Here is an archive of all the past top five lists I've one over the years.

An almost iconic aspect of Spider-Man's history is that being Spider-Man is a burden that Peter Parker is not always thrilled with having foisted upon him. He understands that with great power, comes great responsibility, but sometimes that responsibility is too much for him and he quits. Here are the top five instances of Peter Parker quitting as Spider-Man...

NOTE: I once featured this trope at Drawing Crazy Patterns a few years afo, but I thought it'd be fun to actually RANK them.

HONORABLE MENTION

Howard Mackie, John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna have Spider-Man face off against the Green Goblin, who has revealed that Aunt May is actually alive! After Spider-Man holds up a heavy object (this time the Daily Bugle building), he decides to quit...









When Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 begins after this issue, Mattie Franklin (who had gained powers in one of the later issues of Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1) is impersonating the missing Spider-Man. She eventually compels Peter to return to being Spider-Man.

5. Spectacular Spider-Man #229

Tom DeFalco, Sal Buscema and Bill Sienkiewicz show Peter Parker deciding to quit being Spider-Man after learning that he is a clone. He leaves the Spider-Man name to the "real" Peter Parker, now calling himself Ben Reilly (as it turns out, Ben really was the clone all along)...







4. Amazing Spider-Man #100

Stan Lee, Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia have Peter decide that he has to quit being Spider-Man to be with Gwen Stacy...







While unconscious, Peter has hallucinations that convince him to keep being Spider-Man, primarily the voice of Gwen's dead father, Captain Stacy...



However, when Peter awakes, he discovers that the serum has given him six arms!!!



Go to the next page for the top three!

3. Amazing Spider-Man #275

Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz and Joe Rubinstein show us Peter once again deciding to quit...





After explaining his origin to Mary Jane (via a reprint of Amazing Fantasy #15), Peter explains why his sense of responsibility won't let him continue as Spider-Man...



Later on, though, Mary Jane uses that sense of responsibility to convince Peter to return to being Spidey...



2. Amazing Spider-Man (Volume 1) #18

In this classic 1964 issue, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee gave us the first time Peter Parker quit being Spider-Man. An issue earlier, Spider-Man had to leave during a fight with the Green Goblin because Aunt May was sick. This action had branded him a coward in the media as well as on the streets. Amazing #18 was unique in the sense that it spent the entire issue devoted to whether Peter should continue to be Spider-Man (a whole issue without any super-villain!). There were a lot of sequences like the following...





It all culminates with Peter quitting being Spider-Man (note: this is the shortest Peter stays gone in all of the Spider-Man: No More! stories)...



only for him to change his mind on the next page...





1. Amazing Spider-Man (Volume 2) #50

Stan Lee and John Romita (inks by Mike Esposito) gave us the most famous "Spider-Man...No More!" story, as Peter decided it is time for him to grow up and quit being Spidey...





However, later in the issue, he is inspired by an Uncle Ben-esque watchmen...



He recalls his origin and realizes that he HAS to keep being Spider-Man.



That's the list! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!