Warning: Contains Spoilers for Spider-Man #61!
Spider-Manis getting a major, magical upgrade in Marvel continuity. Thanks to some wild changes in comics, Spider-Man is not only becoming a sorcerer’s apprentice but has a new suit to match. Some awesome powers come with the change, as well as some not so awesome responsibility alongside the power,but the most surprising factor is that Spider-Man is now immune to death.
The AmazingSpider-Man#61 – written by Joe Kelly, with art by Ed McGuinness – finds theFriendly Neighborhood Spider-Manmaking yet another pact with a magical being. After the events of Marvel’sBlood Huntcrossover,Doctor Doom is Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, and he has enlisted the Webslinger to help him defeat a deadly magical threat. Now, as Spider-Man finds he isn’t up to the task, he is forced to accept Doom’s help.
What follows is a brand-new chapter for Spider-Man, with fantastic magical powers, a suit of Arcane Armor, and the ability to beat death through a gruesome process of rebirth.
Spider-Man Is Officially An Agent Of Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Doom, In A Major Turn For The Character
The AmazingSpider-Man#61 – Written By Joe Kelly; Art By Ed McGuinness; Ink By Mark Farmer; Color By Marcio Menyz; Lettering By Joe Caramagna
Spider-Man and magic don’t mixso well, but now he must embrace it to defeat the Scions of Cyttorak, an eldritch force of unbelievable power and horror unlike anything the street level hero Spider-Man is used to. But thankfully, Spider-Man isn’t just a webslinging hero fighting mystical beings. He now knows the names and purposes of spells thanks to Doom’s sorcerer’s knowledge, andhe uses these very spells, like the Wicked Webs of Wundagore and the Luminescene of Limitless Langolin, to attack his opponents.
A Founding X-Men Hero Debuts Terrifying New Look as Doctor Doom’s Mutant Soldier
The X-Men are no strangers to the dark side, but under Doctor Doom’s will, Angel returns to his darkest period as the new Angel of Doom.
Yet even with his spells and his silvery new Arcane Armor, Spider-Man is still the same, despite this major power upgrade. While the spells he now casts relate to Doctor Strange’s powers, they are still “translated” into action on the page as webs, showing that Doom can endow Peter Parker with mystical abilities, but that he isn’t overwriting the Webslinger’s classic powers in the process. His new power acts as ethereal and magical attacks that translate the use of his physical webs into spiritual webs.
Spider-Man Now Has Magical Power Over Death And Resurrection
Peter Parker Becomes Marvel’s Latest Immortal
Shockingly, though, this newfound magical strength, as exhibited inAmazing Spider-Man#61, is not Spidey’s only upgraded power. As he takes down the Scion of Cytorrak using his magical web energy, Spider-Man ultimately is forcd to sacrifices himself. Yetthanks to the eight of the Life-Restoring Reeds of Raggadorr, Peter Parker now has a power over death; just like Wolverine or Deadpool, Spider-Man can come back even from the most gruesome of deaths, totally changing his role in the Marvel Universe, at least for now.
This resurrection power might be an upgrade that turns Spider-Man from a hero into a god, but it will have traumatic lasting effects on Peter Parker for some time moving forward.
Though it is important to note that this endowed immortality goes further than just a healing factor. As Phil Coulson, Marvel’s latest embodiment of Death, reveals, Spider-Man does actually die. The Reeds of Raggador are a terrible power because Spider-Man experiences a true and horrible death, only to assimilate himself back together, atom by atom, through the use of pure magic, stitched together like a web from scratch.This resurrection powermight be an upgrade that turns Spider-Man from a hero into a god, but it will have traumatic lasting effects on Peter Parker for some time moving forward.
Spider-Man Is Doom’s Newest Apprentice, Giving Peter Parker Newfound Purpose In The Marvel Universe
Spider-Man’s Latest “Deal With The Devil”
This isn’t the first time Spider-Man has made a pact with amagical, or mystical being in the Marvel Universe.He infamously made a pact with Mephistoinone of the most surprising and fundamental moments of Peter Parker’s career inSpider-Man: One More Day,by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada. The comic featured Peter Parker trading his own marriage and relationship with Mary Jane to the demon Mephisto in order to save his Aunt May’s life.
No matter what, Spider-Man will always put his own well-being on the line to save others.
While a controversial concept to fans at the time (and still now), it reveals a clear morality in Spider-Man’s life. He would rather give up any major piece of his happiness to save the life of a loved one. While the stakes aren’t as high inAmazing Spider-Man#61,the same rule applies: Spider-Man gambles quickly and realizes that to save the lives of innocent people, he needs to make a deal with Doom. No matter what, Spider-Man will always put his own well-being on the line in order to save others.
Spider-Man Is New York’s Marvel’s Latest Magical Hero – But Will The Upgrade Last?
Seven More Deaths Are In Store For Spidey
A lot can change in an issue, from a new Sorcerer Supreme making a deal with Marvel’s most iconic hero, to that very hero’s death and rebirth in the same issue. As part of a series titledThe 8 Deaths of Spider-Man,Doom has tasked him with killing all eight Scions of Cyttorak as well as gifting him the Reeds that allow him to resurrect himself. Consequently,Spider-Man must prepare for more deaths in Marvel canon than the hero has ever fathomed experiencing before.
Spider-Man’s New Powers Is Pure Nightmare Fuel, As He Gets the Ultimate (But Most Horrifying) Version of a Healing Factor
Thanks to the gift of sorcery, Spider-Man now has power over death with one heavy side effect - he has to actually die to achieve rebirth.
Deadpool andWolverine never actually die, and even Doctor Strange’s shade gets a chance to live beyond death. On the other hand,Spider-Man has to diefor real every time. Thankfully, he’s more powerful than ever and with an awesome suit of armor as the Sorcerer’s Supreme’s newest apprentice. But if his last magical pact holds any weight over history, then there might be more than eightSpider-Mandeaths in the future.
Spider-Man #61is available now from Marvel Comics!
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
