Spider-Man Noir Introduces Own Version of Electro

Warning! Spoilers for Spider-Man Noir #2 below!

Spider-Man Noir is one of the most popular alternate versions of Spider-Man, thanks to the character’s hard-boiled esthetics along with his gritty 1930’s setting. However, he’s far from the only character in the Noir universe, with Spider-Man Noir #2, by Margaret Stohl and Juan Ferreyra, unveiling a Noir version of Electro.

The new series sees Spider-Man Noir tasked with uncovering the death of the waitress outside the Black Cat Nightclub. The Spider-Man is first attacked by a blinding flash outside of Aunt May’s, and then follows a trail of clues across the Atlantic to London and eventually Nazi-occupied Berlin, accompanied by the victim’s mysterious sister Huma, in search of the equally enigmatic Cicada Stone. In the Neues Museum, the Spider-Man and Huma come face to face with their mysterious attacker – a charged-up Electro, displaying a thousand times more power than their first encounter.

Ferreyra’s Electro Noir design highlights the same utilitarian esthetic as Spider-Man Noir. Electro is unmasked save for thick goggles and a hat, revealing thick mustache. The rest of his costume is fairly practical, consisting of a worker’s apron over a knitted sweater, along with rubber gloves and boots. His namesake, however, comes from a circular pattern of dense Tesla coils strapped to his back. He also wields a light rod like a lightsaber, with blinding bolts of electricity coursing through both it and the aforementioned Tesla coils. Unlike his Earth-616 counterpart, this version of Electro is stocky and muscular, making him an intimidating figure even without the lightning bolts surging around him.

What Electro’s exact motivations are remain a mystery, but he certainly seems determined to keep Parker and Huma from continuing their investigations through intimidation, and if necessary, brute force. It’s unknown if he was the one who killed Huma’s sister outside of the Black Cat nightclub, but given his appearance here, it seems more likely he’s after the Cicada Stone that has been driving globetrotting plot up until this point.

The latest issue of Spider-Man Noir emphasizes just how out of his depth Parker is in this latest adventure. He has considerable trouble on the plane ride to London, losing his lunch in the process. He also finds it difficult to accumulate to the necessary espionage Huma employs to get information, made even more difficult considering Spider-Man clearly doesn’t trust his new ally. The addition of this new Electro adds one more wrinkle to Spider-Man Noir’s investigation, and one more factor he’ll have to figure out – if he and Huma survive their next encounter that is.

Spider-Man Noir #2 by Margaret Stohl and Juan Ferreyra is on sale now.

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