In October 2026, Marvel is embracing spooky season with Midnight Universe, a new publishing line that turns Marvel heroes to the dark side. The line begins with Midnight X-Men, Midnight Fantastic Four, and Midnight Spider-Man – all of which are scheduled to debut on the same day.

In Midnight X-Men by Jonathan Hickman (Ultimate Spider-Man) and Matteo Della Fonte (Nova: Centurion) the mutant heroes are thirsting for blood. Midnight Fantastic Four by Benjamin Percy (Punisher) and Kev Walker (Infernal Hulk) sees the team traveling into the unknown to bring something terrible to the world. The Wallcrawler turns monstrous in Midnight Spider-Man by Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Infernal Hulk) and new Marvel artist Scie Tronc.

“From the original New Universe to two Ultimate Universes, Marvel has a long history of creating and inspiring bold worlds filled with unforgettable characters and fresh ideas that feel new yet recognizable at the same time,” Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski said. “With the new Midnight line, we’ve given some of our most outstanding creators the opportunity to delve into the darkest corners of their imaginations and birth some of the creepiest, most terrifying takes on the Marvel Universe you’ve ever seen.”

“The more we talked about Midnight, the more we realized it was far more than just the birth of another new universe – it was on an entirely different scale creatively, a doorway to something that was not only immediately exciting, but had immense long-term promise,” Midnight Universe Executive Editor Dan Buckley said.

The main covers for the first issues of the Midnight Universe books will have Marvel’s Cloaked Covers in which a partial view of the cover is surrounded by black on the front and the full cover art is on the first page. Following the debuts, the front covers will be solid black with the title and cover art on the inside.

Midnight X-Men introduces a version of New York City where vampires and the mutant empires rule the dark streets. Though the sword of Damocles is the only thing maintaining peace between the groups, a war is coming and everyone outside their factions are in danger.

“I haven’t been this excited about a book in a very long time. There are certain kinds of projects that I, and I think most fans, prefer for me to be working on: Ambitious stories with intricate plots and long-form payoffs, which is exactly what Midnight X-Men is,” Hickman said. “I was very excited when Marvel told me the revamped plans for the Midnight launch because when I read both Ben and Phillip’s first scripts – and even more than that when the art started rolling in – I knew that this line was going to be something special.”

In Midnight Fantastic Four, a scientist’s singular focus on learning the universe’s secrets transforms himself and three others into something horrifying. The series will explore what they find in a new dimension and question if our world can survive what they have unleashed.

“Let’s be honest: any other circumstances, Marvel wouldn’t let me write the Fantastic Four. Because I’m too mean and evil for the first family,” Percy said. “But this is the dark continuity of the Midnight Universe – a fresh origin story for the characters that channels cosmic, Lovecraftian terror – which makes it a perfect match for me. Mad science and cults and hidden realities await. The pacing is patient and full of dread and mystery and rich with a mythology that will feel both familiar and uncanny.”

In Midnight Spider-Man, Oscorp tries to unlock the secret to eternal life, by turning Peter Parker into a grotesque spider hybrid. They start creating more human-animal hybrids using what they’ve learned from his mutation, prompting Peter to lean into the monster he has become to defeat Oscorp.

“Marvel’s putting a ton of trust in ScieTronc and me on this project, and we’re using that trust to make big asks and take big creative risks,” Johnson said. “I want to see a Spider-Man that was conceived by H.R. Giger, directed by David Cronenberg, adapted for the comic page by Junji Ito. I want Peter’s origin to be so upsetting it haunts me, and to see the Lizard and Doctor Octopus through the lens of a John Carpenter movie or a Resident Evil game. I’m so stoked for readers to see what we’re making.”

All three books debut in comic shops on October 7.

“The world these creators are building is truly special and the passion behind the stories they’re envisioning was palpable,” Buckley said. “We wanted to match their ambition with this unique launch plan, one that allows both retailers and fans to fully immerse themselves into this new line right from the start. When the clock strikes Midnight on October 7, these three series will unleash a bold new energy that we hope echoes throughout the industry for the foreseeable future.”