Spider-Man '94 Annual Finally Answers a Cliffhanger 28 Years in the Making

When Spider-Man: The Animated Series wrapped its sixth season back in 1998, it left Peter Parker chasing a Mary Jane Watson lost somewhere in the multiverse after Madame Web sent him after her — and then the show just ended, no answer in sight. Marvel is finally closing that loop this December in Spider-Man '94 Annual #1, written by original showrunner John Semper Jr. with art by Alessio Cammardella.

The annual slots in chronologically right after the animated finale and before last year's Spider-Man '94 ongoing, picking up in the moments right after that season-six cliffhanger. Semper has been candid about why he's circling back after nearly three decades, saying he didn't fully grasp "what kind of trauma" the open ending caused for the kids who grew up on the show, and calling this annual his way of finally giving them closure.

It's a nice bit of full-circle programming for Marvel's ongoing 90s-cartoon revival, which has already leaned hard on nostalgia with X-Men '97 to pull in older readers alongside new ones. Spider-Man '94 Annual #1 arrives December 9, with cover art from Nick Bradshaw, Will Robson, and others.

Original reporting: Nerdist.