Summary

• Spider-Man 2099 introduced a second heroic age in a world without costumed heroes, and Spider-Man was its vanguard.
• The 2099 line's first crossover, Fall of the Hammer, started in Spider-Man 2099 and united all the heroes of that time together.
• Peter David's final arc beautifully wrapped up Spider-Man 2099's story.

In 1992, Marvel unveiled the 2099 imprint, anchored by Spider-Man 2099. Set in the titular year, Spider-Man 2099 followed the adventures of Miguel O’Hara, who received spider-like powers after an experiment went awry. There were no costumed heroes active in 2099, and Spider-Man’s arrival inaugurated a second heroic age.

Spider-Man 2099 ran for 46 issues between 1992 and 1996, and acclaimed writer Peter David was behind 44 of them. Working primarily with artist Rick Leonardi, Peter David helped lay the foundation for the world of 2099, and here are his ten best Spider-Man 2099 stories, ranked.

10 Strange 2099 Opened Up the Magical Side of the 2099 Line

Artists: Roger Robinson, Alex Wildman, from Spider-Man 2099 #32-33

Magical characters, such as Doctor Strange, are a rich part of the Marvel tapestry, but they were by and large absent from the 2099 line, until the introduction of Strange 2099. A young woman named Jeannie, Strange 2099, was the Sorcerer Supreme of her time. She also had a demon living inside of her, and it came out when she and Miguel teamed up to stop some zombies. Strange 2099 would make more appearances in later 2099 books, but her intro here finally explored the more mystical side of the future.

9 The Coming of the Net Prophet Gave the 2099 Line One of Its Biggest Mysteries

Artist: Rick Leonardi, from Spider-Man 2099 #12-13

The 2099 line was a tight-knit one, and one of its greatest mysteries began in the pages of Peter David’s run in Spider-Man 2099. A mysterious stranger arrives in the year 2099, seemingly with ties to the first Heroic Age. Unfortunately, he has amnesia, with whole blocks of his memory gone. Taking the name “the Net Prophet,” he brought a righteous sense of justice to a techno-fascist society. The identity of the Net Prophet was not revealed until Spider-Man 2099’s final issues, and while some may view it as anti-climactic, his debut is a great story.

8 The 2099 Line’s First Crossover, Fall of the Hammer, Began With Spider-Man

Artist: Rick Leonardi, from Spider-Man 2099 #15-16

The Fall of the Hammer was the title of the first 2099 crossover, and it began with seeds planted by Peter David in Spider-Man 2099’s earliest issues, so it was only appropriate to kick off in the book as well. For years, a group of true-believers held fast to their belief that Thor would return and smite the evil Alchemax. The movement began to gain steam, so Alchemax stepped in and engineered their own series of “Norse gods.” Alchemax intended to then use them to discredit the Thor-ites, but Spider-Man, Ravage, Doom and the Punisher ed forces to stop them.

7 Peter David’s Final Arc Wrapped Up Spider-Man 2099’s Story Beautifully

Artists: Andrew Wildman, Ron Lim, from Spider-Man 2099 #42-44

Peter David ended his first run in Spider-Man 2099 with a poignant storyline that wrapped up a number of long-running stories. Set against the backdrop of a new Atlantean invasion, complete with a 2099 riff on the Sub-Mariner, Miguel finally begins to realize that being Spider-Man may not have been the curse he thought it was. The final shot of Miguel walking away with his mother is a bittersweet one. Issue 44 was David’s last, and the book would run for two more issues with other writers before ending at 46.

6 When Two Wall Crawlers Meet, Sparks Will Fly

Artist: Rick Leonardi, from Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man

As Spider-Man 2099’s ongoing was entering its third year, Marvel decided to finally have him meet his Heroic Age counterpart in this special one-shot written by Peter David. Thanks to time-travel experiments being conducted both in the present and in 2099, the two Spider-Men traded places. Watching Miguel O’Hara stand up to J. Jonah Jameson is one of the book’s many highlights, as is Peter trying to adjust to the year 2099. For good measure, Venom makes an appearance too, which helps make this already memorable crossover even more so.

