Breaking Down The Comics References In The Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man Set

Magic: The Gathering and comics share a significant overlap. Many comic book shops also sell the popular trading card game, and many game shops sell comics. So it’s no surprise that these two worlds collide in the latest Magic: The Gathering set, Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Wizards of the Coast has just released this Spider-Man-themed set, which contains a whopping 286 cards. These delve deep into 60+ years of Spider-Man lore, featuring classic concepts, villains, supporting characters, and heroes from throughout the Spider-Verse. Along the way, the set introduces new game mechanics and brings back others.

Are you a Magic: The Gathering fan interested in diving deeper into Spider-Man? This guide is here to help. It explains the various characters and concepts, while pointing you towards where you can read more about them.

Guide methodology

So, how does this guide work? While the majority of the cards from this set are shared below, I wouldn’t treat this as a complete spoiler guide. (There are heaps of those available.) It doesn’t have all the different variations, such as borderless variants and art cards.

Instead, it highlights the majority of them and provides annotations about the comic book references featured in these cards. This includes explaining concepts and characters, often listing specific comics when relevant. As a result, the cards have been grouped by character or concept instead of by colour or set number.

How to play Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering can seems confusing got the uninitiated. There’s an animated learn how to play resource on the official site. There also plenty of great videos on YouTube.

The cards and their references

Take a look at the cards in the set with annotations about their comic book references.

Peter Parker/Spider-Man

If you’re reading this, you’re probably aware that Peter Parker is the hero Spider-Man. As a result, I’ll focus on some of the deeper references.

• Amazing Spider-Man (Promo 1): This is a recreation of the Amazing Fantasy #15 cover. This comic is the first appearance of Spider-Man and has been homaged countless times. Why is he referred to as “Amazing Spider-Man”? That’s the name of the core Spider-Man title, which has been running since 1963.
• Peter Parker (SPM-10): This highlights Peter Parker’s science background. He’s depicted as creating web-fluid for his web-shooters. The little bolts above his head are his spider-sense activating – more on that soon.
• Peter Parker (SPM-208): This card depicts an early version of Peter Parker, who was more bookish in appearance with his rounded glasses. Lucas Werneck is a regular Marvel artist, primarily doing work on various X-Men titles.
• Peter Parker (SPM-232): This art is taken from a panel that appeared in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. The page summarises Spider-Man’s origin and shows how he got his powers from being bitten by a radioactive spider. Artist Steve Ditko co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee, working on the character until Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #38.
• Amazing Spider-Man (SPM-232): This card takes the original art from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #1. Jack Kirby – the artist who created the Fantastic Four, Thor, The Hulk, The Avengers, The X-Men, and countless other characters – pencilled the art with Steve Ditko inking the linework.
• Spider-Man, Web-Slinger: This card highlights how Peter Parker has to juggle a double life. Also, web-slinger is one of Spider-Man’s nicknames.
• Secret Identity: This card spotlights Peter Parker’s double life more abstractly.
• Spider-Man, Peter Parker: Paolo Rivera is a long-time comic book artist. He has created many Spider-Man covers and was involved in a great Daredevil run, among other things.
• Sensational Spider-Man (SPE-25): Sensational Spider-Man is the name of a secondary Spider-Man title that ran in the 90s and 2000s. Artist Dan Dos Santos has done many comic book covers for several publishers.
• School Daze: Another card that reflects the duality of the character.

Powers and abilities

Spider-Man has a number of powers and abilities.

• Spider-Sense (SPM-284): Spider-Man’s spider-sense is an ability that acts like an early warning, signalling that something is amiss. The art depicts moments in the comics when Peter Parker is in his civilian get-up. He isn’t actually wearing half a Spider-Man mask, but it symbolises that it’s time for Spider-Man to jump into action. The little bolts on the top of Peter’s head are another way artists show that the Spider-Sense is tingling.
• Spider-Sense (SPM-46): The art in this card depicts the events of Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #122. This was recreated for the 2002 film.
• Web-shooters: Spider-Man’s webbing comes from a device that he built himself.
• Web-Up: Spider-Man often uses his webbing to capture criminals, leaving them stuck to a wall or post for the police to find.
• Thwip!: This is a classic Spider-Man sound-effect, used to symbolise the sound of his web when it’s shot from the web-shooter.
• Hide of the Ceiling: Spider-Man can climb up any surface. In this card’s art, he’s using it to hide from Aunt May so as not to reveal his identity.
• Wall Crawl: While it depicts Miles Morales (more on him soon) on the card, it’s an ability that most spider-people possess.
• Steel Wrecking Ball: This card showcases Spider-Man’s strength. While he’s not as strong as heroes like Thor or the Hulk, he possesses more than the average person.

Spider-Man’s origin

Most people are aware of the Spider-Man’s origins through various media. These cards highlight how Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider – giving him his powers.

• Origin of Spider-Man (SPM-9): The art for this card is by the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz. At Marvel, he’s best known for Moon Knight and New Mutants.
• Origin of Spider-Man (SPM-218): Jim Cheung is a long-time Marvel artist, best known for his work on Young Avengers.
• Radioactive Spider: The spider that bit Peter Parker and gave him his amazing spider-like abilities.
• Professional Wrestler: As depicted in Amazing Fantasy #15, Peter Parker tried his luck facing a professional wrestler for money before turning to a life of heroics.

Aunt May

Aunt May is Peter Parker’s closest living relative. In the early years of the comics he lived with her, where she played a role of guidance and an obstacle in Peter keeping his double life a secret.

Mary Jane Watson

While she hasn’t been the only love interest in Peter Parker’s life, Mary Jane Watson is the most significant. She has been a long-time love interest and for a long stretch his wife – until Marvel wrote the marriage out of existence.

