Marvel confirms the most hated Spider-Man character of all time has been killed off, "eternally," and with little to no chance of ever returning. Although the Marvel multiverse has presented dozens of beloved characters, several additions have missed the mark with readers. For example, Ben Reilly personified the messy nature of Spider-Man's infamous 1990s Clone Saga and became the target of backlash due to the editorial decision to imply that Ben was the real Peter Parker. Similarly, the introduction of Romulus, the ancient, shadowy puppet master behind Wolverine’s blood-soaked history, was met with severe criticism due to his forced connections to Logan.
Most Marvel characters are likely to come back from the dead sooner or later, but Uncle Ben and the original Gwen Stacy may finally be joined by a third, permanently dead Spider-Man character.
Marvel Makes Sure To Confirm Paul Rabin Will Rest In Peace "Eternally"
Venom #258; Written By Al Ewing; Art By Carlos Gómez, And Frank D'Armata
Besides Shocker's brutal death at the start of the story, one of the most shocking moments in The Amazing Spider-Man's Death Spiral arc is Paul Rabin's death at the hands of Torment, who stabs him in the chest. In the wake of Venom's murder of Torment, Paul Rabin's funeral marks the end of an era and the start of another. But instead of a fully solemn send-off, Venom #258 subtly pokes fun at the immense amount of hate Paul received across his appearances. Paul's tombstone reads, "Paul Rabin, Rest in Peace, Eternally."
Venom #258 goes out of its way to confirm Paul Rabin will rest "eternally," seemingly with no chance of ever returning the same way most comic book characters eventually do. After all, Paul's death wasn't a question of "how," but "when." Negative reactions to every Paul appearance in Marvel Comics almost guaranteed his send-off, and Venom #258 satisfies fan campaigns with the confirmation of his definitive farewell.
Few Comic Book Characters Are So Hated As Paul Rabin
Paul Rabin May Not Ever Get A Chance To Redeem Himself
Comic book history is filled with polarizing figures, but few have achieved the pure, unified vitriol directed at characters explicitly designed to upend the status quo. Historically, the benchmark for fan backlash belonged to DC's Jason Todd, whose brash attitude so thoroughly alienated readers in the 1980s that DC Comics launched a telephone poll allowing fans to vote on his fate, ultimately resulting in his execution at the hands of the Joker. Many Marvel characters have received their share of initial pushback, but most of them have earned a permanent spot in Marvel's expansive mythos.
Paul Rabin, however, belongs to a completely different category. Introduced as a literal barrier to Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's reunion, he became the ultimate focal point for universal fan disdain. Not only is Paul the living obstacle between Peter and MJ, but he also embodies the frustrating undoing of Peter's character arc in Marvel's controversial One More Day, which erased almost everything Spider-Man had built before his deal with Mephisto. Paul's supposedly perfect personality comes across as fake, and his relationship with Mary Jane seems awkward from the start of their relationship.
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After 36 Years, It's Time for Marvel to Admit a Hard Truth About the Venom Symbiote
Before the decades of villainy, destruction, and death that Venom has wrought the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man was the first villain in Venom's story.
In the world of superhero comics, the door is always left unlocked for resurrections, and even the most definitive of deaths can be overturned by a future creative team. However, even if Marvel chose to pull Paul Rabin back from the grave, there's virtually nothing the comics could do with him from a creative standpoint. Paul's short existence depicts him as a living plot device whose only purpose is to separate Spider-Man and Mary Jane. Now that MJ has moved past their relationship and Paul has served his purpose as a tragic catalyst for Dylan Brock, Paul can truly rest eternally.
Would you like to see Paul Rabin come back to life?
Venom #258 is available from Marvel Comics May 20, 2026.
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First Appearance Amazing Fantasy
Alias Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
Alliance Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
Race Human
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First Appearance The Amazing Spider-Man
Alias Eddie Brock
Alliance Vigilante
Race Klyntar (Symbiote species)
English (US) ·