Spider-Man Has Magic Powers Now (And a New Suit) Thanks to Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is using his time as Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe to equip Spider-Man with magical powers and a magic suit to go with it. If you haven’t been keeping up, the Marvel event Blood Hunt concluded with Doctor Doom stealing the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange. While Marvel has already announced that this will lead to the “One World Under Doom” status quo down the line, the present sees Doom come calling to Spider-Man for a favor. Of course, we all know Doctor Doom can’t be trusted, but that doesn’t mean Spider-Man has much choice but to go along with it. WARNING: Spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #61 below. Continue at your own risk!

Amazing Spider-Man #61 comes from the creative team of Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, Marcio Menyz, Niko Henrichon, and VC’s Joe Caramagna. The issue finds Doctor Doom interrupting Spider-Man while the web-slinger is fighting a villain named Burnout. Doom tells Spidey that he has a task for him that involves a covenant, but Spidey blows off Doom. Later, Spider-Man encounters a massive villain named Cyntros who mentions the covenant. Doom reappears to Spider-Man and offers his task again, and this time Spidey accepts.

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After telling Spider-Man about how Doctor Strange used to defend the Earth from the Eight Scions of Cyttorak, Doom places this duty upon the wall-crawler. But Doom isn’t sending Spider-Man into battle empty-handed.

Marvel reveals Spider-Man’s new magic suit and powers

Spider-Man’s new magical suit is somewhat fashioned after Doctor Doom’s own armor. Doom gifts Spider-Man arcane armor to give him access to the mystic arts, while also protecting Spidey’s physical form. On top of that, Spider-Man also gets eight extra lives courtesy of the life-restoring Reeds of Raggadorr. Hence the title of the Amazing Spider-Man story arc, “The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man.”

Thanks to his new armor, Spider-Man is already up to speed on using his new magic powers. He takes the fight directly to Cyntros with the Wicked Webs of Wundagore and discovers Cyntros’ weak point via a blackheart hole in his mouth. He believes the Reeds of Raggadorr will protect him, but sadly Spider-Man is incorrect. Once Spider-Man tries to punch the blackheart hole, his body is stretched and compressed at a molecular level until he’s left dead in the dirt. Luckily, a familiar face returns to welcome Spider-Man to the afterlife.

Phil Coulson meets Spider-Man in the afterlife

Phil Coulson, who fans first met in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now has a new role as the avatar of Death. This development took place in the Infinity Watch miniseries. Coulson immediately recognizes Spider-Man, but before he can process him, Spider-Man uses the Reeds to bring himself back to life. You might think this is a happy moment, but whenever magic is involved, a price must be paid. In this case, the exchange for a new life is pain.

We watch Spider-Man reanimate with his atoms and muscles re-forming and reknitting him back together. It’s similar to how Wolverine pulls himself back together after his healing factor kicks in. Doctor Strange appears in astral form to give Spider-Man a pep talk, and to remind him that he has to continue fighting the other Scions of Cyttorak seven more times — all while dying — or Earth will fall.

Spider-Man has lived with the motto that no one will die on his watch if he can help it. “The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man” flips that on its head by having our hero be the victim. He may have mystic armor and powers to complete the job, but that doesn’t guarantee success.

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