In Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Miles must contend with numerous bad guys, but none are more dastardly than Simon Krieger, the head of Roxxon's Nuform Project. Krieger is relatively unknown and would be easy to misconstrue as a new creation, but, in actuality, Krieger is rather important to Marvel history despite only appearing in a couple of comics.
Within the world of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Krieger is the public face of Roxxon. Spearheading the Nuform Project, he promises the world that he and Roxxon are on the verge of creating a new, clean energy source called Nuform. Krieger intends to test out Nuform in New York City to demonstrate its potential, beginning with the people of Harlem. Nuform is, of course, hazardous in its current state, but Krieger and Roxxon do not care. They see the people of Harlem as expendable and do not hesitate to use them as guinea pigs. While clearly heinous, this flippant attitude towards human life is nothing new for Krieger or Roxxon, as both do terrible deeds in the comics.
The Roxxon Energy Corporation was introduced to the Marvel Universe in the 1970s and became a staple of corporate greed, routinely coming into conflict with the Avengers, Captain America, and Iron Man. Krieger didn't make his debut until the 1990s, but his role in Roxxon's history is paramount.
How Krieger Helped Shape Roxxon and Iron Man
Simon Krieger, technically, never worked for Roxxon, but rather served as Vice President of its predecessor: Republic Oil and Natural Gas, the corporation that would buy Roxxon Oil and eventually become Roxxon Energy. Republic Oil and Natural Gas competed with Stark Industries and wished to buy them out, but Howard Stark, Tony Stark's father, refused to sell. Because of Howard's obstinance, Krieger had Howard and his wife, Maria, assassinated. Krieger hoped Howard's death would destroy Tony and cause Stark industries to collapse. Instead, the tragedy drove Tony forward and he became Iron Man.
The mini-series detailing Tony's tragic origins, Iron Man: The Iron Age, is the only time Krieger has ever appeared in Marvel media before Spider-Man: Miles Morales. However, his impact cannot be understated. He not only played a major role in the formation of one of Marvel's star heroes, he also helped establish Roxxon during its nascent years, and Roxxon's significance within Marvel is continuing to expand. Roxxon has been an important player in the comics for decades but it's beginning to appear in other media. Aside from Miles Morales, Roxxon has been referenced in numerous MCU properties, including all three Iron Man films. Most recently, a Roxxon sign was spotted in pictures from the set of the Loki TV series. Roxxon, and Krieger, might be on their way to becoming primary villains in Marvel's Phase 4 of the MCU.
With Krieger, and Roxxon, emerging as the main antagonists of Spider-Man Miles Morales, their time in obscurity may be at an end. Roxxon has tormented Marvel heroes for decades and Krieger pushed Tony into becoming Iron Man. They are both too important to go unadapted.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales released on the PS4 and PS5 on November 12, 2020.