Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider, gaining superpowers. At first, he uses them selfishly, but when a thief he lets escape kills his Uncle Ben, Peter is devastated. This tragedy teaches him the vital lesson: “With great power comes great responsibility,” shaping his path as a hero.
Gwen Stacy’s death is one of Spider-Man’s most tragic turning points. As Peter’s first true love, she brought stability to his life, but during a battle with the Green Goblin, she’s thrown from a bridge. Spider-Man catches her with a web, but the sudden stop causes fatal whiplash—or she may have already been dead. Peter is left devastated, haunted by the possibility that he contributed to her death, marking the end of his innocence as a hero.
Spider-Man’s identity reveal during the Civil War storyline is a bold and consequential moment. To support Tony Stark’s pro-registration stance, Peter Parker publicly unmasks, shocking the world and putting his loved ones at risk. The fallout is immediate—villains target Aunt May and Mary Jane, and Peter begins to regret his decision. This leads to a desperate deal with Mephisto in One More Day, where Peter sacrifices his marriage to erase the reveal from history. The event underscores the tension between personal freedom and public accountability in a hero’s life.
The Spider-Verse saga expands Spider-Man’s legacy across the multiverse. When villains like Morlun and the Inheritors begin hunting Spider-powered beings in every reality, Peter Parker joins forces with alternate versions of himself—including Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, and even Spider-Ham. Together, they form a united front to protect the Web of Life and Destiny, which connects all Spider-heroes. This storyline celebrates the diversity and resilience of the Spider-Man identity, showing that anyone can wear the mask and stand for justice.