There are so many cameos in Marvel's new TV series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, on Disney+ that you might miss a few if you blink. Casual fans will recognize some of the cameos who play large roles in the Spider-Man mythos: Norman and Harry Osborn, Doctor Connors, Aunt May, and Venom (or at least some kind of demon variant of Venom).
But some of the other characters even a hardcore Spider-Man fan like myself didn't catch immediately. Let's take a look at some of the more obscure character cameos in the show so far.
Nico Minoru (aka Sister Grimm)
It looks like in this corner of the MCU's multiverse, Peter's best friend isn't Ned Leeds, but Nico Minoru. Nico is the daughter of dark wizards, magic-wielder, and member of A-Force. I was surprised to learn that Nico's first appearance in Runaways #1 sells for a premium; the last 9.8 sold for $220 on eBay in late January:
Phil Grayfield (aka SuperPro)
Coach Grayfield who appears for several seconds as the coach of the Midtown High Ravens is probably the most obscure cameo in Spider-Man. They've taken some liberties with his character since he's a sports journalist who later becomes the hero SuperPro after he is doused in chemicals. While I highly doubt that we’ll see Coach Grayfield transform into a superhero, and is most likely just an easter egg for hardcore fans. Grayfield’s first appearance in NFL SuperPro #1 (1991) is actually a minor key. This CGC 9.8 sold for $75 in early January:
Pearl Pangan (aka Wave)
Although many of us might not have immediately recognized Pearl, Peter's crush (and former babysitter) in the show, the dead giveaway was that Pearl's a swimmer for the Ravens (Lonnie reminds her to wear her goggles). In the comics, she becomes Wave, a superhero with the ability to manipulate water. Pearl’s first appearance occurs in War of the Realms: Agents of Atlas #1 (2019), one of the most spec'd on Modern books in recent years. This 9.8 sold recently for $79 on eBay:
This issue is, of course, very well-known to collectors since it has frequently been on “hottest” comics lists over the past six years for a variety of reasons since it includes the first appearances of many minor characters such as Swordmaster and Yuna Snow.
Dr. Bentley Wittman (aka the Wizard)
I'm embarrassed that I didn't immediately recognize Dr. Whittman when he appears in episode two. The irascible Dr. Wittman is one of the first characters that Peter meets on his first day at Oscorp. He is, of course, more commonly known as the Wizard, a foe of Fantastic Four, who first appears in Strange Tales #102 (1962). According to GoCollect, the FMV of the most common grade on the CGC Census, a 5.0, is $130. The most recent sale of a 5.0 occurred in July 2024 for $100:
Lonnie Lincoln (aka Tombstone)
Peter’s lab partner in the show is Lonnie Lincoln, the popular star player for the Ravens, but more famous for becoming Tombstone. Tombstone’s first appearance occurs in Web of Spider-Man #36 (1988). The Web of Spider-Man series doesn’t have too many key issues but Tombstone’s first appearance is one of them. This CGC 9.8 sold for an impressive $300 early in January:
