Spider-Man 2099 or Miguel O’Hara was the main antagonist in the 2023 Sony animated film, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. In the film, Spider-Man 2099 is depicted as having lost his daughter, Gabrielle O’Hara, along with her entire timeline. While the events of Across the Spider-Verse did not explore much into this antagonist’s backstory, a wild theory connects it to the events of Marvel’s Loki series.
The critically acclaimed Marvel series introduces us to the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic organization responsible for monitoring the ‘sacred timeline’. The TVA possesses the power to prune a person or a timeline that could potentially disrupt this sacred timeline.
TVA Pruned The Timeline Where Spider-Man 2099 Lost His Daughter
According to Marvel comics, Miguel O’Hara originally hails from Earth-928 and takes the place of his counterpart, Gabriella’s dad, when he dies in her universe. When Miles Morales encounters him during his adventure across the multiverse, Miguel O’Hara or Spider-Man 2099 leads the Spider Society, a community of Spider-People. He reveals to Miles Morales that he has lost his daughter, and there’s a poignant scene where his daughter disappears as he cradles her.
One theory put forth by fans suggests that the TVA pruned the timeline where Gabriella existed, hence destroying her and her universe. It is confirmed in the comics that the anomaly of a different Miguel O’Hara present in that universe disrupted the canon events, and resulted in erasing the entire universe. The question that arises is whether the TVA had something to do with these events.
The theory has some merit, as the Loki series hinted at ‘canon events’ without specifying it. Loki initially accuses the Avengers of causing chaos in the sacred timeline when they travel back in time to retrieve the stones. However, the TVA clarifies that this was meant to happen, implying that it might be a canon event.
However, the TVA fails to appear in the Sony Universe when several other canons are disrupted, and their intervention is usually more immediate than the case with Spider-Man 2099’s universe.
Another Marvel Theory Might Also Explain Spider-Man 2099’s Timeline Destruction
While the TVA theory garners both supporting and refuting evidence, another Marvel theory from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could explain Spider-Man 2099’s timeline destruction. In Doctor Strange 2, Mister Fantastic explains the concept of Incursion to Doctor Strange, which happens when two universes collide during multiversal travel, resulting in the destruction of one or both entirely.
The film also portrays what happened to the Darkhold-corrupted Strange’s universe which was destroyed by Incursion. The prolonged stay of Miguel in a different universe might have inadvertently caused an Incursion that erased Gabriella’s universe from existence. While incursion is not specified in Across the Spider-Verse, it remains a viable possibility.
Also Read: Here’s Why Oscar Isaac’s Spider-Man 2099 is Inferior to Miles Morales in Across the Spider-Verse
Fans will have to wait for the release of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to learn more about Spider-Man 2099 and his backstory. The character is voiced by Oscar Isaac in the film. In the meantime, fans can enjoy the first two films in the Spider-Verse, both of which are now available for streaming on Netflix.
