With great power comes great responsibility. But sometimes that responsibility is too great to bear.
Having Spider-Man’s powers seems like fun on paper. Super strength, climbing walls, shooting webs, and swinging from one building to another all have the potential to alleviate the pressure of day-to-day activities, offer a sense of freedom, and create opportunities for fame and fortune.
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While Spider-Man has the potential to use his powers to carve out a happy life, he’s always experienced a major tragedy in some shape or form. However, that tragedy compels any version of the character, Peter Parker or otherwise, onto the path of altruism. In the movies, whether it’s a loved one’s death or having to bear a burden alone, Spider-Man has to deal with heartbreak.
CBR VIDEO OF THE DAYClose9Spider-Man (2002): Uncle Ben’s Demise Left A Hard Legacy For Peter
Shortly after Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) gains his spider powers, he goes through a lot trying to understand them. Before dropping Peter off at the library one afternoon, his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) tells him to remember that “with great power comes great responsibility.” However, Peter merely brushes it off.
He then goes to an underground wrestling ring to win money for a car, and although he wins, the promoter refuses to pay him. Enraged, Peter allows a burglar to steal the money. However, it turns out the burglar carjacked and killed Uncle Ben, leaving Peter with a darkness that takes him a long time to move past.
8Spider-Man 2: Telling Aunt May The Truth Hurt Peter More Than Any Battle Wound
Two years after his passing, Uncle Ben’s death continues to hit Peter and his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) harder than ever. Peter struggles to balance his dual life and Aunt May receives threats of foreclosure.
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After Peter and Aunt May visit Ben’s grave to pay their respects, Aunt May blames herself for her husband’s death. Unable to see her like that, Peter confesses his part in it and how he was with Uncle Ben moments before he died. May can only look at him with a mix of shock, devastation, and anger before silently leaving. While it eased a big part of Peter’s conscience, audiences didn’t know if May would ever forgive him.
7Spider-Man 3: The Final Scene Closes Out On A Somber Note
The final scenes of Spider-Man 3 end on a sorrowful note. For over a decade, this was the swan song for this incarnation of Spider-Man. After the death of their friend Harry Osborn (James Franco), Peter visits his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson (Kristen Dunst), and the two share a slow dance and reconcile.
While Spider-Man: No Way Home confirmed they worked things out, a lot happened in Spider-Man 3 that was left unsaid between them. Peter confirmed in No Way Home that it took a long time before he and Mary Jane made it work. And the events of this movie no doubt led to some dark days for their relationship.
6The Amazing Spider-Man: The Mere Sight of Eggs Carries A Lot Of Heart
While trying to uncover more about his parents and deal with his newfound spider powers in The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter (Andrew Garfield) neglects his responsibilities at home. This included coming home late and forgetting to bring his Aunt May (Sally Field) eggs from the grocery store.
After his battle with The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) in the climax, Peter returns home bruised and beaten. Aunt May asks what happened and Peter reveals he finally brought home eggs. Aunt May shows no care for the eggs and hugs him in response. It’s a heartfelt moment saying she cares more for his well-being than anything else.
5The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Gwen Stacy’s Death Almost Broke Peter Permanently
In the climax of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter faces his former friend, Harry Osborn (Dane Dehaan), atop a clock tower while the life of Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), hangs in the balance. The webs that were supporting her eventually come loose, and Peter’s attempt to save her results in a whiplash that snaps her neck.
Gwen’s death made Peter give up being Spider-Man for months. It’s only due to her graduation speech that he’s motivated to become a hero again. No Way Home worsens the wound by revealing his return to Spider-Man wasn’t a triumphant one. Rather, it was his only way of grieving, and he eventually became bitter and filled with rage.
4Spider-Man: Homecoming: Peter Getting Crushed By A Building Adds Layers To His Character
In the third act of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter (Tom Holland) finds himself crushed by a building while trying to stop Adrian Toomes, aka The Vulture (Michael Keaton). Peter is left alone and unable to get out.
As he’s trapped beneath the rubble, Peter’s cries for help are terrifying and heartbreaking due to no one coming to save him. While he manages to build up the confidence to free himself after remembering the words of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the whole scene highlights how Peter may be strong physically, but he’s still just a 15 year-old-kid with the emotional vulnerability of someone that age.
3Into The Spider-Verse: Uncle Aaron’s Final Moments Bring Heartbreak On All Fronts
While the main story of Into the Spider-Verse doesn’t involve Peter Parker’s journey as Spider-Man, it’s just as compelling. The death of his Uncle Aaron molds Miles Morales’ purpose in becoming Spider-Man. It’s all too familiar but with enough of a unique spin to keep it fresh.
Both Miles and Aaron are terrified when they discover each other’s identities. Aaron’s final moments are by his nephew’s side, and both men blame themselves for everything. Nevertheless, Aaron makes it clear that Miles is the best of them and pushes him to keep going. The tragedy only worsens when Miles’ father – Aaron’s brother – finds his body.
2Spider-Man: Far From Home: Everything Comes Apart For Peter All At Once
While Spider-Man: Far From Home is a relatively light-hearted movie, it gets heavy when Peter breaks down in tears in the third act. So much has happened to him and he’s had so little time to dwell on it.
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Before this, Peter’s mind was put through the wringer due to Quentin Beck’s, aka Mysterio’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) illusions, leaving him unsure of what was and wasn’t real. He got hit by a bullet train moments after Beck threatened to kill his classmates for knowing about his plans, and he ended up miles away from anyone he knew. The world expects him to fill Tony Stark’s shoes, which is a responsibility he knows he can’t yield. And yet, he has little time to grieve his late mentor.
1Spider-Man: No Way Home: Peter Says Goodbye To His Old Life, Presumably Forever
The climax of Spider-Man: No Way Home has Peter make the whole world forget who he is to keep the multiverse from going out of control. He bids a tearful farewell to his best friend, Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), and girlfriend, Michelle Jones (Zendaya), and promises to make them both remember.
Two weeks later, he finds them at the coffee shop where Michelle works. He considers reintroducing himself to them, but upon seeing them happily accepted into MIT, which they were originally rejected from due to being friends with him, and seeing Michelle’s head injury from the battle, he decides against it. His choice is not only well built-up, but it also genuinely moves Peter forward to a new chapter.
