Highlights

• Spider-Man has countless variations across different universes with unique powers, such as Spider-Ham and Spider-Cyborg.
• Peter Parker is the classic Spider-Man, known for his nobility and strength, and remains a fan-favorite superhero.
• Cosmic Spider-Man is the most powerful variation, gaining god-like abilities after absorbing the Enigma Force.

Spider-Man is one of Marvel's most popular superheroes and one of the most recognized pop culture icons in the world. The friendly neighborhood web-slinger has a ton of movies, series, spin-off comic books, and superhero video games in his portfolio. Even those who are not fans of comic books recognize the character due to his widespread appearances.

Most people know Spider-Man as Peter Parker. His most notable appearances thus far are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sam Raimi's trilogy, Marc Webb's duology, and Insomniac's video games. However, there are so many other iterations of this character. These other Spider-Man variants are all strong in their own right, but some are arguably more powerful than others.

Updated on March 24, 2024, by Ben Painter: Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in all of media. So, it should come as no surprise that there are countless versions of the friendly neighborhood web-slinger. Sony's Into The Spider-Verse and Across The Spider-Verse did an amazing job of showcasing a lot of these different variations, but there are countless others throughout Peter Parker's history since his debut in 1962. This article has been updated to add five new spiders to the roster, including some that fans may recognize from popular movies and others that are mainly for the hardcore fans.

33 Hostess Spider-Man (Earth-51914)

Notable Feature: Hostess-Brand Cakes As Weaponry

• First Appearance: Marvel Hostess Ads #1 (May, 1975)

While this seems like a bizarre choice to include among the other powerful heroes on this list, Hostess Fruit Pie Spider-Man is not one to scoff at.

Created to star in promotional advertisements for Hostess snacks on Marvel Comic pages, Hostess Spider-Man seemingly mirrors that of his 616 counterparts except for one detail: he seemingly has a superpower to subdue and influence others to do his bidding via the unstoppable desire for Hostess snacks such as Twinkies, Fruit Pies, and more. It seems ridiculous, but in reality, if other Spider-Men had the power to stop criminals just by throwing snacks at them, it's likely that they very much would.

32 Spider-Ham (Earth-8311)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man, But He Is A Pig

• First Appearance: Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham #1 (August 1983)

Spider-Ham (or Peter Porker as he's otherwise aptly known) was not a pig who was bitten by a radioactive spider; he is a spider who was bitten by a radioactive pig. He was transformed into Spider-Ham, retaining his spider powers from his original form.

Earth-8311 is a world where all the characters are anthropomorphic animals and have taken on a cartoonish persona, very akin to the world of the Looney Tunes. Fans may recognize Peter Porker from his big screen debut in the Into the Spider-Verse movie, where he was mainly used as the source of comic relief. Even though he has access to Toon Physics, he is still lacking in terms of power when compared to other Spider-Man variants, but he's definitely still worth a mention.

31 Spider-Man (The Amazing Spider-Man) (Earth-120703)

Notable Feature: All The Usual Bells & Whistles

• First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Andre Garfield stepped into the web-slinger's shoes in The Amazing Spider-Man. This portrayal of Peter Parker was more accurate to the comics and had a sprinkling of inspiration from the Ultimate Comics series.

He essentially has the same powers and abilities as the regular 616 Spidey. His story was somewhat continued with an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Spider-Man: No Way Home, which prompted fans to ask to see more of Garfield's Spider-Man with a follow-up movie to give him the story he deserved. Taking on a plethora of iconic Spider-Man baddies, Garfield's Spider-Man proved to be extremely strong and capable.

30 Spider-Wolf (Earth-13989)

Notable Feature: The Same Powers As Spidey But Is Also A Werewolf

• First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #11 (December, 2014)

Spider-Wolf is an alternate version of Spider-Man hailing from Earth-13989. This enigmatic Marvel character made his first and only in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #11. While this character's run is short-lived, the extent of the powers that he exhibited during his single outing is already impressive.

