We know reach our final installment of Spider-Month. This has been a fun little look at my favorite superhero, and a great way to celebrate the brand turning 60 years old. Spider-Man is without doubt the most popular of Marvel’s roster of superheroes, and in some regard, may even eclipse Superman and Batman as the most popular superhero in the world.

To cap off our look back at the wallcrawler, here are what I believe are five of the best storylines to showcase the character.

5. The Night Gwen Stacy Died (The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122) Many superheroes are defined by tragedy, Spider-Man is not excluded in this. As everyone knows, his Uncle Ben dying was the catalyst to starting his career as a vigilante crimefighter in the first place.

As the title of this particular story reveals, this was when Spider-Man’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy is killed off, in a move that was both unusual and shocking.

The Night Gwen Stacy Died was a pivotal moment for Spider-Man’s character as it reinforced the importance of a secret identity and how dangerous it was to be associated with him.

This story also cemented the Green Goblin as one of Spider-Man’s deadliest and greatest foes due to his role in the events. The follow out of this story also led to a greater emphasis on Mary Jane Watson as Spider-Man’s love interest and the creation/introduction of The Punisher to the Marvel Universe.

The story is widely believed to have ended the Silver Age of Comic Books and ushered in the Bronze Age that focused on more mature storylines and themes.

While killing off someone is a tricky thing to do (to speak nothing of “fridging”, a topic for another time), this did so in a way that shook all Spider-Man stories moving forward.

4. Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut (The Amazing Spider-Man #229-230) Spider-Man has probably fought just about everyone in the Marvel Universe by now, being the most popular character and premier superhero in New York City will probably do that to you. But Spider- Man had never gone up against someone quite like the Juggernaut.

Juggernaut (aka Cain Marko) was first introduced as an X-Men villain, the step brother of Professor Charles Xavier, who gained immense power from the mystical Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. The Juggernaut is highly invulnerable with Hulk-level strength and is unstoppable when in motion.

Needless to say, he outclasses Spider-Man in almost every way. So when Juggernaut is sent to kidnap Spider-Man supporting character Madame Web, it is up to Spidey to try and stop the unstoppable.

This story does an excellent job of showing both Spider-Man’s tenacity and his quick thinking. While Spider-Man is a pretty tough guy on his own, there are many in the Marvel Universe much more powerful, thus forcing Spider-Man to have to use his head.

This one is a fun read with some great action.

3. Spider-Man: No More! (The Amazing Spider-Man #50) Being a superhero is tough, being Spider-man is misery.

Picture this: between your ailing Aunt May, your boss constantly churning out stories turning the public against you, and a non-existent social life, you would probably quite being Spider-Man as well.

And in The Amazing Spider- Man #50, that is exactly what happened. Fed up with how his dual life has made him miserable, Peter Parker throws his suit in the garbage and tries to live his life without the webhead.

However, not every thing is sunshine and rainbows. As Spider-Man has disappeared, this has led to the emergence of a new crime lord in the form of Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin in his debut issue. Ultimately, it is Peter Parker saving a man from being robbed (who looks a lot like Uncle Ben) that reminds him of why he became Spider-Man in the first place.

Several elements of this issue were adapted into the film Spider-Man 2, it even lifted the iconic shot of the suit in the garbage as Peter walks away.

2. Kraven’s Last Hunt (Web of Spider-Man #31-32, The Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132) Kraven the Hunter was always one of Spider-Man’s lesser foes. His gimmick was that he wanted to prove himself to be the greatest hunter that ever lived. To this end, he never used guns or bow and arrows, preferring to take down prey with his bare hands. He also took jungle herbs to enhance his physical abilities and used those to try to hunt Spider-Man in a twist on The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell.

But that all changed with this storyline that elevated Kraven and provided great insight into Spider-Man himself.

So the story goes, writer John Marc DeMatteis had the idea of during a story where Marvel hero Wonder Man

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would be buried alive by his half-brother Grim Reaper and then have to crawl out of a grave. This proposal was turned down and he took the idea instead to DC with a story that would involve Batman and the Joker, and later Hugo Strange in the place of Joker. This too, was rejected. DeMatteis would eventual be able to get the story off the ground utilizing the recent marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson as the emotional throughline. DeMatteis had a new villain envisioned but after reading the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, DeMatteis came upon an entry about Kraven the Hunter and finally found the villain he needed.

The story involves Kraven supposedly finally killing Spider-Man and taking his place over the course of two weeks to prove himself the superior Spider-Man.

This story is excellent that combines comic book action and classical literary references. DeMatteis gives us a lot of insight into the inner works of a less popular Spider-Man villain, as well as a look at Peter and Mary Jane’s relationship and how the couple would handle and event like Peter dying in the line of duty.

1. If This Be My Destiny…! (The Amazing Spider-Man #31-33) Regarded as the best of the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko run on the series. If This Be My Destiny…! was a storyline that saw Peter Parker attend college and meet major supporting characters like Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy. It also involved one of the greatest action sequences in Spider-Man history. To set the scene, Spider-Man is dealing with a criminal mastermind called “The Master Planner” who has arranged the theft of various technological devices. Meanwhile, Peter’s Aunt May has succumbed to a life-threatening illness and a rare isotope that could save her life was amongst the items stolen by The Master Planner.

Spider-Man confronts The Master Planner, who is revealed to be none other than Doctor Octopus. Doc Ock escapes and Spider-Man becomes trapped under heavy machinery while the lab he is in floods.

Tired from the fight and the chill of the water entering the lab, Spider-Man remembers failing Uncle Ben and is not about to fail Aunt May. So he musters his strength, working though the pain to lift the machinery through sheer force of will in a display that showcases the mental fortitude and drive that motivates Spider-Man.

This story had an immense impact on writers and artists following its debut, and has been adapted into other media several times with Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Spectacular Spider-Man both having their own versions of the famous scene, while Spider-Man 2 takes many cues from this storyline.

So ends Spider-Month, a celebration of 60 years with the Amazing Spider-Man. Here is to 60 more and the continued adventures of the ole Webhead.