10 Most Intense Comic Books Of All Time

1. The Amazing Spider-Man #121

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Marvel Comics

So much has happened to Peter Parker in his role as Spider-Man, but none of the events that defined him were as difficult and trying as the death of Gwen Stacey... and yes, that includes the death of his Uncle Ben.

When the Green Goblin took aim at Peter through the woman he loved, her resulting death was a tragedy Peter has never been able to get over and it all went down in The Amazing Spider-Man #121, The Night Gwen Stacey Died.

The two-issue story-arc concluded in this issue, which correctly identified itself on the cover as a "turning point" for our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

The panel showing Spider-Man holding his beloved moments after her neck snapped (thanks to some webbing) and decrying he would kill the Goblin in retribution was one of the most intense pages seen in a comic book up to that point. It remains as one of the most important issues in the series and is one of the most significant single comic book issues ever published by Marvel or any other publisher.

Major characters rarely died when this book was published, which is why it was not only a turning point for Spidey, but also for the industry as a whole.

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Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, writer, and game designer. Jonathan retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects. He writes for ScreenRant, CBR, NerdBastards, Listverse, Ranker, WhatCulture, and many other sites online. You can check out his latest on Twitter: @TalkingBull or on his blog: jonathanhkantor.com