index

Every Spider-Man story arc

Sixty years of storytelling, arc by arc, put back into their era. The colour cards lead to our full analysis; the greyed-out cards are the arcs we haven't covered yet.

41 arcs analysed13 coming soon5 eras

The founding arcs

1962 – 19879 arcs · 7 analysed

Symbiotes and clones

1987 – 19999 arcs · 7 analysed

Modernisation and crossovers

2000 – 201012 arcs · 9 analysed
2001

Coming Home

Ezekiel tells Peter that his powers are totemic, and Morlun hunts him to drain his life.

Coming soon
2002

Spider-Man: Blue

One Valentine's night, Peter records a tape and tells the story of how he loved Gwen Stacy.

Coming soon
2004Sins Past

Sins Past

Two killers turn up, and Peter learns that Gwen Stacy supposedly had twins by Norman Osborn.

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2005The Other

The Other

Given up for dead by his doctors, Peter kills Morlun, dies, then is reborn from a cocoon with new powers.

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2006Civil War

Civil War

Peter unmasks live on television, then leaves Iron Man for Captain America's camp.

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2007Back in Black

Back in Black

A gunman hired by Kingpin shoots Aunt May, and Peter brings the black suit back out to hunt him down.

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2007One More Day

One More Day

Peter and Mary Jane hand their marriage to the demon Mephisto to save Aunt May, wounded by a gunshot.

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2008New Ways to Die

New Ways to Die

Norman Osborn sets his Thunderbolts on Spider-Man, and a cured Eddie Brock becomes Anti-Venom.

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2009

American Son

Spider-Man infiltrates the Dark Avengers tower while Harry turns his armour against Norman.

Coming soon
2009Dark Reign

Dark Reign

Norman Osborn replaces S.H.I.E.L.D. with H.A.M.M.E.R. and dresses villains up as Avengers.

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2009The Gauntlet

The Gauntlet

The Kravinoffs throw his old enemies at Spider-Man one by one, each of them upgraded, to wear him down.

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2010Grim Hunt

Grim Hunt

The Kravinoffs sacrifice spider-heroes to bring Kraven back and kill Kaine instead of Peter.

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The multiverse era

2010 – 202016 arcs · 12 analysed
2010Big Time

Big Time

Peter is hired at Horizon Labs and designs a stealth suit to face the new Hobgoblin, Phil Urich.

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2011Spider-Island

Spider-Island

The Jackal and the Queen give the whole of Manhattan Spider-Man's powers, before it mutates into spiders.

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2011

Death of Spider-Man (Ultimate)

Shot by the Punisher, Peter beats the Green Goblin and then dies in Aunt May's arms.

Coming soon
2012

Spider-Men

A portal opened by Mysterio throws Peter Parker into the Ultimate universe, where he meets Miles Morales.

Coming soon
2012Ends of the Earth

Ends of the Earth

Doctor Octopus holds the planet to ransom with satellites that accelerate global warming.

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2012Dying Wish

Dying Wish

Doctor Octopus swaps minds with Peter, who dies in the dying villain's body.

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2013Superior Spider-Man

Superior Spider-Man

Doctor Octopus seizes Peter Parker's body and takes on the mask in his place, far more brutally.

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2014Spider-Verse

Spider-Verse

Morlun and his family of Inheritors devour the Spider-Men of the multiverse, who band together to survive.

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2015Renew Your Vows

Renew Your Vows

Peter hangs up the suit to protect Mary Jane and their daughter Annie from the tyrant Regent.

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2016The Clone Conspiracy

The Clone Conspiracy

A company brings Peter's dead loved ones back as clones, and the Jackal turns out to be Ben Reilly.

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2017

Venom Inc.

Lee Price rips the Mania symbiote off Andi Benton and becomes Maniac; Flash Thompson becomes Anti-Venom.

Coming soon
2018

Go Down Swinging

Norman Osborn merges with the Carnage symbiote, uncovers Peter's identity and kills Flash Thompson.

Coming soon
2018Spider-Geddon

Spider-Geddon

The Inheritors break out of their prison and once again hunt the Spider-Men of the multiverse.

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2019Hunted

Hunted

Kraven pens the animal-themed villains inside Central Park for a hunt in which Spider-Man is the prey.

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2019Absolute Carnage

Absolute Carnage

Carnage hunts down every former symbiote host to tear out their codex and wake Knull.

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2019Spider-Man : Life Story

Spider-Man: Life Story

Peter Parker ages in real time from the 1960s to 2019, one decade per issue.

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The modern era

2020 – 20268 arcs · 6 analysed
Where should you start? If you're new to the comics, our beginner's selection tells you which volume to start with. To place the characters you meet across these arcs, see the full character universe and the iconic villains. On the merchandise side, the posters, the collectible figures and the t-shirts all draw on the imagery of these eras.
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Discover every dimension of the web-slinger: his story, his allies, his enemies, his legendary films and the endless Spider-Verse. A complete adventure at the heart of the Marvel universe.

RECAP – Everything you need to know about Spider-Man’s story arcs

📚 What is a story arc in the Spider-Man universe?

A story arc is a run of comic issues telling one complete story, or a major turning point in a character’s life. In Spider-Man’s case, every arc marks a shift: the loss of someone close, a new identity, a clash with a major enemy, or an upheaval that shakes the whole multiverse.

🕸️ Which Spider-Man story arcs left the biggest mark?

A few arcs have stayed with readers for good: The Night Gwen Stacy Died, Kraven’s Last Hunt, Maximum Carnage, One More Day and Spider-Verse. Each one rewrote the rules of the series and left a lasting mark on the Marvel universe.

📅 Do you have to read the story arcs in chronological order?

Not necessarily. You can pick the most iconic arcs in whatever order you fancy. That said, following the publication order helps you see how the character has evolved across the decades, how his relationships with his allies and enemies have shifted, and what the long-term consequences of certain events really were.

🕷️ What is the difference between the main arcs and the alternative ones?

The main arcs generally unfold in Peter Parker’s canon universe (Earth-616), while alternative arcs such as Spider-Man: Reign, Life Story or Renew Your Vows take place in parallel realities where events turn out very differently. Those stories offer a fresh reading of the myth.

🎯 Where can you find merchandise tied to these iconic arcs?

If you want to carry the Spider-Man sagas beyond the page, have a look at our Spider-Man figurines to recreate the most emblematic moments, our Spider-Man T-shirts inspired by the iconic suits, or our Spider-Man masks, perfect for stepping into your favourite arc.