Thanks to a radioactive spider bite, Peter Parker can do everything a spider can. His proportional strength and speed of a spider, not to mention his incredibly useful spider-sense, place him in the top tier of Earth's heroes. While Spider-Man's power set is amazing, Peter, in one universe or another, has accessed powers that allow him to do much more than a spider can do.

The multiverse within Marvel Comics is vast and includes many interesting and extremely powerful variants of Spider-Man. However, fans don't have to read Spider-Verse or Spider-Geddon to find powerful versions of the wall-crawler. The Earth-616 universe, the main Marvel comic book continuity, houses some of the strongest Spider-Man variants as well.

Updated on March 18th, 2024 by David Harth: Spider-Man is always a hot commodity, and a big reason why is because the character is adaptable. So much Spider-Man media revolves around the different versions of the Web-Slinger, each one unique and powerful. Of course, as with anything, some Spider-Man variants are significantly more powerful than others.

25 Spiders-Man From Earth X Had Very Different Power

Spiders-Man didn't have spider powers. Instead, he was one of the people mutated on the day when mutanity was born in the Earth X future. He was changed forever, his body becoming red and almost reptilian, but his body started to look a bit like Spider-Man's costume. Spiders-Man's powers allowed him to shoot psychic webs, letting him induce terrible hallucinations in his targets.

Spiders-Man worked with the Skull, although the Skull didn't really work with anyone, instead taking control of their minds and forcing them to do his bidding. After the Skull's death, Spiders-Man joined up with Immortus, but left him to get with Iron Maiden, who had a crush on him while they were both controlled by the Skull.

24 Peter Parquagh Was Young and Worked With Nick Fury

Neil Gaiman hasn't done a lot of Marvel work, but what he's done has always been phenomenal. His first Marvel work was 1602, a book where the Marvel Universe began in England in the titular year. Gaiman reintroduced readers to many of Silver Age Marvel's greats, including a young page of Sir Nicholas Fury's named Peter Parquagh. He journeyed with the spymaster to the New World, and that is where he gained his spider powers.

Peter Parquagh is probably on the same level as any base Spider-Man, and he's created his own webshooters. However, he's also much younger and less experienced than most. Peter is definitely good in a fight, back in his day, but the same couldn't be said in other universes.

23 Kraven the Hunter Pretended to Be Spider-Man

Kraven hunted and killed all the most dangerous animals in the world. He wanted to prove that he was the greatest hunter in the world, able to kill anything in his way. He eventually decided the ultimate prey would be Spider-Man, and went after the web-slinging wonder for years, helping found the Sinister Six.

In the seminal classic Kraven's Last Hunt, by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Zeck, the villain hunted Spider-Man with everything he had. Kraven actually defeated his longtime foe and buried him alive. He then put on Spider-Man's costume and fought crime, proving he could easily do Spider-Man's job. Kraven shot himself before Spider-Man could beat him, but demonstrated he could be Spider-Man even without the power of a radioactive spider.

22 Spider-Man From Spider-Man: Reign Was a Broken Man Who Found Happiness In the Mask Again

Spider-Man: Reign took place in an alternate future where New York City was falling into fascism. The heroes were gone, although they weren't all dead. Peter Parker was still there, but he had stopped being Spider-Man ages ago. His radioactivity had given Mary Jane cancer, and she'd died. One night, when he was at his lowest, Peter put on the mask again. This allowed him to help save the city from the returned Venom.

This version of Spider-Man was in his sixties, and when he finally became Spider-Man again, he seemed like he hadn't lost a step. That said, he was certainly weaker than he was in his prime. This Spider-Man was still able to triumph, but he won because of his wits as much as anything else.

21 Earth X Spider-Man Was Older But He Still Had It

Earth X took place in an alternate future where everyone gained superpowers all at once. The old heroes lost their way at this point, because they weren't really needed. Peter Parker lost more than most, though. Mary Jane died, and his daughter May bonded with Venom. Peter was no longer a superhero and was all alone, which was partly his own fault because of his hatred of the Venom symbiote.

Eventually, he'd help out when the Celestials came and would later join the police force with Luke Cage, realizing being a hero was the thing that he loved. This was an older, slower Peter. He was more experienced, but all the years had added up for him. He became a hero again after the Celestials affair, but he wasn't exactly as strong as he used to be. Spider-Man was still tough, but slightly weaker than he was before.

20 Japanese Spider-Man (Earth-51778) Had an Awesome Mech

The 1977 live-action Amazing Spider-Man TV series has been largely overshadowed in pop culture by the more successful Spider-Man series from Japan. Takuya Yamashiro was the Japanese Spider-Man, and he possessed the same abilities as the classic Spider-Man. He had super strength, could crawl on walls, and he shares the same spider-sense.

