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’svideo games. However, there are so many other iterations of this character. These other Spider-Men are immensely strong and powerful. Here are some of the most powerful versions of this popular superhero.

Updated on January 29, 2023, by Levana Chester-Londt: Now that the Spider-Verse is alive and kicking within the MCU, a world of opportunities has subsequently opened up as a wide array of some of the strongest Spider-Man interpretations becomes available. Fans got a good taste of this Multiverse when Miles Morales arrived on the scene, paving the way for the live-action heroes to follow, with even more alternative participants on the horizon!

The Spider-Army eloquently clarifies the Ethiopian proverb: “When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion,” however, with so many augmented arachnoids in one room, it begs to question: which Spider-Man is the strongest? With so many universes to choose from, finding the most powerful Spider-Man is a tall order, which is made easier if the original Earth 616 Spider-Man is used as a base for comparisons.

20 Hostess Spider-Man

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

Originally created to star in promotional advertisements for Hostess snacks inside Marvel Comics pages, Hostess Spider-Man seemingly mirrors that of his 616 counterpart 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, we’re certain that if other Spider-Men had the power to stop criminals just by throwing snacks at them, they very much would.

19 Spider-Wolf

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 added with the ability to transform into a werewolf. This gives him even more strength and agility than he already has.

18 Patton Parnel

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’s. 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.

17 Spiders-Man

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 actually fell into a colony of radioactive spiders and was devoured by them. Somehow though, the spiders became a hive mind who 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, agility and was able to poison his victims with a bite or if they’re 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 is alive, Spiders-Man is technically still alive. Good luck squashing this (these?) arachnids.

16 Spider (Earth-15)

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’s.

15 Poison (Peter Parker)

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 of the Peter Parker that would become 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 are able to penetrate the skin of the normal impenetrable Luke Cage. If Poison is able to do that to one of Marvel’s most durable heroes, that is a scary show of force.

14 Miles Morales

Miles Morales is perhaps the second most popular iteration of the Spider-Man character next to Peter Parker. Like Peter, he already has a solo animated movie and video game. He made his 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’s, they also share almost the exact 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 would likely surpass Peter Parker in terms of pure ability.

13 Peter Parker (Earth-92100)

In Earth-92100, Peter Parker engineers a potion that’s supposed to eliminate his powers. Instead, the potion caused 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 Peter embraced his extra limbs, seeing how beneficial they are in a fight. It is also because of his extra limbs that Peter managed to save his Gwen Stacy from the Green Goblin.

12 Spider-Man 2099

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

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

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

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 Peni’s 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, adding some anime-inspired flair to the Marvel Universe.

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 (with the bonus feature of a nifty snack compartment, to boot!)

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

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 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and is due to return in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in June 2023.

9 Ghost-Spider

In Earth-11638, Uncle Ben never died. Instead, he helped train Peter when he gained his spider powers. This Peter is initially far from heroic. He used his resources to create a machine that brings in other Spider-Men from other universes and absorbs their powers to make him stronger. This eventually caused him to have a run-in with Peter Parker from Earth-616.

616 Peter managed to persuade the other Peter that his actions weren’t heroic. However, before they reached a conclusion, the alternate Peter got his powers sucked in by the machine. They put him into a coma, and his spirit got trapped in Hell. He eventually got out with the help of Dr. Banner, who is this universe’s Sorcerer Supreme, who did so by infusing Peter with the spirits and powers of the damned. Peter woke up having the powers of the Ghost Rider.

8 Peter Parker

Peter Parker from Earth-616 is the classic and original Spider-Man. Everyone already knows this character’s back story. He gained his powers after being bit by a radioactive spider while at a science exhibit. He then learns the value of responsibility after his uncle’s death.

Spider-Man is the heart of New York. He is one of the most beloved superheroes, amongst fans and peers alike due to his nobility, courage, and strength. He may not be the most powerful version of the character, but his feats and accomplishments through sheer will alone make him one of the most powerful and pure versions of the Spider-Man persona.

7 Mayday Parker AKA Spider-Woman (Earth-982)

This talented teen is the offspring of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, making her cinematic debut in June 2023 with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. May, affectionately referred to as Mayday, picks up her father’s legacy by taking on the next generation of supervillains, with the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn, Jr.) getting the first taste of her potency.

Spider-Woman’s inherent powers are pretty much on par with her father’s; however, Maday possesses a superior, more precise Spider-Sense and youthful agility. While her electrostatic aptitude is said to supersede Peter’s, she struggles to adapt to wallcrawling and finds it rather laborious; however, these “adhesive” powers are essentially transferrable to nearby targets, who could suddenly find themselves in a sticky situation. Furthermore, Mayday has a unique trick that overrides these “clingy” mechanics, turning the “pull” into “push” and subsequently adding more thrust to her take-off.

