If there is any Marvel Comics hero who has experienced more tragedy than others, it is Spider-Man. Almost every superhero in existence got their start with a tragedy in their lives, and Spider-Man is no different. His beloved Uncle Ben died because Peter Parker didn’t act responsibly when he was out as Spider-Man, and it cost him dearly. This changed his outlook on life, and his road to becoming a hero was built on the respect for his uncle and what he meant to him. However, it is a running joke that creators at Marvel Comics hate Spider-Man because they never allow him to have a happy life and continually throw tragedies at him. This includes more deaths than any hero should ever encounter over their lives.
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While not all the deaths have stuck in Marvel Comics, each of these seven character deaths devastated Spider-Man and helped create the hero that he has become over the years.
7) Richard & Mary Parker
The first deaths that really affected the life of Peter Parker were those of his parents. However, this happened before his first appearance. For years, Richard and Mary Parker were only names readers knew, and their deaths were only a part of his life because he was raised by Aunt May and Uncle Ben, who, for all intents and purposes, were his parents in the comics. Marvel Comics later attempted to elevate Richard and Mary’s importance by introducing their pasts as CIA agents recruited by Nick Fury. It was then that they both died in action. This is a reason Fury has taken an interest in keeping Spider-Man safe. However, even when Richard and Mary seemed to return (as clones), it was clear they died early enough in Peter’s life that May became the person who meant the most to him — not his biological parents.
6) Harry Osborn
When Peter Parker was introduced in comics, he had no friends and was an outsider who struggled to make any personal connections. This changed when he began making his first friends in school, which included his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, his best friend, Harry Osborn, and a young woman named Mary Jane Watson. However, things with Harry grew complicated when Peter learned Harry’s dad was the Green Goblin, and Harry eventually blamed Spider-Man for his dad’s death. Knowing Peter was Spider-Man, Harry eventually lost his mind, became the new Green Goblin, and then tried to kill Peter. It ended in tragedy when Harry snapped out of it long enough to stop his attack and help save Spider-Man’s life, at the expense of his own. When Harry died in the ambulance with Spider-Man by his side, it was heartbreaking. One of the only good things about the One More Day retcon was that it resurrected Harry, but this death weighed on Spider-Man for a long time.
5) Jean DeWolff
One of the most acclaimed Spider-Man storylines in history was “The Death of Jean DeWolff.” Spider-Man almost never had friends inside the police force, and many cops would open fire on Spider-Man for no reason. However, when he befriended Captain Jean DeWolff, he found a genuine friend and ally to work with as he tried to stop crime. However, one day while stopping some muggers, a police officer told him that someone had killed Jean. Fresh with the symbiote costume (but unaware of its alien form at this time), Spider-Man set out to solve the murder and avenge his friend. The culprit was Sin-Eater, who was also a cop at the time and Jean’s former lover. However, this storyline was a personal one for Spider-Man and proof that his life can never take the easy path.
4) Captain George Stacy
Captain George Stacy was a police captain who wanted to stop Spider-Man, considering him an uncontrollable vigilante. However, he was also someone with a little more of a connection, as he was Gwen Stacy’s father. This made Spider-Man’s relationship with George complicated since he wanted the officer’s respect, but knew it wasn’t coming. When Captain Stacy died, it was unexpected because Spider-Man was fighting Doctor Octopus, and some bricks from a building were knocked loose and fell toward a little girl. Captain Stacy saved the child, but died when the bricks fell on him. Spider-Man held the dying captain in his arms, and George explained he knew he was Peter Parker and asked him to protect Gwen. What made this so tough is that Spider-Man couldn’t do that, and when Gwen died, too, Peter realized he failed this man’s final request.
3) Aunt May
Aunt May has “died” a few times in Marvel Comics. However, the most heartbreaking death came in Amazing Spider-Man #400. In this issue, Aunt May was sick and was dealing with health issues, while Peter and Mary Jane were there to help her. By the end, May said it was time to say goodbye and spent it alone with Peter. When Peter quoted Peter Pan to his aunt, telling her to head for the stars and fly, it was heartbreaking. Seeing Ben Reilly outside the house, breaking down, made it even worse. The funeral with May’s tombstone (“She Taught Us Love”) next to Uncle Ben’s (“He Was Loved”) put an exclamation point on the loss. Of course, Marvel wouldn’t let it end there and brought May back, revealing it was an actress who looked like Aunt May (hired by villains who had captured the real May) who died, but this was an emotional issue and a great goodbye.
2) Gwen Stacy
Peter Parker has always been unlucky in love. Whether he loses his girlfriends because of his secrets as Spider-Man or they betray him, he can’t seem to hold onto love. He even lost Mary Jane thanks to a deal with Mephisto. However, his most tragic loss was when Gwen Stacy died in his arms. Spider-Man learned Norman Osborn was the Green Goblin, and the Goblin decided to destroy Spider-Man’s life. Norman kidnapped Gwen and flew her to the Brooklyn Bridge. Goblin pushed Gwen from the bridge, and Spider-Man tried to save her by shooting a web to catch her, but it snapped her neck, and she died instantly. This was one of the most traumatic moments in his life since Spider-Man blamed himself for her death, realizing he was also responsible since he couldn’t save her, and this further pushed him into his obsession with never letting anyone die in the future.
1) Uncle Ben
The most traumatic death in Spider-Man’s life came in his very first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. Peter Parker became Spider-Man and decided to cash in his new powers for celebrity fame. When he let a burglar escape and did nothing to stop it, he broke one of Uncle Ben’s greatest lessons — “With great power comes great responsibility.” He learned the lesson the hard way when that same burglar went to his home and killed Uncle Ben while looking for some hidden treasure in the walls of the house. When Spider-Man realized Uncle Ben’s death was because he refused to help stop a burglar, it set him on a path to become one of Marvel Comics’ most determined — and tragic — superheroes.
Which death in Spider-Man comics do you think meant the most in his hero’s journey? Let us know your picks in the comment section below.
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