While not much is known about this character's origins, his powers are essentially the same as Spider-Man from Earth-616, the classic Spidey everyone knows and loves, only with the ability to transform into a werewolf. This gives him even more strength and agility than he already has.

29 Patton Parnel (Earth-51412)

Notable Feature: Can Transform Into A Spider-Like Being

• First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #4 (October, 2014)

Patton Parnel is a very disturbing version of the child-friendly web-slinger everyone is familiar with. Instead of having the optimistic, witty, and selfless personality of the classic Spider-Man, this character is depressing, sociopathic, and ruthless.

His powers are also considerably different from that of Peter Parker. Instead of the character's standard abilities, this character transforms into a hideous eight-limbed creature with eight eyes. His webbing is organic, and he can implant spiders into people just by biting them.

28 The Spider-Man (Spider-Man Noir) (Earth-90214)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man But Also A Gun-Wielding Detective

• First Appearance: Spider-Man Noir #1 (December, 2008)

This version of Spider-Man's costume is simply stunning. In a world set in 1930s New York during the Great Depression, mobsters and gangs were rife in the Big Apple, and the Peter Parker of this universe set out to rid his city of crime. Similarly to Batman, Spider-Man Noir is gritty and dark and even sports guns as part of his arsenal.

His powers are similar to those of the original Webhead, but he was taught that "if there is too much power, then it is the responsibility of the people to take it away." This explains his outlook on crime fighting.

27 Spiders-Man (Earth-11580)

Notable Feature: A Hive Mind Of Spiders Taking The Shape Of Spider-Man

• First Appearance: Spider-Geddon #3 (November, 2018)

Even though Zombie Spider-Man is also on this list, Spiders-Man is still somehow much creepier and made his debut in the 2018 storyline "Spider-Geddon." In his world, Peter Parker fell into a colony of radioactive spiders and was devoured by them. Somehow, the spiders became a hive mind that adopted Parker's being.

In terms of powers, Spiders-Man is similar to a forgotten one-off villain from the 616 world known as Carl King, who had super strength, speed, and agility and was able to poison his victims with a bite or, if they were hungry for power, devour them whole. Interestingly enough, this version of Spider-Man is incredibly hard to kill off for good because, as long as one of the spiders are alive, Spiders-Man is technically still alive, too.

26 Spider (Earth-15)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man Meets Carnage, With A Sprinkle Of Deadpool

• First Appearance: Exiles #12 (April, 2002)

This version of Spider-Man is the character one gets when they combine Peter Parker, Carnage, and Deadpool into one. Unlike the righteous and noble Peter Parker, the Peter Parker of Earth-15 is a sociopathic mass murderer who was sentenced to 67 consecutive life sentences for his heinous crimes.

This Peter Parker got merged with the Carnage symbiote, giving him powers akin to that of Carnage and the classic Spider-Man. His sense of humor is also very similar to that of Deadpool.

25 Spider-Man (Marvel Cinematic Universe) (Earth-199999)

Notable Feature: Iron Man Sponsored Costumes

• First Appearance: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

After years of legal battles, Spider-Man appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War, where he was played by Tom Holland. This Spider-Man was widely accepted as the most comic-accurate portrayal of the character, given that the age of the actor was close to the Spider-Man of the comics.

Having had a trilogy of his own, this version of Spider-Man was fairly close to the original with the notable exception of Iron Man being much more involved with the character, giving him advanced suit and armor. Fans have yet to see Tom Holland's true power as Spider-Man, but with years of the MCU to go, it is likely only a matter of time.

24 Spider-Punk (Earth-138)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man But Plays Guitar In A Punk Band

• First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #10 (November, 2014)

Spider-Punk made his cinematic debut in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. A punk version of the character in the comics, this version fought for the little people and sought to overthrow the tyranny of President Norman Osborn.

