Missed our Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy reveal last week? Don't worry, we've got something even more exciting! Get ready for a web-slinging adventure: today we unveil six new cards from Magic’s upcoming Spider-Man set, plus a sneak peek at the accompanying products.
Browse the image gallery below to see the Spider-Man cards featured in the Commander-focused Scene Box, booster packs, Welcome Decks, and more. Then, read on for an inside look at the set from Wizards of the Coast.
Marvel's Spider-Man x Magic: The Gathering - First Card and Packaging Reveal
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Launching September 26th, Marvel’s Spider-Man becomes the second fully draftable, Standard-legal set in Magic’s Universes Beyond line (following Final Fantasy), and the third overall after 2023's Lord of the Rings set. While you won't find preconstructed Commander decks, the cards in the Scene Box (pictured above) are specifically designed for Commander play and are *not* Standard-legal.
Following last year's Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and others, Spider-Man marks Magic's first full set based on a Marvel comic property. Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer, Max McCall, explains this choice: "Spider-Man needs a full set to do justice to the character and incorporate the many villains he's faced. A smaller product wouldn't accommodate the breadth of characters and storylines we wanted to include. We could fit Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales into a non-Spider-Man set, but there simply wouldn't be room for Aunt May."
McCall describes designing a Universes Beyond set as "flipping worldbuilding on its head." Typical Magic sets require cards that establish location and setting *and* are fun to play. However, with Spider-Man, most players already have familiarity with the character. "When we create a card representing 'great power, great responsibility,' we can add mechanical complexity because players understand the narrative. We don't need Universes Beyond cards to be 'simple' – we just need recognizable moments for easy fan comprehension."
AnswerSee ResultsRegarding the translation of Spider-Man's world into Magic, Head Designer Mark Rosewater explains that Magic's color pie "is robust enough to showcase heroism and villainy across all five colors." He cites Spider-Man as an example of a character spanning white, blue, and green (though the Scene Box version uses only white and blue). "Spider-Man's obligation to help people aligns with the white color pie. His scientific background and inventions (like web-shooters) are distinctly blue. Finally, his powers are animal-based, and the comics highlight a destined connection to spiders and the Spider-Man universe—core green elements."
"We're not limiting ourselves to any one comic run or series."
Beyond the Scene Box, the set includes Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs (see gallery for details). While preconstructed Commander decks are absent, Welcome Decks return—themed introductory decks offered by game stores to help new players learn the game.
Following this year's Final Fantasy set, Wizards of the Coast recently announced an Avatar: The Last Airbender set. Two more in-universe sets will precede it: Tarkir: Dragonstorm and the space-themed Edge of Eternities.
Read the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast's Max McCall and Mark Rosewater below: