Spider-Man is one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world, with decades of comics history, multiple movie franchises, animated shows and a long list of video games, including three recent titles on PS5 and PC. And now he's crawling his way into Magic: The Gathering with September's Spider-Man set.
This is the third full Universes Beyond set -- Magic's name for products based on outside properties. While Universes Beyond has introduced myriad properties from Stranger Things to Spongebob as smaller card selections, the Spider-Man set follows Final Fantasy as the second Universes Beyond set to be legal in most formats. An Avatar: The Last Airbender set will be hot on its heels later this year.
We've gotten glimpses of other cards, including various Spider-people, previously. And at PAX on Friday, the Magic: The Gathering team showed off more cards, homing in especially on the supervillain group known as the Sinister Six. That group has had a few different incarnations, but the Magic set focuses on a pretty classic lineup of Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro, Sandman and Kraven.
Each of the Six also appears as a Legendary creature card, with some specifically tied to the "villain" creature type. Wizards of the Coast/Marvel
We also got our first look at Eddie Brock, aka Venom. Like some of the Spider-people, he's a transforming modal dual-faced card, meaning you can cast either side or cast one side and then transform it. That split gives you options depending on where you are in the game and how much mana you can spend.
You can cast Eddie and transform him... Wizards of the Coast/Marvel
...or cast Venom directly! Wizards of the Coast/Marvel
The set introduces a new "web-slinging" mechanic, which lets you pay alternate (usually cheaper) costs for creatures if you also return a tapped creature to your hand -- representing Spidey or an ally swinging in to save the day. Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man also debuts a new "mayhem" mechanic, allowing you to cast a card from your graveyard if you discarded it that turn.
Web-slinging costs usually let you cast the creature earlier than its mana cost allows. Wizards of the Coast/Marvel
Mayhem gives you a chance to use cards you've recently discarded, even though they're no longer in your hand. Wizards of the Coast/Marvel
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