness and escaped into hiding, with the Inner Demons still at large. However, he is eventually recaptured by authorities and thrown back into the Raft.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales[]
More than a year after the defeat of Doctor Octopus and the Sinister Six, Li remains imprisoned during the Tinkerer's campaign against Roxxon Energy. In this time, Miles Morales, Peter Parker's superhero apprentice has taken over his role as the sole Spider-Man in New York City while Peter goes to Symkaria with Mary Jane.
Li is mentioned and alluded to throughout the story. It's mentioned that the Inner Demons disbanded following a fight with the Underground sometime after his second arrest. He is also mentioned by Rio Morales, Miles' mother, as the one who killed her husband Jefferson Davis, which in turn inspired her to start her own political campaign for councilwoman of New York City. He is also indirectly mentioned by Aaron Davis, Miles' uncle, as the cause for which his brother died, leading him to try to imprison Miles to protect him and not lose him like Jeff.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2[]
Ten months after the Roxxon controversy, Mister Negative is recalled by Peter when he gives Miles a joking example of a college application where he recalls his past fights.
After the Sandman's capture, the Raft believes that they don’t have enough resources to contain both supervillains, so the staff decides to send him and Scorpion to Ravencroft for both their treatment, and to serve out their sentences there. However, this is short lived, as an attack on their transports masterminded by Kraven the Hunter, allows Scorpion and Mister Negative to escape.
However, Mister Negative is once again captured and imprisoned by Kraven. He then forces him and Miles to fight to the death. Miles wins the fight and despite wanting to kill Li for murdering his father in the terrorist attack, he instead spares him and helps him escape to find Peter.
Li appears later during the symbiote invasion by Venom. He encounters Peter and Miles again and decides to help them by fighting off the Symbiotes. Mister Negative and Miles enter Peter's mind to free him from a Symbiote trying to infect him again. He then sees all the things Peter has been through and decides to ultimately redeem himself by transferring his powers to Peter's Symbiote, turning his Symbiotic suit into the Anti-Venom suit. Before doing so, Miles tells Li that he cannot forgive him for the actions he caused, including the death of his father, but also states that he can no longer hate him for it and decides to let the past go, making peace with Li as a result. After Peter uses his new powers to defeat the Symbiote hoard, Li still felt guilty and then tearfully apologizes to both Spider-Men for all of his actions and wrongdoings, especially killing Miles' father as he spent years of his life consumed with vengeance and lost everything for it as he told them that they reminded him that it's not who he is. The now powerless Li decides to atone for his crimes and peacefully surrenders to the police, believing it was the right thing to do.
Powers and Abilities[]
Former Powers[]
- Dark Energy Manipulation: Due to being exposed to an untested variant of the Devil's Breath, which combined with his mysterious illness, would give him the power to generate and manipulate large amounts of negative energy. This allows him to summon weapons including swords. He no longer has these powers thanks to transferring them over to a symbiote that was on Peter Parker, creating the Anti-Venom suit.
- Strength: Mister Negative is extremely strong, being able to grapple and throw around Spider-Man with his bare hands.
- Durability: Mister Negative was unfazed by a pummelling of kicks and punches from Spider-Man and a several storey drop did not injure him.
- Speed: Mister Negative can launch himself around the battlefield at will.
- Power Bestowal: Mister Negative has the ability to transfer portions of his energy to other people and "corrupt" them. Not only does this give him control over their minds, but it also bestows those infected with powers of their own.
- Power Theft: Li can absorb the energy he has given away should he need to increase his own strength, killing his unfortunate victims in the process.
- Negative Energy Blasts: Mister Negative's most powerful attack where he channels negative energy into his hand and fires a powerful grey-white energy beam. These were powerful enough to knock Spider-Man through three servers and knock him temporarily unconscious.
- Energy Constructs: Mister Negative can create powerful energy constructs to aid him in a fight.
Arsenal[]
- Negative Sword: Mister Negative's primary weapon is a jian, which he channels negative energy into to deliver powerful slashes into his enemies.
- Shockwave: Mister Negative can also jump and slam his blade into the ground to unleash a devastating blue-white shockwave across the floor to slam into his enemies.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Concept Art[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- So far, this is the only incarnation of Mister Negative who has been featured as a member of the Sinister Six. However, the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man 2024 comic run issue 9 also revealed that the Earth-6160 incarnation of Mister Negative will be featured as a member in new Ultimate Sinister Six led by Kingpin
- As shown in the spin-off, Mister Negative's actions deeply impacted Miles Morales' family: it was because of Jefferson Davis' death, which he caused, that Jefferson's wife Rio started to run for councilwoman and it was also because of losing Jefferson that Aaron Davis, his brother, decided to do whatever he needed to protect his nephew at all costs to not lose him too.
- Martin Li's Anti-Venom creation in the game is similar to Prime universe counterpart's origin, with the only difference is both version of Anti-Venom have different host.
External Links[]
- Martin Li on the Heroes Wiki.
- Mister Negative on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki.
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 Villains
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Oscorp Industries Kingpin's Criminal Empire Inner Demons Silver Sable International Sinister Six Roxxon Energy Corporation Hunters Mysterium Darren Shipman's Gang Others See Also | ||