Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man #4. You’ve been warned. Read our review for more details on the issue.
There’s a major reveal in Spider-Man #4 that’s teased on the cover, and it’s a version of Spider-Man you won’t see coming. In fact, the creator of this character Stan Lee didn’t either!
As the cover hints at–see below–there’s a new Spider-Man entering the fray due to Peter Parker seemingly getting killed last issue.
Marvel
Turns out the Spider-Man that Madame Web is referring to is Peter Palmer. Wait, who? As is revealed in the issue, the Spider-Man characters find out who the Spider-Man of Earth-616 Beta is, and it’s Peter Palmer.
Credit: Marvel
In the reveal it’s also made clear the hyphen is definitely not in his name.
Credit: Marvel
But who is Peter Palmer? Turns out, this version of Spider-Man existed, but only in a typo of the very first issue of Spider-Man. The typo occurred in Amazing Spider-Man #1 first published in 1963.
Marvel
It was a simple mistake, but it appears Dan Slott is pulling from all layers of canon. That includes video games–a video game version of Spidey appears in Spider-Man #4 in fact–and now typos too.
Interestingly, Slott appears to be playing around with the character’s history as we learn he’s not a photographer, but possibly in television.
Credit: Marvel
Apparently, Peter Palmer has a story yet to be told. Given he’s now alive and well in a Spider-Verse story, maybe Slott or someone in the future will get that chance. That is if Peter Palmer survives the story!
This is just a fraction of what happens in Spider-Man #4. I highly recommend you read the full issue to see what happens and how Peter Palmer fits into it.
For more Spider-Man news in recent comics, don’t miss our Spider-Sense news from last week detailing Ben Reilly’s new Spider-Sense ability.
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