| “ | 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. |
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.
After his defeat at the hands of Spider-Man, a depressed and guilt-ridden Li serves his sentence at the Raft. Later, he is kidnapped by Kraven the Hunter but is freed by Miles Morales. Li redeems himself by transferring his powers into the Anti-Venom suit to defeat the Symbiote Venom. As a result, Li completely loses his powers.
He is voiced by Stephen Oyoung, who also played Shogun in DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Biography[]
Past[]
Martin Li was born in 1978 in Dali, China, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Li. At some point between his birth and 1986, his family immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City. As a child, Li developed an mysterious medical condition and was taken to Oscorp by his parents for treatment, where Norman Osborn injected him with an experimental GR-27 serum (codenamed "Devil's Breath"). The serum rewrote Li's physiology, granted him control over negative energy, resulting in an explosion that killed his parents. The event led to Norman's friend and Oscorp's co-founder Otto Octavius to leave the company.
Now orphaned, Li spent the rest of his childhood in foster care in Manhattan before returning to China after turning 18, where he made a fortune working in the shipping industry. By the time he returned to New York nearly a decade later, he was already a billionaire, but rather than live off his fortune, he instead established the Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter, and Training (F.E.A.S.T.) shelter to ensure that nobody would become forgotten or abandoned, opening it in Chinatown at 2013.
Behind closed doors however, Li, swearing revenge on Osborn for the deaths of his parents, used his negative energy powers to establish a terrorist group/criminal gang called the Inner Demons during his time in China, smuggling henchman into the country through importing businesses and waiting for his moment to strike against the man who had robbed him of his loved ones.
Marvel's Spider-Man[]
In the aftermath of Kingpin's imprisonment, Li arranges a party for May Parker but begins his attack on the Demons by first employing the Shocker to rob banks to bankroll their crimes. Afterwards, he attacks Rosemann's Art Gallery; a front for the Kingpin to search for the location of Devil's Breath. After the attack is thwarted by Spider-Man and an arms theft of one of Kinpin's warehouses thwarted by Spider-Man and Officer Jefferson Davis, Li makes a threatening phone call to Norman during a celebration for Officer Davis. Soon after, he has multiple people blow up City Hall in an attempt to kill Norman; killing many people, including Jefferson, and having more executed by his Demons, an event witnessed by Miles Morales. After tracking down one of Devil's Breaths designers during Empire State University's Halloween Party, he learns from Dr. Isaac Delaney that Morgan Michaels keeps Devil's Breath at all times; blasting away Spider-Man as he arrives and forcing Delaney to commit suicide before leaving.
Despite Silver Sable International being employed to protect Dr. Michaels, Li attacks his escort to steal it before taking Grand Central Station hostage with the plan to detonate Devil's Breath to demonstrate Norman's evil. Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson defeat the Demons and Li is apprehended by Spider-Man during his escape. That night however, he and four other super-villains are broken out of prison by Doctor Octopus to join his Sinister Six which Mister Negative becomes the second in command of. They defeat Spider-Man spare him under the orders of Doctor Octopus.
Spider-Man eventually recovers and learns of Li's motivations. Learning that Li has stolen the antidote to Devil's Breath, which had been unleashed by Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man tracks down and confronts him. Spider-Man attempts to talk with Li, insisting that his quest for vengeance will not change the past, but Li remains unconvinced. Li is again defeated by Spider-Man, but both Li and Spider-Man are brutalized by Doctor Octopus and leaves with the cure and Norman Osborn.
Eventually, Spider-Man defeats Doctor Octopus. The Daily Bugle newspaper mentions that after his second defeat, Li and his Inner Demons are still be at large, having gone into hiding during Spider-Man and Otto's showdown.
The City That Never Sleeps[]
By the time that Hammerhead begins to move against the Maggia Dons, Martin Li has been recaptured and thrown back in 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. 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; being mentioned that the Inner Demons disbanded following a fight with the 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 Tinkerer's death and 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 believe they lack the resources to contain both supervillains and decide to send Li and Scorpion to Ravencroft for treatment and to serve out their sentences. However, the transports are attacked in a plan masterminded by Kraven the Hunter, allowing Scorpion and Li to escape. However, Li is once again captured and imprisoned by Kraven while Scorpion was murdered. Li and Miles are forced to fight to the death. Miles prevails but despite wanting to kill Li for murdering his father, he instead spares him and helps him escape to find Peter.
Li appears later during the Symbiote invasion by Venom, where he encounters Peter and Miles and decides to help them by fighting off the Symbiotes. Li and Miles enter Peter's mind to free him from a Symbiote trying to bond. He witnesses 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 suffering he has caused, but also states that he can no longer hate him for it and decides to let the past go, ultimately making peace. After Peter uses his new powers to defeat the Symbiote horde, a guilt-ridden Li tearfully apologizes to both Spider-Men for all of his actions and wrongdoings, having lost himself and everything he loved for vengeance. The now powerless Li decides to atone for his crimes and peacefully surrenders to the police, believing it is the right thing to do.
