The 15 Strongest Versions Of Spider-Man, Ranked
The Spider-Verse never runs short on web-slingers, but who is the strongest Spider-Man of them all? For the most part, each Spider-Man possesses the same base powers, such as superhuman strength, amplified stamina, and increased agility, however, the different versions receive additional characteristics or enhancements that directly influence how strong they are. Let's be clear about one undeniable fact, though: No one wants to get into a slugging contest with any Spidey variant!
Much like Dark Helmet instructed his cronies in "Spaceballs," we combed the multiverse to identify the strongest versions of Spider-Man. At the same time, we channeled Uncle Ben's famous mantra of "with great power comes great responsibility" in the ranking system. It was a case of pitting the different iterations of the character against each other to compare abilities, feats of strength, and the lasting impact on the Marvel Universe. It's for this reason that someone like Spider-Hulk soars up the list, because he holds both the sheer power of Spider-Man and Hulk, but he falls short of the symbiote-charged Peter Parker who's far more influential in the long run.
Without further ado, let's unravel the web to find out the 15 strongest versions of Spider-Man.
Doppelganger possesses extra arms but less brains than Spider-Man
Peter Parker suffers from more clone sagas than "Days of Our Lives" did at its creative peak. One of his more infamous doppelgangers is, well, Doppelganger. Created by Magus, this creature is a primal and monstrous version of Spider-Man, however, he's devoid of all humanity. He harbors the regular powers of Spidey, but he also boasts four additional arms, sharp talons, and scary teeth to do major damage.
Despite the additional accessories to make him look like the kind of giant spider that Nicolas Cage's Superman would want to stomp, Doppelganger acts more as an expendable flunky than a serious threat. During the "Maximum Carnage" storyline, for example, he behaves like Shriek's rabid pet Chihuahua rather than as a force of nature. It also doesn't help that due to his lack of humanity, Doppelganger has web for brains. So, even though he might be technically stronger than Peter Parker, he's never able to maximize the full potential of his strength, because his two brain cells aren't holding hands.
Spider-Cyborg turns the Web-Head into a wrecking machine
Sometimes, spider powers aren't enough — and a hero requires a few cybernetic enhancements to get the job done. That's what Peter Parker from Earth-2818 experiences. Looking more like the Spidey version of Marvel's Deathlok or even the T-800 from "Terminator," Spider-Cyborg possesses a red lens over his eye, a devastating sonic cannon on his back, and the ability to use his right arm as a gun.
What does this all do? Well, it turns him into a one-man-wrecking crew of epic proportions. He shoots first and asks questions later. Unfortunately, the over-reliance on cybernetic weaponry proves to be his downfall in the end, as he meets his doom after Daemos electrocutes him.
Spider-Cyborg looks impressive and flexes his might in flashes, but he hasn't quite established his legacy of dominance like other versions of Spider-Man. Plus, there's that whole being dead thing that doesn't aid his cause either.
Scarlet Spider does whatever a spider can
Ah, yet another Peter Parker clone for consideration. This time, it's Ben Reilly, who was originally created by the villainous Jackal as a way to get under Spider-Man's skin — quite literally. Ben assumes several mantles, even putting on the suit to be Spider-Man, but he's most famous for being the Scarlet Spider. In terms of his powers, Ben is the perfect genetic match of Peter, so he does everything that the original Spidey can.
His biggest weaknesses are his fractured mind and gaps in his memory, which make him a wild card. He might feel and move like Peter, but he lacks the experience and knowhow of what to do in certain situations. Resultantly, he comes across as a pale imitation of the original, though Spider-Man fans have come to appreciate the Scarlet Spider in recent times.
In terms of recent character developments in the comics, Ben encountered psycho-reactive goo that changed his physiology. For example, his Spider-Sense isn't only an alert system anymore; it also triggers the instinct to attack when in danger. That being said, the extent of his new powers remains uncertain. Once that becomes clearer, he might shoot up the rankings.
