Spider-Man brought something completely different to Marvel Comics when he debuted in 1962. He wasn't an alien, brilliant industrialist, super soldier, god, or scientific genius. He was a high school student; a bookworm who got his powers when a radioactive spider bit him. As a result, his adventures were very different than the adult superheroes operating around him.
Readers got to see Peter Parker grow up through the years, which made many of his most notable storylines have a deeper meaning for fans. Whether he was fighting his very popular rogues gallery or dealing with personal issues, there were some interesting and engaging Spider-Man storylines in Marvel Comics.
Updated on December 14th, 2021, by Shawn S. Lealos: Spider-Man: No Way Home has brought the Web-Slinger back to theaters and it could end up as the best of the Marvel-Sony movies thanks to a strong mix of villains and stories from the past. It also could raise interest in Spider-Man's best comic book stories. The new movie includes at least a hint of one of Spider-Man's most infamous in "One More Day."
However, with decades of great storylines, there are plenty of adventures that fans can discover when looking back into the history of the Wall-Crawler. These iconic and great Spider-Man story arcs include him overcoming overwhelming odds and keeping the sense of right and wrong that makes him one of Marvel's greatest heroes.
Back in Black
Spider-Man's Back in Black came out in 2007 and did something few Spider-Man comic books have ever done. It explored the darker side of what it meant to be Spider-Man. The entire idea of this comic was to see how Peter Parker would react when pushed to the extreme.
This saw the return of the black-suited Spider-Man, but the most important part of this story arc was looking at the character of Peter Parker and what made Spider-Man a hero. This took place after Civil War when Aunt May was shot and it ended with a moment where Spider-Man went over the line, almost killing Kingpin.
The Hobgoblin Saga
For years, Spider-Man fought a familiar group of villains, and readers knew everything they needed to know about these bad guys. However, in much the same way that Green Goblin terrorized Spider-Man for a long time without readers knowing it was Norman Osborn, "The Hobgoblin Saga" presented a similar story, with a mysterious villain.
Hobgoblin was one of Spider-Man's most powerful villains, and even when he disappeared and seemed defeated, neither readers nor Spider-Man learned who he was. There was even a time years later where Ned Leeds was identified as Hobgoblin, but even that was a swerve. This saga played out from Amazing Spider-Man #238-251, and it remains iconic because it created one of his most dangerous villains.
If This Be My Destiny
For Spider-Man fans who want to see the hero at his lowest, needing to use every bit of the strength he has to overcome the odds. This happened for the first time in Amazing Spider-Man #31-33 in a storyline known as "If This Be My Destiny." In this story, Spider-Man was battling a mysterious villain known as the Master Planner when Aunt May fell ill to a life-threatening illness.
When Spider-Man learned the Master Planner was Doctor Octopus, and he might have a way to save May, it changed everything. This is the story where Spider-Man was buried under heavy machinery, but he used his memories of Uncle Ben to lift it off himself. This remains iconic because it showed Spider-Man's true will and power.
Superior Spider-Man
Amazing Spider-Man #700 ended with a shocking moment. A cancer-riddled Doctor Octopus died, but not before he was able to switch minds with Peter Parker. This killed Peter and Doctor Octopus took over his body and became the Superior Spider-Man. This led to a 33-issue Superior Spider-Man storyline with Doc Ock becoming a hero.
This Spider-Man story arc remains a great read, showing a very different, arrogant Spider-Man who was even more brilliant when it came to tactical skills. Doc Ock beat villains Spider-Man struggled with, and it all ended with Peter returning and Doc Ock remaining a hero until Mephisto undid everything.
Last Remains
"Last Remains" was a long-running storyline that, as with the best Spider-Man stories, featured a giant mystery that both Spider-Man and the readers had to decipher. It all started when a demon called Kindred arrived and began tormenting both Spider-Man and Norman Osborn. He brought villains back from the dead, including Mysterio and Sin-Eater.
In the end, Spider-Man was pushed to his limit, at one point fighting dozens of villains who at one time or another were in the Sinister Six. By the end, Harry Osborn showed up to help Spider-Man, Norman Osborn lost his evil ways, and Spider-Man had to fight with everything he had to survive and come out with a better understanding of his past.
Amazing Fantasy #15
The story that started it all remains one of the most important in Spider-Man's history. In Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man's origin story played out. Peter's Aunt May and Uncle Ben raised him after his parents died and did the best they could to give him a happy home since his time at school was spent with bullies tormenting him.
However, the most significant thing about this storyline was Peter using his powers for fame and his Uncle Ben dying. This was where Spider-Man learned about his great responsibility.
The Night Gwen Stacy Died
When Uncle Ben died and gave Spider-Man his first life lesson about responsibility, it was clear that this young man would face hardships in his superhero career. That happened in the storyline "The Night Gwen Stacy Died." This took place in Amazing Spider-Man #121-122 by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane & John Romita Sr.
Peter and Gwen had been dating, and this storyline saw his greatest enemy, The Green Goblin, throw her from a bridge. Spider-Man tried to stop her with a web, but her neck snapped, and she died. It was a loss that haunted him for years.
Spider-Man No More
"Spider-Man: No More" happened in Amazing Spider-Man #50-52 by Stan Lee and John Romita. This saw Peter Parker get tired of always trying to do the right thing and having everyone (from the police to the public) look at him as a menace.
With J. Jonah Jameson relentless, Peter finally throws his costume in the trashcan and quits. This was the first time Peter quit his role as a hero, only to have a dangerous villain rise and force him back into action. This also marked the first appearance of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime.
Spider-Island
"Spider-Island" was a major Spider-Man event that took place in 2011. In this event series, everyone in Manhattan suddenly gains the same powers as Spider-Man. However, while some heroes rise, not everyone wants to use their powers for good or share the same sense of responsibility as Spider-Man.
Created by Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos & Stefano Caselli, the story played out from Amazing Spider-Man #659-665, with Spider-Man and all his allies trying to find a way to depower the Manhattan residents and find out who did this and why.
Venom
When Spider-Man returned from the Marvel crossover Secret Wars event, he had a new mysterious black costume that seemed to work through his mental directives. However, he soon discovered this was an alien symbiote, and it had a mind of its own.
After Spider-Man rejected the symbiote, it found Eddie Brock and the two merged to create Venom, debatably Spidey's greatest and most powerful villain. This original storyline started in Amazing Spider-Man #300 by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane.
Spider-Verse
While the mainstream public learned of the Spider-Verse in the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse animated movie, it was a huge deal in comics for a long time, with the best storyline coming in the 2014 event series, "Spider-Verse."
In this series (by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel), 45 Spider-Men from across the multiverse fell at the hands of the Inheritors. It is up to the Spider-themed heroes from across the multiverse to stand up to Morlun to stop any more slaughter from happening.
The Death Of Spider-Man
One of the most heartbreaking and shocking stories, "The Death of Spider-Man" took place in the Ultimate Universe. Peter Parker was still a teenager in the series and fought hard to live up to his responsibilities - which is what made his eventual death so hard to take. He saved Captain America from a Punisher assassination attempt, and the bullet that hit Spider-Man was just the start.
Spider-Man then raced home to save his family from a rampaging Green Goblin. The two enemies then fought to the death. Peter died in the arms of Mary Jane and told his Aunt May that he couldn't save Uncle Ben, but he saved her, which meant he succeeded.
The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man
One lesser-known Spider-Man storylines that every fan should read is "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man." This took place in Amazing Spider-Man #248 (by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr.) and saw Spider-Man meet a child who proclaims he is Spider-Man's greatest fan.
Spider-Man met young Tim, who has collected every newspaper article and other mementos from the hero's career. When Tim asks who Spider-Man really is, he unmasks and tells Tim his origin story. When Spider-Man leaves, the readers see the truth. Tim had been dying and his last dream was to meet his hero.
The Death of Jean DeWolff
"The Death of Jean DeWolff" took place in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 (by Peter David and Rich Buckler). Jean DeWolff was a police detective and one of the few officers who trusted and liked Spider-Man.
The two often worked together to solve crimes, and then one day, someone killed DeWolff. This was Sin-Eater, and Spider-Man set out to bring down the killer once and for all. It was another death in Spider-Man's life, and it was one of the best stories in that ongoing aspect of Peter's life.
Kraven's Last Hunt
One of the most popular and memorable Spider-Man storylines of all time is "Kraven's Last Hunt." This crossed over in all of Spider-Man's titles at the time, with J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck credited as the creative team behind the story. In this tale, Kraven wants one last chance to achieve his only remaining goal — killing Spider-Man.
He succeeds here, but with a twist. He didn't use a bullet but instead shoots him and buries him alive before taking on Spider-Man's role himself. By the end, Kraven had nothing left to prove, which marked the end of his story.