In the early '90s, Spider-Man faced one of his darkest chapters, deciding to remain as Spider-Man and using violet methods to take down his adversaries. Enjoying life with his newly-returned parents, Peter Parker tragically lost Richard and Mary all over again. Moreover, these two were imposters, created by the Chameleon to look like the real Richard and Mary. Worst of all, these fakes were created by Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend, as one last vengeful plot from the grave.
Needing some way to vent his grief, Spider-Man went on a revenge-fueled frenzy, ruthlessly hunting the Chameleon. At the same time, Aunt May began to have health problems, suffering a major stroke. With recent events building into a mountain of suffering, the web-slinger decided to abandon his life as Peter Parker.
Emerging from a web-cocoon, Spider-Man embarked on a darker crusade against criminals. During this time, Peter was in the midst of an ongoing battle with Shriek and Carrion. These psychotic supervillains sought to create their own twisted family, eyeing Spider-Man as the father. Fighting these killers, Spider-Man ditched his usual jokes and sense of levity. In a particularly intense battle, the web-head nearly killed Carrion. Only the interference of a civilian could keep the wall-crawler's wrath at bay. When Peter returned home, things became worse when Mary Jane left to fix her relationship with her father.
Of course, all of Spider-Man's bad fortune did manage to bring some good along with it. Hearing of Aunt May's stroke, Peter's clone emerged after years in exile. Going by the name Ben Reilly, Peter's clone came to his aid at just the right moment. Spider-Man was in a particularly tough spot during an encounter with Judas Traveller. This sinister being released the inmates in Ravencroft, inciting a riot in the asylum. Leading Peter through a nightmarish maze, Traveller then manipulated Peter's mind by filling his head with anguish and pain over everyone he's ever loved. Funnily enough, this episode forced Peter to lash out, insisting he was a man before collapsing.
Defeated, Peter was captured and placed in a cell in Ravencroft. Ben came to Peter's rescue, donning a spare Spider-Man mask. Together, Peter and Ben quelled the riot and defeated Traveller. During the battle, Ben reminded Peter of the values which Uncle Ben and Aunt May instilled within him, along with the humor and compassion of being Spider-Man. Seeing this lighter reflection of himself showed Peter how dark and brooding he'd been as of late. After a brutal encounter with The Puma, who lost control of his own humanity, Spider-Man decided to reach out to Daredevil. Matt Murdock had also given up on his civilian life, forcing Peter to examine his own life choices. The two were attacked by the Vulture and the Owl, who poisoned Spider-Man. Acquiring the antidote, Peter realized how precious life was. Deciding to live life as a man, rather than a spider, the web-slinger went home to Mary Jane.
Peter's return to form came just before the controversial "Clone Saga" storyline. Returning home at the beginning of this story, Peter found out that MJ was pregnant. Ben Reilly was also thought to be the original Peter Parker, while Peter was the clone. Peter left with MJ to raise a family in Portland, while Ben became the new Spider-Man.
Ultimately, it was revealed that Peter was the original after all, and Ben was the clone, as Norman Osborn had manipulated them both. MJ had a miscarriage, and Ben was killed by The Green Goblin, leading Peter to return to his role as Spider-Man. It took a considerable amount of time, but Spider-Man finally emerged from the depths of despair to become a friendly neighborhood web-slinger once more.