Warning: SPOILERS for Spider-Man #3
Marvel's revolves around the Spider-Verse: a story conceit in which multiple versions of the same character from different universes team up to defeat a common threat. In Spider-Man #3, said threat finally kills the 616's Spider-Man in a horrifying way: ripping him from the universe entirely.
Writer Zeb Wells' new Spider-Man storyline, released in 2022, saw Peter Parker at his absolute lowest point: after an unspecified decision made by Peter Parker, the webslinger has lost all his friends, his job prospects, and even Mary Jane has left him for another man. While Peter battles multiple villains with his new ally the Gold Goblin (formerly the Green Goblin), he is ed by his variants from the Spider-Verse: another multiversal crisis is happening and they need his help. In fact, Peter is the so-called Chosen One of the multiverse; the Spider-Man around which all spider-related adventures revolve.
In Spider-Man #3, written by Dan Slott with art by Mark Bagley, multiple of the Spider-Verse squad have been transformed into spider-monsters; the group essentially resorts to fighting themselves. Unfortunately, one of those is Spider-Gwen, who seizes an opportunity to stab Spider-Man with an otherworldly dagger - the same one that erased Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman, from existence in the previous issue. As he begins to unravel, Peter only has time for one final thought: "All those people I saved...will they be okay?" He then vanishes from existence.
Spider-Man Is Erased From Existence For Good
Spider-Man has seen the dagger in action before, and he is no doubt wondering about the paradox concerning erasure from the universe (if Spider-Man never existed, then he wouldn't have been killed in the first place because there was no one to kill, etc.) Logistical conundrums aside, Peter using his last moments to think about the lives of others proves how selfless he has become over the years. Spider-Man's overwhelming guilt was once a byproduct of his selfish nature, but it has since shifted into an integral part of the character, and Peter has truly put others before himself.
The phrase "With great power there must also come great responsibility" is as integral to the Spider-Man franchise as the character's webshooters, but here, Peter lives by another quote, from a different franchise: Star Trek's famous "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Spider-Man may be dead, but his superhero career has inspired many before him (such as Miles Morales) and will no doubt inspire many after. Spider-Man may have been erased from the comics, but he won't be as easily forgotten by his fans.
