First Look at Spider-Man’s Magic: The Gathering Crossover Revealed

Marvel's Spider-Man Swings into Magic: The Gathering – First Look at Cards and Packaging

Last week's reveal of Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy crossover had many wondering, "What about superheroes?" The wait is over! We have an exclusive first look at six new cards from the upcoming Spider-Man set, along with a peek at the accompanying products and packaging.

Check out the image gallery below to see the Spider-Man cards featured in the Commander-focused Scene Box, booster packs, Welcome Decks, and more. We'll also share insights from Wizards of the Coast.

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

21 Images

Launching September 26th, Marvel's Spider-Man will be 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. Unlike what you might expect, there won't be preconstructed Commander decks. However, the cards within the Scene Box showcased above are not Standard-legal and are specifically designed for Commander play.

Following last year's Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and others, Spider-Man marks Magic's first full set inspired by Marvel comics. Wizards of the Coast Executive Producer, Max McCall, explains this choice: a smaller product wouldn't have accommodated the vast array of Spider-Man characters and iconic moments.

"A full set is necessary to do Spider-Man justice," McCall states, "incorporating his many villains over the years. Selecting characters from the Spider-Man universe for a larger set would leave too many crucial characters out. While Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales might fit into a non-Spider-Man set, 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 to establish location and setting while remaining fun and accessible. However, most players are already familiar with Spider-Man. "When we create a card representing 'great power, great responsibility,' we can incorporate mechanical complexity because players understand the narrative. Universes Beyond cards don't need to be 'simple' – we just need recognizable moments that fans will instantly grasp."

Which Spider-Man card are you most excited to play in Commander?

Sensational Spider-ManGreen Goblin, NemesisDoc Ock, Evil InventorVenom, Deadly DevourerAnswerSee Results

Head Designer Mark Rosewater explains how these moments and the world are translated into a Magic set: Magic's color pie is versatile enough to depict heroism and villainy across all five colors. For example, Spider-Man embodies white, blue, and green (though the Scene Box version features only white and blue).

"Spider-Man's obligation to use his powers for good aligns with the white color pie. His scientific origins (the radioactive spider bite) and inventive skills (web-shooters) are distinctly blue. Finally, his powers are animal-based, and his destiny within the Spider-Man universe connects strongly to the green color pie."

"We aren't limiting ourselves to any single comic run or series."

Beyond the Scene Box, the set includes Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs (detailed in the gallery). While preconstructed Commander decks are absent, Welcome Decks return – introductory decks typically offered free by game stores to help new players learn the game.

Following this year's Final Fantasy set and the recently announced Avatar: The Last Airbender set, two more in-universe sets are planned: Tarkir: Dragonstorm and the space-themed Edge of Eternities.

A full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast's Max McCall and Mark Rosewater follows: