Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda, released by Marvel Comics in 1993, was two things for all intents and purposes: firstly, a crossover between Spider-Man and X-Men in which Spidey teams up with Beast to fight an evil corporation bent on destroying mutants, and secondly, an experiment in telling the same story slightly differently across two different mediums, specifically in both a three-issue limited series and across the Spider-Man newspaper strip.
In addition to Issues #1-#3, there was also an "Issue #0" which (aside from a reprint of Spidey's origin story) was completely blank, intended to allow readers to cut and paste the panels from the newspaper strip and basically build their own comic book.
The plot sees Dr. Hank McCoy a.k.a. "The Beast" finding himself distracted by news that a company called the Brand Corporation is about to open a forum on mutants. Specifically, its CEO, Landon, has announced that he has discovered the cause of mutation. Beast used to work for Brand back when he still looked human, before he'd transformed into his current blue furry hulking state and fearing that his work was going to be used to destroy mutants rather than help them, he'd burned his notes and fled. Now he fears that Landon has somehow rediscovered his old work and has an ulterior purpose.
Meanwhile, Peter Parker is also attending the forum as part of a project for a professor of his. During Landon's speech, the Hobgoblin attacks the Brand Pavilion for what appears to be no good reason. Turning into Spider-Man, Peter teams up with Beast to drive the villain away, and the two decide to investigate Brand. Beast is captured while attempting to infiltrate the Brand Building, while Spidey spies on Hobgoblin trying to blackmail Landon, who reveals that he hates mutants because he believes Hank McCoy and Beast are two different people and that Beast killed Hank, who he deeply admired. Intervening, Spidey gets zapped with a stun gun by Landon, who believes him to be a mutant. He has both heroes spirited away to the secret lab of Brand's top scientist, Dr. Everett Burgos, to use them as test subjects, whilst the Hobgoblin, enraged that Landon is refusing to cooperate with him, schemes for vengeance.
All three issues of the limited series as well as Issue #0 with the corresponding newspaper strip panels were combined in a collected edition in 2012 (along with one comic - a Marvel Team-Up - where Spider-Man teams up with Beast to fight against the Shrike and the Modular Man).
The story was also adapted into a two-parter episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, with Wolverine added to the plotline.
Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda provides examples of:
- Blackmail: Hobgoblin blackmails Landon a hefty fee to keep quiet about his secret.
- Crossover: With X-Men.
- Dark Secret: Landon intends to destroy all mutants.
- Dramatic Irony: Brand hates mutants because he believes Hank McCoy and Beast are two different people and that Beast killed Hank, who he deeply admired.
- Evil Former Friend: Brand is a former friend of Hank McCoy a.k.a Beast.
