After 64 Years, Marvel Kills Spider-Man
Marvel confirms the way Spider-Man dies at the end of his superhero career, with a new glimpse at the aftermath of Peter Parker's tragic death. As the definitive face of the Marvel brand and the most popular superhero of all time, Spider-Man is almost guaranteed to continue appearing in countless projects across comics, movies, series, games, and merchandise non-stop for more decades to come. However, Spider-Man isn't a single character, but an infinite collection of different Peter Parker variations, not to mention countless variations of other Spider-Men like Miles Morales, Miguel O'Hara, and Ben Reilly.
As is tradition with every character in the Marvel multiverse, some multiversal variants are luckier than others. Earth-1610's Spider-Man experiences one of Marvel Comics' most memorable deaths when he sacrifices his life fighting Ultimate Green Goblin, while Earth-6160's Peter Parker is fortunate enough to be able to have his own family, only for Ultimate Carnage to murder him in cold blood during the Ultimates' final battle against the Maker. The latter is able to come back to life shortly afterward, but other Spider-Men across the Spider-Verse aren't so lucky.
The Spider-Man with the longest in-universe superhero career is dead for good, and Marvel now presents a new angle on his death, as well as Mary Jane's life in the wake of Peter Parker's tragic demise.
Marvel Reveals What Happens After Peter Parker's Death
Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger; Written By J. Michael Straczynski; Art By Luigi Zagaria & Matt Milla
"Soft Words at Sunset," one of the stories included in Mary Jane: Face It Tiger provides an alternate look at one of the darkest and most overlooked parts of Spider-Man's sixty-four-year history. After Earth-312500's "Final Stand" Spider-Man dies fighting the authorities following his murder of Aunt May's killer, an older Mary Jane visits his grave, where she notices that a collection of spider webs has drawn the words "I love you." MJ jokes she always wondered whether Peter had Ant-Man's ability to talk to the animals that gave them their superhero moniker and leaves with a smile on her face.
Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger expands Spider-Man's death with the addition of a woman Earth-312500's Peter Parker saves from the same man who murdered Aunt May, "armed with tech stolen from Stark Industries and immunity for any crimes they committed." Peter's murder of the criminal is also depicted explicitly, with Spider-Man brutally pulling him towards a wall at full force. Besides, Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger confirms that most of Spider-Man's career develops almost identically to his Earth-616 counterpart in this universe.
Final Stand's Peter Parker Is Spider-Man's Own Old Man Logan
Old Man Spider-Man's Final Stand Isn't As Well-Known As Wolverine's
Introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #500, Final Stand Peter Parker experiences pretty much the same kind of sacrifice Wolverine does in Old Man Logan: an older, battle-worn hero who has survived long enough to watch his world collapse around him must confront the consequences of a life spent behind a mask. In the main Marvel Universe, Peter's greatest tragedies tend to occur while he's still young enough to imagine that another victory might repair what went wrong. Final Stand removes much of this optimism, with Spider-Man choosing to use deadly force in his very last encounter with a criminal.
Like Old Man Logan, Final Stand Spider-Man exists in a future where the heroic age has lost its glory, and he has become a relic of a world that no longer resembles the one he once protected. And just like the aging Wolverine can no longer rely on his healing factor and his berserker rage to defend himself, Final Stand Spider-Man's agility and reflexes have faded. Hence, he dies confronting a group of armed opponents he could have easily outmaneuvered in his early days.
How would you like Spider-Man's story to end?
Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger is now available from Marvel Comics