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 all the awesome 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. Then, read on to hear all 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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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. While you won't find preconstructed Commander decks, the cards in the Scene Box (pictured above) are specifically designed for Commander play and will *not* be Standard-legal.
Following last year's Secret Lair featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and more, 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 him justice, encompassing his many villains throughout the years. A smaller product wouldn't accommodate the characters and moments we wanted to include. We could fit Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales into a non-Spider-Man set, but there wouldn't be room for Aunt May."
McCall describes designing a Universes Beyond set as "flipping worldbuilding on its head." A typical Magic set needs to establish its location and setting while remaining fun to play. However, most people are already familiar with Spider-Man. "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 that fans will grasp easily."
AnswerSee ResultsHead Designer Mark Rosewater explains how they translate these moments into a Magic set: Magic’s color pie "is robust enough to showcase heroism and villainy across all five colors." He uses Spider-Man as an example, noting he'd be white, blue, and green (though the Scene Box version is only white and blue). "Spider-Man's obligation to use his powers for good aligns with the white color pie. His scientific background and inventions (web-shooters) are blue. Finally, his powers are animal-based, and his destiny within the Spider-Man universe falls under green."
Beyond the Scene Box, the set includes Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs (all shown in the gallery). While there are no preconstructed Commander decks, Welcome Decks will return—introductory decks often provided 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:
