3. Peter Parker/Spider-man (2011 and 2012)
Marvels most popular and iconic character of all time, your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man, Peter Parker, was killed in the pages of Ultimate Spider-man in 2011 by writer Brian Michael Bendis. In the lead-up to his death, Spider-man had been training with Captain America in a graveyard(!), when the two are summoned to help out in an attack on the Queensboro bridge. Frank Castle aka The Punisher targets Cap in a scene reminiscent of his first appearance on the cover of The Amazing Spider-man #129 in 1974, but Spider-man throws himself at Cap, taking the bullet. However, the shot doesnt kill Peter and he decides to go to the hospital even if he has to reveal his secret identity. But he then finds out that Norman Osborn and the Sinister Six have targeted his family and changes his plans. Even in his weakened condition, he is able to defeat the Six and Osborn, with the help of Johnny Storm, crushing Norman with a truck. Unfortunately the truck explodes and Peters caught in the blast and dies. Ultimate Spider-man continues on with a half black/half Latino kid called Miles Morales as the new Spider-man and because it was Ultimate Spider-man, it wasnt the real Peter Parker the Ultimates line being a parallel universe-style series.
However, Marvel werent satisfied with killing off Peter in the Ultimates universe and the following year they decided to kill the character in the pages of Amazing Spider-man too! Peter Parker died in December 2012 when a dying Doctor Otto Octavius - Doc Ock switched their minds so that Peter inhabited Ottos body and vice versa. With Doc Ocks mind in Peters body, Otto proclaimed himself the Superior Spider-man as Peters ghost, still around, watches aghast as nobody realises Peters body no longer contains Peters mind. But will the real Peter Parker/Spider-man be back? Course he will its Spidey! Where can I read the (supposed) death(s) of Peter Parker? Ultimate Comics Spider-man: The Death of Spider-man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley and Spider-man: Dying Wish by Dan Slott and Richard Elson