When Spider-Man hit the 1980s, he was an extremely popular superhero with multiple comic book titles of his own. He had one of the biggest rogues' galleries of any superhero in Marvel Comics, and he enjoyed some great stories throughout the entire decade. The '80s is also when one of his most loved villains first appeared with Venom.
The storylines in the '80s included one of his most popular, with Kraven's Last Hunt. It included a moment where he finally came to terms with his greatest loss and helped a young boy find happiness at the end of his life.
Amazing Spider-Man #200 (January 1980)
At the very start of the 1980s, Spider-Man had a chance to finally come to terms with the loss that started his career. In Amazing Spider-Man #200 by Marv Wolfman, Stan Lee, and Keith Pollard, the burglar who murdered Uncle Ben was back and he came after Aunt May this time.
With Peter believing his aunt was dead, he decided he was tired of people pushing him around and he set out to kill the burglar. This was a very important issue for Spider-Man as he was able to work through his issues and finally come to terms with the loss of his beloved uncle and why it was important he remained an upstanding hero.
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (August 1982)
In 1982, a brand-new hero arrived and it was in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 by Roger Stern and John Romita Sr. This was the first appearance for Monica Rambeau, who became the new Captain Marvel in this issue.
The origin story appearing in an issue of a Spider-Man comic seemed strange since Monica would go on to become an Avenger shortly after this. However, it was a great origin story with Monica proving that she deserved the mantle she received, despite the world seeming to work against her.
Amazing Spider-Man #248 (January 1984)
In 1984, one of the best issues of Amazing Spider-Man ever written hit newsstands with issue #248 by Roger Stern and Ron Frenz. This was a one-shot story that had nothing to do with supervillains. Instead, this was a special story about a young boy who collected everything about Spider-Man, including newspaper clippings.
Spider-Man went to visit the boy and the two shared memories of Spider-Man's career. In the end, Spider-Man revealed his secret identity to the boy and when he left, the reader learned the boy had cancer. This was a touching story that showed one of Spider-Man's most wholesome moments.
Amazing Spider-Man #250 (April 1984)
The 1980s introduced one of Spider-Man's deadliest enemies in The Hobgoblin. The storylines with Hobgoblin were masterfully done, as Marvel refused to reveal who this villain was under the mask and kept it a secret for many years.
The biggest battle between the two came in Amazing Spider-Man #249-251 by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr., and the best issue between the two was the middle book. This all ended with the apparent death of Hobgoblin, although the battle was far from over.
Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984)
Everything changed in Amazing Spider-Man #252. Out of nowhere, Spider-Man was wearing a black costume that he could apparently control with his mind. Readers never learned how he got this costume until the Secret Wars miniseries played out.
This was a very important issue, as it was the first appearance of the symbiote that would become Venom. The cover was an homage to the first appearance of Spider-Man and the story changed everything about the Spider-Man universe. The began a short storyline where Peter Parker was one of the most heroic symbiote hosts.
Amazing Spider-Man #267 (August 1985)
In 1985, Amazing Spider-Man #267 by Peter David and Bob McLeod was another one-shot that every fan of Spider-Man should seek out. This was not a book that have anything to do with running storylines or about a fight with a major villain.
Spider-Man was after a man known as the Commuter and to catch him, he had to go to the suburbs. This allowed Spider-Man to get into some comic situations, including not having high-rise buildings to swing from, facing dogs in people's yards, driving a neighborhood watch leader nuts, and even had to take a cab. For people who love funny Spider-Man stories, this is a great one.
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107 (October 1985)
While most of Spider-Man's main stories were in Amazing Spider-Man, he also appeared in a secondary solo title in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, and issued #107 was one of the best of the 1980s.
This was the start of the critically acclaimed The Death of Jean DeWolff storyline. DeWolff was a police officer and a close friend of Spider-Man and this was yet another tragic loss for the Wall-Crawler. Unlike other Spider-Man death stories, this was a murder mystery and introduced the world to Sin-Eater.
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (September 1987)
In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, the moment fans had always been waiting for finally happened. This was the issue where Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson finally got married. The book was a great one and really showed how Peter Parker always doubts himself.
The issue has several things happening that make Peter reconsider this big moment. However, no matter what he sees and no matter what he fears, there was no twist in this Spider-Man comic, and he ends up getting married to Mary Jane in the end and one of the greatest love story in Marvel Comics finally paid off.
Amazing Spider-Man #294 (November 1987)
In 1987, Marvel Comics released Kraven's Last Hunt. The series played out through the various Spider-Man titles and saw one of Spider-Man's best comic villains, Kraven, actually beat Spider-Man, shooting him with a tranquilizer and burying him alive.
After this, Kraven took Spider-Man's costume and replaced him, only to learn what it meant for Spidey to be a hero. The best issue was Amazing Spider-Man #294 by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, which saw Kraven release Spider-Man to stop a villain known as Vermin. Kraven then took his own life in the shocking finale.
Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)
One of the most important Spider-Man comics for villains came in 1988 with Amazing Spider-Man #300 by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. This was the first appearance of Venom. Initially, the black alien costume that Peter brought back from Secret Wars, and then he learned it was an alien symbiote.
In this issue, it bonded with Eddie Brock and became Spider-Man's newest and deadliest enemy. This was the start of Venom, a character that has become a hugely popular antihero, making this a true turning point for Spider-Man comics.