Comics Top 20 Epic Spider-Man Moments...

[Themanofbat]

Ok, this idea was inspired by the article on the main page, and I just made this list off the top of my head, and is by NO means a "definitive" Amazing Spidey List... merely MY opinion.... and I might have forgotten a thing or two...

So let's see what everybody's opinions... nobody is right nor wrong, so let's keep it civil...

Thanks...

20. OMD (ASM #545) - d'uh... like it or hate it, it certainly changed the Spider-Books

19. Back In Black (ASM #539-543) - really showing Peter Parker to be the bad ass that he can be with an epic Kingpin smackdown we've never seen before. I would list ASM #197 as being the best Kingpin/Spidey fight ever, but this was NO contest.

18. To Become an Avenger (ASM Annual #3) - Fianlly, Spidey earns the respect of his peers, even though he declines their offer at the end.

17. The Master Planner/Spidey Stuck under tons of Rubble (ASM #31, 32 & 33) - Truely the first ever epic scene where Spidey demonstrates his great power through sheer will.

16. Spider-Man No More (ASM #50) - 'Nuff said.

15. The Sinister Six (ASM Annual #1) - Six of Spidey's toughest foes band together... simply awesome, and a reminder to why we all love comics.

14. The Clone Saga - Again, like OMD, like it or hate it, it certainly had an impact on Spider-Man.

13. Harry dies (Spec SM #200) - After years of tormenting his best friend for blaming him for the death of his father, Harry saves Peter and "dies" in the process. Sure, he's alive these days, but it doesn't remove the impact this great story has.

12. Aunt May dies (ASM #400) - Same as above, yet when this story came out, there were tears everywhere by all Spidey-Fans when she passes...

11. Kraven's Last Hunt - Just a damn good story.

10. Death of Captain Stacy (ASM #90) - This was the first sign that things would never be right with Gwen & Peter as she would forever blame Spider-Man for her father's death. And the reveal that he knew his identity all that time was a nice character element to this long gone role model.

9. Original HobGoblin Saga (ASM #238 to 251) - All the elements of old school storytelling, this story had it all, intrigue, mystery, a new Goblin in Spidey lore that was refreshing and new.

8. Death of Captain Jean DeWolffe (Spec SM #107 to 110) - Simply a good gripping story with the death of a potential Spider-Man ally/loved one.

7. Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut (ASM #229/230) - Arguably one of the best fights Spidey has ever faced.

6. "24 Hours till Doomsday" (ASM #192) - Spidey & JJJ are shackled to a bomb set to explode in 24 hours by a deathbed Spencer Smythe... first time we see these two together as such for such a long period of time... great storytelling that still stands to this day.

5. Black Costume/Venom (ASM #252/300) - Once Marvel started to saturate the market with Venom appearances, I stopped caring for the character, but the alien symbiote certainly has had a long lasting impact on Spidey.

4. The Marriage (ASM Annual #21) - Ok, so maybe it didn't happen... but we all read it back in 1987, and even though I would have preferred a longer engagement (it seemed so rushed at the time), it still had a huge implication on Spidey-lore as he enters what would be considered his longest relationship with a woman.

3. Peter against the Burglar (ASM #200) - A powerless Peter Parker fights the man who killed his Uncle Ben... need I say more? If Spider-Man comics had stopped publishing after this issue, it would have brought everything from AF #15 to ASM #200 to a complete closure. A must read for any Spider-Man fan.

2. Death of Uncle Ben (Amazing Fantasy #15) - The first death in Peter Parker's tragic life, and one he could have prevented. Unable to live with the guilt, Peter dedicates his life to saving others.

1. Death of Gwen Stacy (ASM #121/122) - Do I have to really explain this one? 'Nuff said.

 

[Donald Thomas]

Ok, this idea was inspired by the article on the main page, and I just made this list off the top of my head, and is by NO means a "definitive" Amazing Spidey List... merely MY opinion.... and I might have forgotten a thing or two...

