Spider-Man's Magic: The Gathering Crossover Unveiled

If you caught our reveal of Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy crossover last week and thought to yourself, "Video games are great, but where are the superheroes?" you're in for a treat. Today, we're giving you an exclusive first look at six new cards from Magic's upcoming Spider-Man set, along with all the exciting products and packaging that will accompany it.

Click through the image gallery below to explore all the Spider-Man cards from the Commander-focused Scene Box, booster packs, Welcome Decks, and more. Keep reading to learn more about the set from Wizards of the Coast.

Marvel's Spider-Man x Magic: The Gathering - First Card and Packaging Reveal

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Mark your calendars for September 26, when Marvel's Spider-Man will become the second fully draftable, Standard-legal set in Magic's Universes Beyond line, following the Final Fantasy set. This set marks the third Universes Beyond product after the 2023 Modern-legal Lord of the Rings set. While you won't find preconstructed Commander decks in this set, the cards in the Scene Box are designed specifically for Commander and won't be Standard-legal.

Last year, Magic ventured into the Marvel universe with a Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and more. However, Spider-Man will be the first full set inspired by the iconic comics. According to Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer Max McCall, a full set was necessary to truly capture the essence of Spider-Man and include all the villains and characters from his universe.

"Spider-Man needs a full set to do justice to the character and incorporate the many villains he's come across over the years," McCall explains. "Including characters from the Spider-Man canon in a broader set would leave too many beloved characters out. We could have included Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales in a non-specific Spider-Man set, but there wouldn't have been space for Aunt May."

Designing for a Universes Beyond set, McCall notes, "flips the worldbuilding on its head." Unlike a typical Magic set, where cards need to establish a setting while being fun to play, Universes Beyond sets can leverage existing fan familiarity. "When we make a card that embodies great power bearing great responsibility, we can add mechanical complexity because fans already understand the story. We don't have to simplify Universes Beyond cards; we just need to pick recognizable moments that fans can easily grasp."

In terms of translating these moments and the world into a Magic set, Head Designer Mark Rosewater emphasizes the flexibility of Magic's color pie. "It's robust enough that we can showcase heroism and villainy in all five colors," he says. For example, Spider-Man aligns with white, blue, and green, reflecting his sense of duty, scientific origins, and animal-based powers, respectively.

"Spider-Man feeling obligated to use his power to help people is core to him being part of the white color pie. His origin from a radioactive spider bite and his scientific inventions, like web-slingers, place him firmly in blue. Finally, his animal-based powers and the destiny tied to the Spider-Man universe align with green," Rosewater explains.

"We're not limiting ourselves to any one comic run or series," McCall adds. In addition to the Scene Box, the set will include Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs, all showcased in the gallery above. Although there won't be preconstructed Commander decks, the set will feature the return of Welcome Decks, which are themed introductory decks offered by game stores for free to help new players learn the game.

Alongside this year's Final Fantasy set, Wizards of the Coast has also announced a set themed around Avatar: The Last Airbender. Before that, fans can look forward to two more in-universe sets, Tarkir: Dragontsorm and the space-themed Edge of Eternities.

For an in-depth look at the creative process behind this set, read on for the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast's Max McCall and Mark Rosewater: