Spider-Man is one of the most beloved superheroes in all of Marvel, but it's no surprise that Peter Parker’s life is marred with never-ending tragedy, and now Peter Parker has revealed a new layer to his origin story: he knew Uncle Ben was going to die. The hardships Spider-Man faces as a hero are unquestionably stifling, yet his recent revelation sheds some much-needed light on Peter Parker’s current bleak reality.

In Amazing Spider-Man #4, written by Joe Kelly, with art by Pepe Larraz, Spider-Man is forced to hallucinate flashbacks of his rebellious teenage years while fighting the villain Itsy-Bitsy, during which Peter Parker reveals a very dark part of his psyche. In his flashback, Aunt May tells Peter Parker that she and Uncle Ben will always love him no matter how much he pushes them away, to which Peter Parker retorts with “until you’re gone too.”

This heartbreaking moment exposes how Peter Parker truly views his relationships with his loved ones and how his life has sadly proven him right.

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Amazing Spider-Man #4; Written By Joe Kelly; Art By Pepe Larraz; Color By Marte Garcia; Lettering By Joe Caramagna

Uncle Ben’s death has always stood at the forefront of Spider-Man’s origin, with his untimely demise teaching Peter the responsibility he has as a hero with incredible powers, hence Uncle Ben’s iconic line, “with great power comes great responsibility.” However, Peter Parker's dread that Uncle Ben would eventually leave him allows Ben’s death to be viewed under a completely different lens. This moment of reliving his teenage years highlights how Peter Parker has never viewed his familial and romantic relationships as stable, and his fears are only further validated when Uncle Ben dies.

This flashback of Peter’s formative years adds depth to Spider-Man and his relationship with Uncle Ben without rehashing Ben’s death.

Looking back at Peter Parker’s life, it’s not hard to see how a young, impressionable child like Peter could carry this troubling mindset into adulthood. From an early age, Peter Parker lost both his parents, Uncle Ben, and later, he lost Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane. While Peter’s past is heartbreaking, it also leads Aunt May to give Peter advice to not push away his loved ones just because he’s afraid to lose them, as it only guarantees he will. This flashback of Peter’s formative years adds depth to Spider-Man and his relationship with Uncle Ben without rehashing Ben’s death.

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One major point of contention throughout Spider-Man’s history is how much Peter Parker has gotten beaten down, from the loss of his marriage with Mary Jane to the demon Mephisto Peter Parker is more than his tragedies and the hardships he endures as a hero. It’s long overdue that Marvel give Peter Parker the depth he is capable of without reveling in his suffering.

While it may appear like Spider-Man’s hallucination of his past is Marvel once again dragging Peter Parker through the mud, and it does revisit his many painful losses, what comes out of it presents a more optimistic future for Spider-Man. Peter’s revisiting the past gives him a sense of clarity and a resurgence of motivation, hopefully indicating that Peter is experiencing some much-needed growth. Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Joe Kelly, Pepe Larraz, and John Romita Jr. is, to some degree, a return to form for Peter Parker, but also acknowledges the growing pains that are required for Spider-Man’s character to move forward.

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The reveal that a young Peter Parker essentially expected Uncle Ben to leave him not only redefines Spider-Man’s origin as far more tragic, but it also adds a layer of nuance to Peter Parker’s character. For years, Spider-Man has been missing substantial growth, and revisiting pivotal points in Peter Parker’s past is a painful yet necessary step. Marvel is opening old wounds by revisiting Peter Parker’s life before the death of Uncle Ben, but the current story also hints at his long-awaited metamorphosis, with Spider-Man finally learning from his past mistakes and hardships.

Amazing Spider-Man #4 is available now from Marvel Comics!