• Unexpected Windfall: This depicts the first appearance of Mary Jane. She was a character who had been mentioned in passing for a few issues in the lead-up to this moment. A friend of Aunt May had been trying to set Peter up on a date with her, with Peter not too jazzed on the idea of a blind date. However, as you can see by John Romita Sr.’s (the artist who succeeded Steve Ditko) art, she definitely made a splash. The line “Face it Tiger, you just hit the jackpot!” will be forever attached to the character. The art comes from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #42.
• Wedding Ring: This card uses the art from 1987’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (Newsstand edition).
• MJ, Rising Star and Mary Jane Watson: Both these cards depict the period when Mary Jane was a soap opera star and model.
• Romantic Rendezvous: This highlights Peter and Mary Jane’s relationship, but the position also harkens to the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film.

Flash Thompson

Flash Thompson was a classmate of Peter Parker. While he was in Peter’s circle of friends, Flash Thompson was more of a bully than a pal. Ironically, Flash was a big Spider-Man fan, idolising Spidey. He joined the army after finishing school.

For a short period, he was the host of the Venom symbiote (I’ll discuss Venom later) after he lost both his legs. As Venom’s host, Flash went on risky missions on behalf of the US government. You can read more about this in the Venom (2011 series).

The art for Opposition Agent derives from Tyler Kirkham’s variant cover for Venom (2011 series) #29.

Captain George Stacy

Captain George Stacy is the father of Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, and was a regular character in the latter half of the 1960s. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #56 and died in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #90 after an encounter with Doctor Octopus.

J. Jonah Jameson

J. Jonah Jameson is the editor-in-chief/publisher of the Daily Bugle newspaper. In most comics her plays one or two roles:

1. Peter Parker’s employer.
2. A foe to Spider-Man, using the power of the newspaper to have the people of New York City turn against our hero.

He also had a stint as the major of New York City.

Robbie Robertson

The character situated in the centre of the card is Robbie Robertson, a long-time member of the Daily Planet editorial team. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #51.

Ganke Lee

This one is a curious inclusion as it blends references. “Guy in the Chair” is a reference made by Ned Leeds in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, the character is actually based on Ganke Lee, Miles Morales’ best friend, who’s depicted on the card. To make things more confusing, the name “Ned Leeds” is taken from another character – a Daily Bugle worker, who became one of the early incarnations of the villain Hobgoblin.

John Jonah Jameson III

John Jonah Jameson III is an astronaut and the son of J. Jonah Jameson. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #1, where Spider-Man saves him after a mission goes wrong. John later becomes Man-Wolf.

Spider-Suits

Spider-Man has had many different variations on his iconic costume. Some of these have a storytelling purpose. Others were introduced could drive comic sales.

• Spectacular Spider-Man (SPM-235): Originally, Spider-Man had a black suit that was actually an alien creature. I’ll discuss that more later. However, once the alien was gone, a regular black suit was created and worn for a while in the mid-late 1980s. It’s brought back now and then for nostalgia’s sake.
• Spectacular Spider-Man (SPM-236): The Bombastic Bag-Man suit was a temporary suit given to Spider-Man by Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four after it was discovered that Spider-Man’s black costume was an alien being. With no costume, he’s given an old Fantastic Four jumpsuit and a paper bag to protect his identity.
• Spectacular Spider-Man (SPM-237): The Spider-Armour MK I was a short-lived suit featured in Web of Spider-Man #100.
• Spectacular Spider-Man (SPM-238): The Stealth Suit first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #650. It was created by Peter during his time working at Horizon Labs.
• Spectacular Spider-Man (SPM-239): The Sensational Suit is a modern redesign of the classic suit.
• Spectacular Spider-Man (SPM-241): Spider-Man was a member of the Future Foundation, an offshoot of the Fantastic Four, as seen in the pages of Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run.
• Iron Spider: Iron-Spider was a suit developed by Tony Stark and used by Spider-Man during the Civil War comic book event.

Miles Morales

Miles Morales is a Spider-Man who originated from the original Ultimate Universe. However, due to his popularity, he was brought to the main Marvel Universe when the publisher wound down the alternative one. He’s one of Marvel’s most popular new characters in a long time thanks to his many comics, video games, and inclusion in the Spider-Verse movies.

• Miles Morales (SPM-234): Both sides of this card use/rework comic book art by artist Sara Pichelli and colourist Justin Ponsor. The first image is taken from Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 cover. The second image reworks the cover for Spider-Man (2016 series) #1.
• Radioactive Spider: This depicts the radioactive spider that bit Miles, giving him his powers.
• Venom Blast; Spider-Man, Miles Morales; and Ultimate Spider-Man (SPM-108): These depict Miles’ Venom Blast ability, an electric-based power that can stun enemies.
• Twisted Spider-Clone: This card references the Miles Morales: Clone Saga.

Spider-Gwen a.k.a Ghost-Spider

In an alternate universe (Earth-65), Gwen Stacy never died. Instead, she was the one bitten by the radioactive spider. Known as “Spider-Woman” in her world – although the name “Spider-Gwen” has stuck with fans – she has faced plenty of familiar foes with new twists.

Interestingly, Spider-Gwen was meant to be a bit of a throwaway character as part of the build-up (Edge of Spider-Verse (2014 series) #2) to the Spider-Verse comic book event. However, the response to that issue was enough to garner the character her own comic series.

Marvel tried to change her hero name to “Ghost-Spider”, which is mentioned in some cards, but it has never stuck long-term.

• Spider-Gwen, Web-Warrior (MAR-24): The card uses the art from Cliff Chiang’s Spider-Gwen #2 variant cover. It has also been used as the cover for the Spider-Gwen: Gwen Stacy trade paperback collection.
• Gwen Stacy (SPM-209): Gwen is a drummer in a punk band called “The May Janes”. Both sides of this card have artwork by Roberta Ingranata, who has worked for several comic book publishers.

Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099)

Miguel O’Hara is the Spider-Man of the year 2099 – a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099. He has had plenty of comics of the last 30+ years, both in his timeline and in the present day.

Spider-Woman

Jessica Drew is the main Spider-Woman in the Marvel Universe. She was originally created in 1977 as a way to protect the name from being used by other publishers or in animation. However, post-debut in Marvel Spotlight #32, she went on to have a 50-issue series before falling into obscurity until she was brought back in the 2000s as part of the New Avengers.

