Spider-Man is one of the unluckiest heroes in the Marvel Universe, suffering an inordinate number of tragedies. Though he put on a strong face with his fast-talking, quippy outer persona, Peter’s suffering left a big mark on the hero, guiding him to learn from his mistakes and become a better hero.
The most compelling of these tragic moments are the ones that allow the character’s humanity to shine. At the heart of all Spider-Man stories is the theme of perseverance over hardships. Peter must first experience the tragedy and the emotions that come with it before moving on and becoming a better Hero. The most impressive aspect of Spider-Man’s character is his willingness to continue despite the tragedy.
10Sandman’s Death Happens During a Friendly Conversation
The Spectacular Spider-Man #308 “Cracked Hourglass – Part One
Creators
Chip Zdarsky, Chris Bachalo
Published
August 15, 2018
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Spider-Man’s villains are often given as much empathy as the heroes. The death of the classic villain Sandman (Flint Marko) is a great example. Flint’s sand is rejecting his body and making it impossible to stay in a solid form. Peter visits him in the hospital, wearing a Spider-Man mask and street clothes. Flint refuses Peter’s request to find a cure, saying he deserves to die alone. However, Spider-Man has other plans.
Spider-Man takes his former enemy to his favorite spot in the city, the beach. Peter decides to reveal his true identity to Flint in his final moments but is rebuked. As Peter requests permission to find him a cure, Flint fades into dust. This moment is one of countless examples of Peter’s high empathy for even the oldest of his enemies.
9Peter and Harry Say Their Final Goodbyes
Spectacular Spider-Man #200, “Best of Enemies”
Creators
J.M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema.
Published
May 01, 1993
Harry Osborn and Peter Parker’s tumultuous relationship culminated with Harry taking the Green Goblin mantle from his father. Harry’s last act as the Green Goblin was rigging an Osborn building with explosives. When Peter arrived to stop his former friend once and for all, Harry injected him with a paralyzing agent. His master plan was for the two to die together in the building, ending the cyclical nature of their relationship once and for all. Peter pleaded with Harry to end his madness and for his old friend to return.
In a flash of sanity, Harry saved Mary Jane, Norman and Peter from the explosion. Unfortunately, the goblin syrup in Harry’s veins caused him to convulse soon after. Peter held Harry in his final moments as Harry finally acknowledges Peter as his best friend. Heartbreakingly, Harry died in the ambulance holding Peters’ hand. Though Harry was inevitably resurrected, most fans agree that his death was the perfect way to end Harry’s decade-spanning character arc. The fact that Harry was Peter’s oldest friend compounded Peter’s never-ending grief.
8Peter and Mary Jane Lose Their First Child
Spider-Man #75, “The Night of the Goblin!”
Creators
Howard Mackie, John Romita Jr.
Published
December 01, 1996
Sometimes, the most tragic stories in fiction are those that could happen in the readers’ own reality. Peter Parker suffered countless tragedies on account of his villains, but in this instance, Peter had no one to blame. During the controversial clone saga, in which Peter had to deal with multiple clones of himself, Mary Jane was pregnant with the couple’s first baby.
Unfortunately, the old Parker luck reared its ugly head once again. After a difficult birth, it is revealed the baby did not survive childbirth. Peter stayed strong for the sake of his wife, reassuring her that everything would be all right as long as they still had each other. Peter’s hidden superpower is the ability to look at the bright side in the darkest of moments. The unwavering strength Peter shows is emblematic of the endless suffering Peter has learned to deal with throughout his tragic life.
7Spider-Man Was Born From Tragedy
Amazing Fantasy #15, “Spider-Man!”
Creators
Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Published
August 01, 1962
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No list of the saddest Spider-Man moments would be complete without his iconic origin story. The death of Uncle Ben has been recreated countless times over numerous different mediums but is still just as effective as it was 60 years ago. Upon originally gaining his powers, Peter selfishly used them for his own personal gain. His egocentric attitude culminated with him allowing a criminal to escape.
That criminal famously proceeded to kill Peter’s father figure, Uncle Ben. Peter’s tragic discovery of his uncle’s killer became one of the most important in comic book history. It prompted Peter to become a hero and fight for the good of humanity to repay for the selfish mistake that led to his uncle’s death, beginning the continuous trend of personal tragedy motivating Peter to become a more empathetic person. Because, of course, with great power must also come great responsibility.
6The Consequential Death of Gwen Stacy
Amazing Spider-Man #121, “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”
Creators
Gerry Conway, Gil Kane
Published
June 01, 1973
The Green Goblin’s most infamous crime was the tragic fate of Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. After Kidnapping Gwen and luring Spider-Man to the Brooklyn Bridge to save his lover. The Green Goblin does the unthinkable, dropping Gwen to her death. Peter attempts to save her, shooting a web at her legs and catching her. Unfortunately, it’s too late, as Peter discovers Gwen has died from the fall due to her neck snapping from the whiplash of her sudden stop from Spider-Man’s web. Peter blames himself for Gwen’s death.
Easily the most momentous death in the history of Comic Books, Gwen Stacy’s murder by the Green Goblin marked the beginning of the Bronze Age of comics. What made the moment so impactful was its unprecedented nature. Never before in mainstream comics had a hero’s love interest been outright murdered, never to return. The tragedy stuck with Peter throughout decades of comic book history, becoming the linchpin of incredible Spider-Man stories like Spider-Man: Blue, in which he can finally forgive himself for Gwen’s death almost thirty years later.
5Kraven the Hunter Decides he Has Accomplished all That Life has to Offer
Amazing Spider-Man #294, “Thunder”
Creators
J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck
Published
November 01, 1987
Kraven the Hunter’s main goal is to prove himself as an apex predator, becoming the world’s greatest hunter. He is one of the few villains to successfully complete his goal after defeating Spider-Man and burying him in a grave. Though Spider-Man eventually recovers, Kraven considers his life mission of hunting the most dangerous game over. He then takes his own life with a rifle.
