We're taking a look at a late '90s series that EVERYONE seems to own - Spider-Man 2099. With hundreds and hundreds of thousands of copies sold, is it possible to find any worth in them? Let's find out.

First, a brief history.

No, Spider-Man's is not the only 2099 series out there. Developed by Stan Lee and John Byrne, the Marvel 2099 concept was launched in 1992 with just four titles: Doom 2099, Punisher 2099, Ravage 2099, and Spider-Man 2099.

The line would expand to include 2099 Unlimited, Fantastic Four 2099, Ghost Rider 2099, Hulk 2099, X-Men 2099, and X-Nation 2099, but today we're looking at the most impactful of the group - Spidey.

Spider-Man 2099 - the futuristic version of Spider-Man. Created in 1992, the character was originally designed by artist Rick Leonardi with Peter David brought onto the series as a writer to flesh out the character's alter ego, Miguel O'Hara. Miguel is a genetic scientist who wants to emulate the Spider-Man of days past and ends up with his spliced DNA 50% spider-ized - a great kickoff to any Spider-series.

Running out of Web

Even with sales consistently topping 100,000+ copies per issue, the book and the entire Spider-Man 2099 comic line underwent a drastic shift in early 1996 with the firing of the 2099 series' editor, Joey Cavalieri, one of many from the '90s Marvel's comic team.

The late '90s. You remember; it was comic book purgatory. During this period, Marvel was not the juggernaut it is today. The company's finances were nearing depletion and the viability of Marvel's future was unstable. Peter David chose to show solidarity with his fired editor and resigned from the book with issue #44.

With no other simple option, Marvel would hand the Spider-Man 2099 titles over to fill-in writers and editors, accepting its (already likely) end. The last two issues of Spider-Man 2099 were done without Peter David's input and the series ended with issue #46.

Let's take a look at some recent Spider-Man 2099 stats and see if there's any gold left in those webs.

Amazing Spider-Man #365

We know, we know. There can be (is) a debate about which comic contains Miguel's first appearance. Before the debut of Spider-Man 2099 #1, the character appeared in a 5-page preview within Amazing Spider-Man #365. There are those out there on both sides of the argument that this is the character's first appearance as opposed to SM2099 #1, but that's open to interpretation.

PS - There's also a (1st?) appearance of Spider-Man 2099 in Web #90, Check out this awesome blog by Benjamin Nobel published by Rare Comics to read all about it!

For the purposes of this article, we're considering this to be the first appearance of Miguel O'Hara. (CGC does too, just FYI.)

There's no shortage of sales data when it comes to ASM #365. The CGC 9.6 lists the most copies on the census (2,701) with the CGC 9.8 close behind with 2,463.

Though it enjoyed an FMV swell during the 2020-2022 season, 2023 9.6 sales have hung out in the -$100 zone, with the majority landing around the $70 dollar mark.

The 9.8 sold for as much as $900 during the Covid boom, but it's come down to Earth since then. It currently has a 1-year sales average of $194 (high sale of the year = $500, low sale of the year = $128).

Spider-Man 2099 #1

Containing the first appearance of Earth-928 and the Marvel 2099 reality - not to mention the new Spider-Man 2099 suit and Miguel O'Hara's origin  - Spider-Man 2099 #1 is the highest-selling single issue of any comic written by Peter David.

Is it possible for a comic with a gazillion - I mean, 8,833 CGC 9.8 Universal labels on the CGC census possibly have any value? Usually, I'd say no, but in this case - the answer fluctuates.

This grade regularly sells for $150+ and has a 1-year sales average of $158 (30-day average of $148).

There are (8) CGC 9.9.s registered. It has only appeared at public auction (4) times, with (2) sales taking place pre-COVID boom and (2) after. It hasn't made an appearance on an auction block in the last couple of years, so it'll be interesting to see where it ends up now that the market is working to normalize itself.

Spider-Man 2099 #8

Spider-Man 2099 #35, published in September of 1995, gives readers the first appearance of Kron Stone (the older half-brother of Miguel O'Hara) as Venom 2099. Kron Stone first appears in Punisher 2099 #1.

Unlike good-guy Miguel, Kron Stone is a violent psychopath. One go-to trick of his is killing entire families, save for one member left alone to suffer. Kron would end up being dumped in a sewer, where he would brush up against a black ball that turned out to be a mutated Venom. This time, the Symbiote displays new abilities, including acidic blood and saliva.

Stone would go on to seek to emotionally torture his half-brother, going so far as to kill Miguel's former love, Dana. A real quality dude, you know?

There are (113) copies registered on the CGC census, with (33) of them listed as 9.8 Universal labels. Sales have been inconsistent over the years, though they've recently tended to fall in the $150-$250 range.

Spider-Man 2099 #46

We're wrapping things up just like Marvel did with the last issue in the series, Spider-Man 2099 #46. This was one of (2) editions that were created by fill-in staff, as Peter David had already left the series.

Written by Ben Raab & Terry Kavanagh, Miguel would battle The Vulture in this final chapter. There are only 36 copies listed on the CGC census, with 13 of those listed as 9.8 Universal labels.

The most recent sale of this title was a CGC 9.6 which realized $55 through a fixed-price eBay sale in June. The last time a CGC 9.8 came to auction, it took in $180 (12/04/21), also through a fixed-price eBay sale.

I doubt we'll ever see a huge boom in price for this closer, but it's still a find if you're trying to complete the set.

Are you a fan of the Spider-Man 2099 series? Fess up, how many copies did you buy in the '90s? Let us know in the comments!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.