Whilst most life on Earth would be obliterated in the face of a nuclear holocaust, scientists know that three things will survive: cockroaches, those non-biodegradable plastic bags they hand out at supermarket checkouts, and comic book characters. Superheroes have an unparalleled capacity to cheat death at every turn, to the point that characters as iconic as Superman and Batman have kicked the bucket umpteen times, only to return soon after. That sort of immortality suits their characters, though. Batman and Superman and practically gods, iconic beings who could never really die. Spider-Man, meanwhile, is a perpetually unlucky, schlubby mess of a character who spends as much of his time trying to get to dinner appointments on time and paying his rent as he does fighting Earth-shattering villains and guys dressed in purple tunics and goblin masks. Peter Parker has always been the relatable superhero, the regular guy you can imagine yourself being. He's a bit of a clumsy oaf, he puts his foot in his mouth - he's not the unassailable millionaire Bruce Wayne, or literal alien being Clark Kent. And yet when it comes to the punch, he has more heroic acumen and power than the rest of us. He also has a similar propensity for dying and then coming back to life. In fact, the Friendly Neighbourhood what's-his-face has temporarily passed away with greater regularity than many other of his superhero brethren. Usually accompanied by a stupid joke and a fair amount of melodramatic scenery-chewing. He's been drowned in sand, poisoned, buried alive, had his mind wiped from existence...and beaten to death with a rock. Here are then times Spider-Man has "died".
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