Kraven’s last line, “They said my mother was insane,” implies that Kraven believes mental illness to be a vicious cycle that he inherited from his mother, who had died in an asylum. Kraven’s understanding of the causes of his suicidal ideation brings a whole new tragic layer to the moment. The impact of Kraven’s Last Hunt is still felt today, introducing darker, more philosophical themes while giving its characters a more realistic and, in turn, tragic characterization. This arc paved the way for future adult-centered Spider-Man stories.
4Spider-Man Meets His Biggest Fan
Amazing Spider-Man #248, “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man”
Creators
Roger Stern, Ron Frenz, John Romita Jr.
Published
January 01, 1984
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This emotionally charged issue did not have to feature any action to be extremely compelling. It takes place almost entirely in the bedroom of Timothy Harrison, a nine-year-old boy featured in the Dialy Bugle. After reading an article about Timothy’s extensive Spider-Man memorabilia collection, Peter decides to visit his biggest fan. Timothy shows his hero his collection of newspaper clippings featuring Spider-Man, taking Peter down memory lane.
Peter explains how he got his powers, how they work, and even his tragic backstory. Before Spider-Man can leave, Timothy asked to see behind Spider-Man’s mask. Peter revealed his face to Timothy. They embraced as tears grew in Peter’s eyes and Timothy proclaimed them best buddies. The comic ended with the reveal that Timothy was dying from cancer as Spider-Man stood with his hand covering his face. Even with all his powers, sometimes Spider-Man was just as powerless to the world’s cruelty as his readers.
3Spider-Man Dies Protecting Those He Loves Most
Ultimate Spider-Man #160, “Death of Spider-Man (Part 5)”
Creators
Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley
Published
June 22, 2011
Though not from the mainline Marvel universe, the death of Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe was still incredibly tragic. In the final issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter battled the Green Goblin to death to save the people closest to him, Mary Jane and Aunt May. Spider-Man successfully defeated his archenemy, but in a last-ditch sneak attack, the Green Goblin threw a truck at Peter, which exploded on impact. The effects of the battle and the truck were too much for Spider-Man, mortally wounding him.
With tears in both their eyes, Peter, with his dying breath, says he couldn’t save Uncle Ben, but at least he was able to save her. As his loved ones cried out in anguish, Peter died surrounded by all those who loved him. Peter’s death changed the course of the Ultimate and regular Marvel Universe. The only positive of Peters’ death was that it opened the door for the introduction of the next Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
2Peter Continues the Spider-Man Legacy no Matter the Cost
Amazing Spider-Man #700, “Dying Wish: Suicide Run”
Creators
Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos
Published
December 26, 2012
This significant story arc saw Spider-Man villain Doctor Occtopus (Otto Octavius) take control of Peter Parker’s body, becoming the “Superior Spider-Man” while Peter switched bodies with Doc Ock’s dying form. The arc was incredibly upsetting, but the most tragic part was when Peter finally relented to his oldest enemy, willingly giving him all his memories.
Peter did this to inspire Doc Ock with the same ideals he held, using his own experiences to motivate Otto to become the hero he once was. Peter showed no anger in his final moments, only exhibiting the need to continue his legacy. If it can’t be him, someone else must still be Spider-Man if they use the role for good. Spider-Man is willing to throw away his life as long as he knows it is for the greater good. Beautifully, Otto agrees to continue on Peters’ mission and becomes the next Spider-Man. This drastic change to the status quo was initially very controversial for readers. Still, it would eventually become universally praised due to the interesting angle it brought to the Spider-Man mythos.
1Peter Parker Reveals His True Face Behind the Mask
Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #14, “Here There be Monsters”
Creators
Paul Jenkins, Paolo Rivera
Published
May 12, 2004
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Spectacular Spider-Man writer Paul Jenkins often moved the central focus of his run from bombastic super-powered battles to more simple human stories about the people of New York. The protagonist of this story is Joey Beal, a young man born with cerebral palsy. Joey sits on his roof for hours, dreaming of flying across the city like Spider-Man.
One night, Joey is on the roof when he is accosted by Morbius, the Living Vampire. Fortunately, Spider-Man arrives to save the day in the nick of time. After defeating Morbius, Spider-Man returns to Joey. The two chat for a bit, and as Spider-Man is about to leave, he removes his mask, revealing his face to Joey. Peters’ grief-stricken face greatly affects Joey, forcing him to pity his hero, realizing that his hero is a human being just like him, susceptible to levels of grief Joey couldn’t even imagine. Spider-Man’s strongest power is not his super strength or sticking to walls, but the ability to keep going no matter the sadness he carries with him; making the character a role model for millions of people around the world.
Spider-Man (Characters)
Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager, granting him spider-like powers. After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned that “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Swearing to always protect the innocent from harm, Peter Parker became Spider-Man.
NAMESpider-Man (Peter Parker)
AliasCaptain Universe, Dusk, Hornet, Prodigy, Ricochet, Bombastic Bag-Man, Poison, Pestilence, Spidey, Wallcrawler, Webslinger, Web-Head, Your Friendly Neighborhood, Spider-Man, Spider-Kid, The Human Spider
FIRST APPAmazing Fantasy #15
Created ByStan Lee , Steve Ditko
POWERSAgility, Berserker Strength, Danger Sense, Feral, Gadgets, Healing, Intellect, Siphon Abilities, Stamina, Super Speed, Super Strength, Wall Clinger, Webslinger
TEAMAvengers
RELATIONSHIPSBlack Cat, Spider-M
