In Review: Amazing Spider-Man (2022-) #65 Spider-Man Battles Cyra, Scion of Death

Synopsis: THE 8 DEATHS OF SPIDER-MAN CONTINUES! Spider-Man has faced four Scions and is running out of extra lives. This issue’s scion, CYRA, represents the very power of Death Itself and makes Spider-Man watch everything he loves die. Can Spider-Man possibly withstand this punishment?

The Story

Having defeated Callix in the last issue, Spider-Man now faces his twin sister, Cyra, the Scion of Death. This time, Spidey’s challenge is to endure watching the deaths of everyone and everything he loves through a sphere Cyra demands he hold onto. If he drops the sphere, he’ll fail as Earth’s champion. Throughout the issue, Spidey witnesses the heartbreaking deaths of Aunt May, Black Cat, and Mary Jane Watson, all while enduring Cyra’s relentless monologue about the futility of human life—that we come from nothing and return to nothing. It’s a bleak and deeply unsettling perspective that begins to weigh heavily on Spidey.

Artwork

 CAFU brings some fantastic art to this issue. The imagery depicting the deaths of Spider-Man’s friends and family is incredibly impactful. I especially loved the scene of Aunt May in her hospital bed, surrounded by doctors desperately trying to save her from a virus eerily reminiscent of COVID. Another standout moment is the sequence where we see Black Cat falling to her death. Granted, these are only potential futures that Spidey is shown, but when paired with Cyra’s chilling narration, they feel all too real—and they take a serious toll on our favorite web-slinger.

Overall

This is arguably one of the strongest issues in this arc so far. The imagery used to depict the various potential futures through the sphere was incredibly effective. Watching Spider-Man gradually lose the will to fight felt entirely believable, thanks to how well-written Cyra’s dialogue was as she narrated the bleak futility of human life alongside the haunting imagery Spidey was forced to endure.

The final page hits hard, showing Peter Parker at rock bottom, teetering on the edge of conceding and giving up the fight.