Season 2 of Netflix’s original series search for 13 Cosmic Stones of Power that grant the wielder magical abilities, an arch nemesis named Fantos (parodying Thanos), and the character arc in which an average teenager is transformed into an exceptional superhero.
After Queen Xhan tasked the Local Heroes with her own failed mission to defeat Erodius the Planet Killer and transported their small town into outer space at the end of Kid Cosmic season 1, season 2 reveals that business at Mo’s Oasis is booming thanks to their new crowd of alien customers, but Jo and Kid haven’t yet made any progress on their quest to find the remaining 8 Cosmic Stones they'll need to destroy Erodius. While season 1 showed Kid Cosmic’s character evolution into a more confident superhero, season 2 alternatively focuses on Jo’s (Amanda Céline Miller) journey as she tries to prove herself as the leader of their squad. Similar to how the death of Kid’s parents mirrored the tragic origins of superheroes such as Batman and Spider-Man, Jo’s development into a leader and battle-tested superhero mirrors the struggles experienced by Spider-Man.
Season 2 depicts Jo failing to juggle her two lives, one as the leader of the Local Heroes and the other as a teenage waitress at her mother's diner Mo’s Oasis. In episode 1, Jo's mother Flo reprimands her daughter for being negligent of her customers and not treating them with enough comion. Kid Cosmic also nags Jo to start actively planning their mission to find the remaining stones and save the galaxy from Erodius. Jo’s main conflict is very reminiscent of Peter’s journey in Sam Raimi’s Iron Man as Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) mentor and benefactor, however, that challenge of balancing a regular job along with fighting crime isn’t a problem for Peter in the MCU, which minimally alters his underdog story.
Stark’s presence in Kid Cosmic season 2 is more aligned with the character’s traditional challenges since Jo is more of an everyman. She doesn’t have a billionaire’s , but rather is a self-sufficient member of the working class who learns to become a leader of an inexperienced superhero team using only trial-and-error and her own resolve.
Stark’s presence in general in Peter’s life within the MCU also alters a lot of the challenges Spider-Man faces aside from a day job. Throughout the Spider-Man franchise, Peter’s success as a superhero often meant that his personal life would suffer as a result, and vice versa, placing Peter in the difficult position of having to choose between his dual responsibilities. In Homecoming, Peter’s pursuit to become an Avenger only marginally impacts his family life and social life, making Peter's father-son dynamic with Tony his most conflicted relationship. With this in mind, Jo’s journey in Kid Cosmic appears to more closely mirror Spider-Man’s traditional balancing act because the more Jo practices Queen Xhan’s advice on how to become the ideal leader, the more distant she becomes from her job and her home, which are one and the same.