J. Michael Straczynski is set to have Spider-Man face off against The Sinister Sixteen in a legendary Marvel showdown.

      Marvel Comics has revealed that writer J. Michael Straczynski will be concluding his series of one-shots that feature unexpected character pairings, bringing together heroes and villains from across the Marvel universe in the upcoming Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Sixteen.

      “One of the most prevalent themes in the superhero genre is the destruction that ensues when heroes and villains clash,” Straczynski noted. “It’s something we all accept as a given. This sparked the idea: What if the owner of a popular restaurant, having driven it into the ground, needs it to be destroyed for an insurance payout and invites a multitude of heroes and villains to dine together in hopes of inciting a brawl? Initially, everyone might attempt to maintain their composure to enjoy the meal, but eventually, with that cast of characters… chaos is inevitable.”

      “It became a fantastic opportunity to cram a plethora of characters, both heroic and villainous, into one space and witness the situation spiral into chaos,” he added. “With the goal of this book being to showcase unexpected combinations, this was the ultimate and only logical outcome: throw everyone into one 30-page story, introduce a grenade, and observe the results. This was probably the most enjoyable book to write, and one of the funniest as well. I'm extremely grateful to Marvel for allowing me the freedom to write whatever I wanted and to create entertaining stories with unlikely pairings.”

      Take a look at the cover art for Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Sixteen by Terry and Rachel Dodson, along with a first glimpse of Phil Noto’s interior artwork.

      Peter Parker was simply looking to enjoy a pleasant evening out with Mary Jane, but as fate would have it, the Parker Luck has brought an array of the most notorious villains into his night! With Spidey, Thor, Doctor Strange, Magneto, Loki, Doctor Octopus, and many others all gathered in one place, things are sure to get explosive!

      Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Sixteen is set to hit shelves in July 2025.

      About Gary Collinson: Gary Collinson is a producer and writer of film, TV, and digital content, and the founder of the pop culture website Flickering Myth. He has produced the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' and the forthcoming suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'. He previously dedicated ten years to teaching and lecturing in film and media and is also the author of the non-fiction book 'Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen'.