There are few heroes in comic book history with more miserable lives than Marvel’s Spider-Man. His streak of bad luck has followed him for decades, causing him to lose loved ones and experience many misfortunes. While Peter may put on a brave face, the pain and guilt he feels deep down are impossible to comprehend. It’s these tragedies that have motivated Peter to push himself beyond his limits to become a better hero, which has made him to be one of the most relatable, yet heartbreaking, superheroes in comics. Many of Marvel’s most compelling and/or infamous storylines deal with the everyday suffering of New York’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and those in his orbit.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Spider-Man comics have always been some of the most emotionally-taxing stories Marvel has ever produced, and these are the saddest.
10) Doctor Octopus’ Promise to Spider-Man
In the “Superior Spider-Man” storyline, the dying supervillain Doctor Octopus swaps bodies with Peter and assumes his identity. The process has an unintended side-effect, as Doc Ock suddenly experiences all of Peter’s memories and learns the same lessons of responsibility. Even with this moment of clarity, Doc Ock is unable to save Peter, who’s stuck in the villain’s old dying body. Peter shows no anger as he dies and only asks that Doc Ock continue his mission to protect New York. Doc Ock agrees, and Peter perishes with contentment. Everything about the scene, from Peter’s death to Doc Ock’s emotional promise to be a force for good, makes it emotionally impactful.
9) Lizard Takes Complete Control
Ever since Dr. Curt Conners injected himself with reptile DNA to restore his lost arm, he has fought a continuous battle to suppress the Lizard persona and to keep his family safe. Unfortunately, in the storyline “Shed,” the Lizard emerges victorious. Despite Conners’ best efforts, he’s unable to stop the Lizard from devouring his son, Billy. With Billy gone, Conner’s original personality is destroyed, leaving behind only a stronger and more intelligent Lizard to wreak havoc on New York. To see such a well-meaning man be unable to save his son, and to lose his battle with his demons, is incredibly tear-jerking.
8) Death of George Stacy
Police Captain George Stacy was the father of Gwen Stacy, Peter’s first love. George was always very supportive of Peter and Gwen’s relationship, and often publicly endorsed Spider-Man. When Spider-Man fought the rampaging Doctor Octopus, the villain knocked over a chimney, with a small boy about to be hit by the falling debris. In a act of sacrifice, George pushed the child out of the way but was crushed by the rubble. Horrified, Peter pulled George from the debris. In Peter’s arms, George asks him to take care of Gwen, revealing that he knew Spider-Man’s secret identity. Blaming himself for his friend’s death, Peter was overcome with remorse and guilt.
7) Spider-Man Meets His Biggest Fan
In this singular story, Peter visits a nine-year-old boy named Timothy Harrison in his bedroom late at night. Peter decided to see Timothy when he heard about his extensive Spider-Man collection. Timothy was thrilled to meet his hero, and Peter shared many of his own heroic adventures with him. Timothy asks to know Spider-Man’s secret identity, and Peter reveals his face to the young boy. The two hug and state that they’re best friends. As Peter leaves, the tragic truth is revealed: Timothy is living in a cancer clinic and doesn’t have much longer to live. It’s a gut-punch of an ending that shows that even Spider-Man can be powerless to save some people.
6) Peter and MJ Lose Their Marriage
One of the most infamous storylines in comic book history, “One More Day,” undoes two decades of storytelling regarding Peter and MJ’s marriage. When Aunt May is shot by an assassin who was aiming at Peter, the hero is willing to do anything to save her. Enter the demon Mephisto, who offers Peter the chance to save his aunt in exchange for his marriage to MJ. Agreeing to the deal, Mephisto retcons Peter and MJ’s entire relationship. While the story itself is rightfully criticized for its terrible impact on Spider-Man comics, it was still very upsetting and gut-punching to see Peter faced with such a terrible choice that ultimately roots out his and MJ’s marriage, without even the memory of happiness.
5) Death of Harry Osborn
Peter and Harry were friends for years, until Harry learned that his father was the supervillain, the Green Goblin. After the death of his father, Harry went mad. He donned the Green Goblin mantle and took the Goblin serum so that he could seek vengeance against Peter. Harry tried to kill himself and Peter in a massive explosion, while his former best friend begged him to come back to his senses. In a moment of lucidity, Harry snapped out of his insane state and saved Peter, MJ, and his son from the exploding building. Unfortunately, the Goblin serum was killing Harry, and in his last moments, he acknowledged Peter as his best friend. It was a tragic but fitting end for the character’s story arc.
4) Death of Aunt May
After the death of Uncle Ben, Aunt May was Peter’s only remaining relative, and she stood by his side as a source of kindness and wisdom for decades. During the “Clone Saga,” Aunt May suffers from a stroke but miraculously begins to recover. As she heals from her health scare, she reveals to Peter that she always knew that he was Spider-Man. Sadly, Aunt May soon suffers another stroke, and Peter is forced to say goodbye to his surrogate mother. While her death was later retconned, the story itself was incredibly thoughtful and heartbreaking when it was first published.
3) Peter and MJ Lose Their Baby
As “One More Day” shows, Marvel will never allow Peter to have a happy family. During the “Clone Saga,” MJ is pregnant with Peter’s child, and the two couldn’t be more excited to bring their baby into the world. However, when MJ goes into labor, she begins to suffer from complications leading to a long and painful birth. Tragically, the baby didn’t survive, leaving Peter and MJ to mourn the child that they lost. The loss of one’s child is one of the worst experiences a person can go through, and the fact that it was presented in such a realistic manner made it all the more heart-wrenching.
2) Death of Uncle Ben
Every hero is born from tragedy. In Peter’s case, he had unintentionally set into motion the event that would cause the tragedy. When he first got his powers, Peter used them to make a quick buck as a performer. One fateful night, a burglar ran past him that he didn’t bother trying to apprehend. Just a few hours later, Peter came home to discover that Uncle Ben, his surrogate father, had been shot and killed by the same burglar that Peter had let go earlier. Uncle Ben’s death drove Peter to become a hero and to use his powers responsibly. Still, the deep-seated guilt Peter feels every day for unintentionally contributing to the death of his loving uncle drives his every action.
1) Death of Gwen Stacy
In one of the most infamous moments in comic book history, Peter loses the love of his life, Gwen Stacy. To hurt Peter, his nemesis, the Green Goblin, kidnapped Gwen and held her hostage over the Brooklyn Bridge. When Green Goblin dropped Gwen, Peter dove after her and managed to grab her by the ankle with his webbing. Unfortunately, it was too late, as the whiplash from the fall caused Gwen to snap her neck, killing her instantly. Gwen’s death marked the beginning of the Bronze Age of comics, as a hero’s love interest had never before been murdered, never to return. It was a soul-crushing and unexpected event for both Peter and comic readers, and its impact can still be felt decades later.
What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image via THQ Nordic -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