Pavitr Prabhakar gains his strength through magic, not a spider bite
Pavitr Prabhakar serves as the Spider-Man of Earth-50101. In this universe, he isn't based in Manhattan, New York; he's from Mumbai, India. Pavitr's backstory mirrors Peter Parker's from Earth-616: He's a high school student who lives with his aunt and uncle, gains spider-inspired superpowers, and vows to use his gifts for good after his Uncle Bhim dies.
The biggest difference between Pavitr and Peter is that he isn't bitten by a radioactive spider. Instead, he receives his powers through magic after a chance encounter with a yogi. Nonetheless, he still possesses the same skills as Peter, including superhuman strength and the uncanny ability to knock some sense into villains.
Pavitr shows off his most spectacular moves as a Spider-Man variant in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," demonstrating he's no slouch in the action department. However, he's far too similar in strength to the original Peter to find himself higher up this list. Pavitr still requires that little something special to stand out from his Earth-616 counterpart.
Peter Parker continues to be the original and most reliable version of Spider-Man
The conversation about the strongest versions of Spider-Man wouldn't happen without the birth of Peter Parker. He's the original, so we must acknowledge him. Everyone knows the story by now: A radioactive spider bites Peter, endowing him with the abilities of an arachnid proportionate to a man's size. This results in increased strength, heightened senses, ridiculous agility, and Olympian-level stamina.
From a strength perspective, Peter's lean frame deceives his capabilities. In the past, he lifted up to 10 tons and swung heavy duty wrecking balls without breaking a sweat. Even when he faces opponents considered stronger than himself, such as the Juggernaut or Hulk, Peter endures the test and makes up for any deficit with his other amazing abilities.
While there's no scientifically proven correlation, Peter's tenacity and refusal to quit often help to elevate his strength levels — to find that extra bit of muscle when necessary. Regardless, Peter's pure form as Spider-Man isn't the strongest around. And he knows this too, since he isn't afraid of tinkering with performance-enhancing suits.
The Iron Spider uses technology to make the character stronger
There are multiple versions of the Iron Spider suit that appear in Marvel Comics, but we're focusing on the Marvel Cinematic Universe iteration worn by Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Created by Tony Stark, this nanotechnology costume not only wraps up the web-slinger in modernized threads, but it also enhances his overall natural abilities. Spider-Man on his own isn't bulletproof; however, this armored suit helps to protect him from all kinds of brutal attacks. In turn, he's able to unleash the suit's secret weapon: mechanical arms.
Much like the adage, "Many hands make light work," the same is applicable here. Spidey doesn't only need to rely on his fists and feet to do the damage, as his additional limbs are primed to deliver fast and crushing blows to anyone in his path. In addition to this, they assist him in maintaining balance during combat; essentially, he's able to continue fighting while the arms hoist him up. Thanks to the tech built into the suit, it's likely that Spider-Man has only scratched the surface of what's possible when he transforms into the Iron Spider.
Takuya Yamashiro combines the best of the Web-Head and Power Rangers
Takuya Yamashiro from Earth-51778 acquires his special abilities after the last warrior of Planet Spider — a hero named Garia — injects his blood into him. Plus, Takuya inherits an awesome Spider Bracelet that doubles up as a web-shooter and a nifty place to store his costume. The Japanese Spider-Man doesn't only possess all the same powers as Peter Parker, but also additional capabilities such as super smell, night vision, x-ray vision, power transferal, and the ability to communicate with spiders. Better than talking to fish, right?
That's not even the best part. Unlike Peter who needs to take public transport to get around, Takuya receives his own flying Spidey car to jet from one place to the next. But wait, there's more! If the going gets extremely tough, the Japanese Spider-Man controls the ability to summon the colossal mecha known as Leopardon. Just like in the "Power Rangers," this giant robot proves to be the ace up Takuya's sleeve, since one slap from Leopardon is enough to send even the toughest character to another dimension.
