Welcome true believers. KennedyHawk and Amerikano here and we are kicking off a new article series that highlights some of the Panel Art behind the cards in Marvel Champions. Each article we will focus on a character or topic and some of their in-game art that comes right from the panels (or variant covers) of a Marvel Comic book. We will discuss the card – and the comic it comes from.
There’s no better place to start talking about pictures than with — Pictures of Spider-Man! Today we’ll look at the books behind 5 cards that include Spider-Man in the art.
Spider-Man: Core Set #1A: Spider-Geddon #1 (Variant cover)
Artist: George Perez
KennedyHawk:This art comes from a variant cover to the Spider-geddon event crossover – so not exactly from a panel but cool comic art in itself. You can read this issue in the Marvel Unlimited app as Spider-Geddon #1. First, let’s discuss the card itself. Spider-Man is the hero form for one of the core-set heroes. He has a cool ability that happens when an enemy initiates an attack against him. I really like this hero ability, it rewards you for staying in hero form and using cards like Get Behind Me! Amerikano – do you have any favorite uses for Spider-Man?
Amerikano: I think that Spider-Man’s solid 3 DEF statistic makes him a great candidate for a multi-player Protection hero. Without getting too much into his hero suite of cards, he has Backflip which allows him to take 0 damage from an attack (AMAZING!). This allows Spider-Man to constantly steer the Villain in his direction which allows teammates to deal lots of damage.
KennedyHawk: Great points! Now let’s discuss Spider-Geddon #1. This is the sequel event series to Spider-Verse. The Inheritors are potentially coming back and it takes a slew of spiders to stop them. This issue is mainly the spider-army teaming up to try and stop the Inheritors arrival. It showed off a slew of alternate Spider-totems. My favorite was definitely Spiderman UK a combination of Spider-Man and Captain Britain from Earth-833. Did you have a favorite character in this issue?
Amerikano: So. Many. Spiders. Honestly, the Inheritors were my favorite. Immortal Energy Vampires that eat Spider-people. So cool. Verna was probably my favorite Inheritor. Did you see the way she spoiler Spoiler’s spoiler? Wow.
KennedyHawk: Right, totally creepy and very different from the villains from the Spider-verse movie. Ironically, Peter Parker (616) from the card art isn’t even in this issue! But the art for his card is just from a variant cover. I hadn’t read this series but had read the original Spider-verse and this definitely lives up as a great sequel. On to the next card…
Enhanced Spider-Sense: Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man #299
Penciller: Adam Kubert
KennedyHawk: Why don’t you tell us about this card, Amerikano?
Amerikano: Canceling the “When Revealed” effects of a treachery card from the encounter deck is really good. If you’re able to play it, you may not need to face Vulture. Or, you may stop the Villain from scheming when he only needs 3 threat to win. I just wish that it wasn’t a Hero Interrupt. Maybe it would’ve been too strong if it was simply an Interrupt.
KennedyHawk: This issue was pretty cool. The first page sets the story so you don’t have to read much background. It was cool to see Spider-Man at odds with hero friends. But I miss some good old fashioned Spider-teamwork. I really liked the reveal at the end it got me to read the next issue as well!
Amerikano: For me, the coolest part about this issue is the very beginning. A Spider-Man/Black Panther altercation-turned-fist-fight that was cut short due to Hawekey’s Explosive Arrow (that Spider-Man caught while giving Black Panther a knee to the ribs, by the way). I mean, I guess it’s pretty cool that the Tinkerer was upgrading villains to try and defeat our hero once and for all. The image used on the card is from the panel where Spider-Man realizes that the Tinkerer has somehow affected the other heroes from using their abilities, including Vision’s phasing. Big blow to the good guys.
KennedyHawk: Big blow indeed! But heroes always find a way to get back up — or ready? That brings us to our next card!
Tenacity: Amazing Spider-Man Family #3
Pencillers: Todd Nauck, Val Semeiks, Colleen Coover
KennedyHawk: Alright the next card is Tenacity, a basic card from the core-set. I originally overlooked this card but recently I’ve really liked running it in decks where a character likes to pump their stats – like leadership Captain America. I haven’t found a big use for it, but it comes from Amazing Spider-Man Family #3. Have you found a fun use for this card yet? I’m really excited to try this out with Spider-Woman to use her stat buff as much as I can!
Amerikano: It sounds amazing with Spider-Woman’s 5-5-5 buffed up statline. I like to run a couple of these in my Ms. Marvel Aggression deck. I try to add as many Physical resources as possible so I can pay the cost. It’s expensive, but it readies her for her ability. Assuming you can pay the cost of the event card, you may be able to play the same event 3 times by using Tenacity!
KennedyHawk: The issue itself is kind of cool, the series is a short lived series and that recaps takes from all over the Spider-verse (nearly half a decade before the Spider-verse was a thing). In the first story you get to see snot nosed nerdy high-school Peter, basically… me. The panel is Spider-Man saving a foe from being crushed by a broken crane. Pretty tenacious… There’s 4 other stories in this huge issue, including stories about: Peter and Mary Jane (married couple in another universe), the real Parker family hero – Aunt May, a story about 616 Spider-Man, and a look at the troubled past of Harry Osborn. Did you have a favorite story?
