Spider-Verse
Spider-Verse is a comic book series issued by Marvel Comics since 2014. Its first major event/storyline started on November 5 in The Amazing Spider-Man No. 9 along with an individual issue named Spider-Verse Team-Up. This event took 20 publications to be completed and featured nearly every variant of Spider-People and Spider-Man that had appeared in the comics and other media in the over fifty years since Spider-Man's creation, all under attack by Morlun and his family, the Inheritors. This first major storyline, however, was preceded by a full-flagged Spider-Verse series titled Edge of the Spider-Verse, which served to introduce some new characters that would lead the event, such as Spider-Gwen and Miguel O’Hara.
The comic book series has received generally positive reviews and proved to be one of the most popular comics related to Spider-Man universe in recent history. Following the conclusion of the event in Amazing Spider-Man No. 14, several characters introduced in it such as Spider-Gwen became prominent figures in Marvel Comics, with some featured in titles of their own. Several of the Spider-Men from this event reunited for the second volume of Spider-Verse set during the Secret Wars and continued to operate together in the Web Warriors series. The 2017 event "Venomverse" was structured in a similar way to Spider-Verse, featuring alternative versions of Venom instead. In 2018, a direct sequel to Spider-Verse titled Spider-Geddon was released. Another Spider-Verse storyline—End of the Spider-Verse—ran from 2022 to 2023, following the release of an ongoing Edge of Spider-Verse series which introduced even more new alternate versions of Spider-Man, followed by the spin-off series Spider-Society, Spider-Man: Octo-Girl, and Spider-Boy, and then a joint crossover storyline—Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse—in 2025.
Spider-Verse also served as the primary inspiration behind many other stories in external media centered around bringing together alternate versions of Spider-Man. This includes seasons 3 and 4 of the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, as well as the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequels Across the Spider-Verse and Beyond the Spider-Verse, and the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home, the latter featuring three of the live-action movie versions of Peter Parker.
Publication history
The premise of a crossover was conceived by Dan Slott, who wrote the core part of the story in The Amazing Spider-Man #9–15, after working on the 2010 video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions which featured the mainstream, Ultimate, Noir and 2099 versions of Spider-Man. The last two episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, about multiple Spider-Men going across dimensions fighting villains, also served as inspiration. Slott's experience in Shattered Dimensions left him thinking that rather than a plot having four Spider-Men, it should have all the Spider-Men in existence. Slott's idea was originally postponed to make room for the 2012 Spider-Men storyline by Brian Michael Bendis, which featured the first meeting of the original Peter Parker, and Miles Morales of the Ultimate Universe. Slott was allowed to use any of the existing Spider-Man versions save for the ones of the Marvel Zombies metaseries, Spider-Boy and any Spider-Man co-owned by Sony Pictures, like Tobey Maguire's version, the version of Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, the version of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield's version. Beginning in August 2014, the event was preceded by two new issues of the cancelled The Superior Spider-Man, issues of Spider-Man 2099 and a five-issue run of one-shots, all under the Edge of Spider-Verse banner.Titles involved
Plot
Prelude
On Earth-311, Peter Parquagh is on stage at the Globe Theater when Morlun appears. Peter attempts to defend himself, but Morlun proves too powerful and absorbs Peter's life essence. Before disappearing into another dimension, Morlun declares that all spiders will die. Shortly after his death, his universe was destroyed.''Edge of Spider-Verse''
''Edge of Spider-Verse: Superior Spider-Man''
The Superior Spider-Man is pulled via a time warp into the year 2099. Superior Spider-Man attempts to return home, but instead travels to alternate Earths, where he finds the bodies of alternate Spider-Men, all slain by similar double-puncture wounds. He decides to assemble an army of Spider-Men to fight the killer.The Superior Spider-Man and his new team set an ambush for Karn, which backfires when Karn reveals he is unaffected by their weapons. The team is only able to escape when Karn's brother and sister Brix and Bora arrive, and fight among themselves.
''Edge of Spider-Verse: Miniseries''
While battling Mysterio on Earth-90214, Spider-Man Noir is attacked by Karn, but is saved by the timely arrival of the Superior Spider-Man, who takes Noir to the year 2099.On Earth-65, Gwen Stacy became Spider-Woman, while Peter Parker became the Lizard. Peter died while fighting Gwen, and Spider-Woman is blamed for his death by J. Jonah Jameson and her father, Captain George Stacy. When an assassin makes an attempt on George Stacy's life, Gwen defeats him, but Captain Stacy holds Spider-Woman at gunpoint. Gwen is forced to reveal her face and Captain Stacy tells her to leave while she can. The events are watched by a British Spider-Man called Spider-UK.
