Happy New Year, Spider-Man ... It's time to die!

Death in comic books is rarely finite, so I'm taking this lightly, but the events of "Amazing Spider-Man No. 700," out next Wednesday, are still intriguing to say the least.

Peter Parker will meet has match -- and his maker -- in a familiar foe, according to USA Today and The Hollywood Reporter. In the new issue, Parker loses a major battle with Doc Ock and the Spidey universe turns to the dark side.

With Parker/Spider-Man suddenly gone, THR says, "Dr. Octopus has a moment of clarity, realizes that his longtime enemy was a force for good and, having swapped his mind into Parker's body, takes on the life and exploits of Spidey for himself."

"This is Moriarty in the head of Sherlock. This is Prince John inside of Robin Hood. This is the greatest villain inside the body of the greatest hero and trying to do good," Marvel writer Dan Slott told USA Today. "This is a guy who was a couple steps way from a bucket list, and now he's got a whole new lease on life. That's really going to change him."