Who is Tombstone in comics? Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 villain explained

A potential DLC leak for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 reveals there may be more story to come for Tombstone, the reformed mob boss players have encountered throughout the series.

With the leaked dev menu of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it seems as though a classic foe will be returning for another round of Spider-Man adventures. The dev menu heavily hints the current Beetle, Janice Lincoln, will be a part of the DLC campaign. 

Janice’s debut would likely also mean the return of Tombstone. In the comics, Tombstone is the doting (albeit unconventional) father of Janice, encouraging and supporting her as she grows as a criminal. 

While Insomniac has not confirmed the content of the DLC (let alone the existence of it), it’s a pretty safe bet that DLC will come at some point. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about the Marvel Comics villain Tombstone. 

Marvel Comics’ Tombstone is a mob boss and recurring Spider-Man foe

Introduced in the pages of Web of Spider-Man, Tombstone is a mob enforcer with a dark connection to one of Spider-Man’s closest allies. He went to the same school as Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson, who once attempted to write an expose on Tombstone, who was running a protection racket on students. He bullied Robbie into dropping the story, something which would send him spiraling into depression.

The two would have a bitter blood feud over the years, with Tombstone taunting Robbie over what he perceived as a friendship. In fact, a traumatized Robbie was unable to stand up for himself, as he felt his silence meant he was just as complicit in Tombstone’s murders. 

Tombstone is a Spider-Man foe, but his real nemesis is Robbie Robertson.

The feud would eventually escalate into an abandoned chemical plant, where Robbie trapped Tombstone in a chamber filled with Diox-3. Rather than killing Tombstone, the chemical mutated him, giving him invulnerable skin and enhanced strength. 

Tombstone spent much of the following years continuing his work as a mob enforcer but eventually retired. He and Robbie formed an uneasy truce when Robbie’s son, Randy, began dating and eventually proposed to Tombstone’s daughter, Janice, who has become the supervillain The Beetle. However, in the wake of the Gang War event, Tombstone took control of New York’s criminal elements to prevent Janice from falling any deeper into the underworld. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features a reformed Tombstone

Spider-Man 2’s leaked dev menu hints that Tombstone’s daughter, Janice, will be the DLC’s primary antagonist as The Beetle. While we don’t know much about this version of Tombstone’s extended family, the change would line up with what we’ve seen in the game compared to the comics. 

Tombstone and Spidey have a long history in Marvel’s Spider-Man

Tombstone is first introduced in a series of side quests through Marvel’s Spider-Man after it’s revealed he constructed armored vehicles for Martin Li’s gang, the Inner Demons. Throughout the quests, Spider-Man develops a cure for Tombstone’s invulnerability and finally defeats the villain. 

By the time of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Tombstone has been released from prison and appears to be rehabilitated, working as a mechanic at a carnival. He’s saved by Peter and Harry Osborn after Kraven’s Hunters capture him and is last seen leaving town.