There’s more than one Spider-Man out there! This has been well-known since the release of the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which introduced a whole new universe of Spider-Heroes and the large Spider-Family to a new audience.
At the centre of the web is Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, who was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962. Thanks to comic books and film adaptations, his story is well known today. Raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, he was a nerdy high school student from Queens, New York who gained powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Initially, he used his newfound abilities to make money. However, when the robber he failed to stop became responsible for the murder of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned a painful lesson: “With great power comes great responsibility!”
The world of Spider-Man expanded from there, first in the mainstream universe with the introduction of clones and Jessica Drew as the first Spider-Woman. Then came the many different incarnations of the character in alternate universes. From Miles Morales in the Ultimate Universe, to Miguel O’Hara in the future, to the more extravagant Spider-Ham, Marvel Comics Multiverse is full of Spider-people. Although most arachnids evolved separately from each other, they joined forces in the events of Spider-Verse and all the sequel, to defend the multiverse. Stories like these provided a great opportunity to explore forgotten characters as well as create new ones, such as Spider-Gwen.
Today is Spider-Man Day! We’re celebrating one of Marvel’s greatest heroes with this Spider-People Guide, introducing the most iconic and major Spider-Men and Spider-Women from the Great Web. Join us as we honor Spider-Man’s legacy with the most colorful, fun, and compelling alternate versions created over the years.
The Spider-People from Earth-616
Peter Parker
The Amazing Spider-Man
This Spider-Man needs no introduction! Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Peter Parker first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) as a young high school student who was bitten by a radioactive spider, which granted him tremendous powers. With great power comes great responsibility, and Amazing Adventures in the Marvel Universe.
Since his debut, our web-slinging hero has been trying to balance the challenges of everyday life with being a superhero. He swings around the streets of New York City, fighting criminals and helping the people of his beloved city, all the while exchanging witty banter with his enemies. He is always determined to save everyone and do what is right, even if it hurts his civilian life. This is known as the ‘Parker Luck’, though if you ask Johnny Storm, he has a different definition of this concept.
Peter Parker is our main Spider-Man and one of the most popular Marvel superheroes of all time. He has naturally starred in countless comics, as well as being part of many team-ups and events.
Ben Reilly
Scarlet Spider/Chasm
Created by Gerry Conway in 1975, Ben Reilly first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 in October of that year, where he was killed off immediately. He later returned as the ‘Scarlet Spider’ in the infamous ‘Clone Saga’ storyline. You guessed it, Ben Reilly is a genetic clone of Peter Parker who actually fought alongside Peter Parker while trying to untangle his complex history and make sense of who he was.
This was only the beginning for Ben Reilly, whose life has been full of twists and turns. He became the Scarlet Spider, took on the role of Spider-Man on several occasions, died and came back several times, turned to villainy and adopted the alias Chasm.
Jessica Drew
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman was created for one reason only: to secure the copyright for the name ‘Spider-Woman’ for Marvel. Despite her corporate origins, Jessica Drew became a beloved and important member of the Spider-Family.
Created by Archie Goodwin and Marie Severin, she first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 in February 1977, working as an agent of Hydra with no memory of her past. She would come to embrace her heroic nature and become a superhero and a member of the Avengers, as well as becoming best friends with Carol Danvers. Jessica possesses superhuman strength, agility and the ability to generate bio-electric blasts to help her fight crime.
Cassandra Webb
Madame Web
Created by writer Dennis O’Neil and artist John Romita Jr., Madame Web first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #210 in November 1980. Unlike other members of the Spider-family, she does not swing between buildings or fight. She is a powerful psychic and clairvoyant with the ability to perceive future events and sense other dimensions.
She has served as a mentor and guide to Spider-Man on numerous occasions, delivering prophetic visions and helping him to navigate the vast cosmic tapestry. This made her a more mysterious character in Spidey’s life, accentuated by her infrequent appearances.
