Marvel So You've Been Bitten by a Radioactive Spider: How to Survive the Marvel Universe

by Daniel Kibblesmith, Kyle Hilton (Artist)

The Marvel Comics Universe is full of action, adventure, danger, and cosmic peril. Be ready for anything with this illustrated action handbook—whether you have newly developed super-powers, you need to pilot an Iron Man suit, or Galactus is here to eat the Earth.Written by Marvel Comics and Emmy-nominated humor writer Daniel Kibblesmith, this official illustrated guide to surviving and thriving in the Marvel Universe uses comics-tested advice to steer readers through what to expect when exposed to gamma rays, bonding with a symbiote or—ow!—feeling an unexpected sting at the science fair. Featuring practical information such as wall-crawling tips, along with emergency information (you’ve been plunged into the Quantum Realm) and day-to-day guidance if your cat turns out to be a Flerken, you suspect someone of being a Skrull, or are facing a Doombot, this is the must-have handbook as you live in the world of Marvel’s mightiest heroes.

© 2025 MARVELCRUCIAL ADVICE FROM MARVEL What would you do if you discover you had mutant abilities, or are the only one on a heroic team without super-powers? Marvel comics writer and lifelong fan Daniel Kibblesmith finds inspiration and advice in the comics to offer tips and strategies for navigating these and many more of the reader’s own 'what if' experiences.

IMAGINATIVE The Hulk is totally hulking out, with mayhem imminent; you’re weighing the pros and cons of legal representation from Matt Murdock or Jennifer Walters (or P.I. help from Jessica Jones or Howard the Duck); you need to speak Groot but are not fluent. This book has got you covered!Perfect Marvel fans looking for a fresh, funny spin on the comics Fans of action hero handbooks and survival guides Fans of Marvel Super Graphic, Marvel Mazes, and Thor and Midgard Family Mayhem

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Superheroes

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2025

About the author

Daniel Kibblesmith is an Emmy-nominated TV writer and author from Oak Park, Illinois.

He was most recently a Co-Executive Producer for Netflix Animation’s Strip Law (2026) — as well as writing for shows like Inside Job (Netflix, 2021), Clone High (Max, 2023), The Nevers (HBO, 2021) and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS, 2015 - 2020). He was also the writer of the televised live event Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee (ABC, 2019) and a writer for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards (2017).

His next book is So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider: How To Survive The Marvel Universe, with illustrator Kyle Hilton from Chronicle Books and Marvel. With illustrator, Ashley Quach, he is the author of the picture books Princess Dinosaur (LBYR, 2021) and Santa’s Husband (Harper Design, 2017). He is also the author of We Wish You a Harley Christmas: DC Holiday Carols (Chronicle Books, 2020) and the co-author of the humor book, How to Win at Everything (Chronicle Books, 2013).

In comics, he’s written for characters like Spider-Man, Loki, Black Panther, Deadpool, Harley Quinn, Darkwing Duck, Rick and Morty and others for Marvel, D.C. Comics, Dynamite, Oni, Valiant Comics, Vault, Archie, Boom! Studios and possibly others. With co-writer Eliot Rahal, and artist Kendall Goode, he is co-creator of the creator-owned comic, The Doorman.

He was also a founding editor of ClickHole (2014), and has written humor for outlets like The New Yorker, McSweeneys, and The Onion News Network.

He is a frequent podcast and live comedy guest, and is married to his favorite author, Jennifer Wright. Together they have one child, a daughter who is funnier than he is.

Follow him on social media @daniel.kibblesmith.

TV & Film Representation: Underground; Verve

Reviews

[Boyce McClain]

If you are a residence of the Marvel Comics Universe you never know what to expect.
One minute you could be a man on the street, living a humdrum normal life and “BANG!” the moent you could be bitten by a radioactive spider, bond with a symbiote, gain cosmic powers, shrink to microscopic size, get blasted by cosmic or gamma rays or manifest magical power-you get the idea.

How would you adjust to your new powers let alone how to use them, face off against adversaries, keep your identity hidden and the dozen other myriad problems superpowers can cause?

Just because you’re ‘super’ doesn’t mean your problems go away-if anything they get worse.

In author Daniel Kibblesmith’s, artist Kyle Hilton’s and Chronicle Books’ Marvel So You’ve Been Bitten By A Radioactive Spider-How To Survive The Marvel Universe, small hardbound book, helpful hints, advice and counseling take you through the process of discovering and utilizing your new super powers.

What do you do when Galactus get hungry? What happens when you ‘Hulk’ out? Just how complicated is Iron Man’s armor? What happens when you face-off against a Doombot?

Those and many other questions are answered and advice given in this colorful new book filled with helpful tips, tricks, how-tos and more.

Keep it in our pocket, put it in your backpack or briefcase, your car’s glove compartment, by your bed and any other place that is convenient and easy to get to. You’ll need it. Trust me. Now how do I shoot webs?

Psalms 34:4 - I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

[Catherine]

What a well-designed and high-quality little book! Quite funny and very detailed. The artwork adds to the humor and helps break up the text. Tony’s Tech Tips and other sections (Fantastic Facts, etc.) likewise add texture to the pages, while simultaneously making each section feel separate and recognizable as part of the larger whole. Some concepts (e.g., the Phoenix Force) were new to me, as someone who is a Marvel fan but mostly only from the movies and not the comics. These lesser-known aspects made the reading experience fun and novel for me while building upon parts of the universe I’m already familiar with. So glad to have won a finished hardback copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!

[Chad]

This was a ton of fun. It's a text manual with lots of illustration about what to do if you're ever stuck in the Marvel universe and been bitten by a radioactive spider or injected with super-soldier serum or need a good lawyer. It's really funny, irreverent and yet, practical, if any of these things happen.

[Thomas]

Cute, but the more you know about the Marvel universe, the better. Some of the gags (and there are PLENTY) only work if you know enough about all the major players in Marvel. If you've seen the movies, though, you ought to be good.

[Michael]

A fun enjoyable trip through Marvel characters and the Marvel Universe. Lots of facts along with humorous information. A neat guide to enjoy.

[The_J]

Totemic travels through living as an ordinary person thrust onto the super hero stage in the Marvel Universe.

[Joanie Whittemore]

Super fun read! Really brings you through exactly what would happen and how to survive/thrive in your new radioactive life!