So let's see what everybody's opinions... nobody is right nor wrong, so let's keep it civil...

Thanks...

20. OMD (ASM #545) - d'uh... like it or hate it, it certainly changed the Spider-Books

19. Back In Black (ASM #539-543) - really showing Peter Parker to be the bad ass that he can be with an epic Kingpin smackdown we've never seen before. I would list ASM #197 as being the best Kingpin/Spidey fight ever, but this was NO contest.

18. To Become an Avenger (ASM Annual #3) - Fianlly, Spidey earns the respect of his peers, even though he declines their offer at the end.

17. The Master Planner/Spidey Stuck under tons of Rubble (ASM #31, 32 & 33) - Truely the first ever epic scene where Spidey demonstrates his great power through sheer will.

16. Spider-Man No More (ASM #50) - 'Nuff said.

15. The Sinister Six (ASM Annual #1) - Six of Spidey's toughest foes band together... simply awesome, and a reminder to why we all love comics.

14. The Clone Saga - Again, like OMD, like it or hate it, it certainly had an impact on Spider-Man.

13. Harry dies (Spec SM #200) - After years of tormenting his best friend for blaming him for the death of his father, Harry saves Peter and "dies" in the process. Sure, he's alive these days, but it doesn't remove the impact this great story has.

12. Aunt May dies (ASM #400) - Same as above, yet when this story came out, there were tears everywhere by all Spidey-Fans when she passes...

11. Kraven's Last Hunt - Just a damn good story.

10. Death of Captain Stacy (ASM #90) - This was the first sign that things would never be right with Gwen & Peter as she would forever blame Spider-Man for her father's death. And the reveal that he knew his identity all that time was a nice character element to this long gone role model.

9. Original HobGoblin Saga (ASM #238 to 251) - All the elements of old school storytelling, this story had it all, intrigue, mystery, a new Goblin in Spidey lore that was refreshing and new.

8. Death of Captain Jean DeWolffe (Spec SM #107 to 110) - Simply a good gripping story with the death of a potential Spider-Man ally/loved one.

7. Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut (ASM #229/230) - Arguably one of the best fights Spidey has ever faced.

6. "24 Hours till Doomsday" (ASM #192) - Spidey & JJJ are shackled to a bomb set to explode in 24 hours by a deathbed Spencer Smythe... first time we see these two together as such for such a long period of time... great storytelling that still stands to this day.

5. Black Costume/Venom (ASM #252/300) - Once Marvel started to saturate the market with Venom appearances, I stopped caring for the character, but the alien symbiote certainly has had a long lasting impact on Spidey.

4. The Marriage (ASM Annual #21) - Ok, so maybe it didn't happen... but we all read it back in 1987, and even though I would have preferred a longer engagement (it seemed so rushed at the time), it still had a huge implication on Spidey-lore as he enters what would be considered his longest relationship with a woman.

3. Peter against the Burglar (ASM #200) - A powerless Peter Parker fights the man who killed his Uncle Ben... need I say more? If Spider-Man comics had stopped publishing after this issue, it would have brought everything from AF #15 to ASM #200 to a complete closure. A must read for any Spider-Man fan.

2. Death of Uncle Ben (Amazing Fantasy #15) - The first death in Peter Parker's tragic life, and one he could have prevented. Unable to live with the guilt, Peter dedicates his life to saving others.

1. Death of Gwen Stacy (ASM #121/122) - Do I have to really explain this one? 'Nuff said.

Aloha,
I see you have plenty of time on your hands these days.Other than #17 being #1 for me. I pretty much go along with your countdown.
Spidey rules

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

^^ Agreed. That story truly defined the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. OTher than that, I agree with your list Themanofbat.

 

[:eek:]

I think I would have Uncle Ben's death at number one. There would be no Spider-Man without that event. Or should I say, he might have continued in show business and not decided to fight crimes if Uncle Ben hadn't been killed

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Good list, but the line seems to blur between what's epic events for the reader and what's epic events for Spidey.