Julia Carpenter
Arachne/Spider-Woman II/Madame Web II
Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, Julia Carpenter first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 in 1988, and has since led an adventurous and intriguing life as a superhero.
Like Jessica Drew, she was first on the wrong side of justice but soon helped the Avengers. She became the second Spider-Woman, demonstrating her enhanced strength, agility, and the power to create psionic webs. Spider-Woman was only the first of many roles inside the Spider World as she became Arachne during the famous Civil War before her destiny completely changed when she found herself in the role of Madame Web. She is now offering guidance and foresight to fellow arachnid heroes.
Mattie Franklin
Spider-Woman III
Created by John Byrne, Mattie Franklin was the third and lesser-known version of Spider-Woman. She first appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2 #262 in 1998, when she became the superheroine after gaining her powers in a magical ceremony performed by the Spider Society.
And what are those powers? Mattie possessed superhuman strength, speed, and agility, as well as the ability to adhere to walls and produce bio-electric “venom blasts” from her hands. She naturally used them to fight crime and, while her appearances in the Spider Universe were limited, she overcame personal challenges and worked with other Marvel superheroes in stories such as “Gathering of Five” and “The Final Chapter.” Mattie’s story came officially to an end during the Clone Conspiracy.
Kaine Parker
Scarlet Spider II
If one clone of Peter Parker wasn’t enough, here’s another! Created by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler, Kaine first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119 in December 1994. Initially portrayed as a villain, Kaine evolved into an anti-hero with a complex backstory.
Like Ben Reilly, he has taken on the role of Spider-Man on several occasions, although with a more brutal approach to fighting crime. Like Peter, he has superhuman strength and agility, as well as a regenerative healing factor. However, he has certain unusual physical characteristics, such as damaged facial features and a large facial scar. Kaine took on the Scarlet Spider name to honor his brother when he died. Their histories are closely intertwined and often mirror each other.
Anya Corazón
Araña/Spider-Girl
Created by Fiona Avery and Mark Brooks, Anya Sofia Corazon first appeared in 2004 as Araña in Amazing Fantasy Vol. 2 #1. Similar to Mattie, she acquired her spider-like abilities through a ritual performed by Miguel Legar, a mage from the Spider Society. Endowed with a spider-shaped tattoo, she became a hunter for the secret society.
Armed with organic webbing and a unique exoskeleton shield in the earlier years, Anya fought crime alone and with several teams, including the Young Allies, the Avengers Academy and, of course, the Web Warriors. At one point, she adopted the Spider-Girl alias, but later returned to Araña after her Spider-Girl costume was shredded by Vermin’s clones.
Cindy Moon
Silk
Created by Dan Slott, Cindy Moon first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #1 (April 2014) in a faceless cameo, before making her full debut in issue #4. Like Peter Parker, she was bitten by a radioactive spider during a science exhibition. However, unlike Peter Parker, she didn’t become a superhero. Her journey took a drastic turn following her encounter with the mysterious Ezekiel, who offered to help her control her new abilities. After six years of training, Ezekiel imprisoned her to protect her and the other ‘spiders’ from Morlun and his family, the Inheritors. Put simply, she was eager to live new adventures once she found her way out.
Calling herself Silk, she became a crime-fighting Spider-hero complete with outdated references and a flip phone. Possessing classic Spider powers and the ability to create organic webbing, Cindy swings through the city in the Spider-Man comics and has starred in her own series on multiple occasions.
Otto Octavius
Superior Spider-Man
It’s not the Amazing Spider-Man, it’s the Superior Spider-Man! Created by Dan Slott and featuring artwork by Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli, the Superior Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #700. After years of battling, Peter Parker finally lost to Otto Octavius. The infamous Doctor Octopus swapped consciousnesses with Parker, leaving him to die in his decaying body to ensure his own survival. Otto became Peter, but, being arrogant, he also decided to become a better Spider-Man than Parker ever was and a better person than Otto Octavius. He became the Superior Spider-Man.
