10 Most Devastating Comic Book Endings

There is perhaps no greater secondary character in the history of superhero comics as beloved as Spider-Man's Aunt May. The weary and withered widow had been his longest and most loyal supporter, driven by an unshakable love of her family and the good people of the world. Though she was elderly and frail, she seemed as immortal as any of the Marvel gods.

But she was only ever human. During the much-maligned Clone Saga, Peter takes Aunt May up to the Empire State Building with the intent to finally reveal to her his secret identity. Before he can bring it up, May shocks him with a secret of her own: that she knows he's Spider-Man and always has.

However, May's health quickly begins to fail her soon after and she retires to her bed to receive hospice care. The issue ends with Peter reciting a passage from Peter Pan, a book she'd read to him as a child, as his last remaining parental figure succumbs to her age.

It speaks volumes as to how impactful this death was that even when it was revealed that this wasn't May (because of course it wasn't) but rather a genetic clone actress made by the Jackal (because the Clone Saga was stupid), the image of Peter weeping over his aunt's body as she dies in bed has become one of the most enduring images for both their characters.