As the year comes to a close, it honestly feels like Spider-Man comics have been firing on all cylinders. Across the board, we’ve been getting strong, powerful, emotionally resonant issues — and Radioactive Spider-Man ends its short run with a finale that absolutely wrecked me.
This is the kind of Spider-Man story that sneaks up on you. It doesn’t rely on shock value alone; it earns every emotional beat. This final issue goes out with a bang — one that is heartbreaking, haunting, and incredibly impactful.
PROS
Peter Parker and his love for Aunt May — devastating and beautiful
At the heart of this issue is one of the purest relationships in Spider-Man lore: Peter Parker and Aunt May. Seeing Peter forced to confront what Aunt May has become — a monstrous, radioactive threat to the city — is painful beyond words. Even though the facts are right in front of him, Peter simply cannot let go. He cannot accept that he may be the one who has to end her life for the greater good.
And honestly? That feels so painfully Peter Parker.
This isn’t just an aunt he’s losing. This is his mother figure. This is the woman who raised him, protected him, believed in him when the world fell apart. Watching Peter struggle, hesitate, and fall into denial makes this issue hit incredibly hard.
The flashbacks — Aunt May as Peter’s true parent
The flashbacks are some of the strongest moments in the entire issue. They don’t just remind us that Peter and Aunt May are close — they show us why. We see Peter as a child, growing up through some of the most important moments of his life with Aunt May always there. These scenes reinforce the idea that Aunt May isn’t just family — she’s the foundation of who Peter Parker became.
It makes the present-day tragedy almost unbearable, because you understand just how deep that bond runs.
Aunt May as a hero in her own right
One of the most powerful elements of this issue is how it frames Aunt May herself. She isn’t just a victim of circumstance. She’s portrayed as a strong woman who understood sacrifice long before Peter ever put on a mask.
In the past, she made it clear to Peter: if the time ever came, if she ever became something that threatened innocent lives, she would want him to pull the plug.
That knowledge makes Peter’s hesitation even more heartbreaking. He knows what she would want — but knowing and doing are two very different things.
Miles and Gwen — voices of reason and maturity
Miles and Gwen play an important role here as the voices trying to pull Peter out of denial. They remind him that Aunt May wouldn’t want to be responsible for hurting others. Their presence highlights how this future version of Miles and Gwen has grown into capable, mature heroes in their own right.
This future setting really works. It shows us older, wiser versions of familiar characters who have lived through their own share of loss. They understand what Peter is facing — even if they don’t feel it as deeply as he does.
The horror-infused art — radioactive in every sense
The art in this issue is phenomenal. It leans heavily into horror, and it works perfectly. Everything feels sickly, corrupted, and dangerous. Aunt May’s monstrous form is genuinely unsettling, and the radioactive elements pop off the page.
You can feel the decay in this world.
You can see the cost of survival.
It’s one of the rare Spider-Man comics that truly feels horrifying without losing its emotional core.
Peter Parker’s internal decay
What really elevates this issue is how clear it is that the radiation isn’t the only thing killing Peter. Emotionally, he’s been dying for a long time. The losses. The guilt. The memories. The burden of responsibility layered on top of grief.
You can see it wearing him down page by page. This is a man who has lost too much — and now he’s being asked to lose the person who mattered most.
Cecilia and the expanded supporting cast
Cecilia gets solid screen time here, showing off her abilities and reinforcing the idea that this future has produced powerful heroes beyond just Spider-Man. The supporting cast feels important, not just present, which adds to the weight of the world-building.
Explosive pacing and emotional desperation
The action in this issue is fast, intense, and desperate — but it never overshadows the emotional stakes. The script does an excellent job capturing how trapped and hopeless the heroes feel, especially Peter. Every fight feels like it’s being fueled by grief rather than hope.
CONS
I wanted more — because it hurt so good
The only real downside is that the issue ends with Aunt May dying in Peter’s arms — and it left me wanting more. Not because the ending was bad, but because this future felt so rich. I wanted to see what happens next. I wanted to know how Peter and his family continue living in this broken world.
The impact is massive — but it also feels like a door closing just as you want to step further inside.
FINAL GRADE: A
Conclusion
Radioactive Spider-Man #3 is a masterpiece of emotional storytelling. It may not be a mainline title, and it may be tied to a larger X-Men event, but it stands on its own as one of the most powerful Spider-Man stories of the year. This is a “what if” scenario that feels worthy of the big screen — tragic, intimate, and deeply human.
It hits harder than a tie-in ever should, and it might fly under the radar for a lot of readers — but it absolutely shouldn’t. Even if you’re not following the larger event, this short, sweet, devastating series is worth your time.
This issue hurt.
And sometimes, the best Spider-Man stories do exactly that.
English (US) · 