A possible omission might be one of Spidey's battles with Morlun. Quality wise the first one ("Coming Home") was much better and more epic, but in terms of monumental events (and if you're including dreck like One More Day) then The Other might need to be included, because Peter did die and come back with crazy powers. Then there's stuff like Peter's parents coming back and being revealed to be robots and the events of Final Chapter and Sins Past. It would be epic to Peter even if it's crap to us.

There's the inherent problem with epic Spider-Man moments. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they're really... really... bad.

 

[iloveclones]

6. "24 Hours till Doomsday" (ASM #192) - Spidey & JJJ are shackled to a bomb set to explode in 24 hours by a deathbed Spencer Smythe... first time we see these two together as such for such a long period of time... great storytelling that still stands to this day.

One of my favorites. I love the list. I don't see any that I would omit (no pun intended), but I would love to include his fight vs Firestorm, Spidey at his never-give-up best.

 

[Spider-Gnome]

Pretty good list, TMOB. I would probably agree flipping Uncle Ben & Gwen's deaths, as eek said, though I have an affection for that classic #121/122.

Some I find a bit minor, like 24 hours to Doomsday and Back in Black. And I never really got the love of issue #200, but that's just me.

And naturally I'd like to OMIT OMD from that list.

I would probably include the unmasking during Civil War, and the original Secret Wars (unless you are including that with the Black Costume saga), and maybe the original Clone Saga of the 70's, but it looks like you got most of it.

 

[Themanofbat]

Some I find a bit minor, like 24 hours to Doomsday and Back in Black. And I never really got the love of issue #200, but that's just me.

ASM #200, at least for me, was one of the finer Spider-Man stories to ever see print... when you think about it... a powerless Peter Parker against the man who caused him to become Spider-Man... by all rights, this should have been ASM #100, but nonetheless, a great concept as well as excellent closure.

It probably helps that I was 11 or 12 years old when I read it (along with the issues leading up to it).

 

[Donald Thomas]

ASM #200, at least for me, was one of the finer Spider-Man stories to ever see print... when you think about it... a powerless Peter Parker against the man who caused him to become Spider-Man... by all rights, this should have been ASM #100, but nonetheless, a great concept as well as excellent closure.

It probably helps that I was 11 or 12 years old when I read it (along with the issues leading up to it).

Aloha,
See, here's the power of the internet. They way you feel that #200 should have come out 100 issues sooner, some think about OMIT coming out a year and a half sooner.Taking into consideration that back in those days, hundreds of thousands of Amazing were being printed, I wonder what the fan reaction to #200 was.
Spidey rules

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

ASM #200, at least for me, was one of the finer Spider-Man stories to ever see print... when you think about it... a powerless Peter Parker against the man who caused him to become Spider-Man... by all rights, this should have been ASM #100, but nonetheless, a great concept as well as excellent closure.

It probably helps that I was 11 or 12 years old when I read it (along with the issues leading up to it).

Yeah. ASM #100 was.... okay. It introduced Morbius so it has that. But the central conceit that Spidey grows four extra arms... and to make matters worse runs away instead of facing up to it... did not have the makings of a classic. It's enjoyable to read in a corny, dated way, but completely forgettable compared to stories like ASM#200, 400 and to a lesser degree #500.

(Didn't think #600 was so great and #300 introduced Venom, but the actual story didn't seem that special or extraordinary)

 

[Norman Osborn]

Great list TMOB.....like someone else mentioned though....as much as I absolutely abhored "The Other".......it definately deserves to be on an epic moments list.....hell he died and the whole spider biting him by choice vs chance was monumental.....monumentally nauseating as it may have been

 

[iloveclones]

Withe the exception of 19 and 20, all of those stories had a wow factor to them. Especially if you were reading them as they came out. You couldn't help but feel like you were reading a classic. The last two (and The Other) had more of a hmmm factor: sort of cool, maybe a nice scene in there. Maybe even a change of status quo, but not earth-shattering (or "breaking the internets in half" in today's parlance...)

