Going over this again, I don’t think the Marvel worlds should just be New York. I could see using lots of other places when using other Marvel characters, but… Spider-Man not being in a city for his world seems wrong. Maybe to make it less like New York, this city could be… Hollow Bastion-y? Some kind of weird magitech city? Do you guys have any ideas to make a not!New York city feel unique in a Kingdom Hearts setting?
City of Crime (Spider-Man’s world)
A sprawling metropolis that has been hurt badly due to some sort of crisis. Like a Darkling invasion and/or one of the Lost Masters did a failed experiment in trying to fight against True Darkness, something like that. The destruction is widespread, buildings are crumbling, trash is in the streets, and the sky has a depressing gray haze. Poverty is spreading; crime follows it. Both the city and Spider-Man are exhausted and losing hope. The Magga is taking advantage of the chaos and desperation. Maggia’s influence is spreading like wildfire, with only a few remaining cops and city officials not on their payroll. Maggia minions are armed with deadly magitech guns, but the real problem is Keybladers dealing with ‘real’ crime, such as drugs and prostitution*, and trying to deal with poverty and crime without having a convenient supervillain to beat up and make the problems go away. Taking care of the poverty and corrupt city officials is a more complicated and long-lasting struggle than winning a boss battle. The negativity of the city makes it a breeding ground for Heartless; if something is not done soon, the entire city will fall to darkness. The Sinister Six is a more direct threat; they’re plotting to assassinate Spider-Man once and for all and were given information to prepare for the Keybladers by a mysterious figure.
Peter Parker is seen taking photographs of Maggia activity; the Keybladers eventually figure out who he really is and are a bit confused at the idea of a secret identity since they’re always showing their faces and using their real names when they travel to multiple worlds. I think Spidey would especially like Sora, Lea, and Kairi if she brought back that bratty playfulness she had in KH1; maybe hanging out with both Sora and Spider-Man will bring that side of her back out. I think all the Guardians, but maybe Donald, would love Spider-Man and get along great with him, and fighting crime at Spidey’s side would be a huge learning experience for them all.
Mary Jane could be working as an actress, business executive, or whatever. But whatever job she has, the building is owned by the Maggia, but this lets her overhear things and do some snooping, and she gives important information to Spider-Man and Keybladers over the Gummiphone. The Maggia eventually get wise to who’s leaking information, and this leads to a deadly confrontation. Maybe Jane and Parker should be married in this setting? We already have a lot going on, and having yet another will-they-won't-they might distract from it. And it would be cute if Spider-Man started to trust the Keybladers enough to bring them into his personal life and introduce them to his wife.
Jonah Jameson is not just anti-Spider-Man but also anti-Keybladers since they’re friends with Spider-Man, and he makes reports to make them look bad and eventually reports on bad information by illusions created by Mysterio. This causes the city to turn on the Keybladers (who have done awkward interviews, not really understanding how the press could twist their words), but they continue fighting for the benefit of the city. Jameson eventually warms up to the Keybladers when he sees the good they’re doing. Jameson also eventually realizes he reported on bad information due to Mysterio. Eventually he’s willing to give Keybladers certain info and help, but not Spider-Man. I think Jameson would especially like Terra, Aqua, and Riku since they’re more serious, and might trust them with extra help that he doesn’t give the others. I don’t think Jameson would get along with Sora or Lea even after he warmed up to Keybladers.
Spider-Man’s arsenal should have some magitech/Final Fantasy boost to it so he feels different than the many other Spider-Man games you can play. He’d have stuff like Blizzaga Webs, Fiagra Webs, Thundaga Webs, etc.
Crossover Guest: Aya Brea is a hard-working cop and one of the few left that’s uncorrupted by Maggia influence even after they’ve threatened and outright attacked her. She’s a steadfast ally to both Spider-Man and the Keybladers. Her Parasite Energy moves are simply explained as inborn magical abilities, and while she fears the strange power she has, she still tries her best to use it for humanity's benefit. Maybe Mellisa or Maya could be Maggia captains in this setting. I think Aya Brea would also be perfect to slip into the Gargoyles setting.
*Perhaps illegal drugs and prostitution are an awkward fit for Kingdom Hearts. But I’m interested in Keybladers being stress tested when dealing with desperate and broken people, not ultra-powerful supervillains. What kind of crimes do you think fit this general idea but are still PG?
What ideas do you guys have for a Spider-Man world?
Edit: Oh! Just got an idea. I want Elrena to be in this world just so she can have a troll off with Spider-Man. And maybe her sophisticated control over electricity could open up new pathways through the magitech city. She seems to be helpful to the Keybladers… for now.