One of the most morally-driven characters around – not just within Marvel comics but arguably in all of literature – Spider-Man is universally acknowledged as a pillar of virtue. A clean-cut figure traditionally praised for his do-gooder attitude and firm views on the sanctity of life, Spider-Man’s heroic ethics have designated him the poster boy for righteousness. However, no matter how great one’s intentions might be, things don’t always go according to plan.
In 2020’s “Last Remains” story arc by Matthew Rosenberg and Nick Spencer, Spider-Man is forced to acknowledge such failings by Kindred, a demonic entity hell-bent on a confession regarding those who have perished at his hand. As with every hero, Spider-Man has faced many trials and tribulations, and despite his aversion to killing, it is something he has failed to avoid entirely.
While Spider-Man has several kills on his conscience, there is one kill in particular for which he denies responsibility – primarily because the creature was technically already ‘dead’ prior to their encounter. This long-forgotten villain was named Digger, and Spider-Man killed him in 2003's Amazing Spider-Man #54, by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.
First appearing in 2003's Amazing Spider-Man #51 by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Dan Kemp and Chris Eliopoulos, Digger was a gestalt Gamma Mutate zombie who was comprised of 13 notorious crime family mobsters.
Digger’s creation occurred due to the events of July 3rd, 1957 when seven mafia bosses, aided by their chief lieutenants, congregated at the Golddigger Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for negotiations regarding issues threatening their livelihood. One prominent figure within this circle, Morris Forelli, took advantage of his competitors all being in one place and sent his men to ambush the meeting and murder those present. Known as ‘The Vegas Thirteen,’ their bodies were then buried in secret in a mass grave in the Nevada desert in an area previously used to illegally dump chemical waste.
Many years later, the same site was used by the US Government to test the latest advances in gamma bomb technology, and it was the detonation of one of these devices, mixed with the chemicals, which caused the bodies of the long-dead crime members to collate together to form the entity known as Digger.
Seeking revenge, the newly resurrected monster made its way to New York in search of Forelli, attacking many of his establishments and associates. It was during one of these assaults that Spider-Man appeared and the two fought before Digger escaped to the sewers. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Forelli hired the Web-Slinger for protection but remained mute on his role in Digger’s conception. With the minimal information Forelli offered, Spider-Man visited the Nevada blast site to learn more about his new foe.
Forelli sent gunmen to ambush the creature without the wall-crawler’s knowledge. Though wounded, Digger managed to escape, much to the dismay of an irate Spider-Man. However, through analysis of samples taken from the scene, Spider-Man discovered that Digger would fall if driven to exhaustion. And so, when the creature sought to attack Forelli and his daughter Lynne in Amazing Spider-Man #54, the web-slinger prolonged the fight until Digger succumbed to exhaustion and died.
Though Digger’s mortality status enabled Spider-Man to justify destroying the creature in a bid to save lives, the impact of taking a life – no matter the circumstance – has always weighed heavily upon him. Therefore, although his proactive approach towards having Forelli incarcerated for the 1957 massacre is classic Spidey in terms of seeking justice for victims and working to remove dangerous threats from society, it could also arguably be viewed as a means of repentance for his part in Digger’s demise.