5 Venom 2099 Was Spider-Man 2099’s Most Personal Enemy

Artist: Andrew Wildman, Keith Pollard, from Spider-Man 2099 #35-38

The present day incarnations of Spider-Man and Venom have an interesting dynamic, but Peter David flipped the script on it with Spider-Man 2099. Kron, Miguel’s half-brother, had been a thorn in his side for most of the book’s run, and in this storyline, he gained control of a symbiote. Kron then used it to seek vengeance on Spider-Man. For most of the story, Spider-Man 2099 was unsure of Venom 2099’s identity. When he saw it was bonded to a human, he spared its host life. Miguel then learned Venom’s true identity, giving the story its heft.

4 For Spider-Man 2099, the Truth Did Hurt–But Made For One of His Best Stories

Artist: Rick Leonardi, from Spider-Man 2099 #25

Peter David wrapped up his second year in Spider-Man 2099 with some revelations that shaked the character to his core, offering new insights into his origin and his family. Tyler Stone, the CEO of Alchemax, had been a villain to Spider-Man 2099, and in this issue, Miguel learned Stone was his father. Furthermore, Miguel learned that his “addiction” to the designer drug Rapture had been a lie. Miguel underwent the experiment that transformed him into Spider-Man to purge himself of Rapture. Here, he learned he underwent the agony for nothing, making him even more tragic.

3 Spider-Man 2099’s Most Compelling Character Was His Mother

Artist: Rick Leonardi, from Spider-Man 2099 #10

Tyler Stone, the ruthless head of Alchemax, was Miguel's father, but Peter David’s story “Mother’s Day,” introduced Spider-Man 2099’s mother, who provided the balance to Stone that Miguel needed. Miguel and his mother had a testy relationship over the years, and watching it progress and grow throughout Peter David’s run was one of the highlights of Spider-Man 2099. Miguel’s family, including his mother as well as his brother Gabriel, helped make the book great, and this story offers deep insight into those who helped shape the hero.

2 Spider-Man 2099 Went Downtown–And Found Himself in the Process

Artist: Rick Leonardi, from Spider-Man 2099 #6-8

Even though he would grow to become 2099’s greatest hero, Miguel O’Hara was reluctant at first, but Peter David’s “Downtown” arc showed Spider-Man 2099’s potential as a great hero. After a nasty fight with the assassin the Specialist, Spider-Man finds himself in the “Downtown” area of the city, home to transients and other “undesirables.” Downtrodden and desperate, the people of Downtown begin to rally around Spider-Man as he takes down cannibal cults and other oddities. At the conclusion of the arc, Spider-Man 2099 realized he had what it took to truly be heroic.

1 Spider-Man 2099’s Origin is Perfect, And Still Holds Up Today

Artist: Rick Leonard, from Spider-Man 2099 #1-3

Spider-Man 2099 was the flagship book of the 2099 line, and its debut had a lot riding on it: it not only had to sell a brand new, untested character to fans, but the entire line as well. Fortunately, Peter David rose to the challenge, crafting along with Leonardi a fast-paced origin infused with dystopian cyberpunk elements. David introduces a number of characters and concepts throughout Spider-Man 2099’s first three issues, but it is never overwhelming and instead one of the best Marvel origins of the 1990s.

The 2099 line folded in 1996, but Spider-Man 2099 has stood the test of time, having a shelf-life way beyond the other characters in the imprint. Peter David would return to chronicle Spider-Man 2099’s adventures in the 2010s, and Miguel O’Hara has experienced a surge in popularity thanks to his appearance in Across the Spider-Verse. Peter David, along with his artistic collaborators, deserve a lion’s share of the success of Spider-Man 2099.