What separates Takuya from any other Spider-Man in the multiverse is his giant robot, Leopardon. Spider-Man can control and pilot a giant robot that uses a sword and shield. Takuya and Leopardon returned to save the day on multiple occasions in the Spider-Verse event.

19 Spider-Man India/Pavitr Prabhakar Protected the Sub-Continent

Pavitr Prabhakar gained his powers a bit differently from other Spider-Men out there. Instead of being bitten by a radioactive spider, Pavitr was given his powers by a yogi. He was meant to save the world and soon found himself in battle with the demon possessed crime lord Nalin Oberoi. Pavitr proved to be every bit the hero.

Spider-Man India didn't get any interesting powers compared to other Spider-Men and women. He has all the same powers of 616 Spider-Man, at exactly the same level. He's not as experienced as other Spider-Men, but what he lacks there, he makes up for with skill.

18 Spider-Punk/Hobart Brown Fights the Power

Hobart Brown first appeared during the first Spider-Verse story and immediately caught fans' eyes. A punk rock Spider-Man looked a lot cooler than anyone imagined it would, and Spider-Punk became a favorite of fans. Hobart Brown grew up in an America controlled by President Ozzy Osborn, gaining his power when bitten by a spider that had been exposed to toxic waste.

Spider-Punk has all the same powers of Spider-Man 616 at comparable levels. However, due to his life fighting against a fascist regime, he has an edge over most Spiders in experience and skill. Hobbie is also a great musician and has often used his guitars in battle.

17 Ultimate Spider-Man Was a Younger Hero

Ultimate Spider-Man is basically Peter Parker. He was bitten by a spider, but instead of radioactivity the spider was contaminated with OZ compound, which was created by Norman Osborn. Peter Parker got his powers, and then his origin became familiar again, losing his uncle Ben. The difference in origin made his rivalry with Green Goblin, who was also transformed by OZ compound, much more personal.

While Ultimate Spider-Man is technically weaker than 616 Spider-Man, when comparing them at the same age, Ultimate Peter Parker is far more powerful than 616 Peter was at 15 years old. Ultimate Spider-Man may be less experienced, but he took down a hulked-out Green Goblin, Venom, Carnage, Kingpin, and other heavy-hitters all by the time he turned 16.

16 Spider-Girl/May "Mayday" Parker Followed In Her Father's Footsteps

Spider-Girl flipped the script on readers. First appearing in What If..., fans loved May "Mayday" Parker. The daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, she had spider powers like her father and much like him, decided to become a superhero. Donning her uncle Ben's old Spider-Man costume, she became the leading hero of her generation.

As far as May's power level, she's basically just a base Spider-Man. She has the standard suite of powers, except she's a big weaker in strength. However, her agility is greater to make up for that, balancing it out very well. She further developed her spider-sense to the point she could determine both the exact source of danger and what direction the threat was coming from. She also developed a technique where she could "magnetize" her opponents. May's lightning fast reflexes and skills make her a great Spider-Man.

15 Ghost Spider (Earth-65) Is Gwen Stacy Taking Peter Parker's Place

Most fans know of Gwen Stacy as one of Peter Parker's best love interests who tragically died during one of his battles against Green Goblin. However, fans met an alternate version of the character during the Spider-Verse event who quickly made a name for herself. Known originally as Spider-Woman, a radioactive spider bit Earth-65's Gwen Stacy instead of Peter Parker.

Earth-65 Gwen quickly became known as Spider-Gwen to fans, but she adopted the name Ghost-Spider when she began working closely with the Spider-Men of Earth-616. While Ghost-Spider had most of the same powers as Peter Parker in the mainstream reality, she also bonded with the Venom symbiote to further increase her strength and abilities.

14 Spiders-Man (Earth-11580) Was a Bunch of Spiders

The origin of Spiders-Man is a little unsettling. Peter Parker attended a science demonstration, much like his Earth-616 counterpart. However, in this universe, instead of being bitten by one radioactive spider, Peter fell into a vat containing a colony of spiders. As a result, they devoured him and replicated his form.

The Spiders-Man was a prominent character featured in the Spider-Geddon event. The spiders forming the hive gave Spiders-Man strength and speed similar to that of the classic Spider-Man, but the spiders could also separate. The spiders could be used as surveillance devices that seamlessly traversed through rooms and even realities.

13 Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 Fought the Corporations of the Future

Another powerful version of Spider-Man from the mainstream 616 universe actually hails from the future year of 2099. Miguel O'Hara was a scientist who blended his genetics with a spider to save his life after he was forcibly addicted to a future drug by his employer. He gained incredible abilities and carried on the legacy of Spider-Man in comics and in Across the Spider-Verse.

As Spider-Man 2099, O'Hara fought to keep his future safe while also protecting the timestream to make sure that his future world still developed. Miguel O'Hara has similar strength and speed as Peter Parker, but he also developed organic webbing and vicious claws on his fingers and toes. He grew paralytic fangs and developed visual senses that made up for his lack of spider-sense.

