To celebrate Spider-Man's 50th Anniversary, we decided to make a list of the 50 best Spider-Man stories.
The default form of the master list is the countdown.
But if you just want to see if your favorite Spider-Man adventure made it, here's a list of all the stories by series. Click on the story for the explanation or commentary.
Amazing Fantasy
Spider-Man's first adventure in the last and only issue of the Silver Age run of Amazing Fantasy made the top five.
4. Amazing Fantasy #15
Amazing Spider-Man
I doubt that anyone is surprised that Amazing Spider-Man is over-represented on the list of the best Spider-Man adventures.
40. Face to Face With the Lizard (Amazing Spider-Man #6)
36. The End of Spider-Man! (Amazing Spider-Man #18)
5. If This Be My Destiny (Amazing Spider-Man #31-33)
16. Spider-Man and the Green Goblin...both Unmasked (Amazing Spider-Man #39-40)
22. Spider-Man No More (Amazing Spider-Man #50-52)
29. Disaster (Amazing Spider-Man #53-59)
34. The Madness of Mysterio (Amazing Spider-Man #66-67)
43. Spider-Man...Murderer? (Amazing Spider-Man #88-90)
1. The Night Gwen Stacy Died (Amazing Spider-Man #121-122)
3. Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut (Amazing Spider-Man #229-230)
7. The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man (Amazing Spider-Man #248)
49. Secrets, Confessions and Endings (Amazing Spider-Man #249-251)
32. When Cometh the Commuter (Amazing Spider-Man #267)
2. Kraven's Last Hunt (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132)
47. Styx and Stone (Amazing Spider-Man #307-309
21. The Gift (Amazing Spider-Man #400)
39. Revelations (Spectacular Spider-Man #241, Sensational Spider-Man #10, Amazing Spider-Man #417, Spider-Man #75)
15. Happy Birthday! (Amazing Spider-Man #498-500)
25. Unscheduled Stop (Amazing Spider-Man #578-579)
20. Shed (Amazing Spider-Man #630-633)
28. No One Dies (Amazing Spider-Man #655-656)
12. Spider Island (Amazing Spider-Man #666-673)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual
Three Amazing Spider-Man Annuals also made the list.
The default form of the master list is the countdown.
But if you just want to see if your favorite Spider-Man adventure made it, here's a list of all the stories by series. Click on the story for the explanation or commentary.
Amazing Fantasy
Spider-Man's first adventure in the last and only issue of the Silver Age run of Amazing Fantasy made the top five.
4. Amazing Fantasy #15
Amazing Spider-Man
I doubt that anyone is surprised that Amazing Spider-Man is over-represented on the list of the best Spider-Man adventures.
40. Face to Face With the Lizard (Amazing Spider-Man #6)
36. The End of Spider-Man! (Amazing Spider-Man #18)
5. If This Be My Destiny (Amazing Spider-Man #31-33)
16. Spider-Man and the Green Goblin...both Unmasked (Amazing Spider-Man #39-40)
22. Spider-Man No More (Amazing Spider-Man #50-52)
29. Disaster (Amazing Spider-Man #53-59)
34. The Madness of Mysterio (Amazing Spider-Man #66-67)
43. Spider-Man...Murderer? (Amazing Spider-Man #88-90)
1. The Night Gwen Stacy Died (Amazing Spider-Man #121-122)
3. Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut (Amazing Spider-Man #229-230)
7. The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man (Amazing Spider-Man #248)
49. Secrets, Confessions and Endings (Amazing Spider-Man #249-251)
32. When Cometh the Commuter (Amazing Spider-Man #267)
2. Kraven's Last Hunt (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132)
47. Styx and Stone (Amazing Spider-Man #307-309
21. The Gift (Amazing Spider-Man #400)
39. Revelations (Spectacular Spider-Man #241, Sensational Spider-Man #10, Amazing Spider-Man #417, Spider-Man #75)
15. Happy Birthday! (Amazing Spider-Man #498-500)
25. Unscheduled Stop (Amazing Spider-Man #578-579)
20. Shed (Amazing Spider-Man #630-633)
28. No One Dies (Amazing Spider-Man #655-656)
12. Spider Island (Amazing Spider-Man #666-673)
Amazing Spider-Man AnnualThree Amazing Spider-Man Annuals also made the list.
50. To Become An Avenger! (Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3)
13. The Wedding (Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21)
46. Peter Parker Must Die (Amazing Spider-Man Annual 36)
13. The Wedding (Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21)
46. Peter Parker Must Die (Amazing Spider-Man Annual 36)
Marvel Knights Spider-Man
Marvel Knights Spider-Man was a satellite book with an interesting concept. Impressive creative teams would be given about twelve issues to tell an accessible and complete Spider-Man story. It worked the first time around, witth Mark Millar's run making our top ten.
6. Down Among Dead Men ( Marvel Knights Spider-Man # 1-12)
Peter Parker Spider-Man
Three of Paul Jenkins's Peter Parker Spider-Man stories have made the list.