The Superior Spider-Man combines the best of Peter Parker and Otto Octavius
Doctor Otto Octavius needs to be in the running for the best Spider-Man villain of all time. He takes the Web-Head to the limit and continues to bounce back stronger after every setback. Now, imagine what would happen if someone were to place Doc Ock's intelligence in Peter Parker's body. Unstoppable, right? Through sheer comic book nonsense, fans found out how indomitable this amalgamation really could be.
To cut a long story short: In "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic book series, Doc Ock lies on his deathbed, but he receives a second chance at life after he transfers his mind into Peter's body and vice versa. As Peter dies, Otto realizes what it means to be a hero and pledges to continue the legacy as the Superior Spider-Man. Naturally, Otto spruces up the costume by adding his legendary mechanical tentacles, while introducing talons to the hands and feet and programming Spider-Bots to do his dirty work.
The upgrades turn the suit into an all-encompassing tour de force, but Otto also makes full use of his new body's abilities. Since he lacks Peter's moral compass, he dials up the intensity and maximizes his strength to brutalize thugs. Put it this way: By the time Otto was done dishing out his brand of vengeance, the bad guys couldn't wait to see Peter return.
Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man stops a train in its tracks
Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man isn't like any ordinary Web-Head. For one, he shoots web out of his wrists organically. And two, he appears much stronger than his cinematic counterparts. Of course, you only need to look at 2004's "Spider-Man 2" for the perfect example of a sensational feat of strength.
In one memorable sequence, Spidey chases down the dastardly Doctor Octopus across New York. Doc Ock decides to make a swift getaway, so he scrambles a train and says, "Smell ya later." With the runaway train full of passengers, Spidey does the unthinkable but only option: He hops to the front and shoots out his web in all directions, then he hangs on for dear life. The hero strains every muscle in his body and uses up every ounce of energy, but he stops the train before a tragedy strikes. Phew!
According to physics students from the University of Leicester (via NBC News), it would require 300,000 newtons of force to halt the train, but the spiderwebs would be strong enough to hold in place. Unquestionably, Peter Parker pulls out all the stops to save the day, creating one of the best action scenes in superhero cinema and confirming his place in the pantheon of the strongest web-slingers.
Spider-Hulk smashes his way to be one of the strongest versions of Spider-Man
In 2020's "Immortal Hulk: Great Power" #1 — by Tom Taylor and Jorge Molina — Hulk's consciousness finds a new host who isn't named Bruce Banner. Instead, he inhabits the body of Peter Parker's Spider-Man. As the comic book states, he turns into "a man with the proportional powers of a spider combined with an unstoppable force with the temperament of a tantruming toddler." Needless to say, it's quite the riot to see the hulked-up Spidey swinging across the city in a suit that struggles to contain his meaty frame.
On the strength scale, this version of Spider-Man proves capable of inflicting tremendous damage on rogues and buildings. It's like winning the power lottery twice, combining both the best elements of Hulk and Spidey's stellar abilities. That said, the smashing Spider-Hulk doesn't stick around in the Marvel Universe for too long. Otherwise, he might have scored even higher on this ranking.
Spider-Man 2099 gives the web-slinger all the necessary upgrades for the future
Miguel O'Hara knows genetics like the back of his hand, but akin to Icarus, he flies too close to the sun, as a spider DNA experiment goes awry and he receives superpowers. With great power comes the greater responsibility to take down exploitative corporations, which is what he does here. Much like the original Spider-Man, he receives increased strength, agility, speed, and reflexes, but he also gains newer traits such as night vision, fangs, telepathy, a healing factor, and organic web-shooters made of spider silk. He's a Spider-Man built for the future — 2099, to be exact.