In a Japanese anime-like universe, Aaron Aikman uses his spider-based powers in an advanced suit of armor to become the Spider-Man. Years ago, Aaron's old lover Kaori Ikegami found her daughter brain dead after a car accident. Kaori became a recluse, but has now returned claiming that her daughter is awake and possessed by something. Kaori's daughter forces her to kidnap people, possessing those people in turn, and now the possessed are assembling into an army. Aaron suits up, and begins to head out the door. But Morlun appears, and tells him that "this is the end of your story."
On Earth-51412, Patton Parnel is a disturbed young man who lives with his abusive Uncle Ted. Patton "experiments" on animals and spies on his next-door neighbor Sarah Jane. On a trip to Alcorp Industries, Patton is bitten by a red spider. Patton gradually exhibits spider-like behavior, trapping several people in webs as food sources. When Sarah Jane comes to Patton's house looking for Gene, Patton kisses her, bites her neck, then transforms into a monstrous spider-like creature. Morlun arrives and drains Patton's life force, allowing Sarah Jane to escape.
On Earth-14512, Peni Parker is an Asian school girl whose father piloted the robot SP//dr. SP//dr's pilot is chosen by an intelligent radioactive spider who becomes mentally-linked to the new pilot. After her father dies in battle, Peni take his place. Peni is recruited by Spider-Ham and Old Man Spider to join the fight against Morlun and his family.
''Edge of Spider-Verse: Spider-Man 2099''
from the Exiles begins having visions when the Destiny War Miguel O'Hara is killed. Miguel prepares to flee to Earth-616 where Morlun was once killed. As Morlun kills the Timestorm Spider-Man 2099, Earth-616's Miguel begins to feel the deaths as well. Just as the Exiles' Miguel is about to make the dimensional jump, Morlun arrives and kills him in front of the Earth-616 Miguel. Miguel realizes he must find Peter Parker.''Edge of Spider-Verse: Amazing Spider-Man''
Billy Braddock a.k.a. Spider-UK is one of the newest recruits of the Captain Britain Corps. Scanning other universes, he sees the deaths of many alternate Spider-Men by the Inheritors. Daemos' brother Jennix detects Billy, who immediately cuts the scanner feed. As Saturnyne and Lady Roma discuss their concerns about the Incursions that are destroying entire universes, Spider-UK tries to tell them about the killings of the Spiders across the multiverse. Saturnyne rebuffs him, but a sympathetic Roma gives Billy a talisman that allows him to travel through the Web of Life to save the remaining Spiders.On Earth-982, Daemos attacks Spider-Girl. Her boyfriend Wes, Peter, and Mary Jane seemingly sacrifice themselves to save her and her baby brother Ben. Spider-UK and Old Man Spider arrive via portal and take her and Benjy away.
Main plot
On Earth-616, Spider-Man and Silk meet with Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, Spider-Man 2099, Spider-UK, Spider-Girl of Earth-982, and Spider-Ham. Spider-UK explains they are the Spiders of other dimensions and that all the strands of the Great Web are converging on Earth-616 Peter. Spider-UK tells him Morlun's elder brother Daemos is coming to Earth-616 and all of them head into a portal to another dimension. Peter Parker's clone Kaine Parker and other members of the New Warriors are beaten down by Daemos. Kaine stabs Daemos through the chest with his arm spikes, and Daemos realizes that Kaine can hurt him because he is the current receptacle of the Other. Old Man Spider-Man, the Bullet Points Spider-Man, and the Spider-Woman of Earth-65 arrive. Daemos kills the Bullet Points Spider-Man, but the others escape through a portal. They join other Spider-Men gathered on Earth-13, home of Cosmic Spider-Man who never lost the Enigma Force. On Earth-001, the Inheritors gather at a dinner table laden with crippled Spider-Totems. The siblings' father Solus reveals he has known all along where the Bride, the Other, and the Scion are located, then asks his children what the Web of Life and Destiny means to them.On Earth-1610, Miles Morales and Jessica Drew are attacked by Verna's Hounds, but are saved by the Superior Spider-Man, the Assassin Spider-Man, and Spider-Punk. On Earth-13, Spider-UK gets a reading on Superior Spider-Man's team. Old Man Spider-Man gives Spider-Man one of their devices to travel the Great Web, but insists Silk remain behind, refusing to say why. Silk waits secretly follows the team through the portal, arriving on Earth-928, where Peter is horrified to see the Superior Spider-Man in charge. Old Man Spider-Man explains that Kaine and Silk are the receptacles of Totems called the Other and the Bride. Daemos emerges from a portal and kills the Spider-Cyborg, but the Superior Spider-Man manages to kill Daemos. Spider-Man 2099 uses future technology to put Daemos' corpse in stasis. A second Daemos shows up and kills Old Man Spider-Man and the Assassin Spider-Man. Kaine and Ben Reilly of Earth-94 deduce that the Inheritors are clones, and Ben opens a portal to the Inheritors' home base. The Ultimate Spider-Woman, also a clone of Peter Parker, joins them. Silk steals Spider-Man's portal device and opens a portal while attracting the Inheritors' attention. The surviving Spiders regroup on Earth-13.