Amerikano: I mostly like to read comics for the action and adventure. But #3 taught a nice lesson. As Spider-Man was coming to grips with his new-found superstrength, and unexpectedly walloped an opponent, he decided he needed to make it right. But, on the way to finding that opponent, he ended up saving hundreds without swinging a punch. Which is a good segway into the comic that the next card comes from.
KennedyHawk: What is our next card Amerikano?
Enhanced Reflexes: Amazing Spider-Man #1 2018 Variant Cover
Artist: Clayton Crain
Amerikano: Enhanced Reflexes is a Basic card from the Ms. Marvel Hero Pack; the sister card (cousin?) to Enhanced Awareness (Captain America Hero Pack) and Enhanced Physique (Thor Hero Pack. I could have easily seen Daredevil on a card called “Enhanced Reflexes”. Spider-Man works, though.
KennedyHawk: The community has really been enamored with the art from this card and it’s pretty awesome. Such a classic Spider-man post (pose?). Funny enough, Spider-Man’s signature set doesn’t really rely on energy resources. But Iron Man and Captain Marvel both love them. Any other cool combos with this card?
Amerikano: I think this card is fine for any deck that wishes it had more Energy resources. You mentioned Iron Man and Captain Marvel. I think Thor decks appreciate Enhanced Reflexes, too. I do like the fact that the card allows the resources to be out in front of you instead of requiring resources from your hand. It may just be the difference in playing that one extra card.
KennedyHawk: The card sort of acts like a resource filter. It takes 3 resources to play (including the card itself) and it turns all those resources into energy resources! And the issue, it kicks off a new era of Spider-man! I really liked this issue, it’s the start of his most recent run. It features a lot of heroes pretty angry with Spider-man and it slowly gets into one of a few reasons why. It’s got a ton of classic villains: Kingpin, Beetle, his new roommate Boomerang (Yup, you read that right) and giant alien space bugs! Plus a guest appearance from *spoiler-spoiler*(
Amerikano: I like the way this issue is set up. Spider-Man comes to the aid of other superheroes, but as he’s punching the space bugs, internally, he’s brooding as to why everyone is mad at him. What I don’t like is when heroes think that everything is their fault. I’m all for humility in a superhero, but c’mon, I get a little tire of the “it’s all my fault” routine. Anyway, rant over. I won’t get into the specifics of what exactly happens, let’s just say Peter took advantage of a bad situation. But, I agree with the community, I think the variant cover artwork is pretty awesome.
KennedyHawk: A lot of changes happen in Peter’s life in this issue and it’s time for him to take some responsibility for his body-snatched actions! Speaking of responsibility, our next card is…..
Great Responsibility: Civil War (volume 1) #2
Penciller: Steve Mcniven
KennedyHawk: Our final card comes from the Justice aspect, and we can’t write enough to do this series justice – Civil War. This is from the great unmasking of Peter Parker. This panel will haunt Pete and shape this role in the Marvel Universe for years to come.
Amerikano: Did Peter make the right decision by revealing his well-guarded secret in joining Tony Stark and the U.S. Government by signing the Superhero Registration Act? That’s one for you to decide. Read it and make a decision for yourself. You won’t regret it!
KennedyHawk: The comic plays out quite differently than the movie. The entire issue begins with the New Warriors making a reality TV show about super-herodom. They try to stop a team of villains including Nitro from attacking a school and inadvertently cause Nitro to explode causing massive public outrage. At its core the book is still about conflict between Iron Man and Captain America. Politicians propose a super-human registration act forcing heroes to register to continue superheroics! Spider-Man has a very different role and unmasks himself to the greater world. What does that mean for the loved ones in Peter’s life? Who wins the war in the end – we don’t want to spoil it so you’ll have to check it out on Marvel Unlimited
Amerikano: After that summary that doesn’t do the comic justice (yes, I did. C’mon, it’s an article about Spider-Man!), let’s look at the card. I mean, with a name like “Great Responsibility” could the art feature anyone other than Spider-Man? I think it could maybe have been a Protection card, instead. That being said, I think the developers got it right by making in Justice.
KennedyHawk: For sure. I would have loved for this to be a Protection card. I think that it fit’s the Justice theme. It’s pretty cool, one of the few ways to prevent yourself from threating out! I really like this in decks where characters want to take damage. Mainly She-Hulk, but also any character when I’m playing with some protection chump to heal me!
Amerikano: Watch it. I might just use my shield for a resource next time.
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Well everyone, thanks for reading our discussion about some of the Panel Art that ends up on Marvel Champions cards. You can follow the Marvel Champions Monthly Podcast facebook, twitter, or podbean page to see more articles like this in the future – until then check out these series for some great Spidey-art!