Ben Reilly

Ben Reilly is a clone of Peter Parker that was introduced during The Clone Saga in the 1990s. He’s best known for replacing Peter Parker for a short period of time as Scarlet Spider. Artist Logan Lubera has done cover work for Marvel Comics.

Kaine

Kaine is another Spider-Clone introduced in The Clone Saga. Unlike Ben Reilly, Kaine is more of an anti-hero with a harder edge.

Starling

Starling, real name Tiana Toomes, is the grand-daughter of the villainous Vulture and an ally of Miles Morales. She first appeared in 2019’s Miles Morales: Spider-Man #5.

Spider-Girl

Mayday Parker is an alternate universe daughter of Peter and Mary Jane. She had a series that ran for 100 issues in the late 1990s to mid-2000s.

Madame Web

Madame Web is Spider-Man ally who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #210. Unlike in the movie, she’s depicted as a frail and elderly woman with clairvoyant powers.

Silk

Did you know that Peter Parker was not the only one bitten by the radioactive spider? It also bit Cindy Moon, who would later go on to the hero Silk.

• Silkguard: This card’s art derives from Dave Johnson’s cover for Silk (2015 series) #1.
• Silk, Web Weaver (SPM-215): Artist Veronica Fish has worked for several comic book publishers. She also had a short stint on the Silk (2015 series) on issues #4 and #5.

Spider-Man India

Spider-Man India is an alternate universe (Earth-50101) version that reinterprets Spider-Man through an Indian lens. This version stars Pavitr Prabhakar as Spider-Man and includes a new versions of supporting cast and villains.

The character originally appeared in a 2005 miniseries. However, he has made other appearances in Spider-Verse stories and a 2023 miniseries.

Peni Parker and SP//dr

Peni Parker is a Japanese-American teenager who has a psychic bond with a radioactive spider that can control a mechanised suit called “SP//dr”. Both characters first appeared in Edge of Spider-Verse (2014 series) #5 and in subsequent Spider-Verse stories.

Spiders-Man

A Spider-Man made completely of spiders. The character first appeared in Spider-Geddon.

Spider-Punk

Spider-Punk is the punk rock Spider-Man of Earth-138. The character first appeared in the Spider-Verse event but has gone on to appear in various stories and his own miniseries.

Art for SPM-210 is by Chris Bachalo, an artist who has done plenty of work for Marvel Comics. While he hasn’t worked on the Spider-Punk character, he has contributed plenty of art to Amazing Spider-Man.

Peter Porker, Spider-Ham

Peter Porker was a created as a parody in the 1980s. Despite appearances, he was born a spider but was bitten a radioactive pig.

The comics are silly fun, often parodying other Marvel characters and concepts in a world filled with cartoon animals.

Spider-UK

In Marvel Comics, there’s the concept of the Captain Britain Corps. The idea is that the group is made up of the same guy, Billy Braddock a.k.a Captain Britain, from throughout the multiverse. Spider-UK is Earth-833’s version, who also happens to this universe’s Spider-Man.

His only comics appearances were in Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon.

Spider-Man Noir

Marvel did a line of comics that combined their characters with film noir/pulp fiction elements in 2009-2010. Spider-Man was one of those comics, spinning a pulpy tale that’s part Spider-Man, the other part The Shadow.

The character has appeared multiple times in follow-up miniseries and the Spider-Verse saga.

Arana

Arana is a character with two distinct phases of her heroic career. Unlike most spider-people, Anya Corazon gained her powers through magic. There, she had enhanced strength and stamina and was able to summon a magical exoskeleton. During this period, she was a sidekick for Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers). SPM-123 represents this phase of her heroics the best, highlighting her powers and outfit.

She later became Spider-Girl, getting more traditional spider-powers in the Spider-Island storyline.

Spider-Byte

Margo Kess comes from a universe where most people inhabit cyberspace. She fights cybercrime as the avatar Spider-Byte.

Spinneret and Spiderling

Spinneret and Spiderling as an alternate universe version of Mary Jane (married to Peter Parker) and their daughter. These versions first appeared in the Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows miniseries.

The Spectacular Spider-Kid

Ollie Osnick was a kid who worshipped Doctor Octopus. He built his own tentacles in pages of Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man #72 and went on a crime spree until he was stopped by Spider-Man and learned the error of his ways. Ollie returned in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #263 with a new obsession – Spider-Man. The image for the card depicts Ollie in the latter issue, dressed as Spider-Man and using his mechanical arms to be a hero.

Sun-Spider

Charlotte Webber is a spider-person from Earth-20023 that operates as Sun-Spider. She has Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, which didn’t go away when she was bitten by a radioactive spider. Along with spider-powers, she has web-shooters built into her crutches. She first appeared in Spider-Verse (2019 series) #6.

Mattie Franklin

Mattie Franklin is the niece of J. Jonah Jameson. She began fighting crime when Spider-Man disappeared for a few months. Upon his return, she went by the name of Spider-Woman. She first appeared as a hero in Amazing Spider-Man (1998 series) #1. She had her own series that ran for about 18 months.

Spider-Rex

What if Spider-Man was also a dinosaur. ‘Nuff said!

Arachne

Julia Carpenter has gone by multiple names. She originally debuted in Secret Wars (1984 series) #6 as the second Spider-Woman. Julia went by Arachne when the original Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) returned to prominence in the mid-2000s. Currently, she has inherited the mantle of Madame Web. She has been a member of the West Coast Avengers and Force Works.

Cosmic Spider-Man

Marvel Comics has a little-used concept called the Enigma Force. This is a sentient cosmic energy that bonds with others to become Captain Universe. Spider-Man bonded with the Enigma Force during the Acts of Vengeance event, briefly giving him cosmically-charged powers.

A version of Cosmic Spider-Man also appeared in Spider-Verse. This was Earth-13’s version of Spider-Man, where he permanently kept the powers.

