Marvel's Spider-Man has brawled with countless villains of all shapes and sizes - including one that's made out of a thousand spiders. But there's a first time for everything as he once defeated one of the strongest supervillains in the Marvel Universe using the punchline of a joke.
The reason Spider-Man is fully capable of taking down countless villains singlehandedly is that he's highly intelligent and agile. Plus, he knows how to utilize his super-strength, webbing, and spider-sense. But even with superpowers, Spider-Man is not immune to death, unlike his best pal Deadpool. Which is why he needs to be extra careful, especially when other people's lives are on the line. The villainous Regent is one of the strongest super-villains Spider-Man has ever faced because he's genetically engineered and has a suit that allows him to harness the powers of every superhero he comes across. Considering he has killed and harnessed the abilities of the Avengers and X-Men, defeating him will not be an easy task - especially when his daughter's life is on the line.
In Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows Vol. 1 #5 by Dan Slott, Adam Kubert, John Dell, Justin Ponsor, and Joe Caramagne-the finale of the Spider-Man story arc-as Spider-Man and the super villain Regent fight in the streets of New York, Annie jumps out of the building, lands on Regent's back, and shoves an inhibitor chip into his neck-disabling his suit that gives him his superpowers. As Spider-Man, Mary Jane, and Annie join hands to take out Regent in the streets of New York City, they appear to knock out Regent. But when Annie goes to check if he's officially knocked out, he grabs her by the neck-promising to drain the girl of her life and powers. Which prompts a crowd of people to surround and scold Regent. While he tries to reason with the crowd by explaining he's protecting the world from a far greater villain that has yet to come, Spider-Man grabs a dagger from behind Mary Jane's back and suit. After grabbing the dagger, he begins to tell Regent that he can drain his life and power instead because his power is more developed and much stronger than Annie's. Then, Spider-Man begins to ask Regent that it's imperative he takes care of Annie, makes her eat her veggies, completes her homework, and gives her a quarter at the end of every week for an allowance. Which causes Mary Jane to ask, "only a quarter?" Spider-Man answers Mary Jane by delivering the punchline of the joke, "C'mon. How does Spider-Man pay his kid's allowance?... In spider cents."
As Regent tilts his head back and laughs, Spider-Man considers slicing his jugular with the dagger but decides to upper-cut him instead-immobilizing him long enough to have him arrested by some of the surviving superheroes and put an end to his tyranny. After defeating Regent, Spider-Man returns home with his family and comes to terms with the truth-his family will never have a happy ending, they will always have to struggle and persevere. But at least they have each other.
Although Spider-Man refrains from killing Regent, it wouldn't be the first time he almost killed a villain. But if Spider-Man knew Annie was in serious danger and Regent still had his suit on, he wouldn't have refrained from killing him because he was not afraid to kill Venom earlier in the comic series.