Spider-Man’s Parents Were Killed By Another Avenger

The deaths of Richard and Mary Parker would forever affect their son Peter’s life. Originally government agents who died in a plane crash while on mission, Spider-Man‘s parents would occasionally reappear in Peter’s life, either as Peter uncovers more about their past or when he falsely believed they had returned from the dead. In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Richard Parker was changed to be a well-recognized biologist who was killed along with his wife Mary by Bruce Banner during his first transformation as the Hulk.

In Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, it was his father whose work on adhesives helped lay the foundation for Peter’s iconic web fluid. Peter later learned that Richard worked with Eddie Brock Sr, father of Peter’s childhood best friend Eddie Brock, Jr, on a biological cure for cancer. Unfortunately this project was deemed more useful as a weapon than a cure and the it was taken away from them. Richard Parker would make a reappearance during the ‘Clone Saga’ story-line, revealing that he did not die on that original plane crash but that he had been working for the government in seclusion, only recently learning of Peter’s identity as Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Richard turned out to be a clone of Peter Parker, manipulated to look like Richard by his creator, Doctor Otto Octavius.

In Ultimate Origins, a prequel series set 15 years in the past, Bendis and artist Butch Guice told a different version of the Parkers’ famous deaths contradicted what fans already knew about Peter’s parents. Richard Parker was revealed to be among a brain trust along with Hank Pym, Bruce Banner, and Franklin Storm. The team is tasked with recreating Project Rebirth. Provided with a sample of Nick Fury’s blood, Dr. Pym and Banner believe they’ve made a breakthrough and decide to test it, their guinea pig being Bruce himself. Around that time, Richard had an unexpected visit from his wife Mary and their newborn son Peter. Despite being warned last minute by a fleeing Hank Pym, Richard and Mary are killed by when Banner Hulks out and destroys the building, leaving Peter Parker an orphaned survivor.

The sight of the infant Peter is traumatic enough to cause the Hulk to revert back to Bruce Banner, who cannot believe the destruction he caused before he is knocked unconscious by Fury. Cradling the infant Peter in his arms, Fury apologizes for the tragic turn of events, stating that its fortunate that due to his age, he won’t remember any of it. This scene contradicts anything Fury has told Peter throughout their tentative relationship, meaning that Fury lied to either protect Peter or out of guilt he felt for his assumed role in their death. This event also makes events in the Ultimate Spider-Man series, which showed Peter living with his parents as a child instead of only as a baby, impossible as well. The story highlighted Ultimate Marvel’s issue with continuity, where events within separate series were either ignored or ret-conned by others despite happening within the same universe.

Whether or not it makes sense, Richard and Mary’s death’s ensured that Peter ended up with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, confirming what Bruce Banner said to Peter years later during Ultimate Marvel Team Up, “Everything is connected.” Whether or not Bruce Banner ever realized or owned up to unintentionally killing Spider-Man‘s parents, it would appear that Peter Parker’s life was destined for tragedy, regardless of what universe it’s in.

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