Spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day are below!
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has taken the worldwide box office by storm, breaking numerous box office records. The movie is likely to exceed $2 billion, making it one of the most profitable movies in history. While the glowing reviews from critics and audiences helped push it to web-slinging new heights, Spider-Man’s latest outing is packed with homages to Marvel Comics, built for casual and die-hard fans alike.
While the trailer teased several moments from Spider-Man’s history, like Amazing Fantasy #15, the movie had a few more hidden for theatergoers to experience with fresh eyes. Much of that has to do with keeping the story from being spoiled, with Brand New Day holding back some of its greatest tableaus for the biggest screens and best presentation possible. What comic books did Spider-Man: Brand New Day lovingly reconstruct?
‘Amazing Fantasy’ #15
There is no better story to pay tribute to than Spider-Man’s debut in Amazing Fantasy #15, first published in 1962. It’s one of the character’s most iconic comic book covers, as the issue features Spider-Man’s debut. The legendary Stan Lee wrote the story, with the great Steve Ditko as the artist. Aside from Spider-Man’s first appearance, Amazing Fantasy #15 introduced the radioactive spider bite, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, and the tragedy that forever alters the character’s path as a hero. However, one of the comic’s biggest introductions comes from Lee writing the famous quote, “With great power there must also come great responsibility.” The image in Brand New Day is part of a brief montage showing Spider-Man’s exploits over a lengthy passage of time, which features many of the other homages.
‘Spider-Man Adventures’ #2
Released in November 1994, Spider-Man Adventures #2 features the wall-crawler battling Scorpion. The comic series was a tie-in to the animated series airing at the time, retelling stories from the show with an art style meant to match. “Sting of the Scorpion” was the second episode to air, with the comic book adapting it for readers. With the book and animated series being aimed at younger viewers, it served as the introduction to Scorpion for a generation that grew up during the 1990s.
‘Civil War’ #5
Spider-Man: Brand New Day features the image of The Punisher carrying a nearly dead Peter Parker into a hospital, screaming for help. It’s a dark moment, and while the circumstances are drastically different, the image is a direct reference to the same moment occurring in Marvel’s Civil War #5 from 2006. In Brand New Day, Peter’s injuries are the result of him blocking The Punisher’s bullet from hitting Jean Grey. The Civil War comic sees Jester and Jack O’Lantern torturing Spider-Man, with the hero on the verge of death when The Punisher comes to his aid, killing both villains before carrying Peter in his arms to get help.
‘Spectacular Spider-Man’ #142
Brand New Day features the live-action debut of the villain Tombstone, who is one of Spider-Man’s greatest street-level threats, complete with sharp teeth, immense strength, and virtually bulletproof skin. A great way to bring the character to life is to recreate a famous comic book cover featuring Spider-Man at the mercy of Tombstone. Spectacular Spider-Man #142 was published in 1988 and tells a story in which the wall-crawler made his way to Atlanta, Georgia, to deal with Tombstone. The cover is an iconic image of the villain, with Brand New Day featuring it during the movie’s early montage of Spider-Man’s career over the last four years.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #221
Published in 1981, The Amazing Spider-Man #221 features the villain Ramrod, a rather obscure street-level Marvel villain. The cyborg made his debut in Daredevil #103 in 1972 before branching out to other Marvel properties, eventually facing Spider-Man. He generally serves as a minor henchman villain working for a larger threat. The Amazing Spider-Man #221 features the character as the issue’s central antagonist, allowing Peter to combat Ramrod’s unique robotic enhancements. Brand New Day gives Ramrod a quick moment in the movie’s villain montage that is a direct reference to the classic comic cover.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #345
Spider-Man has a quick moment in Brand New Day‘s early montage that sees him in the middle of a fight with Boomerang. The scene brings the 1991 cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #345 to life, with the web-slinger attempting to dodge Boomerang’s projectiles. Boomerang is only given a brief moment to shine in the MCU, but his comic book past has seen him leading a version of the Sinister Six and even joining the ranks of the Thunderbolts. Hopefully, Boomerang gets more time to shine in another MCU project, but it was great to see the film’s homage to a classic cover from artist Erik Larsen.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #134
One of the villains to pop up in Brand New Day‘s opening montage is Tarantula, with his brief appearance captured in an homage to The Amazing Spider-Man #134 from 1974. The Tarantula was never a major threat, but he offered a unique villain for Spider-Man. Originally a South American revolutionary, the villain eventually became more of an all-around mercenary type whose suit was equipped with venomous blades. His time in the MCU was short-lived, but it’s another example of Brand New Day pulling from every avenue to flesh out Spider-Man’s history on screen.
Moments Inspired by Marvel Comics That Weren’t Exact Recreations
There are several moments throughout Spider-Man: Brand New Day that are clearly inspired by moments or covers from Marvel Comics without being direct shot-for-shot reproductions, from how The Hand fights to Peter’s time in the web cocoon; Brand New Day is built on comic book history.
‘The New Avengers’ #27
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Sony Pictures Releasing -
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Sony Pictures Releasing/Marvel Studios
The Hand has a particular way of appearing on the pages of Marvel Comics, with the ninjas’ movement and attacks often carrying a distinct aesthetic. When Peter fights The Hand in the early montage and again in the prison late in the movie, there are distinct visual cues to the comic books. Spider-Man plays an important role in The New Avengers #27 from 2007. Clint Barton as Ronin is the one facing down The Hand and Elektra on the cover, but it’s an evocative image that seems to have inspired the filmmakers.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #129 & ‘Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher’ #1
The Amazing Spider-Man #129 is famous for being the debut of The Punisher in 1974, with the comic cover featuring Spider-Man in his crosshairs. With Brand New Day being Jon Bernthal’s feature film debut as The Punisher after playing him on TV, it makes sense to reference the iconic comic debut. The film’s climactic events also make it feel appropriate. However, I would also like to add Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher from 2010 to the mix, as the cover features Spider-Man in Frank Castle’s crosshairs again. The difference is that the cover also features Hulk in a similar predicament, with Brand New Day pitting Hulk against The Punisher.
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #390 & ‘The Other: Evolve or Die’
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Marvel
One of the biggest plot points in Brand New Day is that Spider-Man is changing, even cocooning himself in webs as part of a metamorphosis that amplifies his powers. Spider-Man has woven web cocoons in the past, often as a form of resurrection after he dies. It happened in an arc in The Amazing Spider-Man #390-#392 featuring his web cocoon. The Other: Evolve or Die is a crossover event that ran from 2005 to 2006, featuring numerous comics under the Marvel Knights title, including Spider-Man. The story sees Spider-Man die, only to craft a webbing cocoon.
- Release Date
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July 29, 2026
- Runtime
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145 minutes
- Director
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Destin Daniel Cretton
- Writers
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Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
