Marvel Comics has announced it will finally answer a question that has been bugging superhero fans since the late 1990s.
The upcoming four-issue limited series Spider-Man ‘94 will reveal what happened to the web-slinger after the conclusion of the much loved animated show about the Marvel character.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series ran from November 1994 until January 1998 on the Fox Kids network and proved incredibly popular, both critically and commercially, earning praise for being faithful to the source material and providing deep character layers to Spider-Man.
The show was written by John Semper who also wrote the English dialogue for beloved anime films Castle in the Sky and Kiki’s Delivery Service. It was also the first attempt at depicting the so-called “Spider-Verse” on screen, which has since been shown in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and the animated “Spider-Verse” franchise, which began in 2018 with Into the Spider-Verse.
The last ever episode of the show sees Spider-Man delve into the multiverse, with the help of Madame Web, to find his true love, Mary Jane Watson, who is lost in another dimension. However, despite ending on this monumental cliffhanger, Fox cancelled the show after five seasons and 65 episodes. Semper later confirmed that the decision was made for financial reasons.
The new comics will now attempt to answer the mystery that has plagued fans for 27 years. A press release from Marvel Comics describes Spider-Man '94 as follows: “After searching to the ends of the multiverse, Peter Parker – the amazing, the spectacular, the radioactive web-head himself – aka Spider-Man, swings back into the streets of New York City with his beloved Mary Jane Watson in tow! But what’s this? One of these villains is not like the others: Witness this universe’s debut of not one, but two of Spider-Man’s greatest villains from the comics!”
Speaking to IGN, JM DeMatteis, who has written the comics, said: “The 1990s Spider-Man animated series has become a beloved part of Spidey lore – it was the introduction to Peter Parker and his universe for an entire generation – and I’m delighted to be diving back into that universe.
“We’re treating this as the next season of the show, which means introducing new villains, new challenges, new adventures for Peter – while doing our best to remain true to the creative spirit that John Semper and company established with the original show."
In addition, Semper has released a statement confirming that he was not invited to be part of the project. In a post on social media, the writer said: “Yes, it would have been nice (some might even say, respectful) if Marvel had reached out to me at some point as a courtesy. But I have long ago abandoned all expectation that Marvel would acknowledge any of my contributions to the Marvel Universe- like, for instance, my creation of what is now known as the ‘Spider-Verse’. So, I wish them well and encourage us all to celebrate with good cheer this 30th anniversary year of Spider-Man: The Animated Series.”
The cliffhanger itself had partially been resolved in Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 animated series, which debuted in 2024. In the climatic episode of season one, the versions of Peter Parker and Mary Jane from the Spider-Man series are briefly shown as being safe and back together, but no further context was given as to how they reunited.
Marvel Comics will release Spider-Man ‘94 #1 on 3 September.
