Watch out Bailey Briggs, you’re not the only Spider-Boy in print anymore!! The Amalgam Universe returns (sort of) and with it the Amalgam Spider-Boy as well. Who is this Spider-Boy? And what could this surprise return mean? Let’s get into it.
What is the Amalgam Universe??
The Amalgam Universe AKA Earth-9602 (or Earth-496 for you DC readers out there) was the result of a crossover event between Marvel and DC comics in the 90s. Given that we’re going into deep comic book lore here, things are gonna get a little wild for the foreseeable paragraphs, apologies.
The Amalgam Universe was created after the events of “Marvel Versus DC”, a cross company comic book event that saw the two superhero universes pitted against each other by multiversal gods called The Brothers, one the personification of the Marvel universe, the other a personification of the DC universe. To save their worlds, DC’s Spectre and Marvel’s The One Above All, both omnipotent beings at the center of the universe, joined forces to merge The Brothers, as well as the universes inhabiting them, creating the Amalgam Universe as a result. A universe inhabited by amalgamations of DC and Marvel’s most famous characters. DarkClaw (the Wolverine/Batman hybrid), Super-Soldier (the Captain America/Superman hybrid) and Doctor Strangefate (the Doctor Strange/Doctor Fate hybrid) to name a few.
Sure, the Amalgam Universe got destroyed like once or twice afterwards, but all you really need to know is that the Amalgam Universe still exists as a pocket dimension somewhere in the multiverse.
That said, maybe the Amalgam universe lived on, but the books surely did not. With the final Marvel/DC crossover being published more than 20 years ago, and the last time we officially saw the Amalgam universe closer to 30 years, it’s safe to say the collaborative spirit between the two companies has been lacking in recent years. Sadly that also meant no reprints for these incredible pieces of comic history. Sure you can find old dusty Amalgam issues in longboxes everywhere, but new and pristine editions of these crossovers (some reaching as far back as the late 70s) haven’t been a thing for decades. Luckily things are changing.
This week it was announced that DC and Marvel are once more teaming up to reprint the old Amalgam issues in Omnibus form (as well as the previous crossovers outside of the Amalgam Universe in a separate omni). This is incredibly exciting, and I implore any die hard comic fan to pre-order these books ASAP!! The return of the Marvel/DC collaboration could mean amazing things and I cannot wait to get a first look at these beauties when they release this summer.
Who is Spider-Boy?
Pete Ross, named after his genetic father Peter Parker and adoptive uncle General Ross, is the Spider-Boy of the Amalgam Universe. An amalgamation of both Superboy (not Superman) and Spider-Man, Spider-Boy has a combined powerset of both, an actual Web-Shooter (a gun that shoots webs) and a rad costume created by Mike Wieringo (my favorite of the Amalgam universe filled with fun designs).
Most amalgamations were put together on a basis of similarity. Batman fits well with Wolverine because they’re both brooding loners with a tendency to punch their feelings away. Superman and Captain America are a good fit because they’re both optimistic boy scouts. But Spider-Man and Superboy? Why would they put those two together you might ask? Peter isn’t a cool youngster like the original Kon-El and they don’t share similar power sets, so what’s the deal? Well you see, this isn’t good old Peter Parker. The original crossover was set in 1996, the year that Ben Reilly, A clone of the original Spider-Man, took up the mantle and became the main Spider-Man of the Marvel universe. It was Reilly that fought Super-Boy not Peter Parker, and so the connection between Superboy and Spidey was being clones. Kon-El was introduced as a clone of Clark Kent in the original Death of Superman story. That’s the only reason. Peter doesn’t even have an Amalgam counterpart. Peter Parker dies during the accident that creates Spider-Boy in the Amalgam universe.
What now?
It’s been hard for Pete Ross to return given the many legal issues surrounding the characters of the Amalgam Universe. Sure he’s been hinted at and shown in shadows or backgrounds, but we’ve never been able to enjoy a new Spider-Boy story since the 90s. Hopefully, with DC and Marvel’s partnership returning, we can see some new stories set in the Amalgam Universe (that would become much more likely if you all buy these books when they’re released).
It could also mean that Spider-Boy might appear in some other ways over the forthcoming years. We know from concept art that Spider-Boy was being considered to appear in Across the Spider-Verse, being left out in the end because of the legal issues. Maybe these legal issues are easier to deal with now, and Pete can cross paths with Miles in Beyond (probably not since the movie rights are a-whole-nother level of annoying compared to the comic rights but it’s fun to imagine). Dan Slott, writer and creator of the original Spider-Verse comic event did want to include Pete Ross in the story, but had to settle for vague ripped off arm instead. If Marvel ever decided to do a new Spider-Verse/Geddon event, it wouldn’t seem outside the realm of possibility for Pete to appear.
No matter what happens next, I am stoked we’re even getting these original books back and I implore anyone who hasn’t yet, to check out the Amalgam Universe whenever they can.
Written by @ghostface0_0 on twitter
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