Warning: Contains Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #60!
It’s not uncommon that Marvel characters evolve far enough to become practical gods, and it seems likeSpider-Manis getting to witness this transformation firsthand - with someone from his own rogue gallery.Sandmanis a character who’s had some heroic ups and villainous downs, as a founding member of the Secret Six while also serving at one time as one of the Sinister Six too. But hero or villain or even anti-hero, it turns outhe’s more powerful than supposed. In fact, he’s already well on his way on the road to godhood.
InThe Amazing Spider-Man #60, by Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.,Spider-Manhas to take a quick detour to take care of his old bank-robbing friend Flint Marko, or Sandman. It’s a quick battle because, by now, Peter Parker knows how to handle this rogue - but it’s a simple statement that reveals the extent of Sandman’s potential.
Seemingly an offhanded comment that Sandman is immortal, in the Marvel universe this holds a lot of weight. Immortality is a heavy concept sought by many in comics, andwith the history backing Sandman, it seems like he’s well on his way to completing his destiny of godhood.
I Need Marvel’s New Yellow, Green & Blue Spider-Men to Become Permanent Characters (Like So Many of Peter Parker’s Alternate Personas Have)
Spider-Man gets split into colorful versions of himself, and now instead of the webslinger in red and blue, there’s a host of colorful personalities.
Sandman Is a Classic Spider-Man Character With Some Secret Powers
Sandman Shows Off His Powers of Physical Manipulation
Sandman is a shapeshifter that can become anything and anybody as well as manipulate his body into forms that are limited only by his imagination.
Sandman is a core memberof Spider-Man’s lore, since his debut inThe Amazing Spider-Man #4in 1963, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. While at first glance, it may seem like his powers are simple and reductive: it’s just sand, after all.But the possibilities are endless, once it’s realized that Sandman’s sand form is not something accessed but who he innately is.Sandman is a shapeshifter that can become anything and anybody as well as manipulate his body into forms that are limited only by his imagination.
His history is varied, however, as he began as a Spider-Man villain and bounced between anti-hero to villain again, even to becominga reserve member of the AvengersinAvengers#329 by Larry Hama and Paul Ryan. This was before his powers were being realized in their full potential - yet the Avengers saw something special in him.This shapeshifting power allows him to become anybody he wants, and that’s how he shifts, like sand, from a villain into a hero.Now he just has to shift from a hero into a god.
Sandman’s Future Shows a Glimpse Into Godhood
Sandman’s Immortality Allows Him to Outlast the Universe
There’s more to his powers in recent years, however, considering he has discovered a deeper level than just manipulating his fists into blunt objects like maces and hammers. InThe Gauntletstoryline inThe Amazing Spider-Man#615, by Fred Van Lente and Javier Pulido,Sandman has discovered how to clone himself.These clones quickly gain minds of their own, and Sandman himself loses control as sandy versions of him start to commit murders across the city. It’s a smaller feat and not at its peak, but it’s a godly act by Sandman: one of creation that he will continue to finesse.
But a glimpse of the future showed comic fans the end result of Sandman’s constant evolution. Sand always turns to glass, and inPeter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #308 by Chip Zdarsky and Chris Bachalo, a futuregod-version version of Sandmandebuts who has survived as an immortal being after the collapse of the universe and reaches out in the multiverse to arrive at Earth 616 and take Flint Marko’s life to cement himself back into reality and into life.This is Sandman’s future potential, and Spider-Man has already revealed that he’s on this very road thanks to his innate immortality.
Sandman Is an Immortal Spider-Man Character to Be Feared
Flint Marko Is On His Way to Becoming the Next Marvel God
This future variant of Sandman shows fans just how powerful Flint Marko could be. The days of changing his body into giant fists is nearly over as he learns to hold himself together through eons and manipulate the very molecules of his body from sand to glass. Every Marvel hero and villain, at one time or another, starts their evolution towards becoming an all-powerful being, but Sandman’s future has already been seen.Spider-Man confirms what fans already know: that at the end of the world, after thetragic deaths of other Spider-Man characters, there will be nothing but sand left.
The humanity of Flint Marko is already starting to take a backseat.The more he succumbs to his sand-self, the less mortal he will become.In his quick battle with Spider-Man, he shows that he’s still not at his peak yet and acts as a petty criminal.Spider-Mantoo still knows how to handle this villain, but the ending to their fight is ominous: Sandman can’t be killed, only disseminated for a time. He will be back, time and time again, becauseSandmanis immortal. Just like a god.
The Amazing Spider-Man #60is out now from Marvel Comics!
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
