'Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Most Shocking Twist Homaged A Sadder Comics Scene
Comic book movies are famous for homaging the source material and delivering moments from the pages in ways we'd never suspect. But Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) took this to a totally new and amazing level by not only swiping covers from the comics but also panels from its issues.
Some of the most popular include Spidey's battles with Tarantula, Scorpion, and Boomerang, but there was a much sadder and darker homage that took place toward the end of Brand New Day that didn't copy a panel. Instead, it used a story beat that, in the comics, set up the death of the Wall-Crawler.
Spider-Man Getting Shot Captured The Moment That Defined Peter And Frank
Toward the end of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Jean Grey is captured and experimented on by Damage Control. Realizing that she was being killed in the same way her sister was, her powers evolved from telepathy to also include telekinesis, and she froze the people of New York City within a one-kilometer radius.
Spider-Man eventually stopped her and got her to see the error of her ways, but not before the Punisher, seeing Jean as a threat, shot his sniper rifle at her. At the last second, Spider-Man took the bullet and nearly bled out to death, with Jean's telekinesis keeping him alive till he healed.
What made that scene so incredible was that it showed not only how both Spider-Man and the Punisher stuck to their convictions, but also how the world would see mutants. Spider-Man represented those willing to help mutants who didn't understand their powers, and the Punisher ruled by fear and cold logic. Thankfully, the latter saw the error of his ways, but it took his friend nearly dying to show the cost of fear above all else.
In Marvel Comics, The Punisher Made A Fatal Mistake That Killed Spider-Man
The Ultimate Universe was a world designed to appeal to readers of the new millennium, as a fresh start that didn't have decades of history to sift through and offered a new look at beloved heroes. Ultimate Spider-Man was the most successful result of this, and Peter Parker's story culminated in the beginning of the end with Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #157 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley.
While trying to thwart a plan orchestrated by the Sinister Six, Spidey sees the Punisher aiming his gun at Captain America. To save him, he throws himself in the way of the bullet, leaving the Punisher stunned, as he never wanted to shoot a kid.
Bleeding out, Peter's family was still in danger, and all he could do was web up his wound and go stop Norman Osborn and his other enemies. While he succeeds in saving his family, Peter ultimately succumbs to his wounds and is remembered as a hero. Parallel to this story, the narrative also opened the door for Miles Morales to appear, showing that his selflessness left a great impact on those around him.
'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Is A Near-Perfect Comic Book Movie
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has so much it has accomplished as a superhero movie, but what makes this so special is also how it never forgets its roots. While comic fans recognize the scene of the Punisher carrying a wounded Spider-Man as an homage to a scene from the Civil War comic, it's also a surprise to adapt the scene where he shoots Peter as well.
These moments only worked because they weren't being used for the sake of it. They had a reason to be there that made them both a tasteful reminder of the comics but also something so important it's easy to forget where it came from. Spider-Man's selflessness is a key part of his character and can sometimes be hard to adapt.
Yet Brand New Day used the comics to convey the message that if it's not broken, don't fix it. Through one gunshot, we saw a character change for both Jean Grey and the Punisher, as one learns to be a hero and the other learns to be more patient. All because of the type of person Spider-Man is and the importance of saving a life over taking one; a philosophy that all variants of the character share.
