Here is an archive of all the past top five lists I've done over the years.
Everyone knows that Marvel's What If...? comics are filled to the brim with death. It seems like whatever decision the heroes didn't make would have led to their deaths at every turn. Like, if Spider-Man had cereal instead of a bagel for breakfast one day, the "What if...Spider-Man had a bagel?" story would somehow end with the world destroyed. So let's celebrate that odd trend by spotlighting the top five Spider-Man "What If...?" deaths.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
In What If...? #55 (Len Kaminski, Craig Brasfield and Frank Turner), we see what would have happened had the Avengers lost Operation: Galactic Storm. The Earth would have been pretty much destroyed, with Spider-Man being one of the casualties...
In What If...? (Volume 2) #6 (by Danny Fingeroth, Ron Lim and Keith Williams), we see what would have happened had the X-Men lost Inferno. The X-Men now serve the demons and they take on the world's remaining heroes and dispatch them, including Spider-Man....
In What If...? (Volume 2) #25 (by Jim Valentino, Rik Levins and Ralph Cabrera), we see what would have happened had Earth lost Atlantis Attacks. Spider-Man and other heroes were turned into snake-like creatures by Set. A few of the remaining most powerful unchanged heroes took on the bad guys, with the Hulk being forced to kill Spidey...
In What If...? (Volume 1) #34, there were a bunch of short, humorous stories in the issue. In one of them (by Mike Carlin, Ron Zalme and Brett Breeding), we see what would have happened had Black Widow married Spider-Man...
In What If...? #88 (by Ben Raab, Ariel Oliveti and Agostin Comoto), we see that Peter has mutated into a spider-creature as he got older. The same mutation has affected his son. His son freaked out and accidentally killed the neighborhood bully, the son of Flash Thompson. Peter took the responsibility for his son's actions and allowed Flash and FLash's friends to kill him...
In What If...? #86 (by Terry Kavanagh, Doug Braithwaite and Sean Hardy), Ben Reilly is forced to kill Peter Parker when Peter becomes under the control of the Jackal (Ben then takes over Peter's life)...
Go to the next page for the last few honorable mentions and then the start of the top five...
In What If...? #58 (by Chuck Dixon, Gordon Purcell and Andrew Pepoy), the Punisher comes up with a way to kill Spider-Man...
In What If...? (Volume 2) #17 (by Richard Howell and Marie Severin), we see what if Kraven the Hunter had simply shot to kill during Kraven's Last Hunt...
Commenter Omar Karindu wanted me to give a shout out to this bit from What If...? #68 (by Chuck Dixon, Dario Carrasco Jr. and Tim Dzon) where the Red Skull had taken over the United States in Captain America's absence. Spider-Man was put into a "re-education camp" but was freed by the resistance...
In the end, it is Spidey who kills Red Skull before dying himself.
Nice cathartic stuff.
In What If...? (Volume 2) #4 (by Danny Fingeroth, Mark Bagley and Keith Williams), we see what would have happened had Spider-Man not given up the alien symbiote. It eventually leaves Peter for a more powerful host and we see that it has drained away Peter's youth...
He dies of old age.
Harsh.
5. What If... Captain America Had Led an Army of Super Soldiers in World War II?
In this sad tale from What If...? (Volume 2) #28 by George Caragonne, Ron Wilson and Ralph Cabrera, Captain America has effectively taken over the world with his Super-Soldiers. And they wipe out any "freaks," including a young teenager who had just gotten spider-powers...
4. What If...House of M #1 (Story Two)
In this story by Frank Tieri and Brian Haberlin, Peter's marriage to Gwen Stacy from the House of M world carries over to the regular Marvel Universe, but his marriage to Mary Jane remains and, well, Peter can't handle it and his split personality as Green Goblin surfaces and he tries to kill Mary Jane...
Suitably tragic! Althought not even the best story from that issue!!
Go to the next page for the top three!
3. What If...House of M #1 (Story Two)
In the first story by Sean McKeever, David Ross and Dan Scott, Gwen shows up in the regular Marvel Universe after House of M and that's a big problem, because her presence has thrown the Multiverse out of kilter. Things are all askew (beautifully depicted by showing heroes changing their look from panel to panel, like Iron Man's armors changing) and Gwen has to be removed. Meanwhile, in all of the chaos, a bunch of supervillains choose now to team up and destroy the Avengers because, well, there might not BE a tomorrow, ya know? But will Peter let Gwen die again, even if her death will save the universe?!?
Beautifully poignant stuff from McKeever.
2. What If...the Punisher Had Killed Daredevil?
From What If...? (Volume 2) #6 (by Kurt Busiek and Luke McDonnell), Spider-Man hunts down the Punisher after Frank Castle accidentally killed Daredevil (he hit him with a tranquilizer, just like the original story, but Daredevil then tripped and fell off of a rooftop). The Punisher is forced to shoot him. Peter Parker is in a coma, but with his identity now exposed, while he is in the hospital, Aunt May is murdered. So when Peter wakes from his coma, well, let's just say that he is none too pleased with the Punisher...
Busiek really did a nice job capturing the rage Spider-Man must be feeling, while contrasting it with how Peter would fight such feelings, and choosing death over becoming a killer.
1. What If...?: Age of Ultron #2
Each issue of this mini-series had a different art team and a different possible take on the Age of Ultron. In this issue, by Joe Keatinge, Ramon Villalobos and Ruth Redmond, Tony Stark is corrupted and his technology has taken control of the world. Wolverine is one of the few heroes out there still fighting the good fight. He finds out that there is a chance to end it all, so teaming up with a new Ghost Rider (just a little kid) he seeks out more help, and he goes to Peter Parker, a retired Spider-Man...
And in the end, Spidey couldn't help but be Spidey...
By building up our interest in this version of Spidey so well and the more down-to-Earth artwork of Villalobos made the whole thing feel more visceral and tragic. Well done.
Okay, that's my top five! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!