Over the course of his long comic book history, Spider-Man has had dozens of great costumes. From the alien symbiote to the classic red and blue, many of these different suits became instant classics. But given their sheer number, some were bound not to work. Here are the top ten Spider-Man suits that just don't make sense.
10 The Bombastic Bag Man
When Spider-Man lost his costume, he had no one else to turn to but his friend Johnny Storm. Happy to help, Johnny handed over a spare Fantastic Four costume. Peter still had a secret identity to hide, however. He needed a mask. So Johnny also gave him a paper bag.
It's pretty hard to imagine that the best option they had for a mask was a paper bag. Heck, Peter could've even made a mask from his webbing. It just didn't make too much sense. Nonetheless, it has become a very popular costume for many Spidey fans, due to its ridiculousness.
9 The Amazing Spider-Man
One of the biggest mistakes one can make in adapting a classic is over-complicating it. Sure, a few small changes here and there can be nice. In Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man movie, they took this a little too far.
This suit just didn't look right. Sure, it had the iconic color scheme and overall was somewhat faithful to the classic comic version. The only problem is, the studio wanted it to look "cooler." In the end, the problems with the suit represented a lot of problems the movie had itself. Too much going on, not enough of it faithful to the comic book character everyone knows and loves.
8 Parker Industries
When Peter Parker started running Parker Industries, he had access to all kinds of advanced technology. Some of this tech he used to help make the Spidey suit that much stronger. This new version was armored up and had all kinds of cool gadgets built in.
Despite all these nice features, it just didn't look right. The shiny look of the new metal armor made it not feel like Spider-Man. Don't even get us started on the glowing green eyes. None of it made sense. Thank goodness they brought the classic suit back.
7 70's Show
The '70s Spider-Man television show was short-lived. It's not hard to see why. From the bad acting to the ridiculously lame action sequences, there is not much that this version of Spider-Man had to offer.
The worst part of the show is probably the Spider-Man suit itself. It just didn't work. The bulky web shooters, uncharacteristically small eyes and just how cheap the suit looked overall made for a horrible interpretation. It looked like a cheap Spider-Man Halloween costume.
6 Spider-Man Unlimited
Another short-lived TV show, Spider-Man Unlimited was coming off the heels of the very successful Spider-Man: The Animated Series. It did not live up to its predecessor. Everything great about the Spider-Man story is grounded in the streets of New York. His supporting cast and Peter's overall reaction to the world is very important. Unlimited was set on a different planet.
That wasn't the only bad change about the new series. Peter also decided to "update" his suit. Instead of keeping it traditional, he over-complicated it and made it look nothing like what we expect from Spider-Man. Another disappointing interpretation.
5 Spider-Man 2211
A Spider-Man from centuries in the future, this may in fact be one of the worst Spider-Man ever created. We've seen future versions of Spider-Man done very well. Miguel O'Hara of the year 2099 comes to mind. This however, was not nearly as good.
The eight arms was a good idea, but the execution was dreadful. Everything about this suit looks tacky. It looks more like a bad idea from the '80s then it does a futuristic battle suit. Another total miss.
4 Secret War
When Nick Fury invited Spider-Man on am international mission in service of the States, the web-spinning hero couldn’t refuse. What he should have refused however, was the new Spider-Man costume Fury designed.
Meant to be more of a stealth suit, the black simply does not match with the blue stripes and red highlights. It’s just a weird mix of colors. Spidey would’ve been better off wearing his popular black costume.
3 Fear Itself
When all of the Avengers were given Asgardian upgrades to their gear during the Fear Itself storyline, Spidey got his own new duds. The color scheme of this costume was absolutely hideous. Probably one of the worst suits Peter has ever worn.
We haven’t even mentioned his new web shooters. They look too big and clunky, not at all like something Spider-Man would ever wear. Peter Parker should stick to making his own suits. He clearly has better taste than whatever Asgardian smith designed this mess.
2 Cyborg Spider-Man
During one of his many battles with the Sinister Six, Spidey severely injured his arm. In an attempt to heal it, the Cyborg hero Deathlok gave Spider-Man a new metal arm. Confused? You should be.
Deathlok didn’t replcce Spider-Man’s arm, but rather built a cybernetic one around his injured limb. The only reason the creative team signed off on this at the time was to make Spider-Man look “cool.” Cyborgs are as cool as it gets, right?
1 Captain Universe
The cosmic-based Uni-Power is an energy force floating through the universe with a consciousness of its own. Every now and then, this Uni-Power chooses a new host to protect the universe from a great threat. At one time, it chose your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
This was one of the weirdest costume match-ups we have perhaps ever seen in mainstream Marvel comics. The costume was a mix of the classic Spidey suit and the Captain Universe (the name given to those who possess the Uni-Power) outfit. Spider-Man is a traditionally grounded character, dealing with threats to New York City. Everything about this story didn’t make sense, including the new suit.