Solus mocks Morlun's fear of the Spider-Man of Earth-616. Morlun says he is concerned about the prophecy and that "the Other," "the Bride," and "the Scion" have all manifested. Solus agrees that they could end the Inheritors' reign. On Earth-13, Peter and Otto fight over who is better suited to lead the Spider-Army, and Spider-Man realizes that Otto thinks Peter is from before the mind-swap took place, not after. Spider-Man challenges the Superior Spider-Man to kill him, and the Superior Spider-Man backs down, unwilling to create a time paradox. The Superior Spider-Man reveals he has located the Inheritors' homeworld, but feels that they need a stronger army. Peter asks Spider-Girl, Spider-Woman, Miles Morales, and the Animated Spider-Man to help gather recruits. Morlun and Jennix emerge from portals, killing a version of Captain Spider and Spider-Monkey. Captain Universe Peter Parker of Earth-13 destroys Jennix with the Enigma Force. Solus arrives and reveals that the Enigma Force is pure life force energy on which the Inheritors feed, devouring Cosmic Spider-Man. Morlun kidnaps Benjy Parker from Spider-Girl of Earth-982, declaring him to be the receptacle of the Scion.
The Spiders charge Solus, who easily kills the Prince of Arachne and Arachnosaur. Morlun takes Benjy to Earth-001. Spider-Woman of Earth-65 and Spider-Girl bring in the Mangaverse Spider-Man, Spider-Man J, and Takuya Yamashiro of Earth-51778. Takuya charges Solus, but Solus destroys his giant robot Leopardon. The Safe Zone is lost, and the Spiders open a portal to a random world to escape. Silk, on the run from Brix and Bora, arrives on Earth-3145, a radioactive wasteland. When Brix steps out of the portal, he is nearly killed by the radiation before being pulled to safety. Realizing that the irradiated world is off-limits to the Inheritors, Silk covers herself in web for protection. Spider-Woman infiltrates the Inheritors' base by posing as her Earth-001 self. The Master Weaver reveals a secret rebellion against his captors, giving Jessica scrolls with knowledge of the Other, the Bride, and the Scion. Morlun arrives and gives Benjy to Brix and Bora. Jessica uses her damaged transporter to send the scrolls to Peter before Morlun discovers them. The Spider-Army arrives on Earth-8847, where Spider-Man receives the scrolls and is contacted by Silk. Arriving on Earth-3145, the Spiders follow Cindy to Sims Tower and find the bunker designed to hide them from the Inheritors. Inside, Silk was joined by Earth-3145's spider-totem Uncle Ben.
On Earth-3145, Uncle Ben was bitten by the spider and became Spider-Man, but gave up after the deaths of Aunt May and Peter and accepted Ezekiel Sims' offer to stay in the bunker. The Earth was later destroyed by nuclear weapons, leaving Uncle Ben the last man alive. The Superior Spider-Man realizes that Spider-Man is from his future, meaning that Otto will eventually lose everything. Spider-Girl reveals that she can read the mystical scrolls due to her original powers coming from a cult that worships the Master Weaver. She reads a prophecy that the Inheritors will lose to the Spiders, unless by sacrificing the Other, the Bride, and the Scion, which will stop new Spider-Totems from existing. The second scroll contains the life story of Karn, which the Spiders home can turn him to their side.
On Earth-802, Kaine, Jessica Drew of Earth-1610, and Ben Reilly destroy Jennix's cloning facilities, at the cost of Ben's life. Spider-Man contacts Kaine, who reveals he is on Earth-001. Spider-Man orders the away teams to rendezvous there. Kaine transforms into a massive Man-Spider and impales Solus, killing him. An enraged Morlun stabs Kaine through the head.
Joined by redeemed Karn, the Spiders head to Earth-001 for the final battle against the Inheritors. Miguel O'Hara and Lady Spider arrive with a repaired Leopardon. Spider-Ham disguises himself as Benjy, allowing Ben Parker to take Benjy back to his home reality and robbing the Inheritors off the Scion. The Superior Spider-Man kills the Master Weaver. The Inheritors are exiled to Earth-3145, where they are forced to hide in the Sims bunker to avoid death by radiation, while feeding off the radioactive spiders.