Spider-Man has been one of Marvel’s favorite superheroes since his introduction in the 1960s, but Peter Parker isn’t the only one to get spider-powers. There are plenty of heroes (and villains) who have also been able to crawl on walls and spin webs.
We’re taking a look at those heroes and heroines here - from the ones who have had decades to get the job right to the “what ifs” of comics, we’ve got 20+ Marvel Superheroes Who Have Had Spider Powers. We aren’t talking those who use technology that was inspired by spiders, like Earth-616 Black Widow and her stingers, mind you, but actual powers that individuals have seen develop genetically.
There are dozens of heroes and villains alike who have had some form of spider-related abilities, but they aren’t all going to show up on this list. You won’t find every Peter Parker who exists in the multiverse for example, but you will find many of the other guys who have taken on the mantle of Spider-Man, including a few clones. You also won’t find any villains on this list, either -- unless they reformed and fought against the bad guys for an extended length of time.
Without further ado, here are the most interesting spider-powered individuals across Marvel comics.
28. Tarantula
No, this Tarantula isn’t the villain that’s had several different characters take up the mantle. Instead, this is a hero who appeared in the Ultimate Spider-Man universe.
Tarantula was actually a clone of Peter Parker who had multiple arms and a set of fangs that housed his own special venom. He wasn’t heroic on his own either, but was the product of a lab experiment and set to work by the FBI.
Tarantula leads off our list because, despite having multiple limbs, wall-crawling, night vision, and spider-sense abilities, he didn’t last long. He helped save Mary Jane after escaping from the facility that housed him, but lost his life in a battle with Otto Octavius, only making it through three comic book issues in all.
27. Spider-Boy (Peter Ross)
In the Amalgam Universe, the traits of Spider-Man and Superboy were combined to create Peter Ross. His creation was the result of a Cadmus lab accident caused by Peter Parker, and General Thunderbolt Ross adopted him. He decided to become a hero when his “Uncle Gen” was killed.
While this Peter has a lot of familiar spider-powers, he can’t shoot his own webs. Instead, he has a web gun he employs. He can manipulate his own gravity though, which is why he can still climb walls. He can also redirect his gravitational field to increase his own strength or enable himself to make huge leaps.
Spider-Boy became an agent for Cadmus, but for a lot of readers, he was just a marketing trick to sell comic books. And a super goofy looking one at that.
26. Spider-Man 2211 (Max Borne)
Max Borne is a very different kind of Spider-Man than what most comic book readers are used to. Debuting in the comics in 1995, he had the strength and agility of Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, but most of his abilities were actually the result of mechanical upgrades.
His specialized suit had additional mechanical arms, guided and electrified webbing, and it was even bullet proof. He also had plenty of extra gadgets that aided him in making sure there were no timeline anomalies, as his job was actually to ensure that no one crossed over into timelines where they didn’t belong, something his own daughter didn’t agree with.
His daughter was his timeline’s Hobgoblin, and she ended up erased from existence thanks to one of their fights!
25. Spider-Girl (Betty Brant)
Marvel has a fun line of comics called, very aptly, What If? These stories reimagine the events of the Marvel universe if one specific thing had been changed. In this case, reporter Betty Brant was bitten by a radioactive spider at an exhibit instead of high school student Peter Parker.
Of course, Peter was still involved in the storyline, as he would be the one to convince her to use her abilities and allow him to photograph her, helping both of them make a little extra cash off her newfound powers, which included wall-climbing, web-slinging, super agility, and spider senses.
In this world, it was Betty who ignored an escaping burglar who went on to kill Uncle Ben. Instead of the experience making her want to do more, like it does for Peter in the original continuity, she abandons heroics altogether. Combined with a ridiculous outfit, Betty Brant made for a pretty poor web-slinger anyway.
24. Spider-Man (Aaron Aikman)
Aaron Aikman’s time as Spider-Man was a tragic one. He lost his girlfriend and her daughter turned out to be his nemesis!
