Amazing Spider-Man #61–66 (2022) – In this six-part arc, Peter Parker is reeling from recent turmoil in his life when a new mystical crisis strikes. After a brutal gang war with Tombstone shook New York’s underworld (and nearly cost Tombstone’s own daughter Janice her life), Spider-Man managed to save Janice and get Tombstone arrested – but the victory was hollow. Tombstone walked free by bribing a judge, Janice fled into hiding to escape her father, and Peter’s best friend Randy Robertson (Janice’s fiancé) is left with their wedding plans on hold. Peter, struggling with guilt, loneliness, and a strained personal life (he’s now living with Randy and dating a kind-hearted nurse named Shay Marken after losing Mary Jane), is at a low point. It’s at this moment that Doctor Doom, newly ascended as Sorcerer Supreme, confronts Spider-Man with a dire request: a demonic threat from the god Cyttorak is looming, and Doom needs Spider-Man to be his champion against it. Peter initially balks at teaming up with Doom, but when one of Cyttorak’s Scions (a powerful demonic champion) attacks and nearly kills him in broad daylight, Spider-Man realizes he has no choice. He reluctantly agrees and dons a mystical suit of armor from Doom that will resurrect him each time he dies – up to eight times – to endure the trials ahead.
The gauntlet of battles begins, pushing Spider-Man beyond anything he’s faced before. With the enchanted armor granting him extra lives, Peter confronts one lethal Scion of Cyttorak after another, literally dying and reviving in each encounter. Early on he’s slain (ripped apart by mystical forces) and awakens disoriented, greeted by the astral form of Doctor Strange, who explains that these repeated deaths are the only way to defeat all of Cyttorak’s champions and save the world. Each fight is more harrowing than the last. In one encounter, a demonic little girl (another Scion) drags Spider-Man through his worst memories – forcing Peter to relive heartbreaking moments like the death of Uncle Ben – in an effort to shatter his spirit. In another, a Scion gives Spider-Man a cursed orb that floods him with the agonizing cries of countless dying souls, nearly driving him mad with despair. Spider-Man endures it all and even manages to win a few rounds (using his wits and help from friends), but each death and resurrection takes a serious toll. The strain bleeds into Peter’s civilian life: he attempts a normal dinner with Aunt May, Randy, and Shay or a quiet picnic date, but he’s distracted, haunted, and bruised from battle at every turn. Sensing something is very wrong, Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) steps in as a loyal friend and ally – she listens to Peter’s troubles and even helps him break into Doctor Strange’s Sanctum to steal a book about Cyttorak’s history, hoping to find a weakness. All the while, the world around them grows more chaotic. Other heroes begin to notice the mystical upheaval: Juggernaut (Cyttorak’s one-time avatar) feels the disturbance and alerts the X-Men, hinting that this fight is bigger than Spider-Man alone. Even Peter’s former mentor Norman Osborn bows out by shutting down Oscorp, removing the high-tech support Peter once relied on. The message is clear – no reinforcements are coming from Peter’s usual circles, and this battle is pushing him to the brink physically and emotionally.
By the end of issue #66, the “eight deaths” ordeal has driven Spider-Man to a breaking point. He has been killed and resurrected multiple times now, suffered unspeakable trauma, and with each cycle he feels his hope slipping away. Finally, in a dramatic collapse of Peter’s usually indomitable spirit, Spider-Man quits – yes, Peter Parker actually gives up. After yet another brutal death and revival, he tells Doctor Strange (and Doom) that he cannot continue and walks away from the mission, convinced that nothing he does will ever be enough to stop this threat. It’s a shocking turn for a hero defined by perseverance, and it leaves the world in peril: Cyttorak’s demonic forces are still at large, and with Spider-Man abandoning the fight (at least for now), the responsibility may fall to other heroes to prevent catastrophe. The arc wraps on this tense cliffhanger of cosmic stakes and personal anguish. Peter’s friends and loved ones are left deeply worried – Shay sees her boyfriend growing cold and distant but doesn’t know why, and Randy can tell Peter is in a dark place even if he’s unaware of the supernatural battle raging in secret. Unresolved threads abound as we look toward the next issues: the Scions of Cyttorak continue their assault without Spider-Man fully in the fray, Peter’s crisis of confidence hangs heavy, and the fate of his city (and his relationships) is uncertain. In short, Amazing Spider-Man #61–66 delivers a brutal, game-changing saga that ends with Peter Parker physically alive but spiritually defeated – a hero at his lowest point, just as an even greater fight looms ahead. Readers are now caught up and ready to see if and how Spider-Man will find his resolve again, what role heroes like the X-Men or others might play in the final battle, and whether Peter can reclaim his life (from Tombstone’s unfinished business to his love on the line with Shay) once the dust settles.
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