In Amazing Spider-Man 700, the last issue in long-running series, Peter Parker dies in the body of Doctor Octavius. Doc Ock had switched bodies with Spider-Man, leaving Peter Parker in the doctor’s dying body. As Peter Parker died, Doctor Octopus (in Spider-Man’s body) promised to protect life, and that he will be a better Spider-Man than Peter Parker was, because his genius combined with his new powers will make him superior. Now this is where the concept gets weird. Now that the Amazing Spider-Man series has ended with issue 700, a new series will begin: The Superior Spider-Man. I’m not kidding. If the title were to last 50 years, what will that title mean? Superior to what? Okay, so Peter Parker dies, but will anybody realize this in the future? It is a recipe for disaster.
In Amazing Spider-Man issue 700, a dramatic and pivotal storyline came to a head, leaving both fans and characters within the comic book world reeling from the events that transpired. As the culmination of writer Dan Slott’s ambitious and emotionally charged narrative, the story sees Peter Parker, our beloved Spider-Man, facing off against his nemesis Doctor Octopus in a battle of both physical and psychological intensity. However, the stakes are raised even higher when the two characters swap bodies, leaving Peter’s consciousness trapped within the dying body of his enemy while Doctor Octopus experiences life as New York City’s heroic web-slinger. Ultimately, Peter makes a last-ditch effort to save his city from the sinister machinations of his foe, taking on Doc Ock’s henchmen and making one final, desperate plea to the villain to uphold the values of Spider-Man and protect the people he’s sworn to keep safe.
Despite the captivating storyline and intense emotions portrayed in Amazing Spider-Man issue 700, many fans have expressed their displeasure with the events that unfolded. This backlash can largely be attributed to the unsettling body swap between Peter Parker and Doctor Octopus, as well as the seemingly harsh fate that befell the iconic web-slinging hero. The readers’ loyalty to Peter and his sense of responsibility manifested in the famous phrase “with great power comes great responsibility,” made the idea of their beloved character seemingly dying in the body of his arch-nemesis hard to accept. Additionally, some fans argued that the story’s conclusion might tarnish the legacy of Spider-Man and stray too far from the character’s core values, which have been central to his appeal for numerous generations.
Amazing Spider-Man 700 is extra fat, padded with mini stories that nobody cares about. The artwork in one of these stories is unusual and artistic, although I prefer to describe it with the word “bad”. There is also a gallery of all 700 issues as well. There aren’t many advertisements for some reason. In fact, beside the inside cover and the back cover, I don’t think there are any.
I case you haven’t figured it out by now, this comic is a major landmark in comic book history and makes a neat collectable to own (Affiliate Link). They really pulled the strings with this issue in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary, and ending, of the series. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Spider-Man.