Aikman was a scientist who experimented with genetically resequencing his own DNA with that of a spider. He also created his own cybernetically enhanced Spider-Armor and a neuro-pulse stinger attached to his belt to incapacitate his enemies. Aikman had some pretty great gear, but it’s too bad he didn’t last long.
His girlfriend’s daughter was possessed by an evil entity from another dimension, and just when the reveal was made that she was the enemy he’d been fighting, he ended up getting killed by someone else! Not to mention the fact that after his death, his entire dimension was wiped out of existence.
We can’t be the only ones hoping this guy makes it back into another Spider-story one day!
23. Spider-Man (Bruce Banner)
There exists a Marvel comic book reality where Peter Parker never became Spider-Man because he was too busy suffering the effects of gamma radiation as the Hulk. Instead, while Bruce Banner was experimenting and trying to find a way to help Peter, he ended up with the radioactive spider bite.
Bruce ended up in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody in therapy and under heavy medication in order to help his system cope with the bite. In time, though, he was able to train and become an active member of the organization and the Spider-Army.
Unfortunately for Bruce, he ended up seeing his spine snapped, dying at the hands of Kaine during a confrontation. His death allowed his teammates to escape to a new world, though, so...there's that.
22. Darkdevil (Reilly Tyne)
Reilly Tyne is a pretty interesting character, since he doesn’t just have Spider-powers, but also a few special abilities.
Tyne is the son of one of the many clones of Peter Parker, but thanks to rapid cellular degeneration, he didn’t get to enjoy his agility, super strength, and spider-sense much. After an encounter with a demon that had already possessed Daredevil, Reilly was saved, but at a steep cost, as he retained many of the demon’s traits - like horns, yellow eyes, and red skin. Not the best look for a good guy.
In addition to his spider-powers, Reilly also gained the ability to teleport and summon fire, as well as disguise his demon-like appearance. He also interned under Matt Murdock while in law school, so he’s a pretty well-rounded hero despite his appearance.
21. Arachnophilia (Nell Ruggles)
Nell Ruggles was not a good person. As a high school student, she was bullied and constantly fantasized about killing her classmates. How does she end up on a list of superheroes? Because she was forced into doing the right thing.
Nell came into contact with a mysterious piece of technology that gave her an equally mysterious set of abilities. During her run in the Squadron Supreme comics, we see her use super strength, agility, and above average speed, but she can also spin webs that look a little more like mucus and a little less like thread. Yum.
After a run of vengeance and crime, she was forced into working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as one of the good guys. Eventually, she started making friends and trying to do the right thing, though she still wasn’t the squeaky-clean-hero-type.
20. AMP/Spiderling (Anna-May Parker)
Anna-May Parker, affectionately called Annie by Peter and Mary-Jane, is the result of the Secret Wars storyline that created Battleworld.
An eight-year-old when most readers were introduced to her, Annie had many of her father’s same abilities, but they were hidden from the bad guys by an inhibitor chip. It wasn’t until her own father was in trouble that Annie decided to use her powers to take on the villains around her and save him. Even though she was a child, she was able to dispatch villains faster than most adult heroes you'll come across in comics.
She’s gone through a few name changes in the two years she’s been in the comics, but for now, she’s Spiderling, complete with her own costume, and she’s even got some precognitive abilities in addition to the gifts she inherited from her father.
19. Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly)
One of the longest running heroes with Spider-powers next to Peter Parker himself, Ben Reilly debuted as a clone in 1975. Over the years, he’s been an ally, he’s taken on the name of Spider-Man, and he’s gone bad.
Because he’s a clone of Peter, the two share all of the same abilities. Ben, who didn’t have his own name at first, named himself after his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, furthering his connection to his genetic donor. Ben was, for many years, the most successful of the Spider-Clones, so why doesn’t he land higher on the list?
His hero status is debatable. Ben went from being Scarlet Spider and saving people’s lives to running his own company that traded in cloning, intent on changing the world, and becoming a villain as his power grew. He might still be redeemed, though -- perhaps even on the big screen.
