2025 is set to be a big year for Magic. Multiple Universes Beyond sets, including MTG Final Fantasy and MTG Spider-Man, are coming our way and will indeed be Standard legal. Over a week ago, we got our first glimpse at MTG Final Fantasy as some amusing cards were previewed.
Now, despite MTG Spider-Man’s release not being until September 26, it appears we’re getting our first look at what the set has to offer. A handful of new cards from the Spidey’s Spectacular Showdown Scene Box have been spoiled, highlighted by some iconic heroes and villains.
Notably, while cards from the main set are going to be Standard legal, these foils are not going to be Standard legal. Instead, they will be legal in Commander as well as Legacy and Vintage. Since we will not be getting Commander Precons with the release of Spiderman, these cards at least help fill the void. With that out of the way, let’s see what’s in store for us.
Sensational Spider-Man
Kicking things off, we have our beloved Spider Human Hero card, Sensational Spider-Man. This card has a rather interesting design that could make it a sweet build-around. By itself, you get a three-mana 3/3 that locks down an opposing creature for a turn cycle. If you choose, you can remove that stun counter to draw a card.
Where things get intriguing, though, is if you have other ways to put stun counters on permanents. Creatures like Floodpits Drowner, for instance, can enable you to draw extra cards with Sensational Spider-Man when you want.
Notably, you can also remove stun counters from your own permanents. This makes Sensational Spider-Man a cool combo alongside Sleep-Cursed Faerie. Not only does Sensational Spider-Man remove Sleep-Cursed Faerie’s stun counter for you, but you get to draw cards in the process.
The Watcher in the Water is another card that naturally enters with a bunch of stun counters. Attacking multiple times with Sensational Spider-Man with The Watcher in the Water in play will let you draw a bunch of cards and unlock your huge Kraken before you know it. Sensational Spider-Man isn’t the flashiest hero we’ve ever seen, but it has some cool synergies, nonetheless.
Venom, Deadly Devourer
Following up our hero, we have a series of villains to showcase. The first of these villains is Venom himself. Venom’s abilities are rather simple. The card is difficult to block, and has the potential to grow absolutely enormous.
In an EDH setting, Venom can threaten lethal Commander damage in no time. All you have to do is have enough stock of high-toughness creatures in your graveyard. Titanoth Rex comes to mind as a powerful option in a Venom Commander deck.
Notably, Venom does have the ability to put counters on other Symbiote creatures. Symbiote is currently not a supported creature type in Magic, but with the release of MTG Spider-Man, you can theoretically put your +1/+1 counters on a Changeling like Changeling Outcast. It’ll be hard to resist loading up on Venom and hitting for massive damage, though.
Green Goblin, Nemesis
Green Goblin, Nemesis is our second villain to reveal. This time, you’re rewarded for discarding cards. Putting +1/+1 counters on your Goblins isn’t that interesting. However, Green Goblin, Nemesis has the ability to ramp you a bunch.
Cards like Wheel of Fortune are premium additions in a Green Goblin, Nemesis deck. Even effects such as Seismic Assault can help fuel your Treasure production, assuming you have enough lands to throw around. Overall, Green Goblin, Nemesis isn’t that strong of a card unless you’re making a ton of Treasures.
Dock Ock, Evil Inventor
Dock Ock, Evil Inventor is our last of the villains. Unfortunately, it’s also very weak. For a seven mana Commander, you expect a lot in return, and Dock Ock doesn’t really deliver.
Dock Ock is big, but has no built-in protection from opposing removal. The goal with Dock Ock is clearly to use mana rocks to accelerate him out, then start turning those mana rocks and other trinkets into 8/8s. Yet, this process is very slow and only makes you more vulnerable to board wipes.
Your 8/8s can easily be chump blocked, too, since they have no extra abilities. We’re not alone in our assessment of this legend, so hopefully the main set brings us a better version of this villain.
Grasping Tentacles
Our last two cards are support elements for a specific villain. Grasping Tentacles, for instance, pairs with Dock Ock as a way to get extra artifacts into play. In theory, if you mill over a huge artifact, Grasping Tentacles has the potential to be awesome. The problem is that you also have the potential to hit nothing of value.
Your best bet when it comes to maximizing Grasping Tentacles is to play it in a deck that already rewards forcing your opponents to mill cards. In a Phenax, God of Deception deck, Grasping Tentacles serves as both a way to force your opponent to mill cards and a payoff for doing so.
The more cards your opponents have in their graveyards, the higher likelihood Grasping Tentacles will hit something powerful. You shouldn’t just throw Grasping Tentacles into any deck, though the upside is there.
Pumpkin Bombs
Lastly, we have Pumpkin Bombs. Pumpkin Bombs is meant to fuel Green Goblin, Nemesis by letting you discard cards. The problem is that Pumpkin Bombs just isn’t a very good card. Sure, you aren’t down on cards in the exchange. The issue is that your opponents get to start benefitting from Pumpkin Bombs as the game progresses.
In a multiplayer setting, your opponents may choose to never let you gain control of Pumpkin Bombs again. You won’t take any damage from fuse counters this way, and you won’t get to generate any card advantage by activating Pumpkin Bombs, either. Pumpkin Bombs has massive potential in a deck that can blink it, however. It can also be useful in a deck that wants to donate permanents, like Zedruu, the Greathearted.
At the end of the day, none of these six cards are super impressive. Sensational Spider-Man and Venom look like fun cards to structure your deck around. Just don’t expect the decks to be too strong. The main set will surely bring more exciting EDH cards to the table, so make sure to mark your calendars for MTG Spiderman’s release in the fall.