Personality[]
Martin Li is a very intelligent and kind businessman on the surface; being a renowned philanthropist and generous billionaire who spends most of his time operating F.E.A.S.T and giving to the homeless. Inside though, he harbored a deep seated rage and hatred for Norman Osborn, the main responsible for the death of his parents. Martin Li kept his identity as Mr. Negative extremely secret, but kept a shrine to his parents that was discovered by Peter Parker.
| “ | Mister Negative: I've waited many years for this moment. Norman: Who is this? Mister Negative: Over the coming days, your company, your city and everything you care about will be destroyed. People will beg you for help but you don't be able to see them. Norman: Listen jackass, I get threats like this twice a week. Why don't you tell me what you want? Mister Negative: To watch you suffer. |
„ |
| ~ Mister Negative's threatening phone call to Norman Osborn. |
Mister Negative is a much colder and more maniacal supervillain, using his powers to influence people to harm each other and themselves. During his attack on City Hall, he made several people perform suicide bombs and ordered his Demons to murder innocent civilians and first responders. Despite this, he still shows care for the people close to him, warning Peter from digging to far into his past and later experiences extreme guilt for the deaths of Jefferson Davis and Aunt May.
As Doctor Octopus' plans begin to reach its final stages, Li officially resigns as director of F.E.A.S.T., passing the title to Aunt May. In his letter, he confesses his true identity as Mister Negative but assures May that the charity work they've done together was sincere and genuine, as he believed that his organization provided some level of atonement his actions as a supervillain.
After his apprehension, Li begins to harbor deep feelings of guilt, coming to regret his actions as Mister Negative. After Miles defeats him, he is willing to face his death, giving him the punishment he believes he deserves while also satisfying Mile's own need for revenge. Li finally believes himself to be redeemable during the Symbiote invasion, sacrificing the powers he used to cause death and destruction to help Spider-Man defeat Venom.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Bilingualism: Martin Li can fluently speak both Mandarin and English and switch between each with ease.
- Art Knowledge: Martin Li has a college degree in art and has a detailed knowledge of history, historical art and relics as well as arcane lore.
- Dark Energy Manipulation: Due to being exposed to an untested variant of the Devil's Breath, which combined with his mysterious illness, Martin Li had the power to generate and manipulate large amounts of negative energy. Li loses these powers after transferring them to the Venom symbiote, 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 several punches and kicks by Spider-Man. Li was also able to survive a large shock of electrical energy from a train console and survived falling several stories. However, sufficiently powerful blows are able to neutralize Li, such as when Doctor Octopus knocks him out after failing to secure the antidote from Spider-Man.
- Speed: Mister Negative can launch himself around the battlefield at will in bursts of extreme speed.
- 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.
- Mind Manipulation: After bestowing his power onto others, their most violent tendencies are unleashed, and they can be commanded to attack others in a frenzied rage.
- Delayed Empowerment: Martin Li's corruptions can take time, as seen with the Deputy Mayor in the City Hall bombings and the rogue students throughout New York.
- Explosive Empowerment: The most dangerous ability bestowed by Mister Negative's powers, his victims can be charged with enough energy to explode with devastating force. A group of these devastated New York City Hall.
- 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.
- Mind Entry: Mister Negative can enter someone's mind by grabbing a part of their body, like Spider-Man's arm, and channeling negative energy into him.
- Energy Constructs: Mister Negative can create powerful energy constructs to aid him in a fight. He often creates a sword, which is capable of creating extremely powerful slashes of negative energy.
- Mind Transferal: Mister Negative can also take others with him into others' minds, proven when he took Miles into Peter's mind to rescue him from the Symbiote.
Weaknesses[]
- Fatigue: Using too much power at once can wear Mister Negative down for short intervals which was ultimately his undoing in his fight against Spider-Man.
- Complete Power Transfer: After transferring his power to fragments of the Venom Symbiote, Li has completely lost his negative energy powers.
Arsenal[]
- Jian: Mister Negative's primary weapon is a double edged Chinese sword which he can use to cut into his enemies.
- Negative Slashes: Mister Negative can channel negative energy into the Jian 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.
- Fists: Even when unarmed, Mister Negative's mastery of Tai Chi and other Chinese martial arts make him a lethal hand-to-hand combatant.
- Negative Empowerment: Mister Negative can channel his negative energy into his fists to unleash powerful energy punches as seen if Spider-Man attacked Li whilst he wasn't staggered in the train fight.
Quotes[]
Spider-Man[]
| “ | Li: Peter, it's Martin Li. I just wanted to let you know we need just a little extra time to get set for May's party. I guess the cake delivery is stuck in traffic. Spider-Man: Oh, sure thing. Just let me know when you're ready and I'll swing by. Li: Great. Talk to you soon. |
„ |
| ~ Martin Li's first words in a phone call after Spider-Man took a photo of a landmark. |
| “ | Enough! We have to leave. Now. | „ |
| ~ Martin Li revealed in the City Hall Bombing. |
| “ | Beat the demon? I AM the demon! | „ |
| ~ Mister Negative to Spider-Man. |
Spider-Man 2[]
| “ | 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 and his last words before being arrested again. |
Gallery[]
Images[]
Concept Art[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- This is the first incarnation of Mister Negative who has been featured as a member of the Sinister Six. The Ultimate Spider-Man 2024 comic run issue 9 also revealed that the Earth-6160 incarnation of Mister Negative is featured as a member of the new Ultimate Sinister Six led by Kingpin.
- 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.
- In the post-credit of second game, Otto now become darker example toward Martin Li if he lets his vengance blinds him as Martin Li finally realizes his mistake and reddem himself, while Otto still hold grude toward Peter and had a plan for revenge.
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 Hammerhead Crime Family Roxxon Energy Corporation Hunters Mysterium Darren Shipman's Gang Others See Also | ||