April 1, 2023

Gabbing Geek

Your online community for all things geeky.

A Spoiler Filled Walk On The Great Web Of Spider-Verse, Part Three

edge of spider-verse

Be sure to check out the other parts of this series: Part One (Intro/Reading Order) | Part Two (Weaving The Web)

In this installment, we will look at theĀ prelude issues leading up to the Spider-Verse main event.

Edge of Spider-Verse

Spider-Man 1602
Spider-Man 1602

Our first real taste of Spider-Verse came on Free Comic Book day 2014. Ā Marvel’s contribution included a story that would hearken us back to the Neil Gaiman created world of Marvel 1602. Ā Marvel 1602 was an 8 issue mini-series that ran in 2003/2004 that re-imagined the Marvel universe in the Elizabethan era. Ā Definitely a recommended read, though I can’t speak to it’s sequels.

In this story we find Peter Parquagh,Ā The Spider ofĀ Earth-311 performing in a play in full costume. Ā Morlun arrives and easily dispatches him.

Deaths: Peter Parquagh, The Spider, Earth-311. Ā (First appearanceĀ Marvel 1602 #1)

Superior Spider-Man 32Story 1 – After getting sucked into the time-streamĀ in Superior Spider-ManĀ #19, Spock ends up in 2099. Ā In trying to get home, Spock builds the vortex from Sliders and it works just as well. Ā He ends up on multiple different earths, each time shortly after their version of Spider-Man has been killed by Karn (Morlun’s brother and the first of the other Inheritors we meet). Ā By the end of the issue, he has started arriving ahead of Karn and recruiting Spider-Totems for a rebellion.

There is a long list of deaths in this story:

Invisible Girl avoids death...or maybe they just can't see her corpse.
Invisible Girl avoids death…or maybe they just can’t see her corpse.
  • Reed Richards, Human Torch, The Thing and Spider-Man from Earth-772. Ā This Earth is from the very first issue ofĀ What If?Ā that asked “What If Spider-Man Joined The Fantastic Four?”
  • House of M Spider-Man Earth-58163. Ā This Spider-Man is from the popular Marvel House of M event that occurred when the Scarlet Witch lost her marbles and tried to alter reality to bring back her children. Ā It will be interesting to see how Secret Wars treats this death (and others) since we know there is a House of M zone on Battleworld.
  • Iron Spider Earth-TRN443. Ā You would think What If? Civil War would be the Earth that this Spider-Man hails from, but no. Ā Spider-Man does appear (and dies!) in that issue, but not in the Iron Spider suit. Ā This is one of those cases where MarvelĀ basically needed to find a way to get in any costume changes that 616 Peter has had over the years. Ā The first appearance of the Iron Spider suit in 616 continuity was Amazing Spider-Man #529. Ā It was built for Spider-Man by Tony Stark fittingly after The Other.
  • Spider-Armor Earth-TRN442. Ā Similarly, created this issue just to allow them to off one of Peter’s other suits. Ā First (and only) appearance of the Spider-Armor in 616 continuity was in Web of Spider-Man #100.

Story 2 – Spock recruitsĀ Spider-Man-8351 aka Assassin Spider-Man. Ā This story technicallyĀ takes place during the first story of this issue. Ā Assassin Spider-Man first appeared in What If? Spider-Man vs Wolverine.

Deaths: Wolverine.

superior-spider-man-32

Edge of Spider-Verse 1 – Spider-Man Noir – takes place during SuperiorĀ #32. Ā Karn comes looking for Spider-Man Noir, Spock saves and recruits him. Ā No deaths.

Amazing Spider-Man 7 – Story 2 – In Otherworld, the omniversal hub of all cross time, Billy Braddock aka Spider-UK, can observe the multiverse and track The Inheritors. Ā There is also talk of incursions for you Secret Wars completists. Ā Spider-UK is given a talisman that allows him to travel along The Great Web.

