Spider-Man Adventures #5, Unused Cover, April 1995
Spider-Man: Far From Home landed on digital streaming platforms this week, so the next few posts feature — who else? — Spider-Man and Mysterio.
Spider-Man Adventures, a ‘90s comic book title, existed mainly to support Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which ran on Fox Kids from 1994 – 1998. In fact, the first thirteen issues of the comics are direct adaptations of the first-season episodes.
The episodes themselves are adapted (albeit loosely in some cases) from original Spider-Man comic books.
So…
Issue #5, featuring Mysterio, is an adaptation of Episode #5 of the TV series, which in turn, is adapted from Mysterio’s very first comic book appearance — by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko — in Amazing Spider-Man #13. (1964).
A comic book adaptation…. of a TV show adaptation… of a comic book story. That trick definitely trumps anything up Mysterio’s sleeve.
Alex tells me that his original cover was rejected because the editors wanted more emphasis on Mysterio —and for the character to be more “dramatic and menacing,” and I think he delivered. (See below.) Still, I like Alex’s original take, especially with that iconic Spidey image.
Alex’s creative spin on the wall-crawler has lasted more than 30 years. He drew the Web of Spider-Man comic book for seven years, and then the full Spider-Man Adventures run, and then the Spidey newspaper strip from 1997 to its end earlier this year.
Nothing mysterious about that longevity — Alex’s passion for, and understanding of, the Spider-Man character is obvious anytime he puts pencil to paper.
Fan art of a Far From Home Poster that looks a LOT like the unpublished cover.
It appears Alex was well ahead of his time.