7 Most Important Marvel Heroes Who Started As Spider-Man Characters

It might be surprising to know how many different superheroes were initially introduced in the pages of Spider-Man comics. Spider-Man got his start in Amazing Fantasy #15, and in his first solo issue, he met up with the Fantastic Four. However, over the years, Spider-Man turned into one of the most popular comic book characters, regardless of whether it was Marvel or DC. This made his solo series a perfect place to slip in new heroes that Marvel wanted to test out, and it resulted in some very popular heroes spinning off of the title over the years, including some surprising face turns.

From heroes who are still considered Spider-Man supporting characters to a major villain who turned good after making his name in Spider-Man comics, here are the best heroes who were introduced in the character’s solo series.

7) Silver Sable

Silver Sable debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #265. She was the daughter of one of the world’s most feared Nazi hunters, whose mother was killed by a Nazi war criminal. It turned the young woman’s hair silver, and she demanded to be trained by her father to become the new leader of her father’s Nazi hunting organization, turning it into a corporate empire. She met Spider-Man when she traveled to New York City to capture the international jewel thief, Black Fox.

Spider-Man screwed up her mission, but he gained her respect when he helped recover the jewels. Since this time, Silver Sable has become a major hero in her own right, the leader of the Outlaws, a group of reformed criminals, and later the Wild Pack, a multinational strike force.

6) Morbius

Morbius made his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #101. His first appearance was a clever decision, as it was in a story where Lizard was the main villain. Morbius accidentally turned himself into a living vampire by trying to cure a disease he was suffering from. It was the same reasoning that Curt Conners became Lizard, which helps them match up well with each other. It also helped Spider-Man understand Morbius better when he arrived.

Since debuting in Spider-Man comic books, Morbius has gone on to become a major player in the Marvel world of monsters. He has been part of the Legion of Monsters and has had more than one solo series of his own. Morbius has kept connected to Spider-Man over the years, but he is no longer solely thought of as a Spider-Man supporting character anymore.

5) Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger made their Marvel Comics debut in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #64 in 1981. Their debut saw them show up as teenage runaways with superpowers. However, they were also vigilantes seeking revenge for the torture they went through when they were abducted and experimented on, giving them their powers. Spider-Man set out to help them rise up to become more than killers and mentored them into becoming heroes.

Since their time working with Spider-Man, Cloak & Dagger became heroes in their own right, working alongside the X-Men, Power Pack, and more, and the two are now just as iconic on their own as they ever were in Spider-Man comic books.

4) Norman Osborn

For many years, Norman Osborn was a straight Spider-Man villain. As the Green Goblin, he was one of Spider-Man’s most hated villains, the man who killed Gwen Stacy and who put Spider-Man’s life in danger more than once. However, he soon became so much more and turned into a Marvel villain to several characters thanks to his run as head of HAMMER after Secret Invasion.

However, interesting things have happened in Norman Osborn’s life since Sin-Eater ate his sins and Norman became a hero. He has since begun helping Spider-Man and has even taken on the role of Spidey since the original disappeared in Marvel Comics. Norman Osborn has come a long way since his introduction in Spider-Man comics.

3) Black Cat

Everyone knows that Black Cat is a Spider-Man supporting character, and she has dated Spider-Man more than once. Some people might even consider Black Cat to be Spider-Man’s soulmate more than Mary Jane Watson. Black Cat first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #194 as a cat burglar with luck powers, with whom Spider-Man ended up developing a complicated relationship.

However, she has since become even more than just a Spider-Man supporting character. She had a massive part in the King in