“Anyone can wear the mask,” Miles Morales famously stated in 2018's breakout hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He was right. Of all the classic superheroes, Spider-Man is one of the easiest heroes for fans of diverse backgrounds to identify with. Thanks to his head-to-toe costume, anyone can picture himself (or herself) as the web-slinger, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Comic book conventions are full of people from different backgrounds who are all eager to play their version of Marvel's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. This attitude has also carried over to movies, TV shows, and comic books where practically every ethnic group has become a Spider-Man (or Woman) often with next to nothing in common with Peter Parker. Here are ten of the best.
Updated on September 13th, 223 by John Dodge: With the Spider-Verse continuously introducing exciting new characters into the realm of Marvel Comics, there has never been a better time than ever to explore more Spider-Man variants and highlight as many diverse Spider Totems as possible.
15 Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Possibly the best-known alternate Spider-Man (thanks to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Miles Gonzalo Morales got his start when Black actor Donald Glover expressed his interest in playing Spider-Man. Fan support got Marvel to create Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teenager from the alternate Ultimate Universe who also got spider-powers from a spider bite in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man.
After the events of Secret Wars, Miles Morales now gets to fight alongside Peter Parker in the mainstream Marvel Universe. Donald Glover eventually got to voice Miles in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series. Glover also played Miles’ uncle Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
14 Spider-Woman/Spider-B****: Ashley Barton
Known as Spider-Girl, Spider-Woman, and even Spider-B****, Ashley Barton is Peter Parker’s granddaughter in the alternate future of Old Man Logan. In this future, Peter had a daughter named Tonya, who later had her own spider-powered daughter, Ashley, with Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye).
More ruthless and angrier than most Spider-Heroes, Ashley actually killed her universe’s version of the Kingpin so she could take over his territory in what still stands as one of the most shocking turns any Spider Totem has taken. She later joined other Spider-people from alternate universes to fight in the multiverse-spanning Spider-Verse war against the spider-totem eating Inheritors.
13 Spider-Man 2099: Miguel O’Hara
Miles Morales was the second Latino Spider-Man. The first was Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099. Created by Peter David, Miguel’s name reflected his mixed Irish-Latino heritage (although he’d later learn his Irish father wasn’t his birth parent). His costume calls back to that heritage by incorporating a Day of the Dead death head motif on top of the more typical spider symbols.
Miguel O’Hara gained more horrific spider-powers in a lab accident that mutated him into a spider-like human with talons, fangs, and accelerated vision. Like Miles Morales, Miguel has met Peter Parker thanks to time travel. Miguel's first silver screen appearance as voiced by Oscar Isaac came in the form of a cameo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse before taking on the role of the primary antagonist of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
12 Spider-Girl/Arana: Anya Corazon
Anya Corazon is a half-Puerto Rican, half-Mexican Latina superhero who originally went by the name Araña. She acquired her spider-powers from a magical ritual performed on her by the secret Spider Society. Eventually, she fought alongside Spider-Man and Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter). When Julia became the new Madame Webb, she gave Anya her costume and encourages Anya to continue on as Spider-Girl.
Although Anya has struggled to find exactly where she fits into the world, leading to many changes in codename, she has never faltered in her duties as a hero. In fact, Anya has become one of the most relentless heroes the Spider-Verse has to offer. No matter what she's facing, Anya's inner struggles have rarely, if ever, had any direct impact on her efficacy on the battlefield.
11 Supaidāman: Takuya Yamashiro
Not only does Supaidāman hail from Japan, he was piloting giant robot mechs before the Japanese Power Rangers, Super Sentai. The product of a deal between Marvel Studios and Toei Company, Takuya Yamashiro's Spider-Man was a motorcyclist who got spider-powers thanks to a blood transfusion from Garia, a warrior from Planet Spider. Takuya also inherited Garia’s spaceship, which could transform into the invincible giant robot Leopadon.
Takuya used his powers to battle Professor Monster and his evil minions. Later, he teamed up with alternate Spider-people in the original Spider-Verse comic book event. Although he hasn't achieved the same household name status as many of his contemporaries, Takuya has absolutely maintained his place as a cult icon among fans whose love for color-coded heroes coincides with their love for Spider-Man.
10 Silk: Cindy Moon
Korean-American high school student Cindy Moon was bitten by the same radioactive spider that bit Peter Parker. Cindy developed spider-powers but spent most of her life hiding in a bunker from the Inheritors, creatures who roamed the multiverse feasting on spider-totem energy. After being freed, Cindy became the hero Silk, a spider-powered vigilante who can spin organic webbing and is actually faster than Spider-Man.
In the time since her debut, Cindy has played prominent roles in multiversal stories, but also in comic series of her own. Cindy has even begun developing her own unique rogues' gallery, which will only serve to further cement her place in the Marvel Universe outside of any other spider's shadow. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Cindy was played by Chinese-American actress Tiffany Espensen.
9 Spider-Man India: Pavitr Prabhakar
An Indian version of Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar gained his spider-abilities through mystical means when an old yogi gave him the powers of a spider. Like Peter Parker, Pavitr originally shirked his duties, resulting in the death of his Uncle Bhim. His universe contains other alternate versions of famous Spider-Man cast members, including Aunt Maya and Meera Jain — as well as Nalain Oberoi, his universe’s version of the Green Goblin.
Pavitr fights alongside other spider-powered heroes during the Spider-Verse event and even joins the dimension-hopping team, the Web Warriors. When he expresses concerns he's simply a copy of the more prevalent Peter Parker version of Spider-Man, another alternate Spidey points out that Peter Parker may be a copy of Pavitr. Pavitr recently received a new solo series from Marvel, titled Spider-Man: India, that explores his latest adventures.
8 Spider-UK: Billy Braddock
The Captain Britain Corps is a multiverse-spanning team of champions from different versions of Britain. While Marvel has told stories of the Corps for decades, Spider-Verse offered a decidedly different Captain Britain. Spider-UK (aka Billy Braddock) is both part of the Captain Britain Corps and a recipient of spider-powers (which made him part of the multiverse’s “Web of Life and Destiny.”
Leaving the Corps to help his fellow Spider-Men and Women fight against the Inheritors, Billy was horrified to discover that his universe was destroyed during the Secret Wars event. Undaunted, Billy trained another alternate universe Spider-people as the leader of the Web Warriors. Although Billy has shown up for many comic book events alongside his fellow Spider Totems, he's frequently absent from the endeavors of the rest of the Captain Britain Corps.
7 Spider-Byte: Margo
Spider-Man’s neighborhood can extend to many different realms, as Margo, an Black student, discovered when she took on the virtual reality identity of Spider-Byte to patrol the World Wide Web as its VR hero. Although her spider-powers are typically limited to cyberspace, considering how prevalent online crime is in Margo’s world, her heroic deeds are just as relevant.
During her time fighting alongside Ghost-Spider and the other Totems against the threat of the Inheritors, Margo manifested her armor in the real world for the very first time. This not only saw her wield her powers in ways she never could have imagined, it established that they stretched far beyond what was previously understood. This opened the door for Spider-Byte to become a key figure outside of her usual cyberspace adventures.
6 Lady Spider: May Reilly
An alternate version of Spider-Man/Woman, Lady Spider became notable for several reasons. For one thing, she’s a younger version of Peter’s Aunt May (May Reilly). For another, she hails from a steampunk world full of zeppelins and advanced steam-powered technology. Finally, she built her own spider-powers by designing her own web-shooters and crafting mechanical spider-legs out of car parts.
Despite not being a “real” spider-totem, Lady Spider fought alongside other alternate spider-heroes and later joined the Web Warriors. Her keen mind even let her keep up with advanced technology when she briefly traveled to the year 2099 with Miguel O’Hara (aka Spider-Man 2099).
5 Spinstress: Princess Petra
2022's Edge of Spider-Verse introduced fans to a plethora of new Spider Totems from across the Multiverse, though few stood out like Princess Petra, aka Spinstress. From her first appearance in "Once Upon a Spider: The Spinstress Princess" (by David Hein and Luciano Vecchio) it was clear Petra was far from anything the Marvel Universe had seen before, even if her motif wasn't unfamiliar.
Apart from her Spider powers, Petra is very much a typical Disney Princess in almost every other way. From her backstory to her ballgown to the way she consistently breaks into song, Petra is a distillation of not just what it means to be a hero, but what it means to be a bold and inspiring princess at the same time.
4 SP//dr: Peni Parker
Following her father's untimely demise piloting the SP//dr mech suit, Peni Parker took it upon herself to continue his work by allowing the radioactive spider that acts as one of its major components to bite her. Soon enough, Peni was embarking upon her own career as a hero. She hasn't wasted any time becoming one of the Spider-Verse's more recognizable faces.
Although Peni Parker doesn't have any inherent powers of her own, she more than makes up for that with her connection to the SP//dr suit and near genius intellect. Peni is also one of the most resilient heroes in the Spider-Verse, making her willing to put herself in harm's way even when caught without SP//dr to protect her. Peni and her mech played a supporting role in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and appeared briefly in the sequel, making fans eager for her to return in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
3 Sakura Spider: Hida Haruka
After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Hida Haruka discovered she was imbued with the same arachnid abilities that fans expect from the heroes of the Spider-Verse. Soon enough, Hida found herself being recruited into the illustrious Samurai Squad by her world's Iron Man. This was all that Hida could have asked for. However, being partnered with Deadpool certainly put a damper on how well she received the news.
In her time with the Samurai Squad, Hida has proven to be an invaluable member of the team and an endearing young hero in her own right. She also joined in the fight for the fate of the Multiverse during the Third Totem War. She wasn't among those lucky enough to avoid becoming part of the villainous Shathra's monstrous Hive. Once she was freed, Hida's taken on every opportunity to continue on as Earth-346's premiere Spider hero.
2 Spider-Punk: Hobie Brown
Rather than being the byproduct of any legitimate experiments, the radioactive spider that bit the Hobie Brown of Earth-138 was created by the rampant toxic waste that littered his homeland. This gave Hobie the power he needed to lead the fight against President Norman "Ozzy" Osborn and his brutal, fascist regime.
As Spider-Punk, Hobie became an immediate fan-favorite, not to mention one of the single greatest heroes his world has ever known. Since his debut as Spider-Punk, Hobie has faced off against everything from a punk rock Ta$kmaster to a V.E.N.O.M. fueled Osborn to multiversal armies of monsters. Even more impressive, Hobie has never stopped to take a beat for himself, at least not while there is still so much to fight for.
1 Spider-Zero
Introduced alongside numerous other Multiversal figures in the pages of 2019's Spider-Verse, the woman known only as Spider-Zero lost her home reality to an Incursion. After drifting aimlessly through the Multiverse for years, Spider-Zero was tasked with taking up the role of the Master Weaver for the Web of Life and Destiny. This gave her both a new home and a meaningful purpose in life.
Spider-Zero has been instrumental in maintaining the order of the Multiverse as the Master Weaver. She's also been a staunch defender of it over the course of various storylines and confrontations. It was even Spider-Zero who single-handedly untangled the Web of Life and Destiny following Spiderling's time trapped within it, effectively resetting the lives of countless Spider Totems in one single act of unexpected heroism.