Ultimate Spider-Man #20

History

The series was originally conceived as part of Marvel's second Ultimate Universe line, launched following the Ultimate Invasion miniseries; writer Donny Cates had an early foundational pitch for the new Peter Parker concept — a married father who chooses heroism as an adult — before Jonathan Hickman was brought on to develop it fully. Hickman described his version of the character as inspired by Peter B. Parker from the Spider-Verse film series, framing the entire run around the idea of Peter embracing a destiny that was deliberately stolen from him. Issue #20 is drawn by series co-artist David Messina, who alternated with primary artist Marco Checchetto throughout the run, with colors by Matt Wilson and lettering by Cory Petit; the cover is by Checchetto. The issue was released on August 27, 2025, with an October 2025 cover date, and is edited by Wil Moss and Michelle Marchese under editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Written by Jonathan Hickman, with interior art by David Messina, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Cory Petit, and a cover by Marco Checchetto; released August 27, 2025 (cover date: October 2025).
• The issue is set on Earth-6160 and is part of the third volume of Ultimate Spider-Man, which began in January 2024 and was planned to conclude with issue #24 — making #20 one of the final five chapters of the run.
• Mister Negative (Martin Li, Earth-6160) appears as a primary antagonist; this version of Li is CEO of the F.E.A.S.T. Foundation publicly, but secretly leads the Demons gang and controls Queens on behalf of Wilson Fisk as a member of the Sinister Six.
• The Earth-6160 Mister Negative first appeared in this series with issue #8 (August 2024), where Fisk assembled his Sinister Six; issue #20 represents one of his key appearances as the final arc's central threat escalates.
• The issue's title story — 'My Dinner with Harry' — centers on Mary Jane Watson-Parker convening a dinner with Peter, Harry Osborn (Green Goblin), and Gwen Stacy-Osborn (one of five Mysterio members) so that MJ can learn everything she needs to protect her daughters from the coming conflict.
• Gwen Stacy-Osborn is confirmed in this issue as a dangerous and decisive figure within the Mysterio cabal, a five-person secret society that shares a power-granting amulet and has been covertly opposing the Kingpin from within his own Sinister Six.
• The sub-plot involving Richard Parker (Peter's son, the second Spider-Man of Earth-6160) and his entanglement with Black Cat and Kingpin's forces — following his use of the picotech suit as Venom — feeds directly into MJ's urgency during the dinner confrontation.
• Issue #20 will be collected in the trade paperback Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 4: One Last Day, which collects issues #19–24 alongside Ultimate Universe: Finale (2026) #1 (Spider-Man story).

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