10 Best Spider-Heroes Who Aren’t Spider-Man

Spider-Man is Marvel’s number one superhero and easily their biggest success. He’s not just a superhero, he’s an icon. Even non-comic book fans know who Spider-Man is, and practically everyone knows at least the basics of his story. The Web-Slinger single-handedly lifted Marvel to a brand new level, inspiring countless classic storylines and unforgettable moments. Spider-Man is Marvel’s biggest cash cow, without a doubt, being their most profitable superhero by a very wide margin. He’s a presence that transcends his own stories, having become an inspiration to millions of people across generations. It’s only natural that Marvel took that central idea and expanded it into a whole cast of characters.

While the Spider-Man Family or the Order of the Web isn’t as closely knit as the connected superhero groups like the Flash or Batman Families, Marvel’s Spiders are still some of the best heroes around. Today, we’re going to give those vastly underrated heroes their due by looking at the ten best Spider-adjacent characters who aren’t Spider-Man. While Peter and Miles won’t be topping our list today, and neither will any other version of Spider-Man, the other Friendly Neighborhood Spiders more than bring incredible amounts of heroism and entertainment to the stands. As a note, this isn’t a ranking, but rather a celebration of all of these equally awesome heroes. With all that said, let’s swing right into the Spiders.

10) Araña

Anya Corazón is a vastly underutilized character. She was originally granted spider-themed powers from a mystical tattoo she received while working with the Spider Society, but later gained a copy of Peter’s powers during the “Spider Island” event. Anya very much feels like Spider-Man’s Tim Drake, where she’s an interesting and liked character, but nobody knows what to do with her, so she only rarely appears outside of group events. I would love to see her explored more, but as of right now, she’s the type of character that leaves you wanting more just a little bit too often.

9) Madame Web

Julia Carpenter originally served as the second Spider-Woman, undergoing governmental experiments to create a hero with powers like Spider-Man. Later, she inherited Cassandra Webb’s connection to the Web of Life and Destiny, vastly increasing her inherent psychic powers. She serves as the resident mysterious mentor and prophet for the various Spider-people, delivering cryptic warnings and trying to guide them down the right path. Julia’s long history as a complicated hero and mother makes her being the centerpoint of all the Spider-Verse’s mysticism very interesting, especially as she had to adjust to being blind. Everyone needs a friend who speaks in riddles, and Julia’s the best there is at that.

8) Anti-Venom

Flash Thompson was Peter Parker’s biggest bully and Spider-Man’s number one fan. Eventually, he grew into a better man and lost both his legs while saving his comrades’ lives. After a long journey, he bonded with an artificial recreation of the Anti-Venom symbiote, becoming Agent Anti-Venom. Flash’s long history with Spider-Man as both friend and frienemy makes him incredibly entertaining. After all, who doesn’t love a good redemption story? Flash is the person who found enough goodness in himself to teach the Venom symbiote how to be a hero, and anyone who can do that has more than proven that they are a hero down to their core.

7) Spider-Woman

Jessica Drew is the character who started the extended Spider-mania, being the first additional Spider-hero Marvel produced, even if she had no connection to Spider-Man for a very long time. She has one of the most storied origins of all, being experimented on by the High Evolutionary and her own father, manipulated into joining HYDRA, and finally working for SHIELD before striking out on her own. She’s a hero who has touched just about every corner of the Marvel Universe and has been a core member of numerous incarnations and variations of the Avengers. Jessica opened the door for Marvel to make all kinds of incredible characters, and all of them need to measure up to the awesome original.

6) Kaine

“The Clone Saga” might be Spider-Man’s second most infamous story, but it did give us some great characters. The mentally-unstable Kaine is the perfect example, being an imperfect clone of Peter who struggles with an insurmountable rage. He’s like Spider-Man’s dark reflection, showing Peter the monster he could become if he allowed himself to give in to his hatred. Even still, Kaine tries to save the day in his own way. He fights to prove that he’s a good man underneath it all, and most days, he’s absolutely right. One of the coolest things about Kaine is how willing he is to push Spider-Man’s powers to new levels, such as his Mark of Kaine, where he focuses his sticking ability to a single point, burning away anything he touches. 

5) Ben Reilly

Speaking of “The Clone Saga,” let’s quickly cover the other best-known Peter clone, Ben Reilly. Ben has actually served as Spider-Man a few times over the years, but after a horrific accident robbed him of his memories and left him a husk of his former self, he took the name Chasm. Ben has become a definite jerk, going out of his way to taunt Peter and butt heads with him, even while caring for him like a brother. Ben’s in a very weird spot right now, but he’s still one of Spider-Man’s best characters, bouncing off of him perfectly and with such a tragic but loving energy.

4) Ghost-Spider

Gwen Stacy’s death is a tragedy that Spider-Man will live with for the rest of his life, but in this Gwen’s world, she was bitten by the radioactive spider and lost her Peter. She fought as a hero, and through a series of complicated Spider-Verse shenanigans, found herself permanently living on Earth-616. Being a variant of the original Gwen obviously sets the stage for all kinds of drama and interpersonal introspection, but more than just being a walking reminder of what was lost, Gwen is a spunky, spirited hero who brings a whole lot to the table. She never backs down and charges forward, carving a home out for herself on a whole new world. Anyone who can do that is someone you need to keep your eyes on. 

3) Spider-Boy

Spider-Man never had a permenant sidekick, but that’s because the one and only Spider-Boy was erased from reality and everyone’s memories. Now, he’s back and better than ever, and he better not go anywhere anytime soon. Bailey Briggs was a young boy whose DNA was spliced with a spider’s, giving him powers just like Spider-Man’s. The Friendly Neighborhood hero took Bailey under his web-wing, showing him the ropes and teaching him all about great power and responsibility. Their dynamic is downright incredible, with Bailey’s bright optimism contrasting with the guilt Spider-Man feels over a child fighting like this. They are an incredible team, and Bailey is easily the best addition to the Spider-roster in years.

2) Venom

Mary Jane Watson is bonded with the Venom symbiote, and while both individually deserve to be on this list, their union makes them all the better. They’re both recipients of the “most complicated history with Spider-Man” award, and when they first bonded, MJ hated Venom’s guts. Over time, however, they learned to trust each other and work as a team, following the heroic example that Peter inspired in both of them. This Spider-themed hero is constantly evolving and making themselves into something better, and that kind of reinvention is such a rarity in comics that, when it appears, we need to cherish it.

1) Silk

Cindy Moon was bitten by the same spider that turned Peter into Spider-Man, granting her the same powers. For thirteen years, she was locked in a bunker that isolated her from the world, hiding from the monstrous Spider-hunter, Morlun. Eventually, she was freed to embrace the open world, and she took to it in stride. She became her own hero, and nowadays, functions as one of the heroes that every Spider-person looks up to. When Peter was unceremoniously shunted into space, it was Silk and Miles who acted as the Order of the Web’s leaders, deciding how to handle Norman calling himself Spider-Man. Silk has grown into a leader and wonderful hero in every right, and she more than deserves to show that to the world.

Which non-Spider-Man Spider-hero is your favorite? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

Spider-Man’s 7 Best Superhero Partners, Ranked