MARVEL COMICS kills PAUL RABIN!!!

Marvel Comics Pulls the Trigger: Paul Rabin Dies in 'Death Spiral' – Fans Celebrate the End of Spider-Man's Most Hated Character

ebay.com

aiptcomics.com

In the pages of Venom #256—part of Marvel's ongoing Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral crossover event—Torment, the new symbiote-fueled serial killer, brutally murders Paul Rabin. The character who has become a lightning rod for Spider-Man fandom's rage for years is gone, unceremoniously cut down while caught in the crossfire of Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson (now bonded to Venom), and the Brock family drama.

For countless fans, this isn't tragedy—it's catharsis. Paul, the bland, bespectacled everyman thrust into Mary Jane's life during Zeb Wells' Amazing Spider-Man run, has been loathed with a ferocity rarely seen even in comics. He's mocked as a "human-shaped doorstop," a "self-insert cuck," and the embodiment of everything wrong with modern Spider-Man editorial decisions. His death has lit up social media, Reddit, and YouTube with gleeful reactions: "GOOD RIDDANCE," "Paul is dead—Spider-Man fans are winning," and memes turning his demise into a victory lap.

m.youtube.com

Spider-Man Fans Honest reaction to Paul's Death: Comment as song - YouTube

The Paul Hate: A Fandom United in Disdain

Paul Rabin wasn't just disliked—he was despised. Introduced as MJ's partner after a multiversal mishap left her stranded and bonding with him (complete with adopted kids and a domestic life that felt engineered to torment longtime readers), Paul offered zero charisma, zero stakes, and zero reason to care. He was "nothing to dislike" because there was nothing there—just a mustache, glasses, and the constant reminder that Peter Parker, Spider-Man himself, was being sidelined in his own book.

Forum threads exploded with venom: "Paul represents the continuing efforts of Marvel editorial to keep Peter from being the family man everyone wants him to be." Fans called him a "meme," a "stand-in for the situation that we hate," and worse. His very existence insulted the core of Spider-Man: a hero who grows up, marries the love of his life, and faces adult responsibilities. Instead, Marvel doubled down on perpetual bachelor angst, using Paul as the ultimate obstacle.

reddit.com

community.cbr.com

The hatred wasn't fringe. It dominated discussions on ResetEra, CBR forums, Reddit's r/Spiderman (where entire posts dissected why "everyone hates Paul"), and X (formerly Twitter). YouTube videos with titles like "Spider-Man vs Paul: The Controversy Making Fans Angry" racked up views, while artists and even some Marvel creators subtly nodded to the backlash. Sales for Amazing Spider-Man took a hit; fans openly admitted dropping the book because of him. As one Gizmodo piece put it, Paul was "one of the most unpopular additions to Spider-Man continuity since 'One More Day'"—and irritation stayed at "fever pitch."

The Peter Parker & Mary Jane Dream: Overwhelming Fan Demand

At the heart of the Paul hate is one unbreakable truth: Spider-Man fans overwhelmingly want Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson together—married. The couple's wedding in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) was a landmark moment, celebrated across decades of stories where they built a life amid the chaos. Fans see them as iconic: the girl next door and the quippy hero, facing the world as equals.

13thdimension.com

womenwriteaboutcomics.com

Petitions on Change.org demanding Marvel "remarry Peter and MJ" have garnered thousands of signatures (one recent drive hovered near 2,200 and climbing, with updates begging for more). Reddit's r/Peter_X_MJ thrives as a shrine to their chemistry. Polls and elimination brackets for Peter's love interests routinely crown MJ. Even in 2025–2026, as Death Spiral teases more Peter/MJ tension, the outcry remains: "We want the marriage back." Marvel's refusal—treating the pair as a perpetual "will they/won't they" despite fan love—has fueled years of frustration.

Echoes of 'One More Day': Joe Quesada and the Death Threats

This isn't new. The Paul era feels like a sequel to the 2007 One More Day debacle, where Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada greenlit a deal with Mephisto to erase Peter and MJ's marriage (and Aunt May's death) for "youthful" storytelling. Fans were furious then, too—Quesada reportedly received death threats and vicious personal attacks online for what many called character assassination. Forums like Spider-Man Crawlspace documented the toxicity: insults, "die in a fire" messages, and outright bans for crossing into real threats.

Quesada's vision—to return Spider-Man to his "roots"—ignored the growth fans loved. Paul became the modern symbol of that same editorial hubris: a character who existed solely to wound the audience. The negativity spilled over to Amazing Spider-Man itself, with readers calling runs "unreadable" and sales suffering amid the controversy.

gettyimages.com

Joe Quesada, Marvel Entertainment's editor in chief, gives a statue... News Photo - Getty Images

A Toxic Legacy for the Flagship Title

Death Spiral—a symbiote-heavy event tying Amazing Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage—has been billed as high-stakes action. But for many, Paul's death is the only highlight. It underscores how Marvel's decisions turned their biggest hero's book into a punchline of fan rage rather than a celebration of legacy. As one Bleeding Cool report noted, Torment's kill wasn't heroic or sacrificial; Paul just "served his purpose" as an obstacle and was discarded.

Fans aren't shy: the Paul saga insulted their intelligence, their attachment to the characters, and Spider-Man's spirit. With his exit, some hope Death Spiral signals a reset—toward the Peter/MJ marriage millions crave. Whether Marvel listens remains to be seen. For now, the web-slinger's most hated rival is dead, and the internet is throwing the biggest party since One More Day was (temporarily) forgotten.

comicbook.com

Marvel Artist Hates Spidey's Most Controversial Character Just As Much As You Do - ComicBook.com

Sources & Further Reading:

• Gizmodo on Paul's unpopularity: https://gizmodo.com/all-new-venom-9-paul-mj-breakup-spider-man-2000639645
• Bleeding Cool spoilers on the death: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/paul-rabin-mary-jane-peter-parker-the-final-chapter-spoilers/
• Change.org petition for the marriage: https://www.change.org/p/marvel-please-remarry-peter-and-mj
• Fan discussions: Reddit threads like r/Spiderman on Paul hate and Death Spiral.