Generally, Spider-Man comics have a few key elements. Using his spider powers, Peter Parker dresses as Spider-Man and desperately works to keep his family and friends safe. He could be working as a neighborhood hero or as an Avenger, but he always keeps the interest of New York City close at heart. More than anything else, he tries to protect his loved ones. Tragically, it doesn't always work out.
Whether for positive or negative reasons, some Spider-Man comics have completely derailed Peter Parker's life. Many feature Peter losing his morals, his family, or even his sense of self, but they always take the overarching story of Spider-Man and flip it on its head.
10 Amazing Spider-Man
Amazing Spider-Man (2022) has completely flipped Peter Parker's life on its head. Instead of getting the chance to enjoy a life with MJ, Peter has instead experienced loss after loss. After stealing Fantastic Four technology, Peter quickly becomes anathema to the superhero community. He loses his chance to be with MJ, and he even loses his own sense of morality along the way.
There have been countless reveals in Amazing Spider-Man that have completely derailed Peter's path. His romantic, heroic, and professional lives have suffered some serious blows. Every issue presents a new challenge for him to face, and few allow him to really grapple with the reality of life as it was before the book. Because of Amazing Spider-Man, the future of Spider-Man looks darker than ever.
9 The Night Gwen Stacy Died
For a time, it looked like Peter Parker's life was already decided for him. Forced to choose between MJ and Gwen Stacy, he would eventually fall for the daughter of the friendly Captain Stacy. Peter wanted to spend the rest of his life with Gwen at his side. Instead, Gwen died.
Gwen Stacy's tragic death in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (created by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, John Romita Sr., Tony Mortellaro, Dave Hunt, and Artie Simek) completely changed Peter's life story. He lost the woman he loved, and he would forever be left tormented by her death. Peter was forced to realize just how dangerous his secret identity was for those he loved, and he has been fighting to keep his family safe ever since.
8 Superior Spider-Man
Peter Parker is typically at the head of his own story. No matter what threats are thrown at him, Peter always recovers and comes back to save the day. Peter Parker is Spider-Man. At least, he was. Superior Spider-Man changed that. After stealing Peter's body, Doc Ock became Spider-Man. For a time, it seemed like he might stay that way.
For dozens of issues, Doc Ock roamed New York City, saving the people from countless threats. He alienated Peter's friends, enjoyed a life with superhuman powers, and even fought against the Inheritors. While it was a fun divergence, Ock's time in Peter's body completely derailed Peter's entire story. Instead of continuing the long-running Spider-Man saga, Marvel instead focused on a supervillain.
7 Clone Saga
There are few events more convoluted than Clone Saga. Throughout an entire decade of real-world time, Peter Parker was reckoning with the idea that he could secretly be the clone of the real Peter Parker. Dozens of clones came and went, but only Kaine and Ben Reilly ever really played a substantial role. Ben even spent time as the primary Spider-Man while Peter grappled with his seemingly false history.
In many ways, Clone Saga almost killed Spider-Man comics. The plot simply refused to die. Every chance at a proper conclusion ended with a new arc filled with more absurdity. There were countless retcons, inconsistent decisions, and baffling character developments. To make matters worse, it spanned across multiple Spider-Man books, making even reading orders complicated. Until Clone Saga ended, Peter's story was completely stuck.
6 Back In Black
Back in Black was a brilliant saga that saw Peter Parker grappling with numerous problems. After revealing his identity to the world, Aunt May was shot and Peter and MJ were left in the ashes. Furious at himself and the world at large, Peter donned a black suit and began making increasingly cruel decisions.
The arc may be incredible, but it led Peter Parker down a questionable path. Instead of serving as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, he charged into prison and nearly beat Kingpin to death with his bare hands. Any comic that features Peter in a black suit is sure to derail his moral judgment, but Back in Black changed the future of Spider-Man forever. It would directly lead to the much-maligned One More Day, ruining Peter's chance to be with MJ.
5 Civil War: The Amazing Spider-Man
Spider-Man's secret identity is secret for a reason. For decades, he has kept it close to his chest in a desperate attempt to keep his friends and family safe. He often views it as a noble decision made purely for altruistic reasons. Many times, Peter suffers due to being forced to live a double life.
Civil War made Peter Parker's secret public knowledge. Suddenly, the entire world was aware of Spider-Man's secret identity, and the entire decades-long history was officially derailed. Spider-Man comics could no longer include stories about his conflicting interests. Instead, everyone knew Spider-Man, and everyone knew Peter Parker. It derailed years of arcs and left Peter scrambling to protect his loved ones.
4 Spider-Verse
Spider-Man comics have a simple concept: A teenage Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and vows to use his powers to protect people. That single underlying narrative has been a central element of Spider-Man comics since their inception. It's as simple as a superhero comic can be. Spider-Verse completely derailed that.
Now, Spider-Man comics are about the multiverse — a concept as complicated as a superhero comic can manage. Peter Parker is secretly a Spider-Totem, and there are evil Inheritors working to feast on him. There are also countless other Spider-Men across the multiverse, and they have mostly all been bitten by radioactive spiders. While Spider-Verse is undoubtedly a brilliant concept, it forever overcomplicated the narrative of Spider-Man comics.
3 Spider-Man Beyond
Few things can derail Peter Parker's story like him being left poisoned and comatose. The coma meant that Spider-Man Beyond could put every Peter story on hold, while giving Ben Reilly the chance to shine as Spider-Man. It was a fun divergence to explore more of Ben's life, but the book forever changed Spider-Man.
Ben Reilly would quickly find his memories completely erased, leaving him as the new Spider-Man villain Chasm. Peter had to face off against a man he considered his brother, and it meant he could never again fully rely on Ben. With a new villain set against him and Peter facing a complete loss of control over the direction of his own life, Spider-Man Beyond completely derailed his overall story.
2 Death Of Spider-Man
The Ultimate universe offered a new version of Spider-Man. As a character allowed to grow and change in a fresh and unique universe, the Ultimate Spider-Man was a refreshing take on Peter Parker. He was charming, cunning, and he felt much more realistic than his Earth-616 counterpart. He was even starting to make a name for himself among the Ultimates. If not for Death of Spider-Man, he might have even led them someday.
Instead, the Ultimate Spider-Man seemingly died. While he would later return, he would never again be a prominent face in the Ultimate universe. His death gave room for Miles Morales to rise to become Spider-Man. Ultimate Peter Parker's story was forever over.
1 One More Day
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Once, Peter Parker had a wife and a chance for a comfortable future. One More Day changed that. In exchange for Aunt May's health, Peter traded his marriage to Mephisto. His relationship with Mary Jane Watson has never recovered, and Peter has been in a romantic limbo ever since.
One More Day marks the point where Peter is never again allowed to truly grow up. At the time, it seemed marriage and a family was very much Peter's eternal status quo. Instead, the entire direction of the character got derailed, and he was forced back into being a man who can't maintain a relationship to save his life. This tragic decision forever changed Spider-Man comics.