Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Gwen Stacy alone in her room, painting to process her emotions. Voice-over: "Let's do things differently this time." Establishes isolation as central theme—both protagonists will struggle with belonging.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 34 minutes when The Spot ESCAPES after accidentally kicking himself into his own portal dimension, discovering his holes can take him anywhere. Miles fails to catch him. Jeff: "You know we're supposed to CATCH 'em, the bad guys. Right?" Miles dismisses the threat: "I don't think that guy's gonna show his face again." This failure releases a multiverse-level threat and plants the seed for Miles' inadequacy—he underestimated a "villain of the week" who will become his greatest enemy.. At 24% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional state to -1, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.

The First Threshold at 46 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 33% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Gwen: "Is Spider-Man grounded?" Miles makes an active choice to follow her through the portal, leaving his world behind. Rio gives him unexpected permission and a blessing: "Wherever you go from here, you have to promise to take care of that little boy for me... Never let ANYONE tell him that he doesn't belong there." This blessing will be tested when Miguel tells Miles exactly that., moving from reaction to action. The emotional journey here reflects 1.

At 79 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 56% of the runtime—slightly delayed, extending Act IIa tension. Of particular interest, this crucial beat FALSE VICTORY: "Welcome to Spider-Society!" Miles gets a day pass, meets hundreds of Spider-People, sees the multiverse monitoring operation. He finally has what he's longed for—a community of people like him, a place where he belongs. "What's it gonna take for Miguel O'Hara to notice Miles Morales?" He believes he's found his people. But this victory is hollow—he doesn't yet know the cost of membership, or that they've been watching his father, marked for death., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional state shifts to 3, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 102 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, IDENTITY DEATH: Miguel delivers the killing blow: "You're not supposed to BE Spider-Man. The spider that bit you was from ANOTHER dimension. It was never meant to bite you. You're the original anomaly. Everything that's going wrong, you're the one responsible for it. YOU are a MISTAKE." This isn't physical death—it's the destruction of Miles' entire identity. Everything he believed about himself, his purpose, his right to exist as Spider-Man is shattered., shows the protagonist at their lowest point with -4. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 104 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 74% of the runtime. SYNTHESIS—THEMATIC CLIMAX: Miles breaks free from the containment field. "Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go. Nah. Imma do my own thing." This is the answer to the counselor's false binary ("can't have your cake and eat it too") and Miguel's determinism ("canon events must happen"). Miles rejects the premise entirely. He WILL save his father AND be Spider-Man AND write his own story. The theme crystallizes: no one else decides your canon., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey. The emotional culmination reaches 2.