The Marvel Cinematic Universe did its best to boost Iron Man, Captain America, and other superheroes to the forefront. Yet the Marvel brand’s flagship hero remains the friendly neighborhood webheadSpider-Man.From the 1960s cartoon toSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,from the Sam Raimi trilogy to the MCU itself, the webslinger is still an iconic figure around the world.
Yet he’s also underestimated. He isn’t as strong as Superman or as fast as the Flash, and he can only dream about being as rich as Batman. Was it just his relatability as a poor high school (and later, college) kid that pulled readers in? Not quite. He has had his own feats of strength, smarts, and willpower that have impressed readers over the decades.
8Freed Himself of the Symbiote
Web of Spider-Man #1
During the Secret Wars, Spider-Man got a new all-black costume. It could generate its own web instead of requiring shooters, and automatically change into casual wear. But readers could tell there was something off about it from the beginning. It began to act on its own, making Spidey swing through the streets while he was asleep, and making him more aggressive when he was awake.
Spider-Man learned that it was an alien called a Symbiote, which works with its host to feed off them. No matter what he did, he couldn’t find a way to get rid of it. Not even the Fantastic Four were able to help. But after a battle with the Vultures, he figured out that it was weak to extreme sounds and sonic blasts. By going to a church tower and ringing its bells, Spider-Man finally broke free of its grasp. But it would soon find a new host, giving Spider-Mana new threat to contend against.
7Came Back from the Dead
Web of Spider-Man #32
Before he broke free of the Symbiote’s hold, Spider-Man facedKraven the Hunterfor the first time. He’s basically the webhead’s version of the Batman villain Bane. He may be a little unstable, but he’s also cunning, strong, and ruthless. Kraven decided to pursue Spider-Man to officially become the world’s greatest hunter, using natural potions and serums to increase his strength, heighten his senses, and slow his aging.
But as his health began to fail, and Spider-Man kept eluding him, he decided to go all out for his last hunt. He managed to hit Spidey with a coma-inducing drug. Kraven buried him alive, then took his identity for his own. Tormented by nightmares throughout his 2-week coma, Spider-Man had to choose between revenge, justice, or death. Breaking free from the grave, he chose justice and beat Kraven at his own game instead of killing him.
6Beat the Hulk
Amazing Spider-Man #328
Despite being Marvel’s top hero, Spider-Man’s universe’s fellow heroes often underestimate him. Maybe it’s because he prefers to crack wise instead of cracking heads, or because that red and blue spandex still can’t hide that he’s a bit of a dork. Yet his strength goes beyond willpower, as he’s still physically strong enough to hit people like a sledgehammer. It’s even been theorized he could knock out the Hulk if he hit him with the right shot.
But the only time he put it into practice was inAmazing Spider-Man #328.Via some unwitting help from the Enigma Force, Spider-Man managed to smash the Gray Hulk up into space. He then brought him back down to Earth, not willing to let him die. During the rest of the ‘Acts of Vengeance’ arc, Spider-Man used his new Cosmic Powers to take out Loki and his Tri-Sentinel for good measure before going back to normal.
5Stopped the Juggernaut
The Amazing Spider-Man Vol.1 #230
Spider-Man only managed to beat Gray Hulk, a slightly weaker version of the Jade Giant, because of the Enigma Force. What can he do with his usual proportional strength of a spider? Maybe stop the unstoppable force? The Juggernaut has managed to beat the Hulk, Thing, and other heavy hitters in the Marvel Universe. Thanks to the power of theCrimson Gem of Cyttorak, he lives up to his catchphrase, “Nothing stops the Juggernaut!”
The Juggernaut barged into Spider-Man’s path when he tried to abduct Madame Web inThe Amazing Spider-Man Vol.1 #229-230. Webbing him up didn’t do a thing thanks to a force field, and going after him head-on was a bad idea. But Spider-Man kept going, until he finally forced the Juggernaut into a pit of wet cement. He survived, even when submerged, but Spider-Man succeeded in stopping the Juggernaut’s plans.
4Single-Handedly Beat the X-Men
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #3
Spider-Man’s victory over the Juggernaut took tenacity and quick thinking. But in a hand-to-hand fight, the results would have been different. Another way to gauge his strength comes from theSecret Warsarc where, before he got the Symbiote, his base strength and agility were enough to defeat the X-Men, includingbig hitters like Wolverine and Storm.
After learning they were going to defect to Magneto’s side, Spidey was going to tell Reed Richards. Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Colossus all tried their best, but could do nothing to stop him. It took Professor X’s telepathy to sort out their differences in the end. But by the time he does, Spider-Man had already beaten his team, with Wolverine saying: “He made us look like fools! Like amateurs!”
3Overcomes the Odds to Save Aunt May
The Amazing Spider-Man #31-33
‘If This Be My Destiny’ is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic storylines. It introduced Harry Osborn and Peter Parker’s first love, Gwen Stacy. It also saw Aunt May falling critically ill, and Spider-Man searching for a cure for her condition. With the help of Dr. Curt Connors, the future Lizard, Peter produces a serum that could save his aunt’s life. But after an encounter with Dr. Octopus, he ends up buried under rubble as the lab floods with water.
Left with his thoughts, he ruminates on how he became Spider-Man, how he failed to save his Uncle Ben, and how he can’t fail Aunt May. With sheer strength and willpower, he frees himself from the rubble and grabs the serum. This victory over self-doubt has been referenced inMarvel’s Spider-ManandSpider-Man: Homecoming, but there’s no beating the original scene.
2Saved Everyone from the Sinister Six
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1 #160
616 Peter Parker hasdied and come back to lifemultiple times, but his Ultimate equivalent had less luck. FromUltimate Spider-Man Vol.1 #153to#160, Ultimate Peter Parker’s days were numbered in the ‘Death of Spider-Man’ arc. But he got to go out with a bang by defeating the Sinister Six, a gang of his classic foes.
When Spider-Man hears that the Green Goblin and co have broken out of prison and are going after Aunt May and his friends, he’s torn between getting treated at a hospital, exposing his identity, and leaving them in harm’s way, or saving them and putting his life at risk. To him, that’s no choice. With help from Iceman, the Human Torch, and even Aunt May and Mary Jane, he successfully defeats the Sinister Six. Left in critical condition, he says he’s happy he got to save May before passing away.
1His Successor Succeeded as the New Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-5
Ironically, Ultimate Parker’s death became the ‘Uncle Ben’ moment for another teen wrestling with the great responsibilities that his great powers gave him. To replicate the experiment that gave Spider-Man his powers, Dr. Conrad Powers creates a breed of enhanced spiders, one of which snuck into the duffel bag of The Prowler, a criminal who just happened to be Aaron Davis, the uncle of Miles Morales.
Bitten by the spider, Miles begins developing powers like Spider-Man, with a few new abilities like stealth camouflage. At first, he rejects the idea of becoming a superhero, as he’d rather live a normal life. But when he learns that the first Spider-Man died in a conflict he could have intervened in, Miles decides to try his hand at being a webslinger. It hasn’t been an easy ride for him, but he’s since become one of the best additions to the Spider-lore.