Dan Slott just ruined your childhood memories.
Dan Slott just ruined your childhood memories.

Deaths: Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Earth-1983: Spider-Man, Firestar, Iceman. Ā Spider-Cat Earth-999 (First appearance Spider-Island: I Love New York City #1). Spider-Man Earth-7831. Ā (There is some confusion over who this Spider-Man is, though he appears to wear the suit of the Spider-Man Unlimited cartoon, but his mask is blue instead of red.)

Sorry Jenny, RIP Spider-Cat.
Sorry Jenny, RIP Spider-Cat.

Edge of Spider-Verse 2 – Gwen Stacey: Spider-Woman (henceforth known, including the title of her solo title, as Spider-Gwen). Ā First appearance of a Gwen Stacey Spider-Person and a Peter Parker lizard. Ā No Inheritors. Ā Spider-UK makes a cameo at the end as he has been watching Gwen in action and prepares to recruit her. Ā No deaths.

Superior Spider-Man 33 – Story 1 – The Spiders battle Karn but are outmatched when Brix and Bora arrive. Ā The Spiders manage to escape as we first learn of the sibling rivalry between these Inheritors. Ā No deaths.

Story 2 – gives us background on the Inheritors, notably Karn and why he wears the mask. Ā Deaths:Ā Ai ApaecĀ in his first and only appearance.

Ai Apaec
Ai Apaec
aaron-aikman-the-spider-man
Aaron Aikman: The Spider-Man
Patton Parnel
Patton Parnel

Edge of Spider-Verse 3 – 1st and only appearance of Aaron Aikman: The Spider-Man.

Deaths: Not shown, but implied that he is killed by Morlun at the stories conclusion.

Edge of Spider-Verse 4 – A very alternate and dark telling of Spider-Man’s familiar origin featuring Patton Parnell as the boy who gets bitten by a radioactive spider.

Ā Deaths: Patton Parnell killed by Morlun.

Edge of Spider-Verse 5 – 1st appearance of Sp//dr a robot piloted by school girl Peni Parker. Ā She is recruited to fight the Inheritors by Spider-Ham and Old Man Spider (who wears the costume of “Last Stand Spider-Man”). Ā No deaths.

Spider-Man 2099 5 – Morlun is killing Miguel O’Hara’s (Spider-Man 2099) across the multiverse. Ā We also learn that Morlun is “afraid” to return to the 616 because of his defeat at the hands of “our” Peter Parker. Ā Though he claims he is just saving it for last. Ā Sure Morlun, sure.

Deaths: Miguel O’Hara Earth-98120 (First appearance Avengers ForeverĀ #12),Ā Miguel O’Hara Earth-6375 (First appearance Exiles #75), Ā Miguel O’Hara Earth-96099 (And his non Spider father, first appearance Timestorm 2009-2099 #1)

Miguel O'Hara Earth 98120, Miguel O'Hara Earth-6375,  and Miguel O'Hara Earth-96099 are having a very bad day.
Miguel O’Hara, Miguel O’Hara and Miguel O’Hara are having a very bad day.

Amazing Spider-Man 8 – (Story 2) In a nod to MC2 Spider-Girl’s popularity, her back up story actually gets 75% of the cover real estate. Ā In the last Edge of Spider-Verse story,Ā Old Man Spider and Spider-UK save Mayday and her brother BenjyĀ from Daemos but are too late to save the original MC2 Spider-Man. Ā (The MC2 Spider-Family made their first appearance inĀ What If? Vol 2 #105 Ā They would prove so popular that Marvel would launch an entire alternate future line of comics based on this issue, dubbed Marvel Comics 2 or MC2 for short.)

Deaths: Spider-Man/Peter Parker Earth-982, Mary Jane Watson-Parker Earth-982 (assumed)

MC2-Peter-And-MJ
MC2 Peter And MJ

Up next in Part Four: Spider-Verse!

%d bloggers like this: