If you're a Spider-Man fan of a certain age, you almost certainly remember the Slingers - a team of teen heroes who spun off from Spider-Man in the late '90s. And for those fans who fondly remember the oddball team, you're in luck, as the Slingers are coming back this February in Amazing Spider-Man #88.BEY (as we've said before, that's .BEY as in 'Beyond', like the current 'Spider-Man Beyond' era).
The Slingers originally started out as four separate alternate superhero identities used by Peter Parker at a time when it was too risky to be seen as Spider-Man because he was accused of murder.
Taking on a different identity for each of his four ongoing Spider-Man titles of that era, Peter began operating in different titles as Hornet, Ricochet, Dusk, and Prodigy - four new identities that keyed in on different aspects of Peter's powers, and which also carried their own weapons and abilities.
After Peter returned to being Spider-Man, the four costumes were obtained by the obscure Golden Age hero known as the Black Marvel, who gave them to four rookie heroes he aimed to turn into his own team, spinning them off into their own Slingers title.
Interestingly enough, the Slingers' time as a team came to an end when they had to fight Mephisto for the fate of Black Marvel's soul - a particularly ominous connection given Mephisto's meddling in Peter's life.
Now, a new Slingers team will form under the guidance of the Beyond Corporation, debuting in Amazing Spider-Man 88.BEY from writer Geoffrey Thorne and artists Jan Bazaldua and Jim Towe, with covers from Bazaldua and Nick Bradshaw.
What's more, at least one of the new Slingers has a secret identity that should be familiar to fans, as the new Hornet is none other than Hobie Brown, the original Prowler.
Hobie's had a rough few years, being killed, cloned, and then resurrected in Amazing Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy, and having his mantle of the mainstream Marvel Prowler fully taken over by Miles Morales' uncle Aaron Davis, the Prowler of the Ultimate Universe. Hopefully, a new lease on life as Hornet is exactly the turnaround Peter Parker's old friend and ally needs to get back to his old adventuring self.
Marvel gives no indication of who the identities of the other Slingers might be.
Stay tuned to Newsarama for Marvel Comics' full February 2022 solicitations, coming later this month.
Spidey's gone weekly in the 'Spider-Man Beyond' era, and we've got a listing of all the new Spider-Man comics planned for release in 2021 and beyond to help you keep up with his adventures.
