Radioactive Spider-Man #1
Written by: Joe Kelly
Illustrated by: Kev Walker
Colors by: Chris Sotomayor
Letters by: Joe Caramagna
Marvel Comics
2025
Spoilers..
UNFRIENDLY AND UNSTABLE! X YEARS LATER, the X-Virus decimated New York – but Spider-Man won’t stop fighting. In a desperate gamble, Peter Parker doses himself with lethal radiation to hold the infection at bay. Survival comes at a cost. While this may not kill Peter Parker, it sure messes him up. This is the most dangerous, mutated Spider-Man ever – and he’s not alone.
Radioactive Spider-Man #1 delivers a version of Peter Parker unlike anything Marvel’s done before. The world is in ruins after the outbreak of the X-Virus, and what’s left of New York is a wasteland of broken buildings and fading hope. Spider-Man is still out there, but survival has come at a terrible cost. To keep the infection at bay, Peter injects himself with radiation — the very thing that gave him his powers in the first place. It’s keeping him alive, but it’s also tearing him apart from the inside.
Joe Kelly writes Peter as a man haunted by his own persistence. The trademark humor is there, but it’s quieter, edged with exhaustion. There’s no glamour in this fight; it’s raw, lonely, and unsettling. Kelly captures that sense of moral stubbornness that defines Spider-Man, but in a way that feels stripped down and human. Peter doesn’t crack jokes to lighten the mood — he does it to keep from falling apart.
Kev Walker’s artwork brings that desperation to life. His Spider-Man looks gaunt and damaged, his body twisted by radiation and battle scars. The costume is half-shredded, and every movement feels heavy, like the air itself has turned toxic. Chris Sotomayor’s colors give the pages a grimy glow — greens that pulse like infection and reds that suggest both rage and decay. Together they create a version of Spider-Man that feels more like a survivor than a savior.
The atmosphere in this issue is thick with tension. Every alley and rooftop looks corroded, and even the silence between panels feels heavy. Peter’s world has shrunk to a handful of choices, none of them good. There’s no bright city skyline to swing across, just the ruins of a place he can’t stop trying to save. That sense of futility makes the story hit harder — you can feel that he’s running out of time, and maybe reasons.
What makes Radioactive Spider-Man so effective is how personal it feels. It’s not a story about hope or heroics; it’s about survival and what happens when you push yourself past the point of redemption. Peter isn’t fighting for glory or recognition — he’s fighting because it’s all he’s ever known how to do. It’s a bleak take, but it rings true for a character whose defining trait has always been sacrifice.
In the end, this first issue is a haunting reimagining of Spider-Man’s core idea: that doing the right thing doesn’t always save you. It’s grim, beautifully drawn, and emotionally charged — a story about what’s left of a hero when everything else is gone.
No Cure, No Hope, Just Spider-Man
Radioactive Spider-Man #1 pushes Peter Parker to his limit in a ravaged world where survival means self-destruction. Joe Kelly and Kev Walker craft a haunting, visceral story about endurance, sacrifice, and what’s left of a hero when everything else is gone.
Beam Me Up Scotty
Born and raised in the city of Miami. Lifelong pro wrestling fan. Been deep in the 'zine scene since ’84, interviewing locals, Hardcore, Punk, and Metal bands. Spent 26 years in the comic book biz and still obsessed with all things pop culture—Mego, Micronauts, Shogun Warriors, Die-Cast Metal Super Robots, you name it. I can go on about comic books and bad movies all day.