Spider-Cat

The comics version of Spider-Cat appeared in the Spider-Island tie-in comic Spider-Island: I Love New York City #1. A version aligned more with what is seen in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie appeared in the Spider-Society miniseries.

Web Warriors

The Web Warriors was a motely crew of spider-people from throughout the multiverse.

Lyla

Lyla is a holographic life-form that aids Miguel O’Hara a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099.

Master Weaver

Karn the Master Weaver is a member of The Inheritors, a family that hunts down and feeds on those with spider-powers throughout the multiverse. However, he turned against his family due to a desire to create instead of destroy. As the Master Weaver, he untangles the Web of Life and Destiny (see Spider-Verse explanation), repairing any damage and directing heroes to different threats to it.

The Mary Janes

The Mary Janes are Spider-Gwen’s punk rock band.

The alien costume

Spider-Man and many of Marvel’s other heroes were transported to Battleworld as part of Secret Wars (1984 series). When he returned, he brough an alien symbiote with him that acted like a living costume. Little did he know that the costume would try to take over his body and later become Venom.

• Mystic Confluence: The art comes directly from the cover for Secret Wars (1984 series) #8, which chronologically is the first appearance of the alien symbiote. Mike Zeck was also the main artist for this 1984 comic book event.
• Winds of Change: The card uses the cover for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #252. The image by Ron Frenz and Klaus Janson, an updated version of the famous Amazing Fantasy #15 cover, makes a statement that there’s a new, but familiar, Spider-Man. This was the reader’s first look at the symbiote suit, with the aftermath of Secret Wars (1984 series) published before its conclusion to encourage readers to check out the event.
• Leyline Binding: This art comes from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #258.

Read the Alien Costume Saga to find out more about it.

Venom

After Spider-Man rejected the alien symbiote, it found a new host in Eddie Brock. Brock was a disgraced journalist with an axe to grind with Spider-Man. He initially uses the alien symbiote, known as Venom, to enact his revenge. Over time, Eddie Brock/Venom transitions into more of an anti-hero and eventually something closer to a hero.

• Savage Beating: The art for this card is taken from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #316. This is Venom’s second story, returning after making a huge splash in his debut less than 18 months prior. The art is by Todd McFarlane, one of the most popular Spider-Man artists of all time. A few years later, he would go on to be a founder of Image Comics and create Spawn.
• Infernal Grasp: This card uses the cover of Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #347. Erik Larsen followed up Todd McFarlane after Marvel gave the latter his own Spider-Man series to write and draw. Erik Larsen is another of the co-founders of Image Comics and created Savage Dragon.
• Venom, Lethal Protector (SPM-55 and SPM-244): The moniker of Lethal Protector highlights Venom’s transition from villain to anti-hero, protecting innocents while using lethal force. It is first detailed in a 1993 miniseries of the same name.
• Eddie Brock (SPM-233): The art repurposes a panel from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #300.
• Venom, Lethal Protector (SPM-233): This is the cover for Venom: Lethal Protector #1. Artist Mark Bagley is one of the longest-tenured Spider-Man artists, with multiple stints on Amazing Spider-Man and a lengthy one on the original Ultimate Spider-Man comic.
• Venom’s Hunger: This is a reference to the 1996 miniseries Venom: The Hunger.
• Venom, King in Black: Venom is the new god of the symbiotes, taking over the mantle from Knull. This is the endpoint of Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s Venom run. The art for this card is taken from Venom #200.

Doctor Octopus

Otto Octavius, best known as Doctor Octopus, is one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes. Using a harness that gives him access to four mechanical arms, he commits various crimes ranging from science-based to more blue-collar. Most of the cards will refer to him as “Doc Ock”, a nickname that Spider-Man has given him.

• Counterspell: This card uses a panel from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #3, which features Doctor Octopus’s first appearance.
• Doc Ock, Armed and Dangerous: The art used for this card is taken from the cover of Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #55.
• Villainous Wrath: Artist InHyuk Lee is a popular cover artist who works across several Marvel titles.
• Doc Ock, Master Planner (SPM-128 and SPM-228): The reference to “Master Planner” comes from when Doctor Octopus posed as the mysterious Master Planner in the classic Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #31-33. SPM-128 depicts the villain in a white suit. This is a throwback to when the character was clad in Armani instead of the classic green and yellow jumpsuit in the 1990s.
• Doc Ock, Sinister Scientist (SPM-29): This depiction of Doctor Octopus leans heavily into how the character looked in the Spider-Man 2 movie, played by Alfred Molina.
• Doc Ock’s Tentacles, Grasping Tentacles, and Treasure: These cards reference Doctor Octopus’s signature tentacles. These act as four additional, high-powered, mechanical arms that he attaches to himself using a special harness.
• Flying Octobot: These are drones used by Doctor Octopus from time to time.

Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)

Norman Osborn is a rich industrialist and father to Peter Parker’s best friend, Harry Osborn. He was exposed to an experimental formula that enhanced his strength and intellect. However, it also cost him his sanity, which drives him to become the Green Goblin.

The Green Goblin first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #14, but his identity was unknown. Norman Osborn was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #37, with the following issue revealing him as the Green Goblin.

• Goblin Bombardment: This card uses the cover for Amazing Spider-Man Annual #9 for its art.
• Unstable Experiment: This card references the formula that transformed Norman Osborn.
• Norman Osborn (SPM-220) and Green Goblin (SPM-220): The art for both sides of this card was done by Steve Ellis, a long-time comic book artist who has worked on Iron Man, Lobo, Green Lantern, and Crimson Dynamo.
• Pumpkin Bombs and Pumpkin Bombardment: These are jack-o-lantern-like bombs that the Green Goblin hurls at Spider-Man and anyone else who gets in his way.
• Rocket-Powered Goblin Glider: Green Goblin flies around New York City on a rocket-powered glider.

Green Goblin (Harry Osborn)

Harry Osborn is Peter Parker’s best friend and son of the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. He becomes Green Goblin, taking up his father’s mantle, in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #136 after consuming a revised version of the Goblin formula.