The Other suffered from a few things: one, there was no way to hide that he didn't really die and was never going to. That's a comic book thing, but even when Cap died, and we all knew he was coming back, it still felt like he died and everyone mourned and moved on. I never got that vibe in the Other. The other thing that kinda killed it was the revolving teams. It would have been a much stronger story if it was only JMS or David and Deodato (or Ringo...he was drawing then wasn't he). Definitely not Hudlin and whoever that manga artist was. They were the suxxors!

 

[Themanofbat]

...as much as I absolutely abhored "The Other".......it definately deserves to be on an epic moments list....

... and I might have forgotten a thing or two...

t: t: t:

You should be coming by the Forums more often...

 

[Norman Osborn]

t: t: t:

You should be coming by the Forums more often...

Just got married actually...been a very very busy 2 years to say the least......probably will hang around a bit more

 

[Norman Osborn]

Withe the exception of 19 and 20, all of those stories had a wow factor to them. Especially if you were reading them as they came out. You couldn't help but feel like you were reading a classic. The last two (and The Other) had more of a hmmm factor: sort of cool, maybe a nice scene in there. Maybe even a change of status quo, but not earth-shattering (or "breaking the internets in half" in today's parlance...)

The Other suffered from a few things: one, there was no way to hide that he didn't really die and was never going to. That's a comic book thing, but even when Cap died, and we all knew he was coming back, it still felt like he died and everyone mourned and moved on. I never got that vibe in the Other. The other thing that kinda killed it was the revolving teams. It would have been a much stronger story if it was only JMS or David and Deodato (or Ringo...he was drawing then wasn't he). Definitely not Hudlin and whoever that manga artist was. They were the suxxors!

To me most of that speaks to the writing (which I concur was bad)......and I look at it from the first introduction of Ezekial terminating with the Other......

...we essentially go from Spider-man being bitten by a radioactive spider by chance to:

1/ The Spider choosing Peter Parker and the irradiation being somewhat meaningless

2/ Spider-man being one of many spider-men

3/ Spider-Gods & Totems

4/ Morlun destroying spidey in a fashion never seen before including

- Death
- Having his eye eaten

5/ Spider-man being reborn after denying his internal Spider essence/god/whatever

6/ Spidey being reborn/reset with literally no injury from his previous years of web slinging.

7/ New powers including those ridiculous wrist thingys!!

...and I'm sure I missed something....

...so for me, although I wish it was all retconned away (did BND actually retcon it?) it happened....and besides it being poorly written and having other issues like too many writers and artists...I have a hard time buying it aint epic

 

[Themanofbat]

...so for me, although I wish it was all retconned away (did BND actually retcon it?) it happened....and besides it being poorly written and having other issues like too many writers and artists...I have a hard time buying it aint epic

It happened....

 

[Themanofbat]

Just got married actually...been a very very busy 2 years to say the least......probably will hang around a bit more

Congrats!!!

 

[Spider-Gnome]

ASM #200, at least for me, was one of the finer Spider-Man stories to ever see print... when you think about it... a powerless Peter Parker against the man who caused him to become Spider-Man... by all rights, this should have been ASM #100, but nonetheless, a great concept as well as excellent closure.

It probably helps that I was 11 or 12 years old when I read it (along with the issues leading up to it).

I think I was in middle school (or junior high, as we called it) when it came out. It fell in that period between MJ/Ross Andru leaving the book and the Hobgoblin era, a period I moved away from comics. I was still reading at that point, but wasn't enjoying it as much. But I get what you mean as far as it's importance.

Just got married actually...been a very very busy 2 years to say the least......probably will hang around a bit more

Congrats! And just stay away from Mephisto.