Spider-Man Writer Dan Slott Takes Issue With Avengers: Endgame: “Peter Parker Shouldn’t Kill”

Long-time Marvel Comics and Spider-Man writer Dan Slott expressed the one issue he had with Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame. That issue is the idea that Spider-Man and Peter Parker would kill.

Slott took to Twitter to write, “Confession: There is 1 moment I did NOT like in all of Avengers: Endgame. This. Peter Parker shouldn’t kill. Even when it comes to Thanos’ evil army of alien spacehounds.” He would add the caveat, “But not liking 1 moment out of 3 hours and 2 minutes ain’t that bad :)”

Slott would follow that up with another caveat:

“I know this is a crazy caveat to add to any post. I know it’s basic, common sense, but… The above tweet is my *personal* opinion on the matter. And it’s a personal opinion about a *fictional* character. It’s okay if *your* opinion on this is different. It’s all good.”

Slott was challenged with a number of panels from his Amazing Spider-Man #792 that shows Spider-Man and Peter Parker proposing to kill the Venom symbiote. Spider-Man states, “Pete’s got all kinds of science-y equipment here. Stuff we can use to see if you’re okay. And stuff we can use to neutralize this critter once and for all.” In fact, Spider-Man would add, “No. It’s a hostile alien organism. One that I brought back from outer space. Every bad thing it’s ever done–or spawned–is all on me. It’s my responsibility. A responsibility I want to be over and done with!”

Slot would respond explaining, “Yup. This isn’t an instant decision Peter had to make. It’s something he’s lived w/ for a long time. A decision (his responsibility) to bring back an alien life form that’s been responsible for many deaths, and one that gave “birth” to Carnage, that’s caused countless more deaths.”

He would elaborate, “IMO. Pete’s responsible for Carnage being on Earth. Peter would feel guilty for every result of his own actions that led to so many people being killed.
But the moment he’d kill a symbiote and/or its host, he’d have a hard time being Spider-Man ever again. *See Renew Your Vows #1”

However, when faced with the fact that Peter Parker already killed Ebony Maw in Avengers: Infinity War, he would admit, “This… is a good point. ”

Peter Parker has killed in the comics before. In Stan Lee and Larry Lieber’s Amazing Spider-Man #5 Annual, Spider-Man kills a Red Skull assassin named The Finisher. In fact, he kills The Finisher with one of his own missiles, but not before he had already disposed of a previous missile without killing or even harming anyone. The Finisher would survive the missile strike, but die from his wounds in the hands of Spider-Man as he interrogated him.

What do you make of Dan Slott’s issue with Avengers: Endgame? Do you think Peter Parker should never kill?