It's happening, nerds—the battle of the decade. In the most recent Amazing Spider-Man run, Peter Parker was beaten within an inch of his life by the villain Hellgate. Since then, the hero has been in space, looking for a way to increase his strength in order to get back to Earth and defeat his adversary once and for all. Along the way, he's teamed up with a group of space adventurers (including Rocket Raccoon), while back on Earth, Norman freakin' Osborn, Ben Reilly and Mary Jane Watson (alongside the Venom symbiote) cover for him in both his superhero and civilian lives.
Fans have patiently watched Peter's strength-seeking journey, but the wait for its climactic payoff is nearly over. The time rapidly approaches for Peter to square off against Hellgate, and we now have a sneak peek at the beginning of their fight, which promises to be one of the hero's most memorable in years (if not, his entire history). AITP Comics has released an exclusive preview of Amazing Spider-Man #19, written by Joe Kelly and drawn by Pepe Larraz, on sale January 07, 2026.
The pages show Peter, in his Venom-like Technarchy suit—like a total badass—approaching Hellgate. They're surrounded by ruins and fallen enemies, ready to ruin each other's day. Peter then gets into a fighting stance, as his mask covers his face for the battle ahead. The whole thing looks like a gladiator match, and I'm all here for it. Peter Parker is similar to Superman regarding his strength. Though their power levels are different (Superman being able to bench-press a planet, and all), both heroes are in constant need of holding back their strength to prevent hurting those around them. In fact, there's an old adage that says:
"When Spider-Man stops quipping, you run in the other direction and do not stop until you reach Canada. After that, continue running."
Spider-Man is a powerhouse. When he stops holding back, he is, without a doubt, one of the deadliest characters in the Marvel Universe. A good example of this is the often-cited Superior Spider-Man run. In Amazing Spider-Man #700, Otto Octavius (in Peter's body) punches Scorpion's jaw clean off with what he thought was a simple swing. This act made the former (now present... it's complicated) Doc Ock realize that Spider-Man had, in fact, been greatly holding back his punches.
The preview for Amazing Spider-Man #19 indicates we are going to get to see Peter unleash that repressed power. Making that prospect even more exciting is how dangerous Hellgate is. Fellow readers, in case you're not caught up, the helmeted fella is no joke. At the start of the run, he single-handedly destroyed Peter Parker—the same guy who's gone up against Thanos, Rhino, Venom and Morlun, mind you. In fact, arguably not since Morlun had we seen Spidey be as helpless as he was against Hellgate.
With Peter now presumably at full strength, and Hellgate being the killing machine that he is, the two will likely deliver one of Marvel's most epic (and, let's face it, brutal) fights in decades. In fact, I know this is a tall order, but I wouldn't be surprised if their battle matches the brutality of the Hulk going up against nearly the entire Marvel Universe in World War Hulk. There are still a few issues to go before this monumental fight, but given the buildup toward it, it looks like it will be worth the wait.
If you're just as anxious as yours truly to experience this fight, here is the synopsis for the issue:
"SPIDEY VS. HELLGATE, ROUND TWO! The spacefaring SPIDER-MAN heads back to Earth - only to find HELLGATE standing in his way! Spider-Man's finally strong enough to beat the most powerful foe he's ever faced…right?!"
Amazing Spider-Man #19 goes on sale on January 07, 2026. Before that, Amazing Spider-Man #17 will be available on December 10, 2025, and #18 on December 24, 2025.
Are you excited about Peter's battle against Hellscape? What's your favorite instance of Spider-Man not holding back? Let me know in the comments!