Even though it was obvious from the beginning that Peter Parker would return at some point, that won’t stop the Superior Spider-Man from changing Peter’s world and becoming a fan favourite.
Bailey Briggs
Spider-Boy
Created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, Spider-Boy is a young superhero who first appeared in Spider-Man (vol. 4) #7 in April 2023 as part of the ‘End of the Spider-Verse’ event. The twist? Nobody remembers him! Erased from existence and forgotten by all, Spider-Boy is actually Bailey Briggs, a child superhero with spider-like abilities.
How did Bailey gain his powers? How did he become Spider-Boy? Who is the young Bailey Briggs really? These are the questions at the heart of his journey as he finds his place in the world of Spider-Man, becoming the youngest Spider-Man character and a friend to Kid Pool. Most importantly, he is a really fun character!
The Spider-People from the Future, Past and other alternate Realities
Miles Morales (Earth-1610)
The Ultimate Spider-Man
Although Miles is perhaps better known today as the star of the animated Spider-Verse film franchise, he didn’t actually start as the main Spider-Man in his own universe. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles Morales was a teenager from Brooklyn who made his debut in Ultimate Fallout #4. He then took on the role of Spider-Man following Peter Parker’s tragic death in his reality.
Becoming Spider-Man was certainly a life-changing event for Miles, but it was not the only one he would experience after choosing to put on the costume. At some point, his entire history was rewritten when the Multiverse was destroyed and rebuilt at the end of Secret Wars. Miles and his friends and family were among the few people transported to Earth-616 and included in its history. Since then, he has fought crime in this reality and others. He has found himself caught up in several epic Spider-Man conflicts and other events, fighting alongside other Marvel superheroes.
Gwen Stacy (Earth-65)
Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider
Created by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez, Spider-Gwen made her first appearance, like many other Spider-People, during the Spider-Verse event, in the issue Edge of Spider-Verse #2. She became an instant hit thanks to her unique costume design and went on to establish herself as an important member of the Spider-Family.
When her story began, Gwen had to learn how to balance her life as a superhero with being the daughter of a police officer and playing the drums in an up-and-coming band called the Mary Janes! Over 10 years later, Gwen has faced many challenges as a superheroine and in her personal life. She has had adventures in different dimensions and time periods, became Ghost-Spider, been outlawed and exiled, and finally found a new home on Earth-616.
Miguel O’Hara (Earth-928)
Spider-Man 2099
Created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi for the Marvel 2099 comic book line, Miguel O’Hara was a young genetics prodigy working for Alchemax in the future metropolis of Nueva York! One of his experiments, to recreate the powers of the modern Spider-Man, backfired and changed his DNA to make it 50% spider!
As a result, Miguel now possesses superhuman strength, accelerated healing, the ability to climb walls, paralytic venom via fangs, enhanced agility and reflexes. With great power comes great responsibility, so Miguel decides to use his new abilities to take down Tyler Stone and Alchemax. This was just the beginning of his story, as he would find himself having to fight to save the timeline more than once.
May “Mayday” Parker (Earth-982)
Spider-Girl/Spider-Woman
But what if Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s baby hadn’t been killed and their child grew up to become Spider-Girl? That is the question answered in What If…? #105.
Taking place on Earth-982, it introduced an alternate Marvel universe where the ‘Age of Heroes’ began earlier, resulting in the original heroes ageing and passing on their legacy to the next generation.
Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz in 1997, May Parker is Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson’s teenage daughter from this continuity whose story was told in her own series, Spider-Girl. She began developing versions of her father’s spider powers at the age of 15 and decided to take on crime-fighting. While her parents were not happy about it, they will come to help her… while still being worried for their daughter.