While the comic book version of Miguel shines strongly whenever he appears, the version of the character in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" deserves special recognition. He's the leader of the Spider-Society, who's recognized as the chosen one to protect the multiverse. The fact he's able to assume this mantle is because of his both his superior leadership and physical strengths, even if he's something of a wet rag in the humor department. Interestingly enough, actor Oscar Isaac reckons Moon Knight would beat Spider-Man 2099 in a fight.
Miles Morales refuses to be anything but overpowered
After the death of Peter Parker, Earth-1610 needs a Spider-Man, so Miles Morales steps up to the plate. A genetically altered spider sinks its teeth into Miles, bestowing upon him the typical Spidey powers. However, Miles also develops the additional abilities to generate bio-electricity and use camouflage to disappear in the battlefield.
Strength-wise, Miles is the strongest Spider-Man without enhancements. For example, his one punch manages to shatter Captain America's mighty shield at one point in the comics. In addition to this, the versions of the character in both the "Spider-Verse" films and Insomniac's "Spider-Man" video games demonstrate how he's significantly stronger than Peter and pretty much any other Spidey around.
While Miles has already established himself as one of the most overpowered characters in the Spider-Man Universe, his full range of his powers hasn't been explored yet. He continues to evolve and grow as a character, so don't be surprised if he's revealed to be related to a god in the near future.
Symbiote Spider-Man gives Peter Parker the alien powers to make a difference
One of the most popular Marvel storylines involves Peter Parker bonding with the Venom symbiote and developing the famous black costume. The symbiote enhances Peter's basic abilities with alien sensibilities, increasing his already superhuman faculties to the next level. It's as if Peter jumps from driving a BMW to a Ferrari, losing himself to all the power in his hands.
As everyone knows, the drawback is that the symbiote acts like a parasite and starts to influence the host's personality. Suddenly, Peter's punch to a criminal isn't only to send him to la la land; instead, the blow lands the thug in the head trauma unit at the nearest medical facility.
No one can dispute, though, that when Peter and the symbiote are in sync, they hold unmatched power and strength. It's a pity that the pesky Venom couldn't behave himself long enough for them to have a long-term beautiful relationship.
Spider-Carnage might be the strongest bad guy of them all
Imagine an alternate universe where Peter Parker detests Ben Reilly for existing and his loathing acts like a magnet for the murder-happy Carnage symbiote, leading to the birth of Spider-Carnage. All this happened in a "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" Season 5 arc where the evil Spider-Carnage becomes obsessed with destroying the multiverse after he's laid waste to New York.
This version of Spider-Man consists of all the regular base powers plus the enhanced abilities of the symbiote. Unlike when he bonded with Venom, Peter forgoes his morality and embraces the pure hatred that Carnage embodies. Essentially, it's a symbiote-powered version of Spidey without any of the inhibition that prevents him from crossing lines.
Ultimately, it took a group of Spider-Men from different realities to take down Spider-Carnage, and even then, it still required the appearance of an Uncle Ben from another universe to get through to him. If not for Ben Parker here, oh boy — it would have been maximum Spider-Carnage!
Cosmic Spider-Man turns the Web-Head into the ultimate superhero
Comic book villains often come up with the goofiest plans. In the past, Loki suggested to the other baddies that they need to swap heroes to target in an attempt to defeat them — basically, to throw them off guard. Expectedly, the scheme fell apart, and Spider-Man triumphed — until he almost didn't one fateful day. It wasn't the worst thing to happen, though, as an experiment run by Professor Max Lubisch resulted in Spidey obtaining the almighty cosmic energy known as the Enigma Force.
As a cosmic-charged Spider-Man, this version of Spidey is infinite and holds godlike power in the same vein as Captain Universe. One of the key abilities in this form involves matter manipulation that happens at an atomic level. This means Spidey doesn't even need to swing anymore; he's able to turn his enemies into dust with the flick of the wrist. With the power that turns him into a god of the cosmos, there's simply no disputing that this Spidey confirms himself as the strongest version of Spider-Man yet.