Ben 10 #3 Variant Cover Pays Tribute To Back to the Future

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Published Jul 10, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.

One of the comic book industry's most surprising success stories in recent memory is that of Ben 10. The tale of a young boy imbued with the power of several species of extraterrestrial from an otherworldly device proved to be a huge hit even before its official release.

Then again, the comic had already acquired a legion of fans who grew up with the animated series that inspired it, making its popularity not such a stretch of the imagination in retrospect. However, the most recent issue of Ben 10 serves as an homage to another sci-fi franchise that defined a previous generation.

Ben 10 #3 Variant Cover Homages Back To The Future

The official cover art for the third issue of Dynamite Entertainment's new run of Ben 10 certainly boasts a striking image, in which the deadly alien bounty hunter Kraab is reflected in the face of the fan-favorite Crystalsapien called Diamondhead. However, the cover that most people are likely hoping to get their hands on is a tribute to Back to the Future.

The image sees young Ben Tennyson looking nervously at the Omnitrix on his wrist with one foot on the ground and the other inside his grandfather, Max's, RV, lovingly nicknamed the Rustbucket. Fans of the beloved time travel movie should be able to recognize this as a recreation of the original illustrated poster art, which shows Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly kneeling on Doc Brown's DeLorean as he realizes he is out of time.

The variant cover is designed by Irish artist Cormac Hughes, who is also known for his work on Lightning Strike Comics' run of The Phantom from 2017. He collaborates on the piece with Ren Spiller, who has also served as a colorist for Dynamite Entertainment's Thundercats series, as well as Marvel titles like X Deaths of Wolverine.

The Ben 10 #3 cover inspired by Back to the Future, a critical and commercial smash that spawned two sequels, an animated series, and devoted fans worldwide, is a blind bag exclusive. That means that, at the time of purchase, readers will not know for sure if they will be receiving this tribute to the 1985 favorite or one based on another cinematic classic.

More Ben 10 #3 Variant Covers Are Inspired By Iconic Movies

Ben 10 with his alien forms in the background

Those who buy a blind bag variant edition of Ben 10 #3 might be lucky enough to score the Back to the Future-inspired cover. If not, they will still be treated to another cover from Cormac Hughes and Ren Spiller that is rich in cinematic nostalgia.

Also available is a variant cover inspired by Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster, Jaws. It recreates the film's unmistakable poster art, featuring a woman swimming in the ocean unaware that a beastly shark is right underneath her, but replaces the aquatic predator with Ben's hulking extraterrestrial alter ego, Cannonbolt.

One more blind bag exclusive variant cover takes inspiration from the poster art of another '80s sci-fi movie, the essential anime classic Akira. Instead of the overhead shot of hero Shotaro Kaneda approaching his motorcycle, the image sees Ben standing in front of the Rustbucket in a similar style.

Ben 10 is the latest comic book based on the popular mid-2000s Cartoon Network TV show of the same, which was even co-created by its writer, Joe Casey, who collaborates with artist Robert Carey on the new project. The series was an instant hit, even surpassing Absolute Batman in the charts, upon its May 2026 debut.

Ben 10 #3 is now available where comic books are sold.