Ultimate Green Goblin

The Green Goblin is a bit different in the Ultimate Universe. Instead of Norman Osborn in a suit, he is transformed into the monstrous state shown in the card’s art when he tries to recreate the events of Peter Parker’s spider bite.

Mysterio

Quinten Beck grew up with a love for movies and special effects. He turned this passion into a career in crime, using his powerful illusions to confuse his victims and cover up his acts. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #14.

Quinten Beck is not the only Mysterio. Three other villains have gone by that name over the decades.

• Mindbreak Trap: This card uses the cover of Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #311 for its art.
• Traumatize: This is the cover for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #142.

Shocker

Herman Schultz is a safe-cracker and a self-taught engineer who developed a pair of gauntlets capable of producing powerful vibrational shock waves. When he’s not using them to rob safes, he acts as a mercenary for hire. Shocker first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #46.

Shock (MAR-27) uses art that was originally published as the cover for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #72.

Rhino

Aleksei Sytsevich was a Russian thug who was the victim of an experimental procedure that gave him a thick artificial skin and super-strength. As the cards above depict, Rhino can easily create destruction wherever he goes. However, he is dimwitted, making him easily fooled and stopped. While he’s primarily a Spider-Man villain, he’s also gone toe-to-toe with The Hulk.

Rhino first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #41.

Morbius

It’s Morbin’ time! Michael Morbius was a biochemist who was diagnosed with a rare blood disease. In the process of trying to cure himself, he accidentally turns himself into a “living vampire”. (Marvel stresses he’s not an actual vampire in early stories due to content restrictions made by the Comics Code Authority.) He now must feed on fresh blood to keep the blood disease at bay. As a result, he has been portrayed as a sympathetic character.

Morbius is one of the few Spider-Man villains to get his own solo stories, first in the late 70s as part of Adventures into Fear. He also played a crucial role in the Midnight Sons crossover in the 1990s.

Morbius first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #101.

The Chameleon

The Chameleon is Spider-Man’s oldest foe, having appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #1. As his name suggests, he’s a master of disguise and is able to impersonate anyone.

• Clever Impersonator: The art comes from Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: The Chameleon Conspiracy #1.
• Chameleon, Master of Disguise: The art for this card appears to be inspired by the cover for Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: The Chameleon Conspiracy #1.

Black Cat

Felicia Hardy is a cat burglar who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #194. Occasionally a villain, she has also been an ally to Spider-Man and a love interest for Peter Parker.

What differentiates her from simply being Marvel’s version of Catwoman is her powers. Black Cat has luck powers, which see events always go her way and keep her from being caught.

The art for the Nine Lives card of this set is likely from a variant cover for an issue of one of Black Cat’s solo series, but I am unable to track down which one.

Prowler (Aaron Davis)

There have been multiple versions of the Prowler in Spider-Man comics. However, the one referenced in these cards is Aaron Davis, the Prowler of the Ultimate Universe. He once broke into Oscorp Industries and stole a radioactive spider. This spider would then go on to bite his nephew Miles Morales. For Miles, his uncle is seen as a bad influence who only wishes to exploit him and continue his criminal career.

Prowler (Aaron Davis) first appeared in 2011’s Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1.

Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin was created due to Marvel Editorial’s desire in the early 1980s to have Green Goblin return, but without having to revive Norman Osborn. As a result, they created Hobgoblin, a villain who found Green Goblin’s gear and weapons stash.

Hobgoblin’s identity was a mystery for a long time, playing into a protracted saga that was handed over to multiple writers. At the same time, many people have played the role of Hobgoblin, making him one of the more confusing Spider-Man villains.

Saw in Half’s art is the cover for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #238, which also happens to feature the first appearance of the character.

Scorpion

Mac Gargan was a private detective hired by J. Jonah Jameson to discover how Peter Parker took photos of Spider-Man. Filing to find an answer, Jameson levelled up Gargan with an experimental procedure that turned him into Scorpion. Now he possesses a scorpion-themed armour, which has driven him towards crime. The character first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #19.

Electro

Dubbed the “Master of Electricity”, Electro is a villain with the power to generate and manipulate electricity. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #9.

The Spot

The Spot is a villain who can create portals to another dimension. He uses that dimension as a passageway to hard-to-access locations and to evade superheroes. He first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97.

The art for Comeuppance is taken from an interior page for Amazing Spider-Man #589 by Paulo Siqueira, Amilton Santos, and Jeremy Cox.

The Lizard (Curt Connors)

Curt Connors was a geneticist who was researching ways to regrow limbs. As part of his research, he injected himself with a serum that contained lizard DNA. However, this turned him into a rampaging lizard man. He’s often portrayed as a tragic character due to his situation.

• The Beast Within: This card features the cover for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #313.
• Lurking Lizards: Curt Connor injected others with his serum as a way to find a cure for himself. This happened in Amazing Spider-Man #689.

The Lizard (Peter Parker)

In Spider-Gwen’s universe, Earth-65, Peter Parker turned into The Lizard after taking Dr Connor’s formula as a way to get revenge on those who bullied him.

Kraven the Hunter

First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #15, Kraven the Hunter is a villain motivated by hunting big game. Sometimes, that big game just happens to be Spider-Man.

• Kraven the Hunter (SPM-133): Greg Staples is an artist mostly know for his work on the 2000 AD anthology but has also done many comic book covers for other publishers. He has also done art for plenty of Magic: the Gathering cards.
• Hunter’s Insight: This card uses Sergio Dávila’s variant cover for Amazing Spider-Man (2018 series) #79 as its art.

Carnage

Carnage a darker and more violent offspring of the Venom symbiote. While he has bonded with many hosts, Carnage is best known for bonding with serial killer Cleatus Kasady where both go on regular rampages.

• Terminate: The artwork used in this card is taken from Mark Bagley and Randy Emberlin’s cover Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #361. This issue also happens to be the first appearance of Carnage.
• Carnage, Crimson Chaos (SPM-227): Leinil Francis Yu is a longtime Marvel Comics artist, who has done plenty of Avengers and X-Men comics over the last 25 years. Sunny Gho is a colourist who has coloured many of Leinil Francis Yu’s interiors and covers.

