At Last, We Know What Spider-Man Was Up to Before the MCU's Civil War

By Joe Anthony Myrick

Published Nov 27, 2024

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Custom image by Niall Gray

Marvel finally reveals what Spider-Man was doing before ing the MCU. Tom Holland's Peter Parker made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Captain America: Civil War. When Tony Stark recruits the boy for Team Iron Man, it's made clear that Peter was already well into his superhero career. However, the movie doesn't delve deep into how Spidey's reputation precedes him.

Spider-Man's pre-MCU life is finally analyzed in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3 by Christos Gage and Eric Gapstur. Marvel revealed even more details about the issue in its February 2025 solicitations.

YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #3 (2025)

Release Date:	February 19th, 2025
Writers:	Christos Gage
Artists:	Eric Gapstur
Cover Artist:	Leonardo Romero
Variant Covers:	Benjamin Su
SWINGING INTO TROUBLE! With a new school, new powers and a new secret identity, Peter Parker’s in over his head as he tries to navigate his double life as Spider-Man. YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN is swinging into a new animated series on Disney+, but you can read about it first as he takes on THE ENFORCERS!

The solicit reveals that in this MCU prequel, Spider-Man takes on the Enforcers. This comic could showcase how Spider-Man built his credibility prior to Civil War, whilst also canonizing these forgotten villains into the MCU.

Spider-Man Officially Faces His Perfect Street-Level Enemies in a New MCU Prequel

Who are the Enforcers?

Comic book art: Spider-Man Faces the Enforcers

Marvel is currently preparing to release an animated prequel to Peter Parker's MCU debut Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. With Craig of the Creek's Jeff Trammell serving as head writer, the show will showcase Peter's origin story and pre-Civil War escapades. This comic book series will be a companion piece to the 2025 animated show and will introduce the Enforcers into the MCU. In Marvel's Earth-616 canon, the Enforcers originally debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Spiderman running in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman Season 1 Ep 3

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - Everything You Need To Know

Spider-Man will star in the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series, but what will the show's premise, cast, and continuity setting be?

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Featuring Montana, Ox, and Fancy Dan, the Enforcers are a gang of hired guns who team up with whoever pays them within New York City's criminal underworld. In his days as a strictly street-level hero, they rank among Spider-Man's first rivals in the official Marvel continuity, and now they will be Spidey's first villains in the official MCU continuity. Audiences have been eager to see the MCU Spider-Man take on more street-level villains, so this new story should be a welcome addition to the MCU-centric comics.

Marvel's New Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Comic Builds Spider-Man's MCU Credibility

The Enforcers Would Be a Notable Challenge

Split image of Tom Holland's Peter Parker in his Spider-Man suit on the left, Peter with Tony Stark's glasses on in the bus on the right from Spider-Man Far From Home (2019) — Custom Image by Severina Chu

Because Civil War introduces Spider-Man after his superhero journey has already begun, it deprives audiences of seeing this Spidey's origins and the first villains he faces. Not only does this comic fill the space that the third Captain America failed to have, but it adds context to what Iron Man saw from Spider-Man to be impressed enough to recruit a child into his war. Tony didn't just see a young man with impressive powers taking on street thugs, he saw Spider-Man defeat one of New York's toughest gangs - and now readers will, too, in this new issue.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3 is available February 19th, 2025 from Marvel Comics.