Marvel Announces Massive 'Spider-Man 70th Anniversary' Celebration

Marvel Comics has unveiled ambitious plans for Spider-Man's 70th anniversary, celebrating seven decades since Peter Parker's first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. The year-long celebration kicks off in August 2026 with multiple new series, special variant cover programs, and what Marvel is calling "the biggest Spider-Man publication ever."

The Anniversary Issue

The centerpiece is Amazing Spider-Man #900, a 128-page giant-sized issue featuring contributions from over 30 creators who have defined the character across the decades:

• Main Story: Dan Slott and Mark Bagley reunite for a 40-page feature introducing a new villain who threatens Spider-Man's legacy across the multiverse
• Backup Features: Short stories by Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, and Saladin Ahmed exploring different eras of Spidey's history
• Art Gallery: Never-before-seen sketches from Todd McFarlane, Steve Ditko's original archive, and Alex Ross's painted covers
• Historical Features: Essays on Spider-Man's cultural impact and a complete publication timeline

"Spider-Man isn't just Marvel's most popular character—he's one of the most significant fictional characters of the 20th century," says Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. "Seven decades of stories, and we're just getting started."

New Series Announcements

The anniversary brings three new ongoing series:

Web of Spider-Man (Vol 4)
A street-level series focusing on Peter Parker's life as a photographer and local hero, written by Greg Pak with art by Carmen Carnero. The series promises a return to "the working-class roots that made Spider-Man relatable."

Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider
The fan-favorite alternate universe Gwen Stacy gets her own ongoing, picking up after the events of Spider-Verse. Written by Alyssa Wong with art by Takeshi Miyazawa.

Amazing Spider-Man: Untold Tales
Set during the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era, this series fills in gaps between original issues with new stories that honor the silver age style. Written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads.

Variant Cover Program

Marvel is producing 70 variant covers across their August lineup, each paying homage to a different Spider-Man milestone:

• Homage Variants: Modern artists recreating iconic covers from Amazing Spider-Man #1-700
• Decade Variants: Covers showing Spider-Man's costume evolution from 1962 to present
• Villain Variants: 20 covers featuring Spider-Man's greatest foes by different artists
• 1:100 Incentive: Steve Ditko tribute cover using restored original artwork

Market Impact

The announcement has already sparked activity in the collector market:

• Amazing Fantasy #15: All grades seeing 10-15% price increases
• Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963): CGC 9.0+ copies up 20% in pre-auction estimates
• Amazing Spider-Man #300 (First Venom): CGC 9.8 up 8% to $8,900
• Amazing Spider-Man #361 (First Carnage): CGC 9.8 up 12% to $485

"Anniversary issues always drive interest in key appearances," says CGC primary grader Steve Borock. "We're seeing serious collectors positioning themselves ahead of the celebration."

Special Collections and Merchandise

Beyond comics, the anniversary brings:

• Omnibus Releases: "The Complete Steve Ditko Spider-Man" and "Todd McFarlane Spider-Man" collections
• Exhibition: "The Art of Spider-Man" touring museum exhibition starting at MoMA in October
• Documentary: Disney+ releasing "With Great Power" documentary on the character's history

Amazing Spider-Man #900 arrives in comic shops August 12, 2026. Final Order Cutoff is July 15.