Sandman

Sandman is one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes, first appearing in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #4. He gained the power to morph his body into different shapes of sand, making him a difficult adversary to defeat.

The Vulture

Adrian Toomes is a scientist that turned to a life of crime through the use of a winged suit that allows him to fly, calling himself The Vulture. As an older man, he played a good adversary for a teenage Spider-Man, playing off the differences ages. The Vulture first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #2.

Sinister Six

The Sinister Six is a supervillain team consisting of six Spider-Man villains. The make-up of the team has changed over the years. However, when it was first formed in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, it featured Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, and Vulture.

• Behold the Sinister Six! (SPM-51 and SPM-221): These cards depict the original iteration of the Sinister Six.
• Behold the Sinister Six! (PRM-2): This is an abstract representation of the original iteration of the Sinister Six team.
• Hex: This card highlights Erik Larsen and Walter Simonson’s cover for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #336. This is part of the Return of the Sinister Six storyline, which saw the Sinister Six return decades later. Kraven the Hunter was dead at this time, so he was replaced by Hobgoblin.

Anti-Venom

First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #569, Anti-Venom is a heroic “brother” of Venom. Eddie Brock was the original host of this symbiote but it has since bonded with Flash Thompson.

Scream

Scream is one of five forced spawns of Venom, orchestrated by the sinister Life Foundation, as seen in the 1993’s Venom: Lethal Protector miniseries.

Gwenom

Spider-Gwen temporarily bonded with her world’s (Earth-65) version of Venom between Spider-Gwen (2015 series) #25-29.

Silver Sable

Silver Sable is a mercenary and bounty hunter from the fictional European country of Symkaria. Most of the time, she’s an ally of Spider-Man, but she’s occasionally thrown into the middle of superhero skirmishes. Silver Sable first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #265.

Along with Wild Pack, the team she leads, Silver Sable had her own comic in the 90s that ran for 35 issues.

Mister Negative

Martin Li is a criminal mastermind who can harness the Darkforce and is named for his appearance, looking like a film negative. He’s one of the more notable new additions to Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery in recent years, having appeared in multiple stories and the  Marvel’s Spider-Man video game. The Inner Demon Gangsters are Mister Negative’s henchmen.

The Jackal

Miles Warren was a geneticist and professor at Empire State University. First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #31, he was a regular person, albeit with an unhealthy obsession with Gwen Stacy. After Gwen’s death, Warren transformed himself into the being depicted on the car. He’s responsible for a lot of clone shenanigans that happen in Spider-Man comics.

Molten Man

Mark Raxton was a chemical engineer who became the Molten Man through an accident involving an experimental organic-metal alloy. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #28.

Hydro-Man

Hydro-Man is a villain who can morph into water, controlling it to do his bidding. The character was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #212 when a sailor fell off a boat during a battle between Spider-Man and Namor and transformed into his current state thanks to an experimental engine.

Superior Spider-Man

Superior Spider-Man is Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker’s body, operating as Spider-Man. How did this happen? A dying Doc Ock tricked Spidey into a body swap, leaving Peter Parker trapped in the villain’s dying body. This version of Spider-Man continued to fight crime, albeit in a harder-edged manner with a looser moral code. This was depicted in Amazing Spider-Man #698-700 and the Superior Spider-Man comic book series. The Spider-bot is a scouting tool that was employed to make Superior Spider-Man’s job easier.

Lady Octopus

Carolyn Trainer was protégée to Doctor Octopus. When he died in the 1990s, she assumed the role of Doctor Octopus. However, with his eventual resurrection a few years later she assumed the title of Lady Octopus.

Tombstone

Tombstone is an albino crime boss based in New York City. This formidable gangster first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36.

Hammerhead

Hammerhead is a mobster who’s head of the Hammerhead crime family and a member of the Maggia criminal organisation. He looks like a Dick Tracy villain due to his flat skull, resulted from having most of his skull replaced with metal. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #113.

Superior Foes of Spider-Man

Superior Foes of Spider-Man was a villain-centric title by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber from 2013 to 2014. Led by Boomerang, the team was a humorous take on the Sinister Six concept, but full of inept villains. Plus, there were only five members. The other team members were Beetle, Overdrive, Shocker, and Speed Demon.

Beetle

As the daughter of Tombstone, Janice Lincoln took up her the vacant mantle of Beetle lead a life of crime. She first appeared in Captain America (2005 series) #607 and subsequently appear in Spider-Man-centric titles.

Ezekiel Sims

Ezekiel Sims is a businessman and ally with an obsession with the spider-totems – those with spider-powers throughout the multiverse. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1999 series) #30.

Morlun

Morlun is the leader of the Inheritors. His purpose in life is to hunt down and feed on all the different Spider-Totums throughout the multiverse. The character first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1999 series) #30.

Shriek

Frances Louise Barrison is a villain who possesses the ability to manipulate sound in destructive ways. She’s often depicted as Kleatus Kasidy’s (Carnage) romantic partner in crime. She first appeared in Spider-Man Unlimited (1993 series) #1.

Spider-Slayer

Spider-Slayer was originally a series of different robots developed by inventor Spencer Smythe. However, the ones pictured above are Ultimate Spider-Slayer versions developed by Smythe’s son, Alistair. This one involved a bioorganic carapace that is grafted to his body. This version first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #373.

Silvermane

Silvermane is a cyborg crime boss who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #73.

Wraith

Yuri Watanabe was an NYPD detective who would occasionally work alongside Spider-Man. However, her disillusion with the criminal justice system drove her to become vigilante Wraith. Using tools taken from supervillains, she takes a harder stance on crime. Yuri first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #600 and as Wraith in Amazing Spider-Man #663.

Mendel Stromm

Mendel Stromm is a former business partner of Norman Osborn. However, that relationship turned sour when it was discovered that the former was embezzling money. That set off a blood feud between the two businessmen, which ultimately left Stromm fused to a robotic body.

