Peter Parker gets killed in Amazing Spider-Man No 700 issue

Spider-Man's geeky alter-ego, Peter Parker, dies in a major battle with his rival Doctor Octopus in the latest issue of the popular comic series. The 'Amazing Spider-Man No 700', which hit stands on December 26, is set to break the hearts of many 'Spider-Man' followers, who kept themselves hooked to his exploits in New York for close to 50 years.

Marvel is looking for a major reboot in 'Spider-Man' series with the finale. Parker loses a major battle with Doctor Octopus, who spent the past year fighting to destroy the world as his own body slowly died in the latest issue. However, this doesn't spell the end for the legacy of Spider-Man.

In a moment of clarity, Dr Octopus realises that his longtime nemesis was a force for good. Having swapped his mind into Parker's body, Octopus takes on the life and exploits of the superhero for himself. Marvel writer Dan Slott, who wrote the finale of the comic series that started the wall-crawler's exploits, explained the transformation to USA Today. "This is Moriarty in the head of Sherlock. This is Prince John inside of Robin Hood. This is the greatest villain inside the body of the greatest hero and trying to do good. This is a guy who was a couple steps way from a bucket list, and now he's got a whole new lease on life. That's really going to change him," Slott said about the biggest twist in the story.

In an interview with CNN, the author explained the idea further saying, "For all intents and purposes, (Otto Octavius, who became the evil Doc Ock) was the adult Peter could have become, Spider-Man's dark reflection. So what if we flipped it? What if we gave him a second chance? Peter's final, heroic act was giving Doc all the memories and experiences that kept him on the right path. But is that enough? Can that overcome Ock's true nature?"

'Spider-Man' fans need not lose heart as the world of comics is an uncertain one where superheroes have a way of returning from their graves. In the 1990s, Superman died, Bruce Wayne lost the cape and cowl as Batman for a time, and Bucky took on the role of Captain America, only to return later.