Comic book history: Spider-Man villain Tinkerer: Miles Morales



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Spider-Man: Miles Morales is one of the most desired games by those who have managed to buy a PS5, but the spin-off of Insomniac Games has also been released for PS4 and therefore, many have already dived into New York as Miles. Morales, to defend Harlem from the dark interests of mega-corporation Roxxon and the villain known as The Tinkerer.

If you’ve read a lot of webhead comics or followed the UCM movies, you will probably recognize the name. The case of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is particular because Insomniac used a very different version of Tinkerer, to get a precise idea of ​​the distances and similarities, we decided to explore the origins of the character in the comics and how he was represented in animation, films and video games.

  • Who is Tinkerer?
  • The origin of Tinkerer
  • Powers and abilities
  • The most harmful inventions
  • Tinkerer do Ultimate Universe
  • Tinkerer in TV, Movies and Video Games
  • Tinkerer in Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Who is Tinkerer?

Being a villain in the Marvel universe is particularly difficult when we don’t have superpowers, magical abilities, or a mutant gene that can stand up to heroes like Spider-Man. These antagonists are doomed to act as “punching bags” and spend much of their time behind bars, often resorting to the help of minds like The Tinkerer.

Being a villain is difficult when we don’t have super powers

He is the driving force behind several “tech villains” in the Marvel universe. As an inventor, he built a profitable business of developing gadgets, uniforms and different types of weapons that could add real power to a common criminal. Many famous Spider-Man opponents have asked for your help, from the Vulture, Mysterio or the Kingpin himself.

The origin of Tinkerer

The Tinkerer is one of Spider-Man’s oldest antagonists, and also one of the oldest in his villain gallery. The character appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man # 2 (1963), the same issue that introduced Mysterio (Quentin Beck), as one of the characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

A brilliant scientist and inventor, Phineas Mason lived as a humble owner of a repair shop, Phineas’ Fix-It. But after a succession of disappointments and an increase in the contempt for superheroes, he decided to turn to the world of crime, using his shop as a cover for illegal activities.

The Tinkerer is like the Game of Thrones Iron Bank for the Marvel universe. He doesn’t usually get his hands dirty, watching developments from afar, stuffing his pockets in the process. It’s possible to argue that he’s not exactly a villain either, he’s just another opportunist. Even after becoming a Tinkerer, Mason maintained a healthy relationship with his son, secret agent Rick. He is even a tragic figure, forced to mourn the death of his wife, son and grandson, in different versions of the comics.

Some stories portrayed Tinkerer in a darker way. Secret War (2004) revealed that Tinkerer’s business was indeed funded by Latveria (Dr. Doom’s Nation), hoping to destabilize the United States by increasing the number of criminals with access to dangerous technologies.

Powers and abilities

The Tinkerer has no innate powers or abilities, but he is an incredible engineer and inventor. Their creations may not hinge on Tony Stark or Reed Richards, but they were the ones that enabled dozens of criminals to successfully commit atrocities and take on heroes like Spider-Man.

Mason rarely uses his own inventions, preferring to sell them at the best price. It happened that you have to defend yourself against buyers who tried to deceive you or did not want to pay their dues. It is common to develop security systems on your devices, allowing you to sabotage your creations if something goes wrong.

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The most harmful inventions

There are many Marvel villains who owe their skills to Tinkerer. Over the years the inventor has developed ultra capable uniforms for Scorpion, Grim Reaper, Stilt-Man, Rocket Racer, Blizzard, Beetle, Grizzly. among many others.

However, throughout history, some inventions have stood out. On his first appearance, he teamed up with Quentin Beck to create a complex illusion that enveloped the whole of New York City, making it look like it had been invaded by aliens. After the brief episode where Spider-Man used Spider-Mobile, Kingpin hired Tinkerer’s services to retrieve the car and set it against the former owner.

Even Spidey's gadgets aren't safe from the Tinkerer.
The spider’s devices are also not safe from the Tinkerer.

The Tinkerer is so prevalent in the criminal underworld that he even acted as an intermediary when Eddie Brock was dying of cancer, helping to organize the Venom symbiote auction.

Mason’s most impressive achievement was the one he used to his advantage. He developed a robotic suit and created the false identity, Hophni Mason, posing as his brother. Known only as The Mason and pretending to be a benevolent inventor, he began working with several heroes, secretly cataloging his weaknesses.

Tinkerer do Ultimate Universe

Like many villains, The Tinkerer received a reconfiguration when it was introduced to the Ultimate universe in the early 2000s. In this universe, The Tinkerer and Phineas Mason are actually two separate characters. Mason is represented as much younger, a member of a government group of young prodigies.

The role of Tinkerer is played by a character named Elijah Stern, a former employee of Roxxon, who turns to his boss after being fired. He is later pushed to work with SHIELD, though that doesn’t stop him from attempting to kill Spider-Man or helping Norman Osborn equip the Sinister Six with new weapons. Eventually, Stern is interrogated and killed by Miles Morales’ uncle Prowler.

In some ways, this reconfigured version of Tinkerer seems to have inspired Miles Morales’ game, particularly in regards to the conflict with the Roxxon organization. It is worth mentioning that Miles Morales also made his debut in the Ultimate universe of the Casa das Ideias comic.

The Tinkerer in TV, Movies and Video Games

  • TV: Despite having a long history in the Spider-Man comic, it took a while to see Tinkerer in one of the many arachnid animations. This only appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man (2008), voiced by Adcox-Hernandez, a version of a young inventor who worked for villains like Mysterio and Tombstone. Tinkerer also has a recurring role in the current Marvel’s Spider-Man series (voice of actor Aaron Abrams), where he often confronts the hero alone or in the company of Scorpion.
  • Movie: Tinkerer appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), played by Michael Chernus. Mason works for a company run by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), who after losing a lucrative contract with Tony Stark’s Damage Control, turns to the black market by selling futuristic technology found in the rubble of the Battle of New York (The Avengers). and the remains left by the army of Ultron (Avengers: The Age of Ultron). It was Tinkerer who created the vulture costume for Toomes and the hands used by Shocker. Mason manages to escape during the film, and we can expect to see him again in UCM’s future.
  • Video games: Tinkerer has a long career in Spider-Man video games, which began long before Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The character’s first appearance occurred in Spider-Man vs. the Kingpin of the veteran Master System (1991), but we can also see him in Nintendo DS’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010) and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008), where he develops a machine to help the spider defeat humans infected with the symbiont, without killing the host. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009) also gives Tinkerer a leading role, the game’s story is largely inspired by the Marvel’s Secret War and Civil War arcs, with the plot revolving around the idea that Mason is involved with Lucia von Bardas, from Latveria, to arm the super terrorists.

The Tinkerer em Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Spider-Man: Miles Morales introduces a new and revamped version of Tinkerer, which shares only a few elements with the original version. The biggest change in this case is due to the fact that the character is a woman. A year passed after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man, with New York embroiled in the crossfire between Roxxon and the unit under Tinkerer’s command, known as the Underground.

Warning: SPOILER on the story of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, from Insomniac Games!

During the game, we found that this version of Tinkerer has a strong connection with Miles. The character is Phin Mason, a childhood friend of Morales, who has a penchant for inventions. Phin’s older brother Rick is a former Roxxon employee who created a powerful energy source called Nuform. After Rick is fatally poisoned by Nuform and sees his work stolen, Phin adopts Tinkerer’s identity to destroy Roxxon, avenge Rick and expose Nuform’s dangers. The concept of Tinkerer as an opportunist who creates technology for other villains is totally abandoned.

Phin is not characterized as a villain in the game, but rather an opponent of Miles under the circumstances. His arc culminates in a sacrifice to save Morales, managing to expose Roxxon’s crimes in the process.


Adapted from the text by Jesse Schedeen by Aníbal Gonçalves, editor of IGN Portugal, former Azeroth resident and free-time supervillain. You can follow it ArtDarthyo.



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