Living Brain

This a robot that Spider-Man faced in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #8, seen as the most intelligent computer/robot in existence.

Robot

I’m blanking on which robot this is meant to be. Shout out in the comment section if you know.

Swarm

Fritz von Meyer (a.k.a. Swarm) is a villain made entirely of bees. While he was a foe of The Champions first, he has faced Spider-Man on multiple occasions.

The Feed the Swarm card uses art from Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #36.

Stegron, The Dinosaur Man

Vincent Stegron was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who worked with Curt Connors (The Lizard) to study dinosaur DNA. He injected himself with this DNA, turning himself into an intelligent dinosaur man. He first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #19.

Grendel

Grendel is a giant symbiotic dinosaur created by Knull, former god of the symbiotes.

Common crook

While Spider-Man takes on plenty of colourful villains, he also takes on more common criminals as well.

Montana, Fancy Dan, and Ox

These three are founding members of a criminal group known as The Enforcers, as first seen in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #10.

Goblinoids

Goblinoids are ordinary people who have been transformed after taking a drug that consists of Ultimate Green Goblin’s blood.

Sleeper

The symbiote Sleeper has a cat form.

If This Be My Destiny…

If This Be My Destiny… (also known as the Master Planner Saga) is a classic story from the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era of Amazing Spider-Man, as told in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #31-33. The art depicts an iconic moment from issue #33. In it, Spider-Man has become trapped under heavy machinery in a way that all hope seems lost. However, through an anguishing four-page sequence, fuelled by responsibility and guilt, he’s able to lift it off himself. It’s powerful stuff.

Spider-Man No More

Spider-Man No More is the name of the story told in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #50. In it, Peter Parker temporarily quits being Spider-Man after the public turns on him due to J. Jonah Jameson’s negative coverage in the Daily Bugle. This issue is also the first appearance of Kingpin. (Yep, her was a Spider-Man foe before being primarily a Daredevil villain).

• Path to Exile: This card uses the cover art for Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #50.
• Spider-Man No More: This card recreates the iconic page in the aforementioned issue where Peter Parker quits being Spider-Man, dumping his costume in the process.

The Night Gwen Stacy Died

“The Night Gwen Stacy Died,” as told in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #121-122, is a classic story from 1973 that featured a major character death, a rare occurrence at the time. Having discovered Spider-Man’s identity, the Green Goblin kidnaps Spider-Man’s girlfriend. In the attempt to save her, the villain throws her off the George Washington Bridge (as mentioned in the text, but the Brooklyn Bridge is illustrated in this story). However, she’s found dead when Spider-Man catches her with his web. Marvel kept it ambiguous whether she was already dead or whether she died from the whiplash from being caught – until it was confirmed to be Spider-Man’s webbing a few months later.

It’s an important story that ushered in the Bronze Age of comics, marking a shift toward more mature storytelling in the medium.

Kraven’s Last Hunt

Kraven’s Last Hunt is a classic story from 1987 by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck. In it, Kraven the Hunter, who has seen Spider-Man as big game for much of his publication history, ambushes Spidey and assumes his identity – believing he is the “superior Spider-Man”. Many fans rave about the scene where Spider-Man is buried alive or Kraven’s demise, but what makes this tale so good is its use of rich visual metaphor.

The story was called “Fearful Symmetry” during its original publication, but was retroactively named “Kraven’s Last Hunt” when it was reprinted in other formats.

• Reanimate: This card uses the cover for Web of Spider-Man #32 for its art.
• Eerie Gravestone: The scene in this card depicts events from what happens in Web of Spider-Man #32. In it, Kraven buries Spider-Man alive, forcing Spidey to dig himself out of his own grave in a sequence that’s rich in visual metaphor.

The Clone Saga

The Clone Saga is a notorious Spider-Man story featuring clones of Spider-Man. It was a popular story to begin with, where readers were excited by the ongoing mystery of the different clones. However, Marvel stretched the story out too long and then made an ambitious reveal that soured readers’ enthusiasm.

Find out how to read The Clone Saga with this reading order.

• The Clone Sage (SPM-28): The art features The Jackal, who was the major villain for the story.
• Rite of Replication: The art for this card is taken from a page in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #404 by Mark Bagley, Larry Mahlstedt, Randy Emberlin, Josef Rubinstein, and Bob Sharen.

Spider-Clones

On the topic of clones, the pair of above cards reference the popular Spider-Man meme.

Maximum Carnage

Maximum Carnage is a 14-part crossover from 1993. In it, Carnage and a motley crew of allies go on a murderous spree throughout New York City. Spider-Man and other heroes must team up to stop them. The story is a notable transitional period for Venom, who goes from villain to anti-hero in this tale, forming an uneasy alliance with Spider-Man.

The Spider-Verse

The Spider-Verse is the multiverse consisting of all the different Spider-Mans and other Spider-People. This guide has already mentioned a whole bunch of them up above.

• Thrill of Possibility: This card uses Dave Rapoza’s cover for Spider-Verse (2019 series) #6.
• Web of Life and Destiny: This is the physical representation of the Spider-Verse, showing what links each of the spider-people together across the multiverse.

The Six-Armed Saga

Spider-Man had six arms for a brief period, making him closer to a spider than has has ever been. This was told in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #100-102.

Wisecrack

This card is in reference to the fact Spider-Man loves a taught villains with cheeky and sly remarks.

The villain featured in the art is Grizzly, an ex-wrestler who controls a bear exoskeleton. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #139.

Damage Control

Damage Control is a New York City group that cleans up after superhero battles. There have been multiple series since the 1980s, where the comics are usually pitched with a sitcom tone.

Miles Morale’s parents

The card highlights Miles Morales’ parents, Rio Morales and Jefferson Davis.

Spider-Island

Spider-Island was a 2011 story where almost all the inhabitants of Manhattan received spider-powers, casing havoc. In some cases, people mutated into spider-beings as depicted in the card’s art.

