Spider-Man 2099 and His Amazing Keys

BY MATT TUCK

IG @ matt.tuck.writer

Got your Spider-Man 2099 keys? You better move fast after he was front and center on the new Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse teaser trailer.

We knew this day would come. It started with the mid-credits scene of 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse when viewers caught a glimpse of Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac. Of course, the appearance was mostly used as a gag as Miguel leaped into the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon series, spawning memes that are still going strong.

Jokes or not, the Into the Spider-Verse mid-credits scene sparked wave after wave of Spider-Man 2099 rumors. Will he be in the Spider-Verse sequel? Will he get his own live-action series or movie? It all quieted down until earlier this year when Loki featured a case file that listed the God of Mischief’s sector as 1900-2099. Nothing came from that Easter egg, but Oscar Isaac stirred the pot. In an October interview with Fandom, Isaac was asked about reprising his Spider-Man 2099 role. He played it coy, answering that he hoped so. Now that the teaser has been released and Sony has confirmed that Isaac will return to the part, there was obviously more to his comments than originally thought, though he likely was under orders not to spoil anything.

Now that Spider-Man 2099 is official for Across the Spider-Verse, it’s going to launch these key issues into the stratosphere. Here’s the latest market report.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #90

Miguel O’Hara and his ultra-cool Spider-Man costume first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #90 as a two-page promotion for the 2099 comics. This is not typically the number one Spider-Man 2099 collectible; after all, it’s a promo rather than an in-story debut. For those reasons, the prices are generally more affordable than ASM #365, and that will be increasingly appealing as values rise thanks to the teaser trailer. In fact, Web #90 at a 9.8 hasn’t sold for triple digits since October, though yesterday did see a $90 sale.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #365

Overnight, ASM #365 has become one of the fastest trending comics in all of collecting. Why wouldn’t it? Although it was a backup story to ASM, this issue featured the full debut of Spider-Man 2099. It was still a teaser, but instead of Web #90’s two-page spread, ASM #365 had the first five pages from Spider-Man 2099 #1.

Again, this is not the full comic debut, but it gave readers a glimpse into the character’s origin story. What also drives collectors to this issue over Spider-Man 2099 #1 are the grading companies. CGC lists this as the character’s official first appearance on its label, and that typically settles any debates over debuts. 

Like most other key issues, ASM #365 peaked in the spring. Around April, the graded 9.8 was hauling in record prices, with copies ranging from $600 to as high as $775. Since the summer and into the fall, those values have practically been cut in half, but that is good for buyers. After the Across the Spider-Verse teaser, prices are getting a boost, and yesterday saw two copies sell for $400+ for the first time since September.

SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1

Maybe CGC doesn’t acknowledge this as the first appearance of Miguel O’Hara, but that is not slowing down the buying rate across the auction sites. As soon as Sony released the Across the Spider-Verse trailer, speculators and investors scoured the internet for high grades of Spider-Man 2099 #1, and the sales volume was impressive. Going into day two, the flood of sales does not appear to be slowing down.

If you are in the market for a graded 9.8, you are in luck because prices are only just beginning to edge toward the $200 mark, and that is nowhere near the record $377 from earlier this year. For the most part, the price tags have remained in the $175 range, though the last sale from yesterday was for $195. 

SPIDER-MAN 2099 #35

Whenever we’re talking about superheroes from another Marvel timeline, it leaves plenty of room for other characters to venture into the mix. As the world prepares for Miguel O’Hara, we could see his 2099 villains make an entrance. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that Across the Spider-Verse will introduce an entirely new Venom. Instead of the traditional Eddie Brock-alien symbiote combination, the upcoming movie will feature Venom 2099. 

In the trailer, we see a bulked-up Miguel attacking Miles as they cross dimensions. This is contrary to the Spider-Man 2099 we saw in the Into the Spider-Verse mid-credits scene, which begs the question, is this the same character? That body type is more in line with Venom than any version of Spider-Man, and that could mean he is actually Kron Stone, who would become Venom 2099.

Kron made his first appearance in Punisher 2099 #1 in 1992, but it was in Spider-Man 2099 #35 that he would bond with the alien symbiote and become obsessed with Miguel. Since nothing has been indicated about him appearing in Across the Spider-Verse, this key issue is flying under the radar, at least compared to Miguel’s keys. That could change in a hurry.

At the moment, the standard cover graded at a 9.8 has a 90-day average of $170. There hasn’t been a sale since October, but the last one to trade hands online brought $190. The variant cover, which has sold for as much as $400 this year, earned $152 in August.

THE FUTURE IS 2099

Depending on the direction Sony is planning to take after Across the Spider-Verse, we could be seeing more of Miguel O’Hara. If the movie is successful, then it could spawn a Spider-Man 2099 animated spinoff, and that could open the door to the entire 2099 Universe. Fans have been waiting for that moment for years, and it could be on the horizon. 

Matt Tuck is the author of the novel, Lost Bones of the Dead. He is a professional writer, avid comic collector, former teacher, and an international man of mystery. You can follow him on his Facebook page, The Comic Blog, or on Instagram at matt.tuck.writer.