This past weekend, we got our first taste of what Wizards has been cooking for the much-hyped Magic: The Gathering x Spider-Man crossover set. It goes without saying that there’s a lot riding on this one. Thanks to the success of the films in recent years, the Marvel fanbase is bigger than it’s ever been. As you might expect given the stakes, long-time fans have already taken issue with the flavor of some of the MTG Spider-Man cards spoiled thus far.
This is hardly surprising. Both Marvel fans and Magic fans love a good “well, actually,” so a set that draws in both was sure to ruffle some feathers. Early criticism in this area has actually become so widespread, however, that Head Designer Mark Rosewater has responded. In a spirited defense of Wizards’ decisions on Blogatog, he reminds us all of just how much thought goes into these crossover sets.
The Divisive Flavor Of MTG Spider-Man
Since the first wave of Spider-Man cards hit, MTG players have been quick to latch on to the flavor implications. The biggest talking point so far has been the use of creature types on the different cards. Specifically, the fact that the Green Goblin actually gets the Goblin creature type has sparked controversy. Magic: The Gathering YouTuber PleasantKenobi even released a full 22-minute video on the subject.
“Spider-Man, quite explicitly and literally, has spider DNA in him. The Green Goblin doesn’t have Goblin DNA because Goblins don’t really exist, at least not in the main Spider-Man canon.”
PleasantKenobi
Making the Green Goblin a literal Goblin in Magic terms was definitely a bold creative choice on Wizards’ part. As PleasantKenobi outlines above, it’s not one that makes complete sense in the context of Marvel as a universe. By yesterday, this discourse had gotten so widespread that Mark Rosewater himself decided to weigh in.
“Which brings us to to the Green Goblin. Norman Osborn becomes the Green Goblin because he takes a potion that alters his DNA. In the Ultimate version of the story (The Ultimate comics tackled familiar characters, but took a different spin on them), he literally becomes a Goblin. So, the big question was does the Green Goblin have Goblin DNA?
It’s a hard question to answer, because the Marvel Universe is built on the real world, and Goblins don’t exist in the real world. But Marvel has many fantastical elements. What does it mean to be a Goblin in the Marvel universe? The Green Goblin is such a big character, that his mere existence has warped what being a Goblin means. In some ways, the concept of what a Goblin is, in the Marvel universe, is shaped by the existence of Green Goblin.”
Mark Rosewater
As a flavor-based explanation, this is pretty solid. There’s always going to be friction when mashing two IPs together since individual story universes all operate on their own rules and logic. Not everything is going to cross over from one IP to the other neatly, and this was a case where a tough call was necessary.
When discussing the Green Goblin’s typing, players tend to point out that Doc Ock, Evil Inventor doesn’t have the Octopus creature type. Wouldn’t that be consistent with Green Goblin being a Goblin, and Spider-Man being a Spider? Rosewater justifies this in his response as well.
“Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man because a spider bite infuses him with some spider DNA. He has spider powers because he is, from a genetic level, part spider. Dr. Octopus, in contrast, is not part Octopus. He has eight appendages, like an Octopus, but he is not, in any way, part Octopus.”
Mark Rosewater
While you may not agree with the specific calls made here, it’s clear that Wizards has put a ton of thought into how to best translate these iconic characters into cardboard form. Rosewater’s repsonse even mentions how making Green Goblin a Goblin results in “a lot of added play value” due to the typal synergies it provides.
The Community Chimes In
As you’d expect, players had a lot to say about this development in the MTG Spider-Man flavor saga. The r/MagicTCG thread discussing the post currently has almost 400 comments, with people coming down on both sides of the fence. For some, using creature types in this way is the beginning of a slippery slope.
“I will stick my neck out and say I think it’s a mistake making the Green Goblin a Goblin. Yes, you can come up with a tenuous argument why he might be. The problem is that given you’re doing loads and loads of UB cards, this isn’t the last of these edge cases you’ll have. Over time, the more tenuous arguments you make, the more confusing and inconsistent creature typing is going to become. “
Iamamancalledrobert
This is a very valid concern. Wizards avoids using certain supertypes like Snow and Kindred too much for the same reason. When you start applying creature types too liberally for flavor reasons, problems can arise on the mechanical side of things too. Interestingly, this approach to typing isn’t even consistent with past Magic: The Gathering sets.
“This line he talks about seems to only be drawn for Marvel properties. Many artifact creatures (ie Akroan horse) have no animal DNA at all and yet have the typing of the animal they resemble.”
Gripfighting
Again, this makes perfect sense. Introducing a new typing rule for Universes Beyond properties could upset the consistency of the “old system,” where typing was really more of a vibes thing. Conversely, this could just be the first step towards a more sophisticated system in the future.
There were a number of naysayers in the thread, but overall the feedback here was actually very positive. Many appreciated the logic Rosewater presented, and the clear love for the subject matter that came across in his detailed response.
“Good reasoning based on the lore of the IP used and gameplay arguments. I had no opinion before, now I agree.”
Joszitopreddit
“Maro loves Marvel so fucking much that it’s PALPABLE in his answers like these. You might have decided to take a different line, but it’s pretty obvious they put a lot of thought into the lines they took. Personally I don’t really care either way, this justification sounds fine to me.”
so_zetta_byte
For those who have followed Rosewater for a while, this isn’t surprising at all. He’s stated on many occasions that he’s a huge Marvel fan and that Marvel is his dream Universes Beyond set. Whether you think Green Goblin should’ve been a Goblin or not, it’s hard to argue with the effort put into the decision-making here. It bodes well for the rest of the Spider-Man set that even these eternal-only cards got such close attention.
Devil’s In The Detail
Of course, the Spider-Man flavor controversy above, with all of its ups and downs, is something we MTG players have seen several times before. Pretty much every Universes Beyond set has had some combination of both in its time. When you’re dealing with deeply beloved properties, as Universes Beyond has done so far, this is almost inevitable.
Perhaps the most memorable example is the irrational furor around Aragorn’s race in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. As an artistic decision, this was an incredibly bold one on Wizards’ part. While most came around in the end, the controversy around this raged on for weeks. This wasn’t a decision that impacted gameplay, either, unlike the Spider-Man ones we discussed above.
We’ve seen plenty of smaller mechanical complaints, too. Fallout fans weren’t huge on Mysterious Stranger, for example, which didn’t feel like an accurate representation of the character from the games. For every iconic element in a Universes Beyond set, there’s a devoted fan who has criticized it for not quite meeting their expectations.
On the other side of the coin, Universes Beyond has also received a ton of praise, both from established Magic: The Gathering players and newcomers. Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who were both widely considered home runs, with fans gushing over the flavor of cards like Shadowfax and the individual episode sagas.
In the end, given how successful Universes Beyond has been as an initiative, these positives have formed the bulk of its legacy. If Spider-Man is handled with the same care and respect, and early signs say it certainly will be, then it should be another stellar addition to Wizards’ ever-growing list of record-breakers.