Is this… Spider-clops? Whoever he is, he's designated Weapon VIII in one of the alternate universes that will be visited in a new volume of Edge of Spider-Verse, Marvel's anthology series that visits the Spider-heroes of various realities across the Multiverse.
In the case of the apparent Spider-Man/Cyclops mash-up seen in artist Chad Hardin's cover for the new Edge of Spider-Verse #1, he's known as Weapon VIII, much like Wolverine is Weapon X. And according to Marvel's announcement, in Weapon VIII's starring Edge of Spider-Verse story by writers Jackson Lanzing and Colin Kelly and artist Travel Foreman, his connection to Wolverine will be front-and-center as Weapon VIII goes on the hunt for Weapon X.
Another announced story by writer Nilah Magruder and artist Eric Gapstur will focus on Spider-Byte, the digital avatar Spider-hero who played a key role in the animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse movie as she returns to her comic book roots.
Beyond those two stories, Marvel promises that the new volume of Edge of Spider-Verse is "building to the biggest Spider-Verse epic in Marvel Comics history," billing it as the "start of a saga that sets up the next evolution of Spider-Versal stories!"
"You won’t believe how the Web of Life and Destiny impacts Spider-Man storytelling this time as the possibilities of the Spider-Verse are unleashed in full!" reads Marvel's announcement.
Whatever is next in the evolution of the Spider-Verse from a single Spider-Man event story to a full-on franchise of its own with multiple spin-offs and even its own movie series, it will apparently all kick off with the new Edge of Spider-Verse #1 on February 21.
Stay up to date on all the new Spider-Man comics Marvel has planned for release.
