Hi there!
To coincide with the release of the fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland, *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*, we’re taking a look today at one of the very first LEGO Spider-Man sets ever made.
We’re talking about LEGO Spider-Man 4850 – Spider-Man’s First Chase .
The set was released in 2003 and is based on Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film, which had been released in cinemas a year earlier.
The first LEGO sets based on the film were released in 2002, followed by another small wave the following year, which included this set.
What makes this special is Spider-Man in his very first self-made suit from the wrestling scene. The character was, of course, played by Tobey Maguire in the film.
This LEGO minifigure with a red balaclava appeared exclusively in this set and remains highly sought after to this day.
Let’s get started.
The set basically consists of four individual segments that together depict the car chase from the movie.
The short stretch of road
The first section is based on a 4 × 12 stud plate. On it are a dark gray streetlight, a fire hydrant, a trash can, and even a little cat.
Two street signs are attached to the lamppost with stickers. One reads “East 40th Street, ” while the second says “One Way” and features a directional arrow.
This section of the street has a fairly simple design, but it adds some nice details to the otherwise small set.
The Police Car
The second piece is the police car from the car chase. It is four studs wide, about 13 studs long, and has room for exactly one Minifigure.
The vehicle has a very simple and minimalist design, but it serves its purpose perfectly for a small toy set from 2003.
Unfortunately, my set is no longer complete. Normally, there’s a sticker with the set number 4850 on the rear trunk, but it’s missing from my used set. Aside from that, however, the car is mostly complete.
The thief’s getaway car
The car thief’s sports car is about the same size as the police car and can also hold one Minifigure.
Unfortunately, my model is also missing a small detail on the bumper. There’s usually a printed element there.
By today’s standards, both vehicles are, of course, very compact and simply built. At the same time, however, this makes them a perfect fit for the classic style of the early 2000s.
The Great Gate
The fourth and largest segment is a driveway gate with a “Keep Out” sign, another streetlight, and a small trash can.
There are two small lamps next to the sign. Spider-Man’s web is also attached above the gate, allowing the figure to swing from one side to the other.
The gate even has a small play feature: When you drive one of the cars through it, the two gate panels move backward and forward, respectively.
A small lever can be used to limit the movement so that, for example, the gate can only open outward and no longer in both directions.
For a set of this size, the 4850 offers a surprisingly wide range of play options.
A total of three Minifigures are included.
The clear highlight is, of course, Spider-Man in his first homemade costume.
The figure is wearing simple blue pants. The torso features a print of the wrestling scene from the beginning of the movie, and the figure wears the distinctive red balaclava.
Since LEGO was still using the classic yellow heads for many licensed themes at that time, Spider-Man also has a yellow face here.
Overall, the minifigure has a fairly simple design, but thanks to its exclusivity and the special movie it’s based on, it’s now one of the more sought-after early Spider-Man minifigures.
The second figure is a plainclothes police officer wearing black pants, a printed police uniform, a smiling face, and a black cap.
It has a very generic design, and similar figures appeared in numerous LEGO City and LEGO Town sets at the time. It serves its purpose for the scenario depicted, but it isn’t particularly noteworthy.
The third figure included is the car thief Dennis Carradine.
Unfortunately, my figure isn’t completely in its original condition. The correct face was one of the few parts missing from my used copy, so I replaced it with a different head.
However, the original figure was also quite generic and incorporated elements that appeared in a similar form in other LEGO sets as well.
Technical Details
Name: Spider-Man’s First Chase
German Title: Spider-Man’s First Chase
Set Number: 4850
Parts: 188
Minifigures: 3
MSRP: $20
Price per piece: approx. 10.6 U.S. cents
Recommended age: 6–12 years
Estimated construction time: about 20 minutes
Designer: Henrik Andersen
Release: October 2003
A highly sought-after collector’s set today
The set was designed by LEGO designer Henrik Andersen, who was involved in several similar models at the time.
Today, the 4850 is one of the more sought-after early LEGO Spider-Man sets. The sets released between 2002 and 2004 are particularly popular among collectors, as they are based on the first two Spider-Man movies starring Tobey Maguire.
Figures such as the early Green Goblin, the classic Spider-Man, or Spider-Man in his wrestling outfit now command correspondingly high prices.
The exclusive Minifigure from this set is sometimes offered outside of Germany for around 50 to 60 €. On the German market, with a little patience, you can occasionally find it for about 30 €.
The complete set has an average resale value of about 130 € on the international secondhand market . In Germany, however, it frequently appears on classifieds and similar platforms for around 60 to 70 €, and sometimes even less.
I bought my own set last year at a flea market. Although three small parts or details are missing, I paid just 8 € for it—an absolute steal.
My Conclusion
The 4850 is a typical small playset that, if reimagined for today, could likely still appear in a very similar form.
An interesting detail is the numerous elements in the old Dark Grey color. The lanterns, the gate pillars, and the trash cans were all made in this color. This color was later replaced by today’s Dark Bluish Gray, giving older models a look all their own.
Personally, though, I don’t particularly like the design of these streetlights. They look pretty clunky, a bit too bumpy, and significantly less elegant than today’s versions. To me, they’re actually among the weaker LEGO streetlights.
That aside, the set is absolutely solid. For $20 back then, you got three Minifigures, two vehicles, several scenery pieces, and a few play features. This made it easy for two children to play with it at the same time, which was a pretty fair value for a small set.
With 188 pieces, it wasn’t a particularly large set even back then. So you shouldn’t expect any complex building techniques or an extraordinary building experience. But that’s perfectly fine, especially for a playset from 2003.
Today, the 4850 set is primarily popular for its nostalgic appeal, its exclusive Spider-Man figure, and its connection to the first Sam Raimi movie. I’m really happy to now have this set in my Collection, and I definitely wanted to show it to you in more detail to coincide with the new Spider-Man movie.
In the future, I’ll be featuring older—and perhaps somewhat forgotten—LEGO sets here from time to time.
Now I’d like to hear your thoughts:
What do you think of *Spider-Man’s First Chase*?
Do you happen to own this set yourself, and would you be interested in more reviews of older LEGO sets?
Feel free to write it in the comments!
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Author: Dante