Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is in cinemas now and no doubt it has you wanting the perfect LEGO Spider-Man minifigure. Blocks has you covered for making a LEGO character worthy of the movie, with no special customising skills required!
This article DOES NOT contain spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has arrived – and what a movie it is. With astounding animation that improves on the first film and a superb script stuffed with sharp wit, there’s a lot to look forward to if you haven’t seen it yet. Of course, one of the main marketing points of the film is the hundreds of obscure ‘Spider-Characters’ working in the multiverse, saving lives and defending their own dimensions.
Of course, what’s a cinematic Spider-Man hero without a LEGO minifigure to call their own? Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland’s Spider-Men are getting updated figures in the upcoming 76261 Spider-Man Final Battle from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Insomniac Games’ PS4 Spider-Man was controversially a Comic-Con 2019 exclusive. Miles Morales has his own representation across numerous minifigures, though sadly, none based directly on the Spider-Verse series.
Of those hundreds of Spider-People and Spider-Creatures, where will your own custom Spider-Character fit in? Will they have webbing under their armpits to help them fly? Or will they not be human at all? Maybe they’re super-strong, or fire webs made from light? For the sake of New York – in all dimensions – let’s hope these tips for crafting your own Spider-Verse minifigure have arrived just in time.
The costume
Start by brainstorming what your Spider-Verse hero should look like. You can draw the character, design them on your computer in a digital program like BrickLink’s Studio, or just dive into the bricks and mix and match. Keep their environment in mind, the dimension they defend and the enemies they might face. Heavy armour might be useful against battering foes like Rhino and Hammerhead, while a lighter outfit could help against agile fliers like Vulture and Green Goblin.
On that note, you’ll want your Spider-Verse hero to look cool. Whether they’re rocking limited-edition Air Jordan 1 High Chicago’s or something a little more utilitarian, you can represent this with the right set of legs or even 1×1 plates on the feet. It’ll make your hero a little taller, but that may be what you’re going for, anyway. The same principle goes for any back attachments or headgear they may wear.
There doesn’t have to be a limit. With so many Spider-Man costumes already out there, it shouldn’t be too challenging to find torsos, legs, heads, and headgear that matches your ideal Spider-Verse character. Introduce parts from other themes, too. Imagine a Spider-Man from feudal Japan that uses NINJAGO parts. Wait – there’s already a Japanese Spider-Man? Whoa.
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The powers
What sets your Spider-Hero’s arsenal apart from the rest? Can they launch webbing in a special way, maybe by coughing or sneezing? Are they wielding a special weapon, like a machine gun complete with a web ammo clip? Of course, the fun thing about LEGO bricks is you can make your own tools to help your Spider hero fight crime.
Spider-Man’s most powerful weapons are his caring heart, sense of responsibility and unstoppable punchlines, though his webbing and Spidey-sense are close follow-ups. Maybe your Spider-Verse character doesn’t use any weapons and instead talks down the bad guys with charisma and charm. Perhaps they use super-speed, like that hero from the other studio.
Whatever you choose to arm your Spider-Man with, keep in mind that Spider-Man has a strict no killing policy. He (almost) always captures his foes alive. Like any good LEGO creation, rules are meant to be broken, but if you’re looking to stay true to the original character’s spec sheet, it’s something to keep in mind.
The display
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is stuffed with vibrant environments and colourful scenery, often glitching in and out of reality and ever-changing. One thing you can do once you finish designing your Spider-Verse hero is to build a display for them out of LEGO bricks or put them in your existing layout in a dynamic pose.
Try adding coloured transparent tiles and bricks to emulate the glitches, as well as objects you might find in your environment. Pipes and manholes for New York, sweeping architecture in France, or even asteroids if your Spider-Verse character defends outer space. Maybe they fly a spaceship, or drive a Spider-Buggy, as seen in 76178 Daily Bugle.
One thing that helps is to look at what other toy companies are doing, especially the Hong Kong-based company Hot Toys. They design high-end collectible action figures, sometimes with fantastic display bases and scenery included in the box. That’s just a tip for inspiration, though – if you prefer to build freestyle, or would rather just do your own thing, then trust your gut, True Believer! That’s what makes the LEGO hobby such a joy.