Batman had it rough. As a boy, he was forced to watch as his parents were gunned down in front of him. It's the event that inspired his one-man war on crime, and the most famous tragedy in comics. But let's be honest, now. He still had a billion dollar trust fund, a giant mansion, the heirship to a giant international corporation, and the coolest butler ever. That's way more than some of the other guys got. Here are eight comic book characters who had it worse than the Caped Crusader.

8. Spider-Man

The tragic death of a loved one is usually part and parcel of the whole superhero package. It takes a special brand of luck to also be the one responsible for their death. For that you'd have to be the hero who's been wedgied by fate more often than any other: Spider-Man.

After gaining his spider powers, Peter Parker made the (totally reasonable) decision to make a little money off of them. Later, when he had the chance to stop a burglar, he made the (again, totally reasonable) decision not to get involved. He had a successful entertaining gig by now, and didn't need to risk that by tangling with some criminal.

Unfortunately, sensible decisions have no place in comic books, as that same burglar then turned around and shot his beloved Uncle Ben dead. You know, the one who taught Peter "with great power comes great responsibility," the catchphrase that would cement Spider-Man as the universe's whipping boy for the rest of his life.