12 Six-Armed Spider-Man (Earth-92100) Had Six Arms

When Stan Lee left the Amazing Spider-Man book after 100 issues, he left writer Roy Thomas with the parting gift of a six-armed Spider-Man. In the main continuity, Spider-Man quickly cured this mutation, but in an alternate Earth, fans learned of a Peter Parker who decided to keep his additional limbs.

The Peter Parker of Earth-92100 originally sought to rid himself of his extra arms but found them useful in a fight with Doc Ock. His arms then helped him in the famous "Turning Point" battle with Norman Osborn's Green Goblin, which allowed him to Gwen Stacy on the bridge, unlike his mainstream counterpart.

11 Peter Parker/Spider-Man Is the Original

There are dozens of powerful Spider-Men littered throughout the multiverse, but one of the most powerful exists in the classic 616 universe. Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, is deceptively strong due to the radioactive spider bite that transformed him into Marvel's popular masked hero.

Spider-Man's peak power fluctuates depending on the writer, but at one point, he was considered one of the strongest heroes in the Marvel universe. When Doctor Octopus took over Peter Parker's body in Superior Spider-Man, he nearly killed a criminal with one punch. Dock Ock then realized that Spider-Man always held back his true strength to protect others.

10 Miles Morales/Spider-Man Has Become Massively Popular

While he originally appeared in the Ultimate Universe of Earth-1610, Miles Morales has since made the jump to the 616 mainstream reality. He continued operating as Spider-Man alongside Peter Parker after impressing the original. Morales was bitten by a genetically modified spider that gave him slightly different abilities that rival Spider-Man's.

As Spider-Man, Miles Morales gained the similar proportionate speed, strength, and agility of a spider. However, he also developed a stealth camouflage ability, as well as one of Spider-Man's greatest secret weapons. Morales can generate a devastating bio-electric shock he calls his "venom blast" that can instantly take out deadly enemies, including even Peter Parker. In recent comics, Miles has learned to channel this bio-electricity into a physical sword.

9 Mac Gargan/Spider-Man Became Spider-Man for Norman Osborn

Mac Gargan first appeared as the Scorpion, hired by J. Jonah Jameson to fight Spider-Man. He spent years trying to destroy the Wall-Crawler, getting upgrades for his robotic scorpion suit. All of that changed when Eddie Brock found out he had a brain tumor. He ended up auctioning off the Venom symbiote, and Gargan became the new Venom.

Gargan joined the Thunderbolts and after helping defeat the Skrulls in Secret Invasion, he became a member of Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers as Spider-Man. The Venom symbiote gave him great strength, speed, and durability, all of which were greater than what Peter Parker has. He eventually lost the symbiote, but he was still a quite powerful Spider-Man.

8 Ben Reilly/Spider-Carnage Was the Spider-Clone Possessed by the Carnage Symbiote

The Carnage symbiote has taken many hosts since it was first introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #361 (by David Michelinie, Mark Bagley, Randy Emberlin, Bob Sharen, and Ken Lopez). Carnage is even deadlier and more corruptive than the Venom symbiote. Ben Reilly experienced this firsthand when he saved John Jameson from the Carnage symbiote, only to bond with it himself, becoming Spider-Carnage.

The design for Spider-Carnage was incredible, wrapping the red symbiote tendrils around Reilly's first new Spider-Man suit. Spider-Carnage's reign was short-lived in the comics as Reilly quickly removed it, but the character would famously appear as the big bad at the end of Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the '90s.

7 Doppelganger Is a Deadly Monster

Doppelganger was created by the Magus as part of his secret plan. The Magus created a bunch of monster versions of the heroes and villains of the Earth. The whole point was for the monstrous versions to kill the regular versions and take them over. Doppelganger attacked Spider-Man, but Spidey won. However, Spider-Man isn't a killer and Doppelganger survived, eventually joining Carnage's twisted family. Since then, Doppelganger has made various appearances alongside Shriek or Carnage.

Doppelganger has six arms, razor-sharp claws and teeth, and can fire razor webbing. His extra arms make him stronger than the regular Spider-Man and his razor webbing is a potent long-range weapon. Doppelganger is basically an animal, making him even more dangerous, as he is wild and unpredictable.

6 Rek-rap Is a Titan

Rek-rap isn't some weird multiversal variant of Peter Parker transformed into a demon after his deal with Mephisto or something. Instead, Rek-rap is a Limbo demon who idolizes Spider-Man. When Madelyne Pryor and Chasm attacked New York City, Rek-rap worked with Spider-Man and the X-Men to battle his fellow demons.

Rek-rap is a demon and the full extent of his powers are unknown. So far, the only powers that he's exhibited are Spider and symbiote powers. It's unknown at what level those powers are, but going by size alone, he's almost certainly stronger than other Spider-Men out there.