Cover: Mark Bagley & Lanning

Ultimate Spider-Man #158

Jul 2011 · Marvel · 3.99 USD

☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free

“Death of Spider-Man: Part Three of Five”

About this Issue

Ultimate Spider-Man #158 is a key chapter in the 'Death of Spider-Man' arc, one of the most consequential storylines in the eleven-year run of Brian Michael Bendis's Ultimate Universe. The issue brings the full weight of the arc's stakes into focus: a bullet-wounded Peter Parker, fighting to stay conscious, witnesses Norman Osborn's Sinister Six bearing down on his home while Human Torch and Iceman are left as the only defenders of his family. As the penultimate battle piece before the final two issues, it crystallizes what made Ultimate Spider-Man distinctive — Peter is unmistakably a teenager in over his head, not a seasoned superhero, and the threat to the people he loves rather than to himself is what drives the horror. The arc directly cleared the way for Miles Morales to inherit the Spider-Man mantle, making this entire five-part sequence a pivot point for the broader Ultimate imprint and for the modern comics landscape.

writer Brian Michael Bendis · artist Mark Bagley · inker Andy Lanning · colorist Justin Ponsor · letterer VC's Joe Sabino · cover Mark Bagley, Lanning

Find on ebay

Search eBay for Ultimate Spider-Man #158 ▸

No confirmed live listings for this exact issue right now — this opens an eBay search.

Sell my copy

Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.

We Buy Collections ▸

Fast, fair offers · we handle grading & shipping

History

The 'Death of Spider-Man' arc was announced by Marvel in late 2010, running through issues #156–160 of the relaunched Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man series. Senior editor Mark Paniccia described the story as the product of Bendis and Mark Millar working together to deliver an event that would 'really resonate with fans.' A central editorial decision was reuniting writer Brian Michael Bendis with original series artist Mark Bagley — the same team whose unbroken run had set a Marvel record for longest consecutive creative partnership — specifically for the arc that would end Peter Parker's life. Issue #158 crossed over in its timeline with the companion title Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates, and the Marvel Database notes that it takes place simultaneously with that series' fourth issue, though it was intended to be read after it for chronological clarity.

Trivia · 8 facts

Part Three of the five-part 'Death of Spider-Man' arc (issues #156–160), published with a cover date of July 2011 and released in stores on May 18, 2011.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis with pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Andy Lanning, colors by Justin Ponsor, and lettering by VC's Joe Sabino; variant cover by Steve McNiven.
The issue reunites Bendis and Bagley, the creative team whose original run together set the Marvel record for the longest unbroken run by two people on a single series.
Core plot: A badly wounded Peter Parker (shot by the Punisher in the prior issue) drags himself toward help while Norman Osborn leads his Sinister Six — Green Goblin, Sandman, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, and Vulture — to the Parker household, where only Human Torch (Johnny Storm) and Iceman (Bobby Drake) stand in their way.
The Tinkerer (Elijah Stern) appears in the opening sequence repairing the Beetle's suit and equipping the Six for their assault — a scene corroborated by both the Marvel Database wiki and period reviews.
This issue takes place simultaneously with Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #4 and was designed to be read after that issue for proper chronological context.
The 'Death of Spider-Man' arc is the direct creative predecessor to the introduction of Miles Morales as the new Ultimate Spider-Man, first revealed in Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011).
The arc, including this issue, has been collected in multiple formats: the Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 4: Death of Spider-Man trade paperback (collecting #156–160), a hardcover (October 2011), and a comprehensive Death of Spider-Man Omnibus that also collects Ultimate Comics Avengers vs. New Ultimates #1–6 and Ultimate Comics Fallout #1–6.