Mayday became a popular character, headlining the longest-running superhero book featuring a female lead ever published by Marvel. Like all Spider-People, her life was turned upside down by the Inheritors during the Spider-Verse event, after which she became a major figure among the Warriors of the Great Web.
Peter Parker (Earth-90214)
Spider-Man Noir
We call him Spider-Man Noir, but he is simply known as “The Spider-Man”. This version of Peter Parker lives in a hard-boiled world of Marvel Noir, where he debuted in Spider-Man: Noir #1, delivering a darker, grittier take on the traditional Spider-Man. Alternatively, you could consider him to be the Batman of the Spider-Man universe as he relies more on his detective skills to combat crime and bring justice to his city.
Raised by activists May and Ben Parker, this Peter gained arachnid powers after being bitten by a supernatural spider. His powers and abilities are similar to those of the traditional Spider-Man, but his costume, consisting of a black suit, fedora hat and trench coat, sets him apart and reflects the noir aesthetic.
Like Miles, Spider-Man Noir found a certain success in the mainstream thanks to the animated Spider-Verse franchise in which Nicolas Cage voiced him. The actor recently took on an alternate version of the character for the live-action television series Spider-Noir.
Peter Porker (Earth-8311)
Spider-Ham
Peter Porker is not your ordinary member of the Spider-Verse! .The anthropomorphic pig was a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man was introduced in the one-shot humour comic book Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham in November 1983. He proved popular enough to have his own ongoing bimonthly series for a short time.
Peter was born a spider and lived in the basement laboratory of May Porker, a scientist who created the ‘world’s first atomic-powered hairdryer’. Following an accident, Peter was bitten by May and transformed into an anthropomorphic pig. Initially disoriented, he soon discovered that he had retained all of his spider abilities, as well as the intellect of the scientist May Porker, who now believes herself to be Peter’s aunt. Following this life-changing event, Peter decided to become a superhero and use his newfound talents to fight crime.
Spider-Ham enjoyed his moment in the sun in the 1980s, but then almost disappeared. He made a real comeback during the Spider-Verse event, becoming one of the Web Warriors, then a member of the Spider Society.
Billy Braddock (Earth-833)
Spider-UK
Created by Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli, William “Billy” Braddock is a cross between Captain Britain and Spider-Man. He is introduced in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as a member of the Captain Britain Corps, an interdimensional group of defenders. As such, he wears a version of the traditional Captain Britain costume featuring the Union Jack emblem.
Like most Spider-Men, Billy possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes and a healing factor, as well as the ability to cling to most surfaces. He owns a talisman that allows him to travel between dimensions. Despite being a rookie in the Captain Britain Corps, Billy proved himself to be a great team player and a capable leader.
Hobart Brown (Earth-138)
Spider-Punk
Created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel, Spider-Punk made his rock’n’roll debut in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #10 and was recruited by Superior Spider-Man to fight the Inheritors.
If there is something that Spider-Punk will do is fight the good fight! Behind the mask is Hobart ‘Hobie’ Brown, a teenager from Earth-138. Like the other Spider-Totems, he acquired his spider-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider from OsCorp’s illegal waste disposal site.
Spider-Punk personifies defiance, fighting for liberty and against unfair and oppressive regimes. He is always prepared to face any challenge and fight for his cause and the people he loves, using his razor-sharp sense of humour to his advantage.
Jessica Drew (Earth-1610)
The Ultimate Spider-Woman/Black Widow
Miles Morales is not the only member of the Great Weab from the Ultimate Universe. There is also Jessica Drew, the Ultimate Spider-Woman, created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley.
Making her first appearance in Ultimate Spider-Man #98, the Ultimate Spider-Woman is a composite of several characters from the mainstream universe. She goes by the name Jessica Drew and wears a costume similar to Julia Carpenter’s. However, she is essentially a gender-swapped version of Ben Reilly. She is a genetically modified clone of Peter Parker, with chromosomes altered to make her biologically female.
