Warning: Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #61!Spider-Man is the newest sorcerer in the Marvel Comics canon. Thanks to the latest Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Doom, Spider-Man is not only becoming a sorcerer’s apprentice, but he also has a new costume to match. Additionally, he’s gotten some incredible power upgrades, one of which is the power of resurrection – the problem, however, is that in order to achieve resurrection, Spider-Man has to actually die.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is moving from the neighborhood into the spiritual realm. Following the events of Blood Hunt, Doctor Doom, as Sorcerer Supreme, enlists Spider-Man’s help in defeating a magical threat to Earth in The Incredible Spider-Man #61 by Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, Marcio Menyz and Joe Caramagna. Spider-Man accepts Doom’s blessing and is granted fantastic powers, including power over death.
However, this new power ends up being more horrific than any of Wolverine or Deadpool’s healing factors, such as Spider-Man needs to actually experience death, meet his avatar, and painfully put himself back together at the atomic level to come back to life.
Spider-Man now has a magical power over death – but it causes him a lot of pain
Spider-Man sports his newest arcane armor
The Scions of Cyttorak are threatening Earth and a champion is needed to face them. Unfortunately for Spider-Man, the only way to defeat them is to continually sacrifice himself. As part of an arc titled “The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man”, Doom tasked Spider-Man with killing all eight Scions of Cyttora, and Doom gifted Spider-Man with the power of Raggadorr’s eight Life-Restoring Reeds, which allows Spider-Man to recover from death at the right time.
Coming back to life, Spider-Man has to weave his own body into a web, and it’s a very painful experience – and he has to do it seven more times.
What happens in this edition is a nightmarish scene. Spider-Man actually dies in Marvel continuity and meets his death, or the avatar of Death, in the guise of Phil Coulson. In fact, Peter Parker was on his way to being processed into the afterlife before the Reeds pulled him back to reality like a bungee cord. Coming back to life, Spider-Man has to weave his own body into a web, and it’s a very painful experience – and he has to do it seven more times.
Spider-Man’s Resurrection Surpasses Even Marvel’s Best Healing Factors
Deadpool and Wolverine have nothing to do with Spidey
Wolverine and Deadpool are famous for having extreme healing factors and have recovered from some tough situations thanks to this power. They had some horrible moments growing hindlimbs and reatomizing, but the simple fact is this: While healing Wolverine and Deadpool can be painful, they don’t have to die. At least not that often.
Spider-Man’s newest resurrection powers give rise to an event that isn’t just a nightmare. Peter Parker’s death is real, and Spider-Man has to experience what it’s like to die every time it happens. Not only that, but Doctor Strange practically reveals that he will die more times in quick succession than any other Marvel character in its long history. The Reeds, then, as Death points out, are a terrible power, because of the pain that ends the process – from the pain of death to the pain of rebirth.
Spider-Man is no stranger to death in his long history
Spider-Man endured the greatest suffering of all Marvel heroes
This new story isn’t even the first time Spider-Man has died. Spider-Man has suffered all kinds of horrible deaths, from his Ultimate version being beaten by Green Goblin to a wizard in modern continuity crucifying him. Although all these deaths are brutal, he never had to come back to life with a spell and his own willpower, making this moment The Amazing Spider-Man #61 a much more serious death. Spider-Man may know a thing or two about death, but resurrection is new to him.
Spider-Man’s lightness lies in being able to always recover and make jokes.
Still, Spider-Man would sacrifice anything to save the world. He may be the only hero suited to this horrible new power, and he certainly has the stamina and stamina to withstand that kind of suffering, considering Spider-Man has suffered the most in the comics and movies. But Spider-Man’s lightness lies in being able to always recover and make jokes. Only now he is recovering from death.
Spider-Man prepares to die seven more times in new arc
Spidey’s new resurrection powers come at a cost
A lot can change in one issue, from Spider-Man gaining new magical powers as a sorcerer’s apprentice to exploring those new powers and then dying and being reborn in that same issue. What is more is that Spider-Man is scheduled to die at least seven more times. The first death and rebirth was surprising, but now that he knows what it’s like, it will be much harder to sacrifice himself again, knowing what he will go through.
This kind of personal sacrifice – even death – makes a hero a legend, and Spider-Man certainly fits that legendary profile. Spider-Man may be a wizard, but he will always be, at his core, a selfless webslinger who would rather die than see a loved one get hurt. In this way, Spider-Man’s newest resurrection power is perfect for him, and no one could use (and resist) it like him. Spider-Man will die seven more times. That’s true – but with enough power, he’ll have the responsibility of coming back to life seven more times as well.
The Amazing Spider-Man #61 is now available from Marvel Comics!