10 Best Comics For Spider-Man Fans Who Loved The Gauntlet

“The Gauntlet” is one of Spider-Man‘s most underrated comic book storylines and deserves way more credit. An unusual storyline for Marvel Comics, the event occurred in Spider-Man’s monthly comic book titles in the months leading up to “Grim Hunt” and the return of the villainous Kraven the Hunter. In the storyline, Spider-Man faces off against multiple old villains, each returning with new upgrades and fresh vengeance against their web-slinging nemesis.

“The Gauntlet” is chock-full of recognizable supervillains, punishing Spider-Man into a darker and darker headspace. The storyline is unique in Spider-Man canon, but plenty of other comics echo some of its best themes. From epic crossovers to lesser-known storylines, these arcs make great follow-ups to “The Gauntlet.”

10 Kraven’s Last Hunt” Set Up “The Gauntlet”

This Dark Comic Arc Is Considered One of Spider-Man’s Best Storylines

“Kraven’s Last Hunt” is an iconic storyline featuring Spider-Man’s final fight with Kraven the Hunter. After losing to Spider-Man one too many times, Kraven devises a scheme that will be the end of both himself and the Wall-Crawler. Falling into a depressive state, Kraven finally defeats Spider-Man, burying him in a shallow grave for two weeks while he assumes the superhero’s identity. Spider-Man eventually frees himself from an early grave, only to find that Kraven has taken his own life, finally victorious over his longtime enemy.

If Marvel fans thought that “The Gauntlet” and “Grim Hunt” were dark, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” blows anything from these storylines out of the water. Often considered Spider-Man’s darkest story of all time, this arc delves deep into Kraven the Hunter’s psychological issues, depicting some intense and horrifying imagery far from the typical tone of Spider-Man stories. Nevertheless, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” is also one of Spider-Man’s best stories of all time and a must-read for any fans of the character, especially given that “The Gauntlet” sets up Kraven’s long-awaited return decades later.

9 “Maximum Carnage” Pitted Heroes Against Villains

Spider-Man Leads a Team of Heroes Against Carnage’s “Family”

“Maximum Carnage” features the long-awaited return of the eponymous red symbiote and his murderous host, Cletus Kasady. This time around, Carnage builds a team of supervillains as his incredibly toxic “family,” leading them in a bloody massacre through the streets of New York City. Desperate to stop them, Spider-Man teams up with several heroes–and villains–to combat the Carnage family before they can continue their murder spree.

Like “The Gauntlet,” this storyline features Spider-Man facing many of his most dangerous villains in a high-stakes battle that pushes him to the brink. In what can only be described as a full-scale war on the streets of New York, Spider-Man even contemplates killing Carnage to protect the world from his villainy, something that he has rarely considered before. “Maximum Carnage” has non-stop action and plenty of appearances from major Marvel characters, keeping readers entertained from beginning to end.

8 Spider-Man Is Pushed to the Brink in “The Other”

Morlun Kills Spider-Man–But Not Permanently

Spider-Man’s controversial “The Other” storyline is part of J. Michael Straczynski’s initiative to reinvent the character’s origins, tying the hero more deeply to mythology. In “The Other,” Spider-Man is confronted by Morlun, an otherworldly threat who consumes the life essence of “spider-totems.” Morlun brutally beats Spider-Man, knocking his eye from his socket before finally killing him, only for the hero to be resurrected a few issues later.

“The Other” is intense and bloody, taking a dark turn for The Amazing Spider-Man and its sister series. However, if audiences enjoyed seeing Peter Parker pushed to his limits in “The Gauntlet,” they may also enjoy seeing him overcome his biggest challenge yet: surviving the might of Morlun. However, this storyline isn’t for the faint of heart, as it is truly one of the goriest Spider-Man arcs in the character’s long history.

7 “Ends of the Earth” Pits Spider-Man Against His Most Dangerous Villains

Doctor Octopus and the Sinister Six Nearly Destroy the World In This Storyline

“Ends of the Earth” is an often-forgotten and criminally underrated Spider-Man storyline that features one of the dying Doctor Octopus’s final schemes. As he dies, Otto Octavius desires to save the world from the threat of global warming and creates a mechanism that could change everything. However, true to his criminal ways, Otto could just as easily destroy the world as save it, forcing Spider-Man to lead the Avengers against his old nemesis, who has enlisted a new lineup of the Sinister Six as his enforcers.

If readers enjoyed seeing revitalized versions of classic Spider-Man villains in “The Gauntlet,” they will surely love seeing a similar theme in “Ends of the Earth.” This time, however, Spider-Man isn’t alone in facing waves of his old enemies, with the Avengers stepping up to fight the Sinister Six. Seeing characters like Thor and Electro go toe-to-toe is a real treat for longtime Marvel fans, making “Ends of the Earth” a can’t-miss storyline.

