STEGMAN IN THE SPIDER-VERSE!
DID YOU SPOT THESE STEGMAN DESIGNS??
***THIS POST CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE!***
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is finally here, having hit theaters last Friday, and everyone at KLC PRESS is really excited about it! Not just because we’re all such huge fans of ol’ Web-Head, but also because the Spider-Verse films almost immediately proved to be some of the most exciting and interesting adaptations of comics since the boom of comic book movies began over 20 years ago now.
So, while we usually like to celebrate independent comics here on KLC, we also love to reflect on the characters that have most influenced our affinity for comics. And, of course, Spider-Man is a personal favorite. As you all are no doubt aware, our own RYAN STEGMAN has spent many years popping in-and-out of the Spider-Verse, the most notable instances of which being his runs on titles like Venom, Scarlet Spider, and The Superior Spider-Man. And, this past weekend, some of you may have even caught a couple of his designs on the big screen!
Yes, some Stegman originals do make brief appearances in Across the Spider-Verse. Here’s what the man himself had to say about it:
“I honestly think the new Spider-Verse movie is my most anticipated movie since Jurassic Park. To have characters that I helped create in the movie is absolutely surreal.”
Check out our breakdown of which Stegman designs show up in the new film below:
SPINNERET & SPIDERLING
Spinneret and Spiderling hail from the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows. In this alternate universe, Pete and MJ are happily married, have a young daughter by the name of Anna May Parker, and fight crime as a Spider-Family. While Peter dons his classic Spidey duds, Mary Jane and Anna sport all-new costumes designed by Stegman, and go by Spinneret and Spiderling, respectively.
While Anna Parker was co-created by Dan Slott and Adam Kubert in Volume One of Renew Your Vows, this particular Spiderling design was whipped up for Volume Two of the title by Stegman, who provided art for the series that was initially written by Gerry Conway, before Ryan stepped in to write some scripts himself, marking his first major writing credit for Marvel.
In Across the Spider-Verse, Spinneret and Spiderling make a brief appearance in the Spider-Society headquarters!
SCARLET SPIDER (KAINE)
![Kaine on the Brain: Ryan Stegman's 'Scarlet Spider' Sketchbook [Exclusive Art]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff821b378-c07e-401f-bbee-9caa2f23e572_576x540.jpeg "Kaine on the Brain: Ryan Stegman's 'Scarlet Spider' Sketchbook [Exclusive Art]")
Kaine Parker is one of the many clones of Peter Parker. He bounced between hero and villain for much of his existence, before settling into a somewhat anti-hero role once he took up the mantle of Scarlet Spider (a name previously held by his brother Ben Reilly) after the events of Dan Slott’s Spider-Island storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man. The character then went on to star in his own spin-off title from Christopher Yost and Stegman, featuring an all-new design by Ryan!
As you might have guessed, Kaine’s Scarlet Spider makes a very brief background appearance in the Spider-Society lobby.
A very similar design also shows up in the following sequence, which involves Miles fleeing from hordes of Spider-People, though we can’t confirm if this is supposed to be the Scarlet Spider design or if it is simply taking inspiration from it.
AND, AS A BONUS…
While Miles Morales is not a Stegman co-creation (that credit goes to Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, of course), Ryan has had the opportunity to draw the character on a number of occasions. Miles plays a crucial role in the first arc of the now-legendary Stegman/Cates Venom run and Absolute Carnage.
Similarly, Spider-Man 2099 aka Miguel O’Hara (who plays a critical role in Across the Spider-Verse) was co-created was Peter David and Rick Leonardi back in 1992. However, Stegman has had the opportunity to draw the character a number of times over his tenure in the Spider-Verse, perhaps the most notable of which was during the “Necessary Evil” arc of The Superior Spider-Man (vol. 1, issues #17-19).
And that’s all the Stegman you’re getting in this latest Spider-Verse masterpiece… at least, we’re pretty sure! If you saw any other instances of Stegman designs popping up in the new film, be sure to share them in the comments or on our socials!
Plus, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to KLC PRESS to stay up-to-date on all future Stegman Spidey projects. Rumor has it there may be some coming very soon.
Stay tuned to learn more! But until then…
Kids Love Chains. And we love you.
⛓⛓⛓⛓