As expected, she possesses all of Spider-Man’s abilities and can also fire webbing from her fingertips. She is a fiercely independent and empathetic woman who is first introduced as a CIA agent using the codename Spider-Woman, but she later changes her superhero alias to Black Widow. It is also worth pointing out that Miles Morales would not be the hero he is today without her help, as she acted as a cynical mentor for him.
Pavitr Prabhakar (Earth-50101)
Spider-Man India
Created by Jeevan Kang, Suresh Seetharaman and Sharad Devarajan, Pavitr Prabhakar made his debut in his own series, Spider-Man: India #1.
Originally from a remote village, he moved to Mumbai with his Aunt May and Uncle Bhim after receiving a partial scholarship. Like other versions of Spider-Man, his powers and abilities are derived from a mystical spider.
Pavitr is a responsible, courageous and caring person with a strong sense of justice who is determined to help those in need. His cultural background is reflected in his costume, which consists of a dhoti and kurta, and in the exploration of social, cultural, and political issues specific to India in his story. His supporting cast is also often inspired by Indian mythology and folklore.
Still More Spiders! Other members of the Spider-Verse worth mentioning and/or recently introduced
Yu Komori – The Spider-Man from Earth-70019, the star of a manga that started by retelling Spider-Man’s story in a Japanese setting before his life took a bleaker direction. First appearance in Spider-Man: The Manga #1 (1970).
Hostess Spider-Man – Peter Parker from Earth-51914 is famous for defeating his enemies with Hostess-brand Cakes. He likes to eat them too! First appearance in Marvel Hostess Ads #1 (1975).
Newspaper Spider-Man – Peter Parker from Earth-77013, which adventures were told in Newspaper Strips. First appearance in Spider-Man Newspaper Strips #1977.
Takuya Yamashiro – Spider-Man from Earth-51778, the Japanese live-action tokusatsu version of Spider-Man who found its way into the comic book pages. First appearance in the Japanese series (1978).
Spider-Ham 2099 – Piguel O’Malley from Earth-93726, the parody version of Miguel O’Hara. First appearance in What The–?! Winter Special #1 (1993).
Spider-Bitch – Ashley Barton from Earth-807128. The daughter of Peter Parker’s youngest daughter, Tonya, and Hawkeye. First appearance in Wolverine (Vol. 3) #67 (2008).
SP//dr – Peni Parker from Earth-14512. She pilots a psychically-powered mech suit built by her father, which is partially controlled by a radioactive spider that also shares a psychic link with her. First appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse #5 (2014).
Sun-Spider – Charlotte Webber from Earth-20023 is hyper-flexible but requires crutches for stability due to being a wheelchair user. First full appearance in Spider-Verse (Vol. 3) #6 (2020).
Spider-UK – Zarina Zahari from Earth-834 who joined W.H.O. (the Weird Happenings Organization) to help them fight superhuman threats. First appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 2) #1 (2022).
Night-Spider – Felicia Hardy from Earth-194 is still a thief in quest of a new thrill for a burglar lifestyle. First appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 2) #3 (2022).
Spinstress – Princess Petra from Earth-423 who was gifted her powers by her fairy godmother. And she sings! First full appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 2) #4 (2022).
Hunter-Spider – Sergei Kravinoff from Earth-31 who was stung by a gigantic spider during a hunt. First appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 2) #5 (2022).
Web-Weaver – Cooper Coen from Earth-71490 worked in the world of fashion. During a field trip, he saved Peter from being bitten and was bitten instead. First appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 2) #5 (2022).
Spider-Girl – Makawalu Akana from Earth-616 is a mutant who was trained to be Spider-Boy’s nemesis and took on the mantle of Spider-Girl. First appearance in Spider-Boy (Vol. 2) #11 (2024).
What About the Symbiotes?
From Venom and Carnage to Toxin, Sleeper, and Rascal, check out our guide to Marvel’s Main Symbiote Characters.