The introduction of Spider-Boy has been one of Marvel's most intriguing developments this year. Peter Parker's supposedly long-lost sidekick, created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, has proved so popular that, a couple of weeks back, Marvel unveiled a whole host of variant covers featuring loads of other potential "lost" sidekicks dubbed "New Champions". You can see those covers right here.
Now they've added four more, including a hilarious Teen Deadpool cover for Deadpool: Badder Blood #5 by Nick Bradshaw. The variant sees a knife-wielding, skateboard-riding Teen Deadpool ride into action while a proud Pops watches on.
The other three covers, from left to right are Scarlet Witch #9 by Jen Bartel, Sensational She-Hulk #1 by Mirka Andolfo, and Blade #4 by Mateus Manhanini.
The New Champions variant covers are all published this October. Marvel says of the new initiative, "Like Spider-Boy, these new characters inspire a secret history of countless adventures where they've fought side-by-side with their superhero mentors! Featuring fresh, bold designs by all-star talent, these stunning new covers may just be a glimpse into the future of the Marvel Universe!"
It's worth reiterating that, for now, these characters are simply cool variant covers with no actual stories planned that we know of. However, given that last line from Marvel and the fact that Spider-Boy has been a huge success, we wouldn't be at all surprised if some of these became actual heroes somewhere down the line.
Check out the full list of New Champions variant covers and when you can buy them in the list below.
On sale October 4
- Black Panther #5 New Champions variant by Ernanda Souza
- Doctor Strange #8 New Champions variant by Romy Jones
- Fantastic Four #12 New Champions variant by Corin Howell
- X-Men #27 New Champions variant by Peach Momoko
On sale October 11
- Avengers #6 New Champions variant by Taurin Clarke
- Blade #4 New Champions variant by Mateus Manhanini
- Guardians of the Galaxy #7 New Champions variant by Ron Lim
- Magneto #3 New Champions variant by Betsy Cola
- Venom #26 New Champions variant by Rian Gonzales
- Wolverine #38 New Champions variant by Leinil Francis Yu
On sale October 18
- Deadpool: Badder Blood #5 New Champions variant by Nick Bradshaw
- Ghost Rider #19 New Champions variant by Luciano Vecchio
- Incredible Hulk #5 New Champions variant by Dan Panosian
- Invincible Iron Man #11 New Champions variant by Takeshi Miyazawa
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man #11 New Champions variant by Sara Pichelli
- Moon Knight #28 New Champions variant by Javier Garrón
- Scarlet Witch #9 New Champions variant by Jen Bartel
- Sensational She-Hulk #1 New Champions variant by Mirka Andolfo
On sale October 25
- Amazing Spider-Man #36 New Champions variant by Kris Anka
- Captain America #2 New Champions variant by Lucas Werneck
- Captain Marvel #1 New Champions variant by Paco Medina
- Immortal Thor #3 New Champions variant by Toni Infante
From Jimmy Olsen to Robin, these are our picks of the best superhero sidekicks of all time.
