Marvel Team-Up #141 and Amazing Spider-Man #252: the first black costume
Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Oct 10, 2026 · 1 min read
Short answerSpider-Man's black costume — later the symbiote and Venom — first appeared in regular continuity in two issues with the same May 1984 cover date, released the same week: Amazing Spider-Man #252 and Marvel Team-Up #141. Amazing Spider-Man #252 is the more famous and valuable, but Marvel Team-Up #141 is the same in-continuity debut and trades at a fraction of the price. The costume's origin was told in Secret Wars #8 (December 1984).
The sequence
Marvel's Secret Wars limited series (1984–1985) sent the heroes to Battleworld; the regular titles jumped ahead and showed them returning. Spider-Man came back in a black costume in Amazing Spider-Man #252, Marvel Team-Up #141 and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #90, all cover-dated May 1984. The explanation — an alien costume from a machine on Battleworld — arrived seven months later in Secret Wars #8.
Which is the key?
- Amazing Spider-Man #252 is the flagship title and the copy most collectors want; its Ron Frenz cover is iconic.
- Marvel Team-Up #141 was released the same week and is listed by CGC as a first black costume appearance. It is the value option.
- Secret Wars #8 is the origin of the costume and the first appearance of the symbiote as a creature.
Collecting
All three are 1984 direct-market books that survive in high grade; the market is a 9.8 market with a newsstand premium. A Marvel Team-Up #141 in CGC 9.8 is in the store. See the Spider-Man character page.
Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.
