Marvel’sSpider-Manis one of Marvel’s most wholesome, family-friendly superheroes… which makes it all the more surprising that his upcoming brawl with thePredatoris going to be so gory. While Peter Parker has had darker moments, it’s rare that Marvel saves its most disturbing stories for the friendly, neighborhood hero. However, in this case, Marvel is starting right out of the gate with Joker-level horror.
In a newly released preview fromMarvel, Spider-Man swings through New York as a blackout spreads across the city. Two women sit trapped on the subway, spotting a face peering through the window - a face that it turns out has been sliced off by Spider-Man’s Predator enemy, known as Skinner.
The moment echoes Joker’s 2011 redesign, in which he cut his own face off and started wearing it as a mask. That kind of thing is expected in the dark recesses of Batman’s Gotham, but way more surprising in a Spider-Man comic. Any fan wondering why Peter’s Yautja enemy is named ‘Skinner’ has just had their question answered.
Predator vs Spider-Man #1(2025)
Cover Artist:
Paulo Siqueira
A heat wave sends NYC into a blackout and Spider-Man on patrol as tempers boil across the city. But beneath its grimy sewers and subways lurks a threat unlike anything Peter Parker has faced before. Introducing “Skinner,” a Predator of no honor and no clan – only a thirst for blood.
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Marvel has been publishingAlien,PredatorandPlanet of the Apescomics under its 20th Century Studios imprint, withprior crossovers includingAliens vs AvengersandPredator vs Wolverine. Interestingly,Aliens vs Avengerstakes place in its own continuity, whilePredator vs Wolverinefit into and even added to Marvel lore, leaving questions about whetherPredator vs Spider-Manwill be considered a canon part of Peter Parker’s mainstream timeline. The question matters because if the story is non-canon,it’s a lot more likely that face will belong to someone Peter Parker knows and loves.
Mostpeople who go up against the Predatorsat least have the comfort of knowing that Yautja operate according to a strict code of honor. The species don’t kill those who don’t pose a threat back and tend to hold back their most sophisticated weaponry unless it’s needed. Sadly for Spider-Man, he’s managed to cross paths withone of the few Predators that doesn’t hold to its species' hunting traditions, leading to a killing spree on the streets of New York.
Spider-Man will need all the powers, gadgets and experience in his arsenal to survive against the Predator known as Skinner - let alone to stop the Yautja turning New York into a charnel house.Spider-Manis used to twisted, deadly villains, but this preview from Marvel makes it clear that hisPredatornemesis is bringing a vicious new edge to Peter Parker’s life.
Predator vs Spider-Man #1is coming April 23 from Marvel Comics.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
Predator
Predator is an action sci-fi franchise created by Jim and John Thomas, beginning with the original film released in 1987. The franchise follows a warrior alien race known as the Yautja who travel the far reaches of space looking for worthy prey to hunt, constantly bringing them to Earth due to the sheer amount of conflict harbored on it. The series has spun off into comic books and animated features and has even enjoyed several crossover events via film and video games with the Aliens franchise.
