Who Is ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s Nico Minoru in Marvel Comics?

The latest offering from Disney+ and Marvel Animation,Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,is a new take on the fan-favorite web-slinger — completely separate from theTom Hollandversion seen in live-action. While this version of Peter Parker (Hudson Thames) is still in high school-like iterations we’ve seen before, his origin is a bit different from what audiences are accustomed to. Instead of Midtown High, Peter transfers to Rockford Bales High School, because during orientation, aportal-hopping fight with Doctor Strange(Robin Atkin Downes), and a Venom variant wreaks havoc on the school, that also leaves behind a tiny spider that bites Peter, giving him those powers audiences know and love. During this battle, Peter stands up for a fellow student who, instead of the familiar guy-in-the-chair, Ned Leeds,Nico Minoru(Grace Song),becomesPeter’s best friend in this series.

Who is Nico Minoru in Marvel Comics?

Nico was created in 2003 by writerBrian K. Vaughanand artistAdrian Alphonaand debuted in Marvel ComicsRunaways #1.Nico is a member of The Runaways, a group of teenage heroes formed after fleeing from their homes after learning that their parents are part of the supervillain group, The Pride. Nico’s parents are dark wizards, and she later discovers she also has her parent’s magical abilities. Every time she bleeds, a powerful staff, called the Staff of One, emerges from her chest. The Staff of One grants Nico the ability to cast any spell imaginable. The staff responds to verbal commands, but it will only respond to any given spell once. If a spell is attempted twice, the results have consequences, as magic always comes with a cost.

Nico becomes the leader of The Runaways in the comics, making her one of the few Japanese-American superheroine leaders in the comic medium. In newer comic installments of The Runaways, Nico is openly bisexual,cementing her as a notable LGBTQIA+ icon in the Marvel Universe. Later in life, Nico is able to wield magic without the Staff of One, as she enhances her magical abilities. Nico’s abilities are insanely vast, including telekinesis, flight, teleportation, warping reality, invisibility, healing, illusions, and can manipulate time, death, weather, emotions, energy, and even matter itself. She also even joinsthe first female-led Avengers team, A-Force— alongside She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Dazzler, and more. As a powerful sorceress, Nico plays a role in various massive comic events, such asSecret Wars,Ultimate Invasion,Civil War II, and becomes a professor inStrange Academy, teaching Creative Spellcasting and co-teaches Defense Against Vampires with the New Mutants team member, Magik. Nico is known for her Gothic fashion aesthetic — something that is represented in the various forms of media the character has been adapted into.

Colman Domingo as Norman Osborne in ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’

“He’s So Multifaceted”: Producer Teases Colman Domingo’s Norman Osborn in ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’

The series debuts on January 29.

Nico Minoru in Other Media and ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’

Nico was brought into live-action byJosh SchwartzandStephanie Savage, in theHulu original seriesRunawaysand was portrayed byLyrica Okano. Okana also voiced the character in the 2022 role-playing video game,Marvel’s Midnight Suns. In the series, Nico didn’t need to bleed to wield the power of the Staff of one, and her magic is tied to the Dark Dimension, similar to Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) inDoctor Strange.The Runaways even tackle with the power of The Dark Hold,not the same one fromWandaVisionandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the same one fromAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.that brings the team into the Dark Dimension to face off with the supernatural baddie, Morgan le Fay (Elizabeth Hurley). Needless-to-say, Nico Minoru would be a great fit in theoccult side of the Marvel Cinematic Universealongside Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Wiccan (Joe Locke), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

While Nico’s powers didn’t surface in thefirst two episodes ofYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, with the series launching off with a Doctor Strange battle,it’s safe to assume Nico’s magical abilities will manifest at some point in the series,especially seeing as there will be at least three seasons. The series will feature a wealth of Marvel cameos besides Doctor Strange, including Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), Otto Octavius (Hugh Dancy), and both episodes have included a prominent presence from this universe’s Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo). The Runaways are usually Los Angeles-based, so the inclusion of the other members of the team inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manseems like a big stretch, but it’s safe to assume an appearance from Nico’s dark-magic empowered parents, Robert and Tina Minoru, will happen down the line.