6 “The Return of the Sinister Six” Brings Back the Iconic Villain Team

Villains Unite to Take Down Spider-Man in This Epic Storyline

The Sinister Six has gone through many iterations and sometimes can be overutilized in Marvel Comics. However, Spider-Man’s creative teams were once quite selective in using the supervillain team, only bringing it back once every great while. This made “Return of the Sinister Six” all the more important, as the team returned for the first time in years with a slightly altered lineup and a new vendetta against Spider-Man.

“Return of the Sinister Six” includes several classic Spider-Man villains as a part of the newly reformed team. The Sinister Six is still led by Doctor Octopus in this iteration, with Electro, Sandman, Mysterio, Vulture, and the Hobgoblin rounding out the lineup. The inclusion of the Hobgoblin makes this supervillain team even more terrifying.

5 “Death of Spider-Man” Is Ultimate Peter Parker’s Final Stand

The Sinister Six Kills Peter Parker In This Tragic Storyline

In the Ultimate Universe, Peter Parker suffered a tragic fate that ended his time as Spider-Man earlier than expected. In “Death of Spider-Man,” a wounded Spider-Man takes on the Sinister Six in a grisly fight that ends in his death. The character tearfully says goodbye to his loved ones and dies as they watch in horror, bringing an end to one hero’s career and giving birth to another, as Miles Morales soon takes up the mantle in Peter’s stead.

Just as “The Gauntlet” is an epic tour of Spider-Man’s Rogues Gallery, “The Death of Spider-Man” features the superhero battling some of his most iconic villains, only in this case, it is for the last time. This storyline initially ignited a tremendous wave of backlash against the creative team for killing off Peter Parker but has since been reconsidered, especially given the popularity of Miles Morales’s Spider-Man in the years that followed.

4 “Back In Black” Features More Black Suit Spider-Man

Spider-Man Is at His Lowest In This Iconic Storyline

“The Gauntlet” builds up to the return of Spider-Man’s black suit, arguably the character’s second most iconic costume. If readers want to see more of Spider-Man’s black suit, they need to look no further than “Back in Black,” a terrific storyline that, as its name suggests, features Spider-Man’s return to his black costume during one of the darkest periods in his life.

In “Back in Black,” Peter is left reeling after an assassin hired by the Kingpin shoots his Aunt May. After learning who orchestrated the attack, Spider-Man infiltrates the prison where Kingpin is being kept and beats him to a bloody pulp in front of the other inmates. This is one of Spider-Man’s darkest and most iconic moments, made all the better by his decision to revert to his black costume.

3 “Goblin Nation” Pits the Superior Spider-Man Against an Army of Goblins

This Is the Climactic Storyline For the Superior Spider-Man

“Goblin Nation” is the culmination of the long-running and ever-controversial Superior Spider-Man title, which briefly replaced The Amazing Spider-Man between 2013 and 2014. After several months of masquerading as Spider-Man in Peter Parker’s body, Otto Octavius finds himself over his head when an army of goblins laid siege to New York City led by the villainous Goblin King.

If the excess of supervillains is what readers loved about “The Gauntlet,” “Goblin Nation” is a terrific storyline for them. The arc depicts a major battle between the former Doctor Octopus and an army of Green Goblin acolytes, resulting in utter devastation across the city. Moreover, the storyline features the long-awaited return of Peter Parker, who finally wrests control of his body away from Otto Octavius after months of taking a backseat in his mind.

2 “The Sinister Six” Helps Inspire “The Gauntlet”

The First Appearance of the Sinister Six Is Spider-Man’s Original Gauntlet

“The Sinister Six” is a classic Spider-Man storyline featuring the first appearance of the titular supervillain team in Marvel Comics. Found in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, this storyline follows Spider-Man as he is forced to take on six of his most dangerous enemies, led by Doctor Octopus, who team up to defeat him. Even worse, Spider-Man is forced to fight without his superpowers, which have mysteriously gone on the fritz at just the wrong moment.

“The Gauntlet” clearly took inspiration from “The Sinister Six,” taking the time to upgrade and revitalize certain Spider-Man villains who were in danger of falling into obscurity. The classic storyline also shows how much fun it can be to have different Spider-Man villains team up, something that succeeding arcs, including “The Gauntlet,” would take to heart.

1 “Grim Hunt” Is The Follow-Up To “The Gauntlet”

The Gauntlet Was Really Just a Test Before the Grim Hunt

If readers liked “The Gauntlet,” then they can’t afford to miss “Grim Hunt.” “The Gauntlet” is a precursor to “Grim Hunt,” testing Spider-Man’s strength and skill as he goes against many of his most powerful enemies, unaware that someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Finally, it is revealed that the Kravinoff family is behind the Gauntlet, secretly plotting to bring back Kraven the Hunter years after his death.

“Grim Hunt” follows the events of “The Gauntlet,” following Spider-Man as he desperately (and unsuccessfully) tries to stop the Kravinoffs from resurrecting their villainous patriarch. The landmark event sees Spider-Man turn to some of his old allies, including Spider-Girl and Kaine, for help defeating the Kravinoffs, resulting in one of the most harrowing and darkest battles in the character’s history.