The "Beyond" era of Amazing Spider-Man kicked off last week with Ben Reilly taking over as the new Spider-Man. Peter Parker has been sidelined after being caught in an explosion caused by The U-Foes, and Marvel Comics has now confirmed that this saga will be told over 19 issues (by Patrick Gleason, Saladin Ahmed, Zeb Wells, Kelly Thompson, and Cody Ziglar).
Peter Parker may be out of commission but luckily, Ben Reilly is more than capable of taking his place. Equipped with gadgets and tech from the Beyond Corporation, Reilly has everything it takes to be the superior Spider-Man but he’ll finally meet his match in a devastating battle against one of Spider-Man’s most feared enemies next January: Doctor Octopus!
In writer Cody Ziglar and artist Paco Medina's Amazing Spider-Man #85, Ben Reilly is going to lose BIG when he faces Otto Octavius; issue #86, from writer Zeb Wells and artist Michael Dowling, will deal with the aftermath of the fight and will be a comic that fans will remember for years to come. Then, in issue #87, by writer Jed MacKay and artist Carlos Gómez, Captain America and Black Cat see if Peter Parker is ready for action again with Ben Reilly and NYC reeling from Doc Ock's attack.
Marvel Comics has also announced that January will see the release of Mary Jane & Black Cat: Beyond #1, a new one-shot written by Jed MacKay with art by C.F. Villa. This unlikely team-up will see Mary Jane coming to the rescue of Black Cat after she’s been kidnapped. Mary Jane has never liked Felicia Hardy, and now she has to save her life.
Check out the spectacular cover art for these issues below: