SPIDER-MAN: 5 Times Peter Parker Died In The Comic Books Ranked From Least To Most Shocking

Like most comic book characters, Peter Parker has died on more than one occasion. Here, we take a look back at some of Spider-Man's most memorable demises and how they could be adapted in the MCU one day!

By JoshWilding - Sep 26, 2022 01:09 PM EST

Filed Under: Spider-Man

Death is a regular occurrence in every comic book universe, and Spider-Man is someone who has died on multiple occasions now. However, as he is such a major character, Peter Parker's end has often come in far more meaningful ways than heroes and villains who, unlike the web-slinger, aren't at the very heart of the Marvel Universe.

Spider-Man isn't a character who has ever died on screen (well, outside of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), but with Tom Holland clearly not planning to play the hero forever, could that be how he leaves the MCU?

It's certainly possible, and there are a few deaths here we think would be pretty epic to see in live-action. Regardless of whether they're adapted, though, this ranking counts down the most shocking and brutal ways Spider-Man has perished in the comics over the years, including one or two occasions we think might just surprise you.

To take a look back at Spidey's most memorable deaths, click on the "Next" button below!

5. Zombie Spider-Man

Mary-Jane-Watson-Earth-2149-from-Marvel-Zombies-Dead-Days-Vol-1-1-001

Like most of the Marvel Universe's heroes, Peter Parker fell victim to a virus that turned him into a flesh devouring zombie. At first, the brave hero was able to resist the infection that flowed through his radioactive blood, racing home to warn Mary Jane and Aunt May about the impending threat.

Unfortunately, Spider-Man was overcome by hunger and devoured the two women in his life who mean more to him than anyone else. The horror of what he'd done broke Peter, but he continued hunting for fresh alongside his fellow Marvel Zombies.

Despite that, the guilt never fully left him, and he'd often look back with horror at what he'd done. He remained a joker, but was also a far cry from the Peter we all know and love; ultimately, he was wiped out alongside the rest of the undead, and his last words were to Sandman, thanking him for avenging MJ and May.

4. Morlun Returns

Spider-Man's first battle with Morlun pushed the wall-crawler to his limits, but he ultimately won the day by absorbing even more radioactivity and ensuring his essence was poisonous to the seemingly unstoppable villain. Years later, that decision seemingly came back to haunt Peter when he started dying from an incurable, undisclosed condition.

At the same time, Morlun managed to return from the dead, and took the fight to the weakened Spidey in a massive battle. After tearing out Peter's eye, he left him bleeding out and eventually tracked the dying Peter to his hospital bed. There, "The Other" overcame Spider-Man and his spider side devoured Morlun before the hero died from his injuries.

He was resurrected just a few issues later with some new supernatural powers, though none of that really lasted and Morlun would go on to become a recurring threat to the entire Spider-Verse. Iron Man carrying Peter's body from the hospital remains a haunting image, though, as does him dying in MJ's arms.

3. Beaten By His Superior

How-Doctor-Octopus-Became-The-Superior-Spider-Man-8

As we established in our last entry, Spider-Man is a character who is often able to overcome the odds, even in the most trying of circumstances (like death). However, the one time this hero didn't get a happy ending was in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #700 when he failed to overcome a superior foe in Doctor Octopus.

The villain enacted a plan that saw him swap minds with Peter, trapping the web-slinger in his dying body. While Spidey was able to mount one last attempt to win the day in his foe's failing form, it didn't work, he was outsmarted, and died as Doc Ock stood over him in his body.

Before passing away, Peter got Otto to promise that he would be a hero as Spider-Man, leading to the divisive Superior Spider-Man era. That was hit-and-miss ("Peter" attempting to seduce MJ and killing his foes was a step too far), but this remains one of the most shocking and hard-to-accept deaths in the character's history.

2. Killed By The Venom Symbiote

As we're sure you know, Spider-Man brought an alien costume back with him from Battleworld in Secret Wars and later learned it was alive and negatively impacting his decision-making. Heading to Mister Fantastic for help, Peter was able to avoid symbiosis with his suit and left it there until it later escaped and bonded with Eddie Brock to become Venom.

In an alternate reality visited in What If...? #4, Peter is unable to rid himself of the black suit and ends up permanently bonded to it. The alien drains Spidey's life energy and abandons him for The Hulk (a stronger host), leaving the wall-crawler a weakened old man who dies shortly after one final farewell to Aunt May.

However, the research Peter did before perishing gives Earth's Mightiest Heroes a fighting chance and they defeat the suit. It's Black Cat who kills it for good, though at the cost of a life of servitude to The Kingpin after he used his funds to build the weapon Spider-Man designed that could permanently destroy the symbiote. This was tragic on a number of levels!

1. Gunned Down

With the Ultimate Universe nearing its end, Marvel Comics decided to shake things up by killing many of these reminagined characters in the pages of Jeph Loeb's dismal Ultimatum. Spidey just managed to survive, but it wasn't too long after that the teenager fell in battle, dying years before his Marvel Universe counterpart ever did.

The kid saved Captain America's life when he took a bullet from The Punisher that was meant for Steve Rogers. Despite suffering a near-fatal wound, he managed to forge ahead for a battle with the Sinister Six outside his childhood home.

With his friends and family watching on, Peter took down the villains, but a fight with the Green Goblin and a nearby truck exploding sealed Spidey's fate and he died surrounded by loved ones. Miles Morales would later take over the mantle, though we later found out that the Ultimate Spider-Man is immortal when he rose from the dead.

However, when Secret Wars brought Miles into the Marvel Universe, that was the last we saw of the Ultimate Peter...

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6 Comments

CorndogBurglar - 9/26/2022, 1:10 PM

I don't know that I would call #5 "gunned down", since that isn't what killed him. It may have weakened him for his fight with the Sinister 6, but it was the fight with Green Goblin and the Exploding truck that finished him.

IcePyke - 9/26/2022, 1:18 PM

Peter be like:

Tigreblanco21 - 9/26/2022, 1:25 PM

What if shouldn't count in almost every issue a hero died

marvel72 - 9/26/2022, 1:45 PM

Spider-Man's death was only shocking the first time,didn't he die and comeback multiple times during his fight with Kindred.

dragon316 - 9/26/2022, 1:57 PM

Also died in evolve or die series love ke his powers in that series

GreedoSarducci - 9/26/2022, 2:03 PM

Josh, regarding your article about the LEGO Razor Crest that links to another site...

F.UCK YOU.

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SPIDER-MAN: 5 Times Peter Parker Died In The Comic Books Ranked From Least To Most Shocking

Like most comic book characters, Peter Parker has died on more than one occasion. Here, we take a look back at some of Spider-Man's most memorable demises and how they could be adapted in the MCU one day!

5. Zombie Spider-Man

4. Morlun Returns

3. Beaten By His Superior

2. Killed By The Venom Symbiote

1. Gunned Down

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