Peter Parker's Spider-Man is about to undergo a mystic rebirth in Marvel canon, as Doctor Doom chooses Spidey for a deadly mission, granting him new powers and armor to get the job done. One World Under Doom is coming to Marvel Comics, and the publisher's most iconic heroes now answer to its most insidious villain.
In Marvel's recently revealed preview of Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness' Amazing Spider-Man #61, fans get to see Spider-Man's transformation and new powers. The new era is called '8 Deaths of Spider-Man,' and will see Spider-Man granted mystic armor that can resurrect him on death, giving him eight lives to defeat the Scions of Cyttorak - a mystic threat Doom doesn't want to face himself.
The preview shows Spider-Man creating mystic webbing which he can use both offensively and defensively. The fact that one of the Scions of Cyttorak is seemingly hurt by the webbing shows it must pack a punch comparable to a blow from the Juggernaut or Fantastic Four's Thing. The red and gray suit echoes his iconic Spider-Armor suit, but with red cloth detailing and a glowing green spider symbol.
Spider-Man will die multiple times as he takes on the Scions of Cyttorak, with Doctor Doom giving him mystical webbing to fight back.
Marvel its There's One Big Problem with Spider-Man's Iconic Motto
Spider-Man's iconic motto is known by fans around the world, but even Marvel knows that Uncle Ben's fixation with the mantra was a little awkward.
Spider-Man Gets Resurrection Powers Working for Doctor Doom
The New Sorcerer Supreme Chooses Spider-Man as His Supernatural Agent
In 2025, Doctor Doom is taking control of the Marvel Universe, taking on the title of Sorcerer Supreme. As part of his new regime, Spider-Man will be turned into his stooge, being sent to face off against a group of demi-gods known as the Scions of Cyttorak. There are multiple scions, but so far fans only know about Cyrios (who will make Spider-Man relive his most painful moments), Callix (who will test Spider-Man with physical pain), and Cyra (who will force him to watch everyone he loves die.)
Cyttorak is a Demon Lord in Marvel lore, and the being who originally gave Juggernaut his powers. Cyttorak feeds on destruction and is the ruler of the Crimson Cosmos. He abandoned his kingdom recently, perhaps explaining why his scions have become a newfound threat.
The preview of Amazing Spider-Man #61 shows Doom accosting Spider-Man while he's going about his heroic business and transforming him, giving Peter what Marvel describes as "mystical green webs." It's unclear whether Spider-Man is working with Doctor Doom voluntarily or not, and either option makes sense. As the new Sorcerer Supreme, Doom is more than capable of forcing Spider-Man to do what he wants, however he also has the responsibility to protect Earth from supernatural danger. If Doom sincerely asks for Spider-Man's help facing down a legitimate threat, the Friendly Neighborhood Hero would be forced to agree.
Marvel points out that Juggernaut is "about ten times more powerful than Spider-Man with only a fraction of Cyttorak's powers," while the Scions are his chosen servants and have a far larger portion of the Demon Lord's might. It's clear that Spider-Man will need his eight extra lives just to stand a chance of succeeding in his mission, however it's also apparent that his psychological suffering will more than equal what he goes through physically.
Spider-Man is just the first hero who'll be working for Doctor Doom, as the axis of power shifts in the Marvel Universe.
Juggernaut's Cosmic Lore Explained - From Cyttorak to Watoomb
The Juggernaut isn't just a brute. He's one of eight mystically empowered avatars of the Octessence - the secret Demon Lords of the Marvel Universe.
Doctor Doom Makes Him First Official Move as Sorcerer Supreme
The Villain Is on a Quest to Save the World
Doctor Doom achieved the station of Sorcerer Supreme during Marvel's Blood Hunt event, by Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz. When vampires blotted out the sun and attacked the entire world, Doctor Doom had a spell ready to stop the, but he would only agree to unleash it if Doctor Strange handed over his power as Sorcerer Supreme. While Doom did need Strange's power to make the spell work, it was also suggested that he'd caused the entire vampiric invasion to force the handover.
Doom took not just Doctor Strange's power and title, but also a small part of his soul (a necessary ingredient in Strange willingly handing over his abilities.) Since then, Doom has hidden himself away in Latveria behind a magical barrier. While his next move is a mystery to Marvel's heroes, fans know that he's preparing for his self-imposed role as Earth's primary protector in One World Under Doom, a mysterious new era that will affect the majority of Marvel titles.
Doctor Doom has a long history with magic, and he actually only lost out on the Sorcerer Supreme title in the first place because he was beaten by Doctor Strange. Now, he's getting what he always wanted, and he's handling the role very differently to his predecessor. Marvel says there are "some duties he'd rather delegate," explaining why he's sending Spider-Man to handle the Scions of Cyttorak. As Sorcerer Supreme, Doom has immense knowledge of the mystical world (added to his insight as a genius scientist.) If Doom is now the one who knows when a god-level threat is on its way to Earth, even the greatest heroes will be forced to follow his lead.
Spider-Man's connection to magic is way deeper than most fans know, and now he finally has to accept it.
Marvel Unveils Doctor Doom's New Redesign as Marvel's Most Powerful...Hero?!
Doctor Doom is the only one who can stop the vampire invasion, and as the Sorcerer Supreme, he becomes Earth's savior - but he's not stopping there.
Spider-Man Isn't Exactly New to Magic
Mysticism Is at the Heart of Spider-Man's Powers
Working as Doctor Doom's lackey is a major inversion of Spider-Man's usual relationship with Doctor Strange, who he often goes to for advice on the magical elements of his adventures. While Peter long believed his powers were pure science, more recent stories have revealed there's also a strong magical element to his origin. Every world in the multiverse has a 'Spider Totem,' each connected to the magic of the powerful goddess Neith.
Many of Spider-Man's powers hinge on his connection to magic, such as his precognitive spider-sense and his (not always present) ability to communicate with spiders. Since Peter is a scientist, he's resisted leaning into his magical potential, but other heroes from the Spider-Verse have embraced it entirely. There's even the implication that Doctor Strange and Spider-Man make the same gesture (Strange to cast spells, Spider-Man to use his webs) because their powers stem from the same source. Indeed, fans got to see a Spider-Man variant become the Sorcerer Supreme in Peter David and Greg Land's Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality.
Despite his connection to magic, Spider-Man certainly isn't experienced in using it as his primary offense and defense. That's about to change as Doctor Doom's upgrade grants him resurrection powers and turns his webbing into a conduit for magical force. Of course, going up against a Demon Lord's unstoppable, pain-obsessed children means that Spider-Man is still at risk of being killed one time too many.
Amazing Spider-Man #61 is coming November 13 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel
- Alias
- Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
- Created By
- Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
- Franchise
- Marvel, Spider-Man
- Race
- Human
- First Appearance
- Amazing Fantasy
- Alliance
- Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
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.