Although he is British in the latest movie, the very essence of the character remains the same, and he was perfectly portrayed by the Academy Award winner, Daniel Kaluuya. His costume is faultless and is a great representation of the Punk movement of the mid-70s. Often seen with an electric guitar, Spider-Man can do everything Earth-616 can do but is also in a band.

23 Pavitr Prabhakar (Earth-50101)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man But With Origins From An Ancient India

• First Appearance: Spider-Man: India #1 (November, 2004)

Another version of the character that has made his silver screen bow in Across the Spider-Verse, Pavitr Prabhakar is a Spider-Man that hails from India. His origins are pretty much the same in the comics, but his powers came from an ancient yogi who bestowed Pavitr with the powers of a spider.

Voiced by Karan Soni whom fans may recognize as Dopinder from the Deadpool franchise, Pavitr has the same abilities as Earth-616 Spider-Man, but what sets him apart is the take on the character. Bringing Spider-Man to Asia has been done before, but not quite as faithfully as with Pavitr Prabhakar.

22 Spider-Man (Raimi Trilogy) (Earth-96283)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man With Organic Webbing And A Sprinkling Of Venom

• First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002)

Fans of a certain age will love Tobey Maguire's portrayal of Spider-Man for nostalgic reasons. The first two movies, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, were received amazingly, but Spider-Man 3 was a different story.

This Spider-Man can naturally create his own webbing, avoiding the need to refill web shooters, and even used a symbiote suit for a time, which vastly improved his power. For these reasons, he tops a lot of other Spider-Men with his enhanced attributes. The character even made a reappearance years later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Spider-Man: No Way Home.

21 Spinneret (Mary Jane Watson-Parker) (Earth-18119)

Notable Feature: A Spidey Suit That Absorbs The Powers Of Spider-Man

• First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 (June, 2015)

In this version of the tale, Peter Parker is still Spider-Man, and his wife, Mary Jane, assists him in his crime-fighting endeavors by donning the guise of Spinneret. With no powers of her own, MJ makes use of a specialized suit that absorbs the powers of her husband.

The downside to this is that Peter's powers are weakened as a result, but the special suit can also absorb the powers of others. Spinneret has been shown to use the powers of Venom and has even donned the symbiote in this reality. She is a true force to be reckoned with.

20 Poison (Peter Parker) (Earth-17952)

Notable Feature: A Spider-Man Who Never Got Rid Of The Venom Symbiote

• First Appearance: What If? Spider-Man: The Other #1 (November, 2006)

Any time a symbiote gets its hands on Peter Parker, it usually means trouble, but what would happen if the Venom Symbiote were to fully merge with Peter Parker permanently? That's what happened in the alternate universe, where Peter Parker became Poison. In a "What If?" tale about Peter Parker rejecting the Spider-Totem god's offer to be reborn, the symbiote senses that Peter Parker's body is vulnerable and latches on to his barely clinging-to-life corpse.

Although a mental battle rages on for months, eventually the symbiote fully takes over Parker and renames himself as Poison. While Poison seemingly possesses all the regular souped-up versions of his regular powers, courtesy of a symbiote, he is also capable of producing stingers that can penetrate the skin of the normally impenetrable Luke Cage. If Poison can do that to one of Marvel's most durable heroes, who knows what it could do those those less resistant?

19 Miles Morales (Earth-616)

Notable Feature: A Spider-Man Who Has Electrical And Camouflage Abilities

• First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout #4 (August, 2011)

Miles Morales is perhaps the second most popular iteration of the Spider-Man character next to Peter Parker. Like Peter, he already has solo animated movies and appears in multiple video games. He made his first appearance in the Ultimate Run of the Marvel comics until his universe eventually merged with Earth-616.

Aside from sharing almost every moral ground as Peter Parker, he also has a lot of the same abilities. However, Miles has unique abilities that Peter doesn't, like his Bio-Electrokinesis and his ability to turn invisible. Once Miles gets more experience under his belt and masters his powers, he will likely surpass Peter Parker in terms of pure ability.

