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In the latest Comic Book Questions Answered, learn whether Spider-Man ever used magic in the comics over the years.
Today, we look into the comic books to see whether Spider-Man ever used magic in Marvel Comics (whether on the main Marvel earth or in the Multiverse).
In Comic Book Questions Answered, I answer whatever questions you folks might have about comic books (feel free to e-mail questions to me at brianc@cbr.com).
Reader Kevin R. wrote in to ask, in light of the heavy magical-centric plot of Spider-Man: No Way Home, whether Spider-Man ever did magic in the comics?
Let’s take a look, while noting that we’re going to have to discuss a very tricky subject right off the bat…
SPIDER-MAN’S POWERS MIGHT BE INHERENTLY MAGICAL
In Amazing Spider-Man #30 (by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna), Spider-Man met a mysterious man known as Ezekiel who basically threw Spider-Man’s life upside down when he asked Spider-Man exactly how much Spidey knew about the spider that bit him. When Peter admitted that he didn’t really know THAT much about it, Ezekiel asked the big question – did the spider give Peter powers because it was radioactive or did the spider have powers BEFORE the radiation killed it? In other words, are Spider-Man’s powers actually magic in nature?
At first, Straczynski played it a bit close to the vest as to whether it was true or not, but over time, it became harder and harder to explain events other than if Spider-Man’s powers were magic in nature (and that he was the servant of the Spider Totem). In Amazing Spider-Man #508 (by Straczynski, Romita Jr. and Hanna), Ezekiel tries to get Spider-Man to take his place as a sacrifice to the Spider Totem, but eventually changes his mind out of guilt and sacrifices himself instead…
When he is buried, Peter tries to ask Ezekiel’s companion as to what this all means – WERE Spider-Man’s powers magic or science-based? The answer was as mysterious as all heck…
Later stories leaned into this even further, but then it was all pretty much ignored after Straczynski left the series.
SPIDER-MAN AND DOCTOR STRANGE ONCE SWAPPED POWERS!
The first team-up between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, chronologically, occurred in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee), and it involves a villain, Xandu, who stole the Wand of Watoomb from Doctor Stange…
The comic pointedly had Spider-Man only use his own powers and no magic.
However, in the team-up sequel to that adventure in Marvel Team-up #21 (by Len Wein, Sal Buscema, Dave Hunt and Frank Giacoia), when Xandu gets the wand back and begins to alter reality itself…
Strange uses his powers to switch his powers with Spider-Man, so Strange could now shoot out webs and Spider-Man could wield magic…
Spider-Man used his new (and temporary) powers to attack Xandu and get him to drop the Wand of Watoomb….
So that was the first time that Spider-Man used magic.
SPIDER-MAN AND DOCTOR STRANGE HAD A NUMBER OF TEAM-UPS WITH MAGIC INVOLVED
Doctor Strange then gave Spider-Man a powerful magical weapon…
And years later, Spider-Man got it back himself….
SPIDER-MAN USING MAGIC IN THE MULTIVERSE
Meanwhile, in the Marvel Multiverse, Symbiote Spider–Man: Alien Reality #3 shows Spider-Man being trained as a sorcerer in an alternate reality….
Thanks for the question, Kevin! If anyone else has a comic book question, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!
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