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Marvel Comics is promising an impending sequel to the "most notorious Spider-Man story ever told." But when it comes to which Spider-Man story actually qualifies as the most notorious ever, Marvel Comics may find itself in disagreement with longtime readers and Spider-Fans.
Marvel's interpretation seems to be a sequel to the admittedly controversial limited series Spider-Man: Reign. However, is that the story readers would consider to be the "most notorious ever?" And are controversy and notoriety the same thing?
With those questions in mind, here's our list of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever told.
10. Not approved by the Comics Code Authority (Amazing Spider-Man #96-98, 1971)
Back in the Silver Age of comics of the late '50s through early '70s, there was a censorship board known as the Comics Code Authority that controlled what could be depicted in stories of the era.
This included censoring any depiction of drug use, positive or negative. However, writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita challenged this ruling in a 1971 story in which Harry Osborn overdosed on drugs, with the intent to show the ill effects of drug abuse.
The story became controversial for its breaking of the Comics Code, but ultimately helped to loosen the stringent guidelines about what could and couldn't be shown in comic books.
9. 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died' (Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, 1973)
The pattern of tragic loss in Peter Parker's life goes all the way back to his origin as Spider-Man, in which a simple selfish act leads indirectly to the death of his Uncle Ben, sparking his ongoing dedication to helping others.
But the death of Gwen Stacy, Peter's longtime girlfriend, at the hands of his arch-enemy the Green Goblin shook '70s Spider-fans to their cores, shocking readers with one of the first tales of its kind in modern superhero comics.
Coupled with the death of the Green Goblin in the subsequent issue - in a fight with Spider-Man no less - 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died' instantly became one of the most controversial stories in comics of its day, even as it has also been hailed as some of writer Gerry Conway and writer Gil Kane's best work on the title.
8. Spider-Man: Reign (2006)
Spider-Man: Reign is a dystopian future story in which an aging Peter Parker comes out of retirement for one last brutal adventure, not too dissimilar from the legendary Batman story The Dark Knight Returns.
But Reign is controversial - and in fact, perhaps even "the most notorious Spider-Man story ever" according to Marvel Comics - not because of what happens in the events of Spider-Man's adventure, but because of the circumstances that lead to his retirement in the story.
In Spider-Man: Reign, Peter is a widower and Mary Jane Watson is dead, due to cancer caused by exposure to radiation from Peter's, well, sexual fluids. A tragic twist, but also one mired in its oddly prurient nature.
7. Spider-Totem (Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2, 2002-08)
Everybody knows that Peter Parker got his powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider - a simple moment of random chance. But in the early '00s, writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist John Romita, Jr. turned that concept on its head by adding an element of fate and magic to the mix.
According to their Amazing Spider-Man run, Peter Parker is in fact a so-called 'Spider-Totem,' a being tied to the elemental nature of the universe with a connection to much deeper magic, who got his powers through an act of Multiversal fate. This was immediately controversial, as it clashed somewhat with Spider-Man's traditionally sci-fi based continuity.
The Spider-Totem concept eventually led to Peter getting new powers, including his hotly debated organic web-shooters. Some of those changes were later undone by an even more controversial story (more on that later), but many aspects of the Spider-Totem concept have endured, even inspiring parts of the Spider-Verse comic story.
6. Superior Spider-Man (various, 2013-14)
Though Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman's Superior Spider-Man is widely beloved, and often considered among the best Spidey epics ever told in comics, it's also steeped in the controversial decision to kill Peter Parker and replace him with Doctor Octopus.
In the lead up to Superior Spider-Man, Doc Ock discovers he's dying of an incurable disease, and sets out to take Spider-Man's place by switching their minds, leaving Peter Parker's mind stuck in Ock's dying body, and Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter's superheroic body. And he even succeeds.
The Superior Spider-Man story quickly overcame its notorious origins though, earning a place among the hearts of fans and critics alike - to the point where Marvel is now reviving the Superior Spider-Man again alongside the original Peter Parker Spider-Man.
5. Spider-Man: The Clone Saga (various, 1994-96)
Spider-Man's 'Clone Saga' is one of the most well-known Spidey tales - and also one of the most notorious. Running for several years across multiple titles, the 'Clone Saga' represents a perfect example of a good idea that was crushed under its own weight.
The concept behind the 'Clone Saga' dates back to the '70s when a scientist named Miles Warren created a clone of Spider-Man who was seemingly destroyed. But the 'Clone Saga' reveals that the clone survived - and that the Spider-Man who had appeared in Marvel Comics for decades was actually the clone all along.
This was later disproven, but not before the confusion spread across the Marvel Universe, with the story of Peter Parker and his replacement Ben Reilly (who wound up being the clone after all) ballooning into dozens of subplots and interconnected characters that dominated the Spidey mythos for years.
4. Civil War (2006)
The event story Civil War by writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven is controversial for the entire Marvel Universe, as it pitted two factions of Marvel heroes led by Captain America and Iron Man respectively against each other over legislation regarding the regulation of superheroes.
But it became controversial for Spider-Man specifically in Civil War #2, when he unmasked in front of the entire world in order to support Iron Man's pro-registration side, revealing his secret identity as Peter Parker after years of hiding it to protect his family.
This in turn led directly to arguably the most controversial Spider-Man story of all time not long after (we're getting there!), which had the effect of returning Spider-Man to his secret identity status quo and making the world forget his true identity.
3. Trouble (2003)
Trouble by writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Cho is a unique story on this list because it doesn't technically involved Spider-Man or Peter Parker at all. Instead, it's an out-of-continuity romance story featuring characters based on Peter's Uncle Ben and Aunt May and his parents Richard and Mary Parker all as teens.
As implied by the title, the main characters of Trouble aren't exactly squeaky clean, with the story delving into sex, drugs, and much heavier subject matter as their lives spin out of control.
Trouble is so controversial, Marvel Comics rarely acknowledges it anymore. It doesn't get reprints, it's not on Marvel's app. And with good reason, considering its reception by fans and critics alike.
2. 'Sins Past' (Amazing Spider-Man #509-514)
'Sins Past' by J. Michael Straczynski (pound for pound Spidey's most controversial writer) and artist Mike Deodato is so hated by fans that it was recently totally retconned and invalidated as a pack of lies.
So what's so bad that it had to be essentially erased? In 'Sins Past,' it's revealed that Peter Parker's dead girlfriend Gwen Stacy had carried on a sexual affair with Norman Osborn, even giving birth to twins fathered by Osborn who grew to adulthood at an accelerated rate, who went on to share the villainous identity of the Grey Goblin.
Fortunately, all of that has been retconned as the work of several villains in an attempt to trick Peter Parker and destroy his life, meaning that Gwen's reputation is preserved.
1. Spider-Man: One More Day (various, 2008)
And here it is, the story we all knew would top this list: 'One More Day' by writer J Michael Straczynski and artist Joe Quesada, Spidey's arguably most notorious and controversial story ever, in which Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson agree to give up their marriage and relationship in a deal with the demon Mephisto.
After striking the deal in order to save the life of Aunt May, Peter Parker's secret identity is erased from the minds of nearly everyone on Earth (kinda like the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home), his powers are reset to their original levels, and he and MJ's married life is totally wiped from existence, rewriting several years of Marvel continuity.
Though the spell cast by Mephisto has since been broken, and Peter and MJ have reconciled several times, they're currently still split up due to circumstances that have nothing to do with Mephisto.
Now that you've learned about the most controversial Spidey stories, read up on the best Spider-Man stories of all time.
