The Amazing Spider-Man #274
In "Lo, There Shall Come a Champion!", Spider-Man faces his darkest trial yet when the Beyonder tests him by unleashing Zarathos to torment him with visions of past failures. Written by Tom DeFalco and illustrated by Ron Frenz, with additional art by Tom Morgan, James Fry, and Jack Fury, this 1986 issue sees Spidey haunted by the ghosts of those he’s lost—friends and foes alike—while racing to stop Kingpin’s murder. Cover by Larry Lieber and John Romita captures the weight of the moment, as Spider-Man must find strength not in victory, but in purpose.
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The Beyonder makes a deal with the devil: he agrees not to destroy the cosmos if a hero can sustain his life's purpose in the face of overwhelming adversity. He chooses Spidey and frees Zarathos to torment him. Spidey overhears plans for the murder of Kingpin. Resolved to rescue him, Spidey is hampered in his quest by dead friends and foes from the past who accuse him of being a failure. Spidey is beaten down and begins to give in to despair. The source of the illusions, Zarathos, confronts Spider-Man and tries to convince him to let Kingpin be killed. Spidey finds the strength to fight back.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