With great power comes great responsibility

This is a reference to the famous “With great power comes great responsibility” mantra. It was a uttered by Uncle Ben in Amazing Fantasy #15 to Peter Parker, who has used it as part of shaping himself as Spider-Man.

Artist E. M. Gist has done many comic book covers for Marvel Comics and other publishers.

The Parker Luck

The Parker Luck is a sarcastic phrase that represents all the bad luck in Peter Parker’s life. This usually revolves around struggles in love, employment, and financial situations, but can sometimes extend to being Spider-Man.

• Parker Luck: This highlights the various struggles in Peter Parker’s life, from the villains he faces, his love life, and losing his friend Harry Osborn. Harry Osborn is referenced in the top right image of this card, showing his death in Spectacular Spider-Man #200 as the second Green Goblin.
• Rent is Due: Spider-Man is a successful superhero, but that doesn’t pay the bills. Peter Parker is often shown struggling financially as he tries to live two lives.

Spider-Mobile

Yep, the Spider-Mobile is a real thing. Find out more about it here.

Reprieve

The art for this card comes from a panel in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #136. The “Ross” in the credits is Ross Andru, a long-time Spider-Man artist in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Rest in Peace

The art on this card, by Mark Buckingham (pencils and inks) and D’Israeli (colours), is taken from Spectacular Spider-Man (2023 series) #27. While Mark Buckingham has done plenty of work for Marvel in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he’s best known for the Vertigo Comics series Fables. D’Isaeli is a British artist who has done bits and pieces in the US Comics scene but is best known for various work in the 2000 AD anthology.

Ponder

The art for Ponder is by legendary artist Moebius. Moebius was a titan of the French comics scene from the 1960s up until he died in 2012. He’s best known for work like Blueberry, The Incal, and contributions to Metal Hurlant. His work became more accessible in English-speaking markets in the 1980s, which caught the attention of Marvel Comics. Here, he worked with Stan Lee on the excellent Silver Surfer: Parable and a series of paintings of characters, as used in the above card, as well as in posts, pin-ups, and as a variant cover.

Heroic Intervention

The art of this card uses the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15, the comic that features Spider-Man’s origin and first appearance. It has been homaged and parodied numerous times, including on a card I’ve already discussed in this guide.

Arachnogenesis

The art for this card comes from Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man (1990) #1 cover. This is another one that has been parodied and homaged many times, including by McFarlane himself.

Parallel Lives

The art for this card is taken from the cover of Spider-Men #2. Spider-Men was a miniseries that saw Peter Parker and Miles Morales meet for the first time. This was during a period where they both occupied different universes. The latter still from the Ultimate Universe and the former from the main Marvel Universe.

Tangle

The art of this card is taken from Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado’s Amazing Spider-Man #900 variant cover. Humberto Ramos pencilled a bunch of issues of Amazing Spider-Man during the Dan Slott era.

Pater Parker’s job at the Daily Bugle

Peter Parker has worked at the Daily Bugle on and off as a photographer through Spider-Man’s publication history.

• Peter Parker’s Camera: Peter Parker often get Spider-Man photos by webbing up his camera in an opportune spot and then headed off to save the day.
• Pictures of Spider-Man: J. Jonah Jameson is always demanding new pictures of Spider-Man to publish in his newspaper, often accompanied by negative headlines that further his bias towards the hero.

Oscorp Industries

Oscorp Industries is Norman Osborn’s the jewel in the crown of Norman Osborn’s business empire. However…

Alchemax

Alchemax was created by merging Allen Chemical, created by Spider-Man supporting cast-member Liz Allen; assets from Oscorp; and what remained of Horizon Labs.

Ravencroft Institute

Ravenloft Institute is a maximum-security facility that treats super-powered criminals. Think of it a bit like Arkham Asylum in Batman comics.

The Soul Stone

The Soul Stone is an all-powerful artifact that can be used by the possessor to attack someone else’s soul. It is one of the six Infinity Stones that can be combined with the Infinity Gauntlet to give its wielder, most famously Thanos, unlimited power.

In the comics, the Infinity Stones, including the Soul Stone, are referred to as Infinity Gems. The name was changed to align with the MCU.

Passenger Ferry

This card is a reference to the ferry scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Master Planner’s Hideout

Doctor Octopus briefly went by the pseudonym of Master Planner, establishing an underwater base. This happened in the classic If This Be My Destiny storyline in Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #31-33.

Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man

Spider-Man often refers to himself as “your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man”.

New York City

The majority of Spider-Man comics are set in New York City. The above cards represent the city through its food, locations, and people.

New York City citizens

The citizens of New York City have a love-hate relationship with Spider-Man. It’s often the case that they love him because of the numerous time he has saved the city. He’s seen as a menace to society other times. However that’s mostly due to J. Jonah Jameson’s extreme-bias against the hero, which is amplified in the Daily Bugle newspaper.

Aunt May’s House

Peter Parker lived with his Aunt May in the suburbs when he was a teenager.

Empire State University

Peter Parker went to Empire State University. This was depicted in Spider-Man comics published between 1965 to 1979. Other characters that went to the same university include Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane Parker.

How to read Spider-Man comics?

Are you looking to start reading Spider-Man comics? They can be found in a variety of formats that don’t rely on you tracking down hard-to-find/expensive issues. Almost all of the comics mentioned have been collected in a trade paperback or similar format. Additionally, all of these comics are available digitally, whether it be through Amazon Kindle (which can be read on various devices) or the Marvel Unlimited subscription service.

I have put together a guide for the different Amazing Spider-Man creative runs. It goes granular into each creative run, while listing the collected editions in various formats – perfect for anyone looking to read specific stories.

Collected editions can be found at comic book shops, online retailers, and eBay.

Are there Magic: The Gathering comics?

Yes. There have been many Magic: The Gathering comics published throughout the years. Boom Studios published plenty of them over the past few years. However, the license has moved to Dark Horse Comics, which are currently releasing their first miniseries – Magic: The Gathering: Untold Stories – Elspeth.

Have your say

Has this set made you want to read Spider-Man comics? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Bluesky, Facebook, or Mastodon.