Spider-Man has gotten his scariest look yet in a gripping and gory new Marvel Zombies cover. Even the popular Spider-Man wasn’t safe from being zombified, as he suffered a darker fate than his portrayal in the MCU. Now, the zombies are returning to the Marvel Universe just in time for Halloween, and their infection is spreading to Spider-Man once again, for a frightening new redesign.
According to Marvel, various members of the Stormbreakers program for up-and-coming artists crafted various heroes in zombified new forms. Some of the biggest standouts include Black Panther’s post-apocalyptic zombie hunter look, She-Hulk’s grotesque decomposition and Captain Marvel’s battle-scarred body.
However, Spider-Man stands above them all with a design that will make any arachnephobes wince.
Spider-Man’s Zombie Design Has a Secret Emotional Meaning
This zombified Peter Parker crafted by artist Elena Casagrande features his mask being torn apart, showing green skin underneath as he screams into the void. However, instead of sound, spiders crawl out of his mouth, with one over his still-intact eye-piece mimicking his hero insignia. It’s a terrifying sight, one that shows just how horrific a Spider-Man zombie can really be. The zombie side of Marvel’s multiverse has given readers some of its darkest, most terrifying stories. Taking place on an Earth where a virus has transformed Earth’s biggest heroes and villains into insatiable zombies, Marvel Zombies is known for pushing characters to their limits as they face the undead.
While at first glance it seems as though Spidey’s mind has been completely taken over by the zombie plague, the expression in his eye-piece suggests something else. The undead Peter Parker appears to be internally terrified at what he’s become. His history in the Marvel Zombies universe has always been spurred by tragedy. In the original run, he fought with himself constantly over the guilt of eating both Mary Jane and Aunt May as the hunger came over him. Later, in Marvel Zombies: Resurrection, Parker found himself faced with the terrible prospect of killing a zombified version of Mary Jane.
Spider-Man has always been seen as Marvel’s most hopeful hero, as he speaks for the average person, so seeing him succumb to the darkness of the apocalypse is unsurprisingly grim. The art by Elena Casagrande deftly depicts how the experience has taken a toll on him mentally. The fact that his mask is split in two shows just how at war with himself he is whenever the zombie apocalypse hits. He’s finding himself becoming a completely different person whether he has to face zombie versions of his friends and family or becomes a zombie himself. It goes completely against his moral code to use his powers responsibly and help anyone he can.
Spider-Man knows that he can’t save everyone, but in the apocalypse, he’s powerless to stop what he has become. It’s enough to make him want to scream, but all that comes out are spiders. Fans will be able to add this incredible variant cover to their collection when Amazing Spider-Man #25 hits stands October 11, 2023. Marvel Zombies has become a beloved addition to the Marvel canon, ever since its debut in 2005, despite pushback by Marvel themselves, who hated the idea. Now, with a new miniseries on the way, this variant cover features a gripping and gory new version of Spider-Man, enough to hype fans for what’s to come this October.
Source: Marvel
Look for Amazing Spider-Man #25 on October 11, 2023 from Marvel Comics!