18 Peter Parker (Earth-92100)

Notable Feature: Spider-Man But With Eight Limbs

• First Appearance: What If...? #42 (August, 1992)

In Earth-92100, Peter Parker engineers a potion that's supposed to eliminate his powers. Instead, the potion causes him to grow four extra arms, two on each side. Peter frantically tries to find a cure, opting for help from Doctor Connors, Professor X, and Reed Richards, all to no avail.

At one point, Peter encountered and fought against Doctor Octopus. It is during this encounter that he embraces his extra limbs, seeing how beneficial they are in a fight. It is also because of his extra limbs that Peter manages to save Gwen Stacy from the Green Goblin.

17 Peter Parker (Marvel's Spider-Man) (Earth-1048)

Notable Feature: A Spider-Man That Gamers Can Control

• First Appearance: Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)

This version of Spider-Man is vastly similar to the Earth-616 version of the character. First introduced in Marvel's Spider-Man, a video game, gamers could become the web-swinging hero and take to the streets of Manhattan to fight crime and stop villains.

The sequel, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which came out in 2023 for the PlayStation 5, revolves around Kraven the Hunter as he attempts to take down not only Peter Parker but Miles Morales as well. This version of Spider-Man is incredibly powerful and has access to a plethora of different web tricks and moves that he uses to take down enemies in the game.

16 Spider-Man 2099 (Earth-928)

Notable Feature: A Spider-Man Who Has The Powers Of Telepathy, Night Vision, And Paralyzing Venom Claws

• First Appearance: Spider-Man 2099 #1 (September, 1992)

Another person wears the Spider-Man ensemble in 2099. This person is Miguel O'Hara. Miguel is a geneticist who gained spider powers after imbuing himself with 50% spider DNA. His abilities and strengths are similar to that of 616's Spider-Man, just with some extra additions.

Aside from having superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, and agility, Miguel also has talons and fangs that immobilize enemies. His webs are also organic, unlike the original Spider-Man.

15 Peni Parker & SP//dr (Earth-14512)

Notable Feature: A Japanese Spider-Man With An Advanced Mech Suit

• First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #5 (October, 2014)

Theoretically, if one were to combine Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, Peni Parker would emerge to dominate her enemies. She shares her skills with the world in Edge of Spider-Verse #5 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, thanks to her trusty psychic connection with a sentient radioactive spider, which helps her man her late father's SP//dr suit. The pair work in symbiosis, either alongside each other or simulating the traditional Jaeger style, which adds some anime-inspired flair.

This nimble mechanical spider suit operates via Magnetic Levitation, while its smarty pants operator is efficient at maintaining and even upgrading SP//dr's equipment. Their telepathic link keeps Peni up to speed on her mech suit's status, like a unique, highly-specific Spider-Sense. While this lovable youngster has no actual powers of her own, the SP//dr grants Peni many superhuman Spidey abilities and even a nifty snack compartment.

14 Spider-Gwen AKA Ghost-Spider (Earth-65)

Notable Feature: This Spider Is Gwen Stacy

• First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (September, 2014)

In the alternate universe of Earth-65, Gwen Stacy is the recipient of a radioactive spider bite and takes Peter Parker's place as New York's vigilante. She is arguably more suited to crime-fighting, seeing as her father's detective talents have rubbed off, while she is also a self-taught Kung-Fu aficionado. Spider-Gwen relies on specialized equipment to produce her webbing, and her power levels are arguably equipollent to the original Spider-Man (although her social skills are significantly sharper).

Not many superheroes can boast a commonality to the incredible Doctor Strange; however, Ghost-Spider can travel between universes with her trusty Dimensional Travel Watch, proudly sponsored by her Web-Warrior connections. She is arguably the most popular female Spidey, appearing in both Ultimate Spider-Man (2012) and the Spider-Verse movies.