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“
Don't make me kill you. You can't win. Why do you keep fighting?
„
~ Tinkerer/Phin Mason to Miles Morales,
“
Just let go. Let go...
„
~ Phin's last words to Miles.
Phin Mason, also known as the Tinkerer, is the central antagonist of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
She is the leader of the Underground, who waged a war against Roxxon. Mason was Miles Morales' childhood friend-turned-archenemy.
Phin Mason was born on 21 February 2002 in Brooklyn, New York. She was a childhood friend of Miles Morales, sharing both his intellect and technological prowess. The two grew up together in New York City, New York, and became best friends at school. It was there that they worked together to win the Spacebound Young Researchers Award. The two drifted apart for an unknown amount of time, as she enrolled in Midtown High School.
Phin also has an older brother, Rick Mason, who is another of Miles' childhood friends. It was Rick's death at the hands of the negligent Roxxon corporation that kick-starts the main plot of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Over the course of the game, it's revealed that Rick discovered the hazardous side effects of Nuform, Roxxon's new energy source, and was killed after trying to end the project. In order to take revenge against Roxxon for his death, particularly against R&D head Simon Krieger, Phin assumes the identity of "The Tinkerer."
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Phin's friendship with Miles is changed after learning he is Spider-Man after she almost killed him in a chase through the New York City. Later, the two decide to meet again at Trinity Church to discuss the state of their relationship after betraying one another's trust, but are interrupted by Rhino. Now working for Roxxon, Rhino claims he was sent to capture both, sending them to a secret facility underneath New York.
While in Roxxon's custody, Phin expresses her disdain for Simon Krieger during an interrogation, telling him that she will make him pay for what he did to her brother. After her escape from the facility however, she foolishly turns on Miles after he stops her from killing Rhino when she should know better that killing is wrong. Phin tells Miles she will keep up with her plan against Roxxon, and that she will kill him for good if he ever tries to stop her again.
Later, Phin finally takes the NuForm sample to the Roxxon Plaza, planning to overload the reactor to destroy the complex, but is faced again by Miles. Morales tries to warn her that Krieger had already overloaded the reactor in advance, and that she will instead blow up all of Harlem if she overloads it more. Phin decides to carry on with her plan, foolishly ignoring Miles' warnings. After a long battle, and defeating Phin, she finally starts to believe Miles when she witnesses as the overloaded reactor destroyed some buildings around the plaza.
Phin soon realizes her terrible mistake and that Miles is right about Nuform blowing up all of Harlem instead of Krieger's company, the explosions cause her to almost fall to her death. Phin apologized to Miles for not listening and for becoming someone who causes problems instead of fixing them. Once Miles performs a selfless act by absorbing the energy from the Nuform core, Phin carries him up above New York. She convinces him to release the energy and he does so, sacrificing her own life for his and the citizens of Harlem.
Personality
Phin's personality shifts depending on her role. As The Tinkerer, Phin is a ruthless, temperamental, distrustful and cold person who is blinded by anger and revenge, wishing to expose Roxxon and Simon Krieger for whom they really are for releasing Nuform despite the illness it held and for murdering her brother. Going so far as to even risk the destruction of Harlem, New York if it means Roxxon's failure.
Trivia
The original Tinkerer first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #2 (May 1963), whose original identity is Phineas Mason.
During a level where Miles infiltrates the Underground's hideout, conversations can be overheard implying that The Tinkerer is relatively new to being in charge of the group.
After The Tinkerer's death, the Underground is still actively fighting Roxxon but with no discernable new leader.
During the Spacebound Young Researchers Award expo, Miles and Phin inadvertently come across Peter Parker and Otto Octavius.
Though Simon Krieger was the main antagonist of the game, Phin served as the final boss of the game.
This is the first time that the Tinkerer is a female instead of a male version of this character.
Phin is the second villian in the Marvel's Spider-Man video game series to be redeemed, after Silver Sable
Despite being the central antagonist, Phin had more screentime than Simon Krieger.
