Spider-Boy

Did You Know?

• Spider-Boy can transform into a spider hybrid at will, gaining paralyzing venom and enhanced vision.
• He has a variety of Spider-Sense that manifests as psychometry.

Development

Dan Slott stated the idea came from a conversation with his editor about a character no one remembers. Slott pitched for it to be Spider-Boy, wanting the youngest spider character yet, as both Miles and Peter were teenagers when bitten. He thought it would be fun to see a preteen Spider-Man character, someone Spider-Man would not want running around due to child endangerment. Slott later said Spider-Boy was created as an entertaining supporting character but became popular enough for his own series.

Spider-Boy debuted in Spider-Man vol. 4 #7 (April 2023), created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. He appeared in the 2023 Edge of Spider-Verse series and the 2023 Spider-Boy series, his first solo comic book series, whose first monthly issue was released in November 2023. He also appeared in the 2023 Superior Spider-Man series and a 2023 Marvel Unlimited exclusive Infinity Comic series. Slott left Marvel in 2025 to work for DC Comics, ending the Spider-Boy comic after 20 issues.

Fictional character biography

Bailey Briggs was an ordinary kid until Madame Monstrosity kidnapped him. In her lab, he and another prisoner, Eli Hartman, were given DNA from a spider and from an elephant and rhinoceros, respectively; Eli became known as Hellifino. Bailey escaped and learned to handle his abilities under Daredevil's guidance, taking the name Spider-Boy and serving as Spider-Man's sidekick. During the End of the Spider-Verse event, after Shathra and Morlun were beaten, Bailey was brought back to life but discovered no one recalled him.

He left and took shelter at a F.E.A.S.T. facility after rescuing a girl named Christina Xu from Mister Negative's Inner Demons. He later fought Hellifino and Madame Monstrosity's creation Boy-Spider, and found his mother Tabitha Briggs, who had been turned into a cat-like Humanimal and had no memory of him. Madame Monstrosity captured Bailey and turned herself into a chimera; he escaped with aid from Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl, Captain America, Thor, and Toy Soldier.

After her defeat, most Humanimals were restored, but Boy-Spider, Jeremy, and Hellifino stayed animal-like and moved to her farm with Tabitha. Bailey went back to school, and Tabitha, after regaining her memories, joined the F.E.A.S.T. staff and let him keep being a hero. Bailey and Daredevil went to Madripoor for the Challenge of the Jade Dragon, facing Bullseye and Spider-Girl among others. Later, Boy-Spider, now able to take human form, lived with Tabitha; he and Bailey fought until she stopped them.

Reception

Bailey Briggs, the hero known as Spider-Boy, was hailed by critics in 2023 as a standout new character. One reviewer named him among the year's best new heroes, while another described him as one of the most compelling versions of Spider-Man, noting his youth, oddball personality, and distinctive villains. A third critic called him one of Marvel's biggest breakout characters. His debut in Spider-Man vol. 4 #7 was a major factor in that issue selling out, and a separate list ranked it first among comics with rapidly increasing value. His later appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse #3 also helped drive that comic to a sell-out.

Literary reception

Diamond Comic Distributors reported Spider-Boy #1 was the 3rd top advance-reordered comic by retailers between November 20 and November 6, 2023. ComicHub reported it was the best-selling comic in November 2023, based on data from over 125 stores. Sayantan Gayen of Comic Book Resources called it a positive debut issue offering a fresh take on an old formula, praising the character's potential. Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com gave it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the emotional depth of Bailey's origin and the poignant reunion, noting the villains' appealing absurdity and the whimsical artwork by Paco Medina and colorist Erick Arciniega. Aguilar also highlighted the entertaining second story 'Balloonacy' by Ty Templeton and Dee Cunniffe, appreciating the inclusion of Squirrel Girl and Tippy-Toe, and remarked that the series evokes a unique quality when Spider-Boy takes center stage.