Though The Amazing Spider-Man 2 won’t hit theaters until next May, the sequel’s viral marketing campaign is already making comic-book fans tear out their hair. Previously, we reported on rumors that the Marc Webb-helmed series may be moving towards the formation of the super-villain posse known as the Sinister Six, and now the film’s Tumblr site, The Daily Bugle, which reports on fictional news from the series’ universe, has provided another tantalizing hint regarding potential antagonists for future installments.
The tease came in the form of a news story, titled “Cold Blooded Killer?” The headline refers to a violent rampage perpetrated by Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), aka The Lizard, in the finale of 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Written by Ned Leeds, the article discusses the aftermath of Connors’ biological attack on hundreds of New Yorkers:
A trial date has been set in the New York Appellate Court for alleged bio-terrorist Dr. Curt Connors. The former Oscorp biogenetics scientist has been indicted on twenty city and state counts, including trespassing, malicious destruction of property, theft of private property, aggravated assault, and using a weapon of mass destruction. Connors has pleaded “not guilty” to all counts. It is expected his defense attorney, Anne Weying, will claim Connors was not responsible for the actions of his genetically transformed alter ego, the Lizard.
Connors claimed that pressure placed on him by his employer, Oscorp, led him to rush his bio-restorative formula and test it on himself. He further stipulated to the grand jury that his decision to use the untested compound was made in an effort to protect the company from experimenting on innocent civilians, as directed by his superiors. Connors’ immediate supervisor at Oscorp, Dr. Rajit Ratha, has been missing since the day before the Lizard’s attack.
Oscorp spokesman, Donald Menken, responded, “We can’t corroborate or deny Dr. Connor’s claims. Dr. Ratha’s abrupt departure from Oscorp has left us with far more questions than answers. Needless to say, Oscorp has always complied with the most stringent local, state and federal regulations for all of our research and development.”
Let’s break down all of the geeky teases in that article. [Needless to say, spoilers for the comics ensue.]