Comic Books

Marvel returns to the Mangaverse with five-part 25th anniversary event this September

Twenty-five years after the Marvel Mangaverse debuted, a new generation of heroes faces an apocalypse where magic rules and technology has fallen silent.

David Brooke

June 9, 2026

Marvel Comics is returning to the Mangaverse this September with a five-week publishing event celebrating the line’s 25th anniversary. The initiative will feature five interconnected one-shots from a lineup of creators that includes Joe Kelly, Jack Kelly, Cody Ziglar, Ashley Allen, Alyssa Wong, Kenny Ruiz, Kei Zama, Mirka Andolfo, and Michael YG.

The event begins with Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Blood #1 and concludes with Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Destiny #1, a two-part story co-written by Joe and Jack Kelly and illustrated by Kenny Ruiz. Between those bookends, three standalone adventures will expand the world and spotlight new interpretations of familiar Marvel heroes.

Rather than revisiting the original Mangaverse directly, Marvel is presenting this new era as if the line had continued uninterrupted for the past twenty-five years, both in publication history and within the story itself. The result is a fully realized setting shaped by decades of unseen adventures, conflicts, and mythology.

At the center of the story are Spider-Man Miles Morales, Weapon X-Tremis Laura Kinney, and Legion Illyana Rasputin. Once allies, the three now find themselves divided over how to prevent a prophesied apocalypse tied to the return of the Phoenix.

The project holds special significance for Joe and Jack Kelly.

“Every week my dad and I talk for hours about everything that’s happening in our favorite comics and manga, so being asked to do this for Marvel has been an honor,” explains Jack.

Joe Kelly immediately embraced the opportunity when it was presented.

“When Lauren and Mark came to me with the Mangaverse project and specifically offered the opportunity to co-write it with Jack, it was an immediate yes,” Joe added. “This project is a love letter to manga and anime via the Marvel Mangaverse, brought to stunning life by artist Kenny Ruiz.”

Ruiz described the assignment as both exciting and intimidating.

“My job is to live up to what Joe and Jack Kelly and Yuji Kaku Sensei have created, like a poor shonen hero clearly overwhelmed by the challenge,” explains WEB OF BLOOD and WEB OF DESTINY artist Kenny Ruiz. “But if you live and breathe manga like I do, you know what to do in those situations: grit your teeth, sacrifice everything, and give it your all. I can’t tell you anything yet, but I can’t stop drawing. This new era of the Mangaverse is demanding everything we have to give—and damn it, we’re not backing down.”

Editor Lauren Amaro emphasized the manga pedigree behind the project’s creative teams while revealing that acclaimed manga creator Yuji Kaku helped shape the visual direction of the event.

“Every single creator contributing to this celebration are huge manga fans themselves, and many have either come from international manga backgrounds, or have been heavily influenced by manga in their own creative journeys,” adds editor Lauren Amaro. “Of course, none of this could exist without the source material that has inspired our creators, so when it came time to cast the main covers, the first person to come to mind was acclaimed mangaka, Yuji Kaku Sensei, who I’ve had the pleasure of working with on Phases of the Moon Knight. Kaku Sensei collaborated with the writers by taking their initial story pitches and character descriptions and creating an absolutely amazing set of covers, setting the tone for each character’s design and helping to modernize Marvel Mangaverse as we return to it 25 years after its debut.”

Marvel returns to the Mangaverse with 5-part anniversary event this September

Kaku welcomed the opportunity to reinterpret Marvel’s heroes through his own lens.

“It is a true honor to draw so many Marvel characters that I grew up reading,” adds Yuji Kaku. “I challenged myself to merge Western comic and Japanese manga styles by capturing the core essence of both. It was a rigorous task, but incredibly exciting. I hope you all enjoy my designs!”

Following Web of Blood, the event continues with Marvel Mangaverse: Iron Knight #1 on September 9. Written by Cody Ziglar and illustrated by Kei Zama, the issue follows Riri Williams, who protects New Chicago with a mana-powered suit of armor. After suffering a personal loss, she joins forces with Moon Knight while pursuing revenge.

On September 16, Marvel Mangaverse: Arcane Avengers #1 arrives from Ashley Allen and Mirka Andolfo. The story centers on Bucky Barnes, leader of a reluctant team of sorcerers tasked with battling demonic yokai. When Hawkeye unexpectedly returns to his life, Bucky’s plans begin to unravel.

The event’s fourth chapter, Marvel Mangaverse: Ghostlocke #1, launches September 23. Written by Alyssa Wong with art by Michael YG, the issue pits Kwannon against Carnage as the serial killer tears through both human and yokai populations.

Everything culminates in Web of Destiny #1 on September 30 as Joe Kelly, Jack Kelly, and Kenny Ruiz bring the apocalypse storyline to its conclusion.

The opening chapter introduces a transformed Mangaverse where technology has ceased to function and magic dominates everyday life. As the threat of global destruction grows, Miles, Laura, and Illyana must decide how far they are willing to go to stop the end of the world. Each step toward salvation may bring them closer to catastrophe.

Marvel also unveiled a collection of main covers by Yuji Kaku, along with promotional artwork spotlighting the event’s central trio.

The Mangaverse returns this September, but if the prophecy proves true, its future may be short-lived.

Marvel returns to the Mangaverse with 5-part anniversary event this September