Marvel Announces Return of Spider-Man’s Black Suit

The Peter Parker Spider-Man will be back in black this April for Symbiote Spider-Man, a five-issue limited series set before the web-slinger learned his updated costume was a living extraterrestrial creature, Marvel Comics announced Friday.

Scribe Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider) and artist Greg Land (Ultimate Fantastic Four, Uncanny X-Men) team for the all-new, in-continuity tale that will revisit the classic era of the alien costume, set post-Secret Wars, pitting Spider-Man against famed foe Mysterio.

"Venom may be my day job and favorite Spider-Villain, but my favorite fictional character of all time is the one and only Spider-Man – and far and away, this is one of the most exciting projects I've ever had the privilege of working on in my five and a half years here at Marvel," said editor Devin Lewis.

"This is an in-continuity story of Peter Parker A.K.A. the Amazing Spider-Man set in the weeks he was wearing the alien symbiote costume that would later become one of his greatest foes! And all your favorites are there – Black Cat, Aunt May, The Bugle. This is classic Spider-Action in the Mighty Marvel Manner!"

Mysterio's involvement coincides with the trickster super villain's big screen debut in this summer's Spider-Man: Far From Home, the Marvel Studios-produced blockbuster starring Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal.

"He never fought Symbiote Spidey! Or did he?!" Lewis teased of the classic Spidey foe, whose fishbowl-shaped figure can be seen ominously looming over New York City.

"Now, I know a lot of y'all out there in Mighty Marveldom are going to scoff at that – that this story is in-continuity – but TRUST ME! Peter, Greg and I have all done our homework – we've read and reread the original ALIEN COSTUME SAGA in its entirety, revisited old stories and talked around those classics literally, for hours. This is Peter Parker as Spider-Man, wearing one of the most iconic costumes in all of comics, and we're treating this story will the heart, seriousness and respect that that entails as a result."

David has a long history penning Spider-Man — including issues that saw the superhero suited up in the symbiote costume that would go on to turn against him and emerge as archfoe Venom — famously scripting the death of Jean DeWolff saga and writing numerous issues of various Spidey titles, including Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099, which he co-created.

Symbiote Spider-Man #1 releases in April.