The life of a superhero is often lonely, and this is especially true in the case of Spider-Man’s Peter Parker. But since a young age, Peter could always rely on his best friend, the loyal Harry Osborn. While Harry’s presence in the first Marvel’s Spider-Man is mostly just the mention of him, in Spider-Man 2, his return is crucially important. Harry greatly impacts the Peter’s life as soon as he arrives.
If you are jumping straight into Spider-Man 2 and didn’t play the first game or just need a refresher, here’s everything you need to know about Peter Parker’s best friend, Harry Osborn.
Harry Osborn in the Comics
Harry is the son of Norman Osborn, founder and CEO of Oscorp. In every iteration of the character, Harry is always Peter Parker’s best friend from high school. While Harry was often ostracized and bullied for being the son of the business giant Norman Osborn, Peter suffered the same for being a genius boy who loved science and lacked any athletic prowess. Peter and Harry bonded over their loneliness and social status as outcasts.
Peter and Harry became inseparable and saw each other as brothers. Norman came to see Peter as his other son. They are incredibly loyal to each other, although Norman’s treatment of his son makes the boy feel unappreciated and inferior compared to his best friend, whom Norman always showed great pride in.
Harry goes through a lot in his life, his friendship with Peter, and his relationship with his father. The two friends would sometimes become distant, and Harry would eventually follow his father’s dark steps and become the new Green Goblin. Harry is one of those few important loved ones that Peter protects with his life, although they may sometimes be at odds with one another.
Harry Osborn in Marvel’s Spider-Man
Throughout the course of the game, Peter and MJ mention that Harry is on a long trip to Europe. They haven’t heard of him in a long time. Harry left a number of research stations that helped New York, honoring the philanthropic mission of his late mother, Emily Osborn. Spider-Man tends to these stations, making sure they’re properly doing their work and keeping them functioning. He is honoring Harry’s desire to prove to Oscorp that the stations and mission started by his mother are worth investing in.
When MJ investigates Norman’s penthouse, she finds a hidden lab dedicated to research regarding Harry. She finds out that Harry is severely ill and that is likely the reason he’s been away. In the Post-Credits scene, we see Norman standing in front of a healing tank holding a comatose Harry and the black alien symbiote slowly bonding with him.
Harry Osborn in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Shortly into the story of the game, Harry suddenly appears before MJ and Peter at Aunt May’s house. He explains his absence and takes Peter to their old high school. Harry offers Peter a job at his new project, the Emily-May Foundation. The next step of his mission is to heal the world with science.
Harry’s sudden well-being is then explained by the presence of the alien symbiote suit he’s now using. The suit cures Harry’s illness while also granting him immense physical strength and agility. Harry then joins Peter in his fight against crime utilizing the symbiote as Agent Venom. However, the suit ultimately changes the lives of the two friends for the worse. To find out more, we need to look at who Venom is and how he impacts the relationship of the two friends.