7 Huge Mistakes That Still Haunt Spider-Man Comics

For decades, Spider-Man has been Marvel Comics’ most popular character. While Marvel had some success in its early years, Spider-Man was the hero who truly set them apart from their rivals. The Amazing Spider-Man comic has consistently been a top seller for over 60 years, filled with incredible stories created by some of the best artists and writers in the business. These stories have made Peter Parker a beloved and iconic superhero. However, being a hero hasn’t always been easy for him.

Spider-Man is Marvel’s most popular hero, but his comic book history isn’t perfect. Throughout the years, some creative choices have seriously damaged the stories, and their effects are still felt today. These seven mistakes continue to negatively impact Spider-Man’s comics and legacy.

7) Undoing Aunt May’s Death

Aunt May is a hugely important character in Spider-Man’s story, deeply connected to his past. In the 1990s, Marvel controversially decided to kill her off in The Amazing Spider-Man #400, a memorable issue that felt like a fitting end to her story. However, she was brought back to life during the conclusion of the “Clone Saga” storyline. This decision reversed a powerful moment and ultimately paved the way for the “One More Day” arc. Even if that later story hadn’t happened, bringing May back was still a mistake – Peter had matured and no longer needed her in the same way.

6) The Fate of the Spider-Baby

Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage was a fan favorite in the 1990s, and the ‘Clone Saga’ storyline added even more excitement when MJ appeared to be pregnant. Readers were eager to see a Spider-Baby, but Marvel didn’t follow through with it. While the story showed a miscarriage, it heavily implied MJ’s baby had actually survived and been taken by Norman Osborn. Surprisingly, Marvel never revisited this plot point, and it’s been largely ignored for decades. Almost thirty years later, fans still speculate about whether this storyline will ever be acknowledged.

5) The John Byrne Reboot

Following the complicated ‘Clone Saga,’ Marvel wanted to refresh Spider-Man and turned to John Byrne, known for rebooting other characters like Superman and She-Hulk. While Byrne had a history with Marvel, this Spider-Man reboot is widely considered a low point in the character’s run. Though successful in the 1980s, Byrne’s writing had declined, and this series showcased his weaker tendencies. A particularly controversial moment – an adult Spider-Man kissing a teenager – became a symbol of the reboot’s problems, leading fans to say they’d been badly affected by it.

4) Zeb Wells’ Run on The Amazing Spider-Man

For years, The Amazing Spider-Man has faced criticism, and the 2022 storyline written by Zeb Wells only intensified those issues. Despite Wells having previously worked on well-received stories like Hellions and a prior Spider-Man run, this new direction disappointed many. The plot revolved around a complicated mystery: Peter Parker had seemingly abandoned Mary Jane in another dimension, where she remarried. Her new husband, Paul, quickly became a fan-disliked character. Beyond that, the story consistently portrayed Spider-Man negatively, making him appear weak and unlikeable. Many readers felt Wells didn’t respect the character, and quickly lost interest. It remains baffling to fans that Marvel approved this approach for such a beloved hero.

3) “Sins Past”

The early 2000s were a fantastic period for Spider-Man fans. The Ultimate Spider-Man comic series was hugely popular, and J. Michael Straczynski had successfully revitalized the character in The Amazing Spider-Man after some difficult years. However, the storyline “Sins Past” quickly changed that. It introduced two characters who claimed to be Peter Parker’s children with Gwen Stacy, but the truth was far more shocking: they were the offspring of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. This story is now considered a major mistake in Spider-Man’s history, marking the first real sign of trouble in Straczynski’s otherwise well-received run. It’s still widely criticized today, especially because of a later retcon revealing that Mysterio had disguised himself as Gwen Stacy to have a relationship with Osborn – a twist that only added to the controversy.

2) The Clone Saga

The Clone Saga often gets a bad reputation, but it wasn’t quite as awful as people say – it was just a major misstep. Reviving the idea of a Spider-Clone, originally introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #149, started with a promising concept. However, the initial issues sold well, and the writers didn’t have a clear plan for where the story was going, so Marvel kept extending it. Things really went downhill when they announced that Ben Reilly was the true Spider-Man. This frustrated many readers and the quality of the comics suffered because of the shift in direction. It became a messy, drawn-out storyline that just kept snowballing until it finally ended. On the bright side, the saga did bring Norman Osborn back into the picture.

1) “One More Day”

For 17 years, fans have been upset about the storyline “One More Day,” and it doesn’t seem like that will change anytime soon. This story controversially ended the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. They made a deal with the devil, Mephisto, to save Aunt May’s life after she was shot following Peter’s reveal as Spider-Man during the Civil War event. While opinions differ on whether the marriage should have ended, most agree this was a poor way to do it. The situation is made worse by Marvel’s continued unwillingness to revisit or restore the marriage, which many fans enjoyed. This has significantly damaged the character of Spider-Man.

2026-05-24 03:11