Spider-Man is one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world, with decades of comics history, multiple movie franchises, animated shows and a long list of video games, including three recent titles on PS5 and PC. And now he’s crawling his way into Magic: The Gathering with September’s Spider-Man set.
This is the third full Universes Beyond set — Magic’s name for products based on outside properties. While Universes Beyond has introduced myriad properties from Stranger Things to Spongebob as smaller card selections, the Spider-Man set follows Final Fantasy as the second Universes Beyond set to be legal in most formats. An Avatar: The Last Airbender set will be hot on its heels later this year.
We’ve gotten glimpses of other cards, including various Spider-people, previously. And at PAX on Friday, the Magic: The Gathering team showed off more cards, homing in especially on the supervillain group known as the Sinister Six. That group has had a few different incarnations, but the Magic set focuses on a pretty classic lineup of Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro, Sandman and Kraven.
Each of the Six also appears as a Legendary creature card, with some specifically tied to the “villain” creature type.
We also got our first look at Eddie Brock, aka Venom. Like some of the Spider-people, he’s a transforming modal dual-faced card, meaning you can cast either side or cast one side and then transform it. That split gives you options depending on where you are in the game and how much mana you can spend.
You can cast Eddie and transform him…
…or cast Venom directly!
The set introduces a new “web-slinging” mechanic, which lets you pay alternate (usually cheaper) costs for creatures if you also return a tapped creature to your hand — representing Spidey or an ally swinging in to save the day. Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man also debuts a new “mayhem” mechanic, allowing you to cast a card from your graveyard if you discarded it that turn.
Web-slinging costs usually let you cast the creature earlier than its mana cost allows.
Mayhem gives you a chance to use cards you’ve recently discarded, even though they’re no longer in your hand.
Returning mechanics include cards that care about modified creatures (those with counters or other cards attached) and story-like Saga cards, which also played a major role in the Final Fantasy Set.
Attaching equipment counts as modifying creatures. It also makes them look cooler.
Pro tip: You can use Clever Impersonator to copy this card and end up with a Clone Saga saga clone.
As usual, there are multiple card treatments, including full- and alternate-art versions, comics-inspired showcase cards and a bonus sheet — reprints of existing Magic cards styled with Spider-Man comic art from across the decades.
The Clone Saga in its showcase treatment.
Stealth Suit is one of several variants of the Spectacular Spider-Man card.
This bonus sheet reprint of Heroic Intervention uses cover art from the first Spider-Man comic.
Spider-Man is the first full set in the Magic: The Gathering-Marvel collaboration, following a smaller Secret Lair drop — but more is on the way. The biggest hint: a conspicuous Infinity Stone, one of the six gems Thanos seeks in his quest to bring death to the Marvel universe. Players can collect it in normal, showcase or special infinity foil treatment.
The Soul Stone is probably just the first in Thanos’ collection.
Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set launches Sept. 26 and is available for preorder on Amazon and your local game store. The set’s cards and mechanics will also arrive in Magic: The Gathering Arena, though as mechanically identical cards with different names and art — thanks to the tangled web of digital licensing agreements.