Marvel Knights Spider-Man was a satellite book with an interesting concept. Impressive creative teams would be given about twelve issues to tell an accessible and complete Spider-Man story. It worked the first time around, witth Mark Millar's run making our top ten.
6. Down Among Dead Men ( Marvel Knights Spider-Man # 1-12)
Peter Parker Spider-Man
Three of Paul Jenkins's Peter Parker Spider-Man stories have made the list.
45. Death in the Family (Peter Parker Spider-Man #44-47)
Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man
For a long time, the satellite title Spectacular Spider-Man was known as Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man. Two stories from that series made our list.
27. With This Gun... (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #71)
10. The Death of Jean Dewolfe (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110)
Sensational Spider-Man Annual
Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca's self-contained story for Sensational Spider-Man Annual One is that title's chief contribution to the list.
14. To Have and to Hold (Sensational Spider-Man Annual One)
Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine
The first iteration of Spectacular Spider-Man was an oversized magazine with nearly 60 pages of content an issue. Readers didn't appreciate it at the time, but one story made our "Best of" list.
37. Green Goblin Lives (Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2)
Spectacular Spider-Man Volume 2
Paul Jenkins appears on our list one more time, with a one-shot from his Spectacular Spider-Man relaunch.
24. Spectacular Spider-Man Volume 2 #14
Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series
Greg Wiseman's Spectacular Spider-Man appears on our list once.
38. Opening Night (Spectacular Spider-Man Season 2 Episode 12)
Spider-Man (1994) Fox Animated Series
The 1994 Fox Animated series appears on our list three times, the best showing of any Alternate Universe version of Spidey.
Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man
For a long time, the satellite title Spectacular Spider-Man was known as Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man. Two stories from that series made our list.
27. With This Gun... (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #71)
10. The Death of Jean Dewolfe (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110)
Sensational Spider-Man Annual
Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca's self-contained story for Sensational Spider-Man Annual One is that title's chief contribution to the list.
14. To Have and to Hold (Sensational Spider-Man Annual One)
Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine
The first iteration of Spectacular Spider-Man was an oversized magazine with nearly 60 pages of content an issue. Readers didn't appreciate it at the time, but one story made our "Best of" list.
37. Green Goblin Lives (Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2)
Spectacular Spider-Man Volume 2
Paul Jenkins appears on our list one more time, with a one-shot from his Spectacular Spider-Man relaunch.
24. Spectacular Spider-Man Volume 2 #14
Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series
Greg Wiseman's Spectacular Spider-Man appears on our list once.
38. Opening Night (Spectacular Spider-Man Season 2 Episode 12)
The 1994 Fox Animated series appears on our list three times, the best showing of any Alternate Universe version of Spidey.
18. The Alien Costume Saga (1994 Animated Series Episodes 7-9)
19. The Neogenic Nightmare (1994 Animated Series Episodes 14-27)
44. The Secret Wars (1994 Animated Series Episodes 61-63)
19. The Neogenic Nightmare (1994 Animated Series Episodes 14-27)
44. The Secret Wars (1994 Animated Series Episodes 61-63)
Spider-Man Film Series
The first two Raimi/ Maguire films make our list. The recent Amazing Spider-Man film is too recent to merit consideration, although it's reviewed elsewhere on the site.
26. Spider-Man the Movie
9. Spider-Man 2
The Ultimate Spider-Man appears in two stories in our Top 50, one from the first year and one from the conclusion of Peter Parker's adventures.
8. Learning Curve (Ultimate Spider-Man #8-13)
17. The Death of Spider-Man (Ultimate Spider-Man #156-160)
Ultimate Spider-Man (Short Story Anthology)
Peter David's "Five Minutes" is the only prose story from our list of the best Spider-Man comics.
35. Five Minutes (The Ultimate Spider-Man anthology)
Crossovers
Two crossovers appeared on our list.
2. Kraven's Last Hunt (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132)
Two crossovers appeared on our list.
2. Kraven's Last Hunt (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132)
39. Revelations (Spectacular Spider-Man #241, Sensational Spider-Man #10, Amazing Spider-Man #417, Spider-Man #75)
One-Shots and Mini Series
Four mini-series appeared on the list, as did a single one-shot.
One-Shots and Mini Series
Four mini-series appeared on the list, as did a single one-shot.
23. Spider-Man Versus Wolverine
The Top 50 list is available in several other formats...
Organized in Chronological Order
Grouped by Writer and Artist.
Arranged by Villains and Guest Starrs
Categorized according to Supporting Cast members with significant roles.
Finally, there's the simple master list.
And then there's our awesome slider.
Or you could just go to the beginning of the countdown.
The Top 50 list is available in several other formats...
Organized in Chronological Order
Grouped by Writer and Artist.
Arranged by Villains and Guest Starrs
Categorized according to Supporting Cast members with significant roles.
Finally, there's the simple master list.
And then there's our awesome slider.
Or you could just go to the beginning of the countdown.
