Spider-Man's been having quite a time in his current run in the comics. He's gotten the living heck beaten out of him, been stranded in space, found new friends, gotten a new suit, and found more strength to get back at the guy who upended his life, Hellgate. Back on Earth, his friends are covering for his absence. In his place, Norman Osborn is the new Spider-Man, Ben Reilly is the new Peter Parker, and Mary Jane Watson (as Venom) has also taken on the Web-Slinger mantle.
Luckily, the beloved hero will be making his way back home soon. A recent preview from AIPT Comics revealed Spidey will finally go up against Hellgate, in a battle that appears to have the potential to become one of Marvel's most epic ones yet. Now, we may have a possible glimpse at what could await him after defeating his latest adversary, and it's not something many saw coming. Marvel has past, present and future issues of Amazing Spider-Man catalogued on its official website.
The list reaches up to #22. However, X user @i_symbiote shared what they claim is the cover for Amazing Spider-Man #23, which they allege was mistakenly shared under the Ultimate Spider-Man label as opposed to Amazing Spider-Man. The artwork shows... well, shall we say—an incredibly unexpected battle pairing? The purported cover features Spider-Man going up against Mary Jane Watson's Venom:
It's important to note the image provided could be fake. With that said, it's made in the art style of previous covers from the run, so it appears to be legitimate. Assuming it's real, it's worth pointing out that sometimes (quite often, in fact), comic book covers are not representative of the actual story in the issue. With that, it could be that the image is simply intended to grab readers' attention, and the story will feature a team-up between Spidey and MJ's Venom, rather than a duel.
However, if the cover is accurate to its issue's story, we may be in line to witness a super-powered battle between Mary Jane Watson and Peter Benjamin Parker. The circumstances that may lead to this apparent conflict make the story all the more exciting.
In February 2026, Marvel Comics will kick off a new event, which will begin in Amazing Spider-ManVenom: Death Spiral #1, written by Charles Soule, Al Ewing, and Joe Kelly, and drawn by Jesus Saiz. The upcoming storyline will bring together Spidey, Venom and Eddie Brock together to face a terrifying new enemy. Marvel provided a synopsis for the first chapter in the event:
"FIRST YOUR FRIENDS. THEN YOUR FAMILY. THEN YOU. The next epic SPIDER-MAN and VENOM crossover starts here and continues through April! A new super-powered serial killer is on the loose and they're coming for Spidey, Venom and everyone in between. But what terrible secret has CARNAGE learned, and what does it have to do with Spider-Man?!"
This new event promises to be a hard-hitting one. Unfortunately, with the event still months away, and the battle teased on the apparent cover of Amazing Spider-Man #23 being seven issues apart from the current available ASM story, it's difficult to guess the reason behind MJ and Peter's potential conflict.
When the Death Spiral event was first announced, Spider-Man Editor Nick Lowe teased the following story points (via Bleeding Cool):
"One of the wildest times in Spider and Symbiote history revs into high gear with this killer crossover! Not only will readers get to witness Peter Parker learn that his long time love Mary Jane Watson is bonded with one of his greatest nemeses, but both learn that Eddie Brock has paired with the baddest symbiote ever, Carnage. They'll all be even more horrified when they face a scarier villain—TORMENT! No one is safe."
Co-writer Charles Soule further broke down the event, teasing Peter, Mary Jane, Venom and Eddie Brock as a "weird family unit": "Spider-Man, Venom, Carnage, Mary Jane—they're essentially a weird family unit, interconnected with gigantic amounts of history together. There's an engine there, there's a lot of emotional energy to there to break apart."
Amazing Spider-Man issue #22 is scheduled to release in the same month as Death Spiral #1. Unfortunately, its synopsis does not provide much in the way of story teases: "TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE! The era of space/earth Spider-Men comes to an end and everyone is left to pick up the pieces. We are about to enter DEATH SPIRAL so Spidey better take a deep, deep breath."
Thus, it looks while we have a long journey before figuring out, firstly, if Peter and Mary Jane will indeed fight, and secondly, the reason behind the conflict. Funnily enough, though, if the battle comes to fruition, it won't be the first time that Spider-Man has battled a symbiote-powered MJ. In Marvel's Spider-Man 2 game, Peter had to face off against a Scream-possessed Mary Jane. And, well... let's just say it was a back-breaking endeavor.
What are your thoughts about Spidey's potentially fighting Mary Jane Watson? Do you think it will happen?