6 Anya Corazon AKA Spider-Girl (Earth-616)

Unlike so many alternate Spider-Men, Anya Corazon is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent and has no genetic ties to Peter Parker, but instead acquires her arachnoid abilities from Miguel Legar of the Spider Society, subsequently inspiring a name-change (or two). Over and above her newfound speed and strength, coupled with her pre-established gymnastic talents (not to mention the flashy fresh tattoo), Araña can also create an armored exoskeleton, rendering her bulletproof and enriching her impact resistance.

Furthermore, Spider-Girl can remain undetected by blending into the shadows and needs no mechanical enhancements to produce her webbing, similar to Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. This independent and headstrong crime fighter has been underutilized for some time now; however, she will finally get her chance to shine in 2024 with Madame Web.

5 Cindy Moon AKA Silk (Earth-616)

Out of all the female counterparts specifically, Cindy Moon, aka Silk, is considered to be the strongest version of Spider-Man, and also brings some more diversity to the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming and again with Avengers: Infinity War. Cindy got bitten by the same spider that knabbed Peter during a school trip together, however, she was not left to her own devices thereafter; the notorious Ezekiel Sims took over Silk’s initial “training” (more like imprisonment!)

This Korean-American heroine’s skintight suit is made from her own webbing, and while her physical strength is a notch under Spider-Man’s, she outshines Peter with her superior speed, agility, and super-sensitive Silk-Sense, which has a built-in automatic reflex for superior survivability. Cindy’s advanced “Peter Tingle” can even identify her target and has a broader range of reach, but unfortunately, it also doesn’t have the most reliable track record.

4 Japanese Spider-Man (Takuya Yamashiro)

In the 1970s, Marvel licensed their most famous hero to Japanese entertainment company Toei Animation who went off and made one of the most bizarre versions of the wall-crawler whose real name is Takuya Yamashiro. While there are numerous differences in their story history, Yamashiro’s core powers remain similar to regular Peter Parker with the gamut of super strength, speed, agility stamina, and a modified version of the Spider-Sense which is more like a guiding voice in his head rather than just a danger sense.

But of course, where the main difference lies with this web-head is his giant robot Leopardon, who he can summon and is equipped with tons of weapons that can make quick work of most foes. With Leopardon at his side, this Spider-Man can definitely go toe to toe with many of his multiversal counterparts.

3 Spider-Hulk

In the Immortal Hulk: Great Power series, readers are introduced to one of the most bizarre and powerful versions of the Spider-Man character: Spider-Hulk. This character is born after Bruce Banner becomes freed of the Hulk. Ever the immortal, the Hulk finds a new host: Peter Parker. This gives Peter the power of the Hulk, on top of his spider powers.

Spider-Hulk is essentially a fusion between the Spider-Man and Hulk characters. While normal, Peter maintains his spider powers. However, when he gets angry, he gets transformed into a green, powerful, mindless brute.

2 Zombie Spider-Man

While the MCU’s version of Marvel Zombies may have been a bit creepy, it’s nothing compared to the terror that the comic Marvel Zombies wreaked across the multiverse. After being infected, heroes for the most part keep their personalities and powers, but cannot help but crave human flesh.

While this Spider-Man is already more powerful than other versions due to his status as a zombie (he doesn’t feel pain which is very useful in combat) but at one point, this Peter Parker was granted a portion of the Power Cosmic, the same source of power used by the Silver Surfer. The Power Cosmic grants a ridiculous amount of powers ranging from time travel, channeling beams of energy, teleportation, and more. When Zombie Spider-Man had this power, he may have been the strongest wall-crawler in the multiverse although he would later use these powers.

1 Cosmic Spider-Man

Cosmic Spider-Man is undoubtedly the most powerful variation of the character. In the Acts of Vengeance storyline, Peter absorbs a mysterious power known as the Enigma Force. This gives him unspeakable powers and earning him the title of Captain Universe, the physical form of the Uni-Power, energy believed to be the manifestation of the universe itself.

Cosmic Spider-Man is so powerful that he was strong enough to punch the Grey Hulk into orbit. After becoming Captain Universe, Spider-Man gained a plethora of extraordinary abilities only exhibited by the most powerful beings in Marvel comics. He became virtually invulnerable, he gained the ability to manipulate matter, his Spider-Sense reached cosmic proportions, he gained the power of flight and can travel 99% of the speed of light, among so many others. While Peter from Earth 616 eventually lost the Captain Universe title, the Spider-Man from Earth 91110 kept his powers a bit longer.

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