Spider-Noir follows Nicolas Cage’s Ben Reilly, a washed-up private investigator who once prowled the streets as the masked vigilante known as The Spider.
After the demise of his girlfriend Ruby, Ben hangs up the suit, only to get tangled in a dangerous new case involving mob boss Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), corrupt city politics, and superpowered criminals creeping through the city’s underworld.
As old secrets spin back into focus, Ben must confront the dark origins of his spider powers with help from reporter Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris), assistant Janet (Karen Rodriguez), and enigmatic singer Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li).
Stuck in the deep end, Ben is faced with a life-changing choice that can erase his powers for better or worse.
Spoilers ahead!
Spider-Noir ending: Who dies in the final battle?
In the final episode, Silvermane drags Ben to his hideout in hopes of drawing out the Spider, unaware that the two are the same person. He seeks the antidote to gain leverage over Flint Marko / Sandman and Dirk Leydon / Megawatt.
With the final dose of the antidote at stake, a battle breaks out between the Spider, Sandman, and Megawatt. Meanwhile, Cat confronts Silvermane inside the lounge, where she eventually shoots him for torturing her.
Outside, the Spider pins Sandman beneath two cars while Megawatt grows stronger by drawing power from the streetlights. The two overpower the Spider and knock him out.
Cat tries to stop Megawatt from killing the Spider and threatens to shoot him. To protect her, Sandman attacks Megawatt.
Sandman is nearly turned into glass before the Spider recovers and uses his webs to hurl Megawatt in front of an oncoming train, instantly killing the villain.
What does Ben do with the antidote?
Earlier in the season, it is revealed that World War I veterans Flint, Dirk, and Lonnie gained powers as a result of Dr. Faber’s experiments. However, their powers were unstable and slowly killing them.
Meanwhile, Ben was bitten by the Man-Spider, and his powers were much more stable. Using Ben’s blood, Faber created four vials of an antidote, two of which were used to cure Lonnie / Tombstone. The third was destroyed during the final battle, leaving only one vial.
Image credits: Prime Video
Ben initially considers using the last vial of antidote on himself to erase his powers, which he views as a curse following Ruby’s death.
Adding to his pain, Ben learns that Cat pretended to have feelings for him in order to obtain the antidote for her lover, Flint. Despite this, Ben decides to hand over the antidote to Cat so she can save Flint from a certain death.
Ultimately, Ben chooses compassion and empathizes with Cat’s situation. In doing so, he overcomes his personal grief through an act of kindness and embraces the core Spider-Man principle: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Does Ben end up with Cat Hardy?
Ben does not end up with Cat, who admits that she still has genuine feelings for Flint.
In the final moments, Flint, Cat, and Ben attend Silvermane’s funeral, where Cat tries to make amends with Ben. However, Ben refuses to forgive Cat for using him, and she storms off.
What happens to Robbie and Janet?
After spending much of the season trying to get his Daily Bugle job back, Robbie decides to start his own newspaper. Ben and Janet celebrate the news in their office, with Ben making Janet a partner in his investigation firm.
The trio heads out for a meal when Janet receives a call from a new client, putting Reilly & Ruiz Private Investigators back in business.
Is The Spider really unmasked?
During the final battle, the Spider’s mask is partially torn, revealing Ben’s face. The obvious implication is that his secret identity has been exposed to the public. However, the crowd does not recognize Ben, hailing the Spider as their hero.
In the final scene, Ben comfortably walks through the streets without fearing the consequences of his identity being exposed. As a result, it is safe to assume that the Spider was never truly unmasked.
Instead, the torn mask is more symbolic of Ben’s internal conflict. Having spent years cursing the Spider persona for his lover’s death, Ben finally manages to reconcile with it during the final battle.
How does the ending set up season 2?
The web of mysteries is wrapped up pretty neatly in the final episodes, leaving little loose ends. There is also no post-credits scene teasing a potential second season.
The phone call from a new client does hint at a fresh challenge for the Spider, but for now, that appears to be a story for another day.
Spider-Noir is currently streaming on Prime Video.
