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Peter Parker and Miles Morales are back inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, as the pair must face off against the likes of Kraven the Hunter, the Venom symbiote, and Lizard. But the latest trailer fromInsomniac briefly hinted at a few other character appearances, including Wraith.
Related:Spider-Man 2: Who Is Kraven The Hunter?
Wraith is the vigilante name of former police captain Yuri Watanabe. In the first game, Yuri was Spider-Man’s main contact in the police force until she realized how corrupt the justice system was and disappeared. We take a look at the history of Wraith and what we might expect from her in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Jean DeWolff
Before Yuri helped Spider-Man, there wasJean DeWolff. Against her parents' better wishes, Jeanjoined the NYPD along with her brother, Brian. The siblings were inspired to join the police force by their mother’s second husband, Carl Weatherby.
Weatherby proved to bemore of a fatherthan their biological one in Phillip DeWolff, the NYPD commissioner. Commissioner DeWolff was alsoagainst the idea of policewomenand dismissed his daughter for wanting to be an officer.
Leading up to Jean’s graduation from the academy,Brian was shot on duty. Before anyone arrived on the scene,his body disappeared. No one could locate Brian’s body, only the witnesses who saw the shooting could confirm what happened, and they declaredBrian dead.
Wraith’s First Appearance
Phillip retired as commissioner following Brian’s death and disappeared. Brian’s death affectedeveryone in various ways,and it turned Jean into a hard-nosed officer. She consumed policework and quickly ascended the ranks untilshe was captain.
Shortly after becoming captain, aseries of bombingswere committed by a criminal namedWraith. Jean worked withSpider-Man, Iron Man, and Doctor Strangeto capture Wraith and discovered the criminal wasBrian. He was in a comatose state but controlled by devices operatedby their father.
DeWolff’s Death
Doctor Strange managed to heal Brian, and Jean helped the heroes take down Phillip. Following her father’s arrest, Jeandevelops a friendship with Spider-Manand finds love informer SHIELD agent Stanley Carter.
However, Stanley suffered a psychotic breakout and believed all criminals should die for their sins. He became theSin-Eaterand killed many people, including Jean. She wasshot dead in her home,but Spider-Man and Daredevil brought Sin-Eater to justice.
Yuri Watanabe
Similar to Jean DeWolff, Yuri Watanabe was also inspired to become a police officer. Her grandfather, Kenneth Watanabe, won theNYPD Medal of Honor award, while her father, John Watanabe, also served as an officer. However, while Yuri was in the army, her father was caughtaccepting bribesand was arrested.
When Yuri returned from the army, she officiallyjoined the NYPDand quickly became a captain in the force. Sheviewed Spider-Man as a friendand supported his efforts in fighting crime in New York. That might be because Yuri was a vigilante herself.
The Rebirth Of Wraith
While investigating the gang war between Mister Negative and the Maggia, Yuribecame the new Wraith. She stole various pieces of equipment that the police had confiscated from Mysterio and Mr. Fear to createsmokescreens and illusionsto confuse criminals. Yuri usedyellow elastic strapsthat allowed her to wrap up enemies and swing through the city like Spider-Man. She also stole a mask from Chameleon ofJean DeWolff to disguise herself.
However, Yuri’s secret wouldn’t stay secret for long. Fellow NYPD detectiveCarlie Cooperdiscovered Yuri’s identity. Carlie helped Yuri and Spider-Man (Carlie was a former lover of Peter Parker) defeat Mister Negative, thenconvinced Yuri to stop being Wraith.
For a time, Yuri quit being a vigilante andleft New York. But she returned when Otto Octavius was masquerading as Spider-Man during theSuperior Spider-Manstoryline. Once again, Yuri put on her Wraith costume to find information on the Superior Spider-Man.
Feuding With Tombstone
Following the events of the Superior Spider-Man and Goblin Nation, Yuri turned her sights ontoTombstone. A major player in the criminal underworld, Tombstone hasexceptional durabilityand can withstandmost attacks without sustaining injury.
During the police raid,Yuri’s mentor,Teddy Rangel, wasshot and later died at the hospital.To make matters worse, Tombstone wasreleased from prisonon a technicality. Yuri received information from an anonymous source thatJudge Howell, the one who released Tombstone, was a customer of Tombstone’s and purchased drugs from him.
Yuri took this information to her police chief, but they wouldn’t accept the evidence. Left with no other choice, Yuri donned her Wraith costume again and investigated the situation with the help of Spider-Man. Spider-Man noticed an increased level of aggression with Yuri and questioned her methods, but Yuri claimedshe was not bound by the same rules as a police officerwhen she was Wraith.
Yuri’s Downfall
After finding more evidence, Yuri arrested Howellwithout her police chief’s consent. Yuri continued to receive information from an anonymous source who was revealed to beMister Negative. Spider-Man was skeptical of Mister Negative’s intentions, but Yuri wouldn’t listen to him.
Mister Negative tipped Yuri off thatBlack Cat was planning a breakout at Ryker’s Island, which she and Spider-Man successfully contain, but not before Judge Howell isstabbed and killedduring the breakout. Yuri’s police chief told her that herpolice career was overand Howell wouldn’t have died if she followed her instructions.
With Howell dead, Mister Negative’s plan was in place. He revealed to Wraith thathe knew she was Yuribecause the information he’d give Yuri would end with Wraith showing up with Spider-Man. Despite Spider-Man’s warnings, Yuri went after Mister Negative. She killed one of his men and declared thatYuri was dead while Wraith lived.
Yuri tried confronting Mister Negative one last time, determined to kill him. Spider-Man tried to intercept Yuri but she knocked him out of the way to pursue Mister Negative. However, hebrainwashedseveral civilians to slow Yuri down.
Before she harmed those people, Spider-Man knocked her out and restrained her while he fought Mister Negative. When he returned, Yuri was gone and left the Wraith costume behind except the mask.
Yuri And Wraith In Marvel’s Spider-Man
The depiction of Yuri Watanabe in Marvel’s Spider-Man is faithful to her early development in the comics. She acts as Spider-Man’s main confidant in the NYPD and helps him defeat Mister Negative and save the city from the Devil’s Breath.
Following the Devil’s Breath threat, she focused on taking downHammerhead,but several members of her team were killed. This failure hits Yuri hard, and she begins to go off the deep end. While Spider-Man is fighting Hammerhead,Yuri shoots him in the head(though Hammerhead will be revived later on).
Yuri takes time away from the force, but she continues to investigate theMaggia, a crime syndicate in New York. She discovers that she’s beingstalked by a Maggia enforcerand tries to formulate a plan to apprehend them. However, the plan doesn’t work, and the enforcer murders her partner.
Yuri calls Spider-Man to ask him to meet her at a location. When Spider-Man arrives, he finds theenforcer dead. Yuri calls him again and tells him that she’s losing faith in the justice system, and she feels thattrue justice was servedin her killing of the enforcer. Spider-Man tries to convince Yuri to turn herself in, but she refuses and tells himshe will do what she has to dofor real justice to be served.
