Spider-Man is one of the greatest superheroes of Marvel Comics and popular culture writ large. He's one of the few superheroes who has never truly gone to the dark side, though he's been to the brink a few times. And he certainly has that potential within him. With great power comes great responsibility, after all. The thing about power is that it tends to corrupt.
What are the traits that could make Spider-Man a villain? What are the traits that define him as a hero? Here are Spider-Man's five most villainous traits, and his fie most heroic.
10 Villainous: Operates Outside The Law
The great thing about Peter Parker is that he's the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. On one level, he's essentially a one-man neighborhood watch. On another, there's little difference between him and a vigilante like Batman. Both operate outside the bounds of the law and take justice into their hands. Spider-Man frequently works with police and in support of them, but he's also been at odds with them throughout his career and has done his best to stay out of a pair of handcuffs.
9 Heroic: Whatever It Takes
Taking matters into his own hands is also what separates Spider-Man from most people (that and the awesome superpowers). Not everyone does the right or the brave thing, but he always does. Whatever it takes, Spider-Man is going to fight to stop a bank robbery or save the world from being destroyed (which is good, because it happens a lot). His fearlessness and courage to rise to the occasion make him an ideal hero. It's a quality that Peter Parker would have, spider-powers or not.
8 Villainous: Vengeful
This is a trait most heroes have in their worst moments. It's a fine line between justice and vengeance. When Gwen Stacy died at the hands of the Green Goblin, Spider-Man vowed vengeance and he almost got it. The death of his girlfriend nearly sent Peter Parker over the edge, but he recovered his senses. This remains an aspect of his personality though, and it's not hard to imagine how a similar circumstance, or something even worse, would force him into actions that would be villainous in nature.
7 Heroic: Great Responsibility
Spider-Man always comes back from the brink of desperate moments like the death of Gwen Stacy because he is guided by a deeply ingrained morality. He gets this from his uncle, Ben Parker, whose death was as tragic as Gwen's. Ben Parker (and his aunt, May) instilled a strong sense of right and wrong in Peter.
Every comic book fan is familiar with Ben Parker's abiding advice to his nephew: With great power, comes great responsibility. Spider-Man lives that every single day.
6 Villainous: Impressionable
Uncle Ben's words made a lasting impression on Peter Parker. That isn't surprising; he's very impressionable. His youth and relative inexperience make Peter a mirror in many ways for the people he encounters. Usually, that manifests itself in positive ways, but he can be steered towards decisions that aren't the best. Case in point: revealing his identity publically. During the Civil War storyline, Spider-Man sided with Iron Man in the beginning, talked into a situation he didn't actually agree with.
5 Heroic: Integrity
What keeps Spider-Man from succumbing to the influence of someone he looks up to - even as usually noble as Tony Stark - is his integrity. Spider-Man knows in his heart what's right and what's wrong. He can benefit from his powers; he has. He can benefit from his status as one of the most important people in New York City and in some ways the world; he has. But he never lets it interfere with his life or his purpose. Whenever he sees himself steering wrong, he always gets back on track, like in Civil War.
4 Villainous: Bad Track Record
Peter Parker is a great guy, but he evidently has some inherent villainous potential. That became clear during the infamous Clone Saga, in which one of his (many) clones, Kaine, proved to be a villain. Kaine suffered terribly, his life and upbringing very different than Peter's for sure (no Uncle Ben or Aunt May). But they are in many ways the same person. Kaine is evidence that without the early and strong influence of the people that raised him, Peter Parker could have gone a different way.
3 Heroic: Has Never Gone Evil
There have certainly been evil versions of Spider-Man. Kaine is one. Venom is, after a fashion. But Spider-Man himself has never gone evil in the way even similarly heroic characters like Captain America has. Spider-Man has had the opportunity. He has the traits to make that switch easier, but he's never given in.
Even with a powerful alien symbiote suit, cosmic powers, and true grief at the loss of loved ones, Spider-Man stays on the light side of the equation.
2 Villainous: Compromises
That doesn't mean he's perfect, though. In one of his worst moments - and one of his worst stories - Spider-Man makes a literal deal with the devil. One More Day sees Peter Parker trade his marriage and life with Mary Jane Watson for the life of Aunt May. This decision is a terrible moral compromise with severe consequences not just for him, but for the most important people in his life. A perfect hero would have understood the sacrifice necessary in letting Aunt May go, but Peter didn't and couldn't'.
1 Heroic: Never Gives Up
Despite his occasional moments of moral weakness, Spider-Man possesses one of the most fundamental traits of any great hero. He never gives up. When the odds are stacked against him - which is usually the case - he keeps fighting. He has proved this time and again, going back to the iconic moment he dug out from under tons of machinery, or his own grave after Kraven the Hunter put him there. Spider-Man gets knocked down a lot, but he gets back up, and that makes him a true hero.