The most defining death in Spider-Man‘s history has been undone more than six decades after it launched Peter Parker’s superhero career. Spider-Man has witnessed countless deaths throughout the years, and each of those deaths has defined his character. However, there are a few that stand out over the rest in every universe and every timeline.
Peter Parker was forced to open a closed chapter of his backstory when the villain Dreadshadow attempted to pin the blame for Richard and Mary Parker’s death on Wolverine. Fortunately, Spider-Man and Wolverine thwarted Dreadshadow’s plans with help from Teresa Parker, but Spidey’s buried feelings over his dead parents still ache. Dreadshadow’s defeat also isn’t the end of Spider-Man’s reassessment of his past.
Almost immediately after overcoming the pain of revisiting his parents’ deaths, Spider-Man reunites with another key figure from his life.
Uncle Ben Is Alive And Well On Earth-4587
Spider-Man & Wolverine #7; Written by Marc Guggenheim; Art by Kaare Andrews & Brian Reber
Spider-Man and Wolverine barely get a chance to recover from their recent adventures before they get sent to a different universe. Spider-Man comes across a multiversal variant of Ben Parker, who lives in Aunt May’s apartment and doesn’t seem to recognize Peter Parker on Earth-4587. Spider-Man & Wolverine #7 features one of the incredibly rare times that Uncle Ben is back, alive and made of flesh and blood.
In this universe, Reed Richards isn’t the Fantastic Four’s leader or Sue Storm’s husband. Instead, he works at Stark-Pym Tower and was married to Mariko Yashida before her death. The Avengers don’t exist, and the villainous Revengers exist in their place. Leading the Revengers is Arachnix, a deadly fusion of Spider-Man and Wolverine. Little is known about Arachnix, but it’s safe to say he isn’t related to Ben Parker.
Uncle Ben Has Broken Marvel’s Dead Character Rule, But He’s Still A Special Case
Ben Parker Rarely Returns After His Iconic Death
Uncle Ben has reappeared several times throughout the years, but rarely in a way that truly undoes his iconic death. He’s often shown up through illusions, visions, holograms, or mystical encounters that remind Peter Parker of his moral compass. The Clone Conspiracy even flirted with bringing Uncle Ben back, only for Peter to reject the possibility.
Ben Parker’s brief appearance in Spider-Man & Wolverine #7 is a really special sight to see. Not only is this Ben a real person, but he hasn’t even died. This universe never saw Peter Parker learn a lesson about power and responsibility, and Ben doesn’t mentor this timeline’s Spider-Person.
In the Marvel Universe, only a few characters remain dead for good. However, Gwen Stacy has occasionally returned, and both Ghost-Spider and Gwenpool are spiritual continuations of Gwen’s story. Bucky Barnes remained dead for decades, but he eventually returned as the Winter Soldier. Ben Parker is one of Marvel’s sacred figures precisely because he stays dead. He endures as the rare figure whose influence comes from his absence.
- First Appearance
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Amazing Fantasy
- Alliance
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Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
- Race
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Human
- Alias
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Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner