10 Spider-Man Stories That Marvel Should Use In The Reboot

One thing we can always guarantee for comic book movies is that there will never be a shortage of inspiring source material available. With more than fifty years worth of history and heritage out there for some of the world's most successful super heroes, there's really no excuse for choosing a poor story in a comic book film. Or, at least you'd think so. Sadly, it appears that a few creative teams have chosen not to follow the already perfect blueprints that are so readily available to them, and have chosen to plot their superhero movies with tales further from the beaten track. Don't they know how dangerous it is to wander off alone out there?!?! Anyway, since Marvel's most popular hero has somehow been unfortunate enough to fall foul of such a trap a few times in his big-screen past, we've put together a handy list of ten comic book stories that would be perfect for a new Spider-Man movie. Here's hoping that one or two of these may just make their way to Hollywood so we can all forget what Sony wanted to do with Marvel's prodigal son in The Amazing Spider-Man 3... 10) Spider-Island Talk about kicking things off with a bang! Written by current Spidey author Dan Slott, Spider-Island was one of the biggest events in the Wall-Crawler's most recent decade. In short, virtually all of New York's residents find themselves exhibiting spider powers just like Peter's, thanks to a dastardly ploy by The Jackal. While this all sounds enormously fun at first, the evolving stages of Jackal's plan involve the infected civilians eventually transforming completely into gigantic spiders to serve under the rule of a devilish Spider Queen. Through the course of the story, Spider-Man has to call on all of his experience and instinct - along with the help of The Avengers and other heroes - to defeat the Queen and reverse Jackal's work. What makes this story so great is the simplicity it takes to its grand scale; it's a huge story that covers practically all of Marvel's hero roster but it never feels too overblown or out of control. It would be an incredible story to see played out on the big-screen as well, especially now that accompanying heroes from The Avengers could be drafted in as well. 9) The Horns Of The Rhino While the eventual cliffhanger of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 may have teased enough in its Spidey vs. Rhino showdown to give some fans a glimmer of hope in the franchise, the movie still failed to give The Rhino the credit he was due. After all, the mechanical version employed in the movie arrived much later on in the comics, and even he was eventually re-replaced by the original. The Horns of the Rhino represented the character's original conception, where he was actually given powers and the rhino-hide suit when tasked with kidnapping John Jameson to recover the extraterrestrial spores he's been exposed to. Rhino ultimately neglects this, however, and instead goes on a rampage that forces Spider-Man to step in and attempt to subdue him. Rhino's brute strength may be a simple skill compared to the ballistic arsenal of the mechanized rhino, but this brain vs. brawn showdown is a classic format for a Spider-Man story and would be simply perfect for the reboot's spry new youngster, Tom Holland. The conclusion of the story is also notable for the introduction of Mary Jane Watson, where she uttered the immortal words that would kickstart their relationship... 8) The Conversation Despite a few on-the-nose hints that Aunt May was becoming aware of Peter's double life in Amazing Spider-Man 2, moviegoers have yet to experience a moment where Peter has to openly discuss his powers with his only remaining guardian. In this story, however, May has finally uncovered her nephew's secret and confronts him with it face-to-face. It would be best suited as a subplot amongst another, larger story, but this kind of emotional angle would be great for a new Spider-Man movie. After all, it was when Marc Webb hit all the right emotional beats that his films really flourished, and Peter Parker's stories are meant to appeal to the heart as much as the head. Since any movie series is only ever going to last for a few instalments, producers wouldn't have to worry about erasing the reveal or reverting the status quo like the comics had to. As a result, we could see a newly enhanced bond between the characters for the first time on screen. 7) No One Dies One of the greatest traits of Spider-Man's character is, in fact, the person he was raised to be before he became super-powered. The famous line, "with great power comes great responsibility," was told to him by his Uncle Ben to ensure Peter always knew that all people are charged with the responsibility of helping others whenever they could. In a relatively recent comic story, Peter takes this responsibility even further and makes the pledge to himself that - wherever he can have influence - no one around him will die. This vow still stands in Peter's mind even today (despite a few unforeseen wobbles) and covers friend and foe alike, such is Parker's belief that no one truly deserves to suffer that ultimate fate. This story represents the perfect opportunity to immediately re-stamp what it means to be Spider-Man into a new movie series, and further cement the character as one of our greatest comic book heroes. 6) Confessions From the pages of the secondary Ultimate Spider-Man, this story followed some of Peter's early exploits in the famous red and blue suit. After struggling to get to grips with his powers and the impact they were having on his life, he opts to come clean and tells Mary Jane the truth about his double life. Mary Jane is Peter's longest standing romantic interest in the comics, and for a few decades now their relationship has openly involved Spider-Man as well. Having this confidant is a good release for Peter in many ways, but it's also perilous for the two of them and adds a potentially exploitable weakness to Peter's work as Spider-Man. Following the blueprint of this story would allow for Peter to bring MJ closer on his own terms, considering she's likely to play a larger part in the reboot series after being booted from Marc Webb's movies. 5) The Gauntlet Less of an outright story and more of a "general theme" that encompassed many small stories, The Gauntlet saw Peter have to face a constant onslaught of challenges in his personal and superhero lives. During this time he faced off against many members of the Sinister Six, meaning that this theme could be a good starting point for Sony and Marvel to drag the Sinister Six across a couple of movies. The story is great because it captures Peter at a time where lesser human beings would throw in the towel and quit. Facing crises on all fronts, however, he fronts up and continues on fighting to keep his feet on solid ground and demonstrates the never-say-die attitude that makes him such an idol. If Sony are going to keep pushing for the Sinister Six to feature on screen, they should split them in this siege style rather than try to cram them all into one movie. 4) The Superior Spider-Man Probably the most controversial Spidey story since the events that saw Mephisto erase much of his recent history, The Superior Spider-Man would certainly be a contentious choice for a movie. Since the reboots are coming about so quickly, however, it could make for a very interesting change of direction. In the story, Doctor Octopus has finally bested his longtime nemesis and has captured Spider-Man's body, leaving Peter trapped in Ock's own dying frame. After a showdown, he vows to carry on Peter's own work, but claims he will prove how foiled Peter was by proving himself to be a far more superior hero. Needless to say it's not long before Ock's old ways come back to him, but fortunately enough of Peter remains to try to reclaim his old life and stop his nemesis from doing any further damage. It's definitely a long-shot, but one to hope for nonetheless. The Superior Spider-Man spanned eighteen months and turned into a truly engrossing story. If even a small part of that could be captured on screen, it would be a success. 3) Coming Home Launching at a time where Spider-Man's popularity was waining slightly before the 2002 release of his first movie, this storyline represented both a 'back to basics' approach while at the same time introducing characters that would change the future of the webslinger for good. After getting back into the swing (sorry) of his super-hero life, Peter soon comes face to face with a foe that he has been destined to face since he was first bitten by the spider. It's here that many of the principles of his destiny and heritage were cemented, adding further importance to the life and fate of everyone's favourite wall-crawler. The showdown against Morlun is truly epic, and Peter's victory is an immense relief... for a little while, at least. Morlun would eventually go on to become the antagonist responsible for Parker's war against The Inheritors in last year's epic Spider-Verse story, which would also be incredible to see in a movie. We won't get ahead of ourselves, though; let's hope Hollywood can get one Spider-Man right before they try to tackle hundreds. 2) Kraven's Last Hunt Held by many to be one of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever told, Kraven's Last Hunt is the perfect way to illustrate just why Kraven has to find his way onto the big screen before too long. Save for the black suit worn by Spidey at the time, practically all of this story could be packaged into the early heroic career of Peter Parker. In the pages of the story, Kraven proves himself to be one of Peter's most calculated and deadly foes. He tracks Spider-Man mercilessly before "killing" him in ceremony and burying him. Here, Peter has to face his own doubts and demons to find the will to return to the world and again face a man who had defeated him so convincingly. When he returned, Kraven set Spider-Man the challenge of brutally defeating Vermin in the same way he had done in Peter's absence. When Peter refused, Kraven was satisfied enough that he had succeeded in proving himself superior. He spared Peter, and released Vermin for Peter to chase and restrain. While ultimately this story represents somewhat of a defeat for Peter, the strength of will he demonstrates and eventual compassionate restraint make this one of the more complex and moving Spider-Man stories. It would be an absolute triumph to see it played out on the big screen. 1) If This Be My Destiny... The desire to have the iconic panel where Peter summons all strength to remove himself from the immense weight of fallen debris immortalized in a perfectly crafted movie sequence may be reason enough to find this story at the head of our list. Add to this that it's framed within a quintessential Spider-Man story, and you've definitely got a winning formula. While there's a scarcity of one-on-one villain showdowns, it is a must to make its way into a movie someday. The finale is - like many others on this list - a stirring example of what makes Peter Parker more heroic and praiseworthy than many of his more powerful peers. Parker's whole ethos can practically be summed up by the one legendary quote: Anyone can win a fight--when the odds--are easy! It's when the going's tough--when there seems to be no chance--that's when--it counts! Ultimately, one would hope that any new Spider-Man movie captures the heart and essence what has made Peter Parker an idol for millions of readers over the years. For any creative team struggling to get it right, however, that answer is right within this simple story.