Spider-Man: Homecoming - Comic book homage and plot lines you might have missed

Spider-Man: Homecoming follows the events of Captain America: Civil War. Described as ‘a coming-of-age story’, the film finds Peter Parker attending high school for gifted kids, trying to impress his new benefactor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and also dealing with a new arch enemy, the Vulture (Michael Keaton).

Directed by Jon Watts, written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, and starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Zendaya, Donald Glover, and many, many others, Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters on 7 July 2017.

Fans have been eagerly waiting for Spider-Man footage to debut since Comic Con 2016 got a second look at their favourite webbed hero with a second trailer which released this Monday, 27 March 2017.

The new trailer is stuffed with Easter Eggs, references to comic books and old characters. Here’s a look at some of the finer points of the trailer you may have missed out on:

The Comic book homage:

Spider-Man easter egg: license plate reads SM2-0563. First appearance of Vulture? Amazing Spider-Man #2, published May, 1963 (05/63) @jnwtts pic.twitter.com/FsOHNci3uP

— Mike Sampson (@mjsamps) March 28, 2017

In the below still from the trailer, the focal point is clearly the web-slinger, as he delivers his unique brand of justice the way only Spidey can. However, when you zoom in on the image, you can faintly make out a New York license plate that reads ‘SM2-0563.’ This would appear to refer to Amazing Spider-Man #2, aka the book in which the Vulture made his debut back in May, 1963.

The Spider-Man 2 shout out

The trailer also pays homage to the iconic scene from Spider-Man 2 starring Tobey Maguire where he stops a train from getting derailed by using his Spidey webs.

In the new trailer, Peter Parker stops a Titanic-esque ship from falling apart, but this time, Iron Man helps him out.

The Vulture

The Vulture’s alter ego, Adrian Toomes, is the owner of a New York salvaging company that cleans up the streets after superhero battles. His world comes crashing down when a government organization run by Tony Stark steps in to replace his.

Eric Hauserman Carroll said that Toomes has a bone to pick with the Iron Avenger and ‘sort of becomes the dark Tony Stark.’ The Vulture’s crew of the Shocker (Bokeem Woodbine) and the Tinkerer (Michael Chernus) begins to use scavenged alien artifacts and stolen advanced tech to build weapons to sell to other criminals. “He thinks once he has this money and power, he’ll have more control of his life,” Carroll added.

Is that Slik?

Spiderman wants to be Tony Stark:

"I was just trying to be like you."
"I wanted you to be better."

Mi sento instabile.#SpiderManHomecoming pic.twitter.com/Sgu8RV98i1

— Catherina Plantagenet (@Catherina_Vyuk) March 28, 2017

The Hulk Reference

Geek Rant pointed out Bruce Banner and Howard Stark’s appearance in the trailer.

Howard Stark’s (who is Tony Stark’s father) face is a part of a mural on the wall of the high school that Peter Parker attends. Then there’s Bruce Banner, whose photo appears on the wall of one of Parker’s classrooms. He’s apparently made such an impact on the world that he has earned a place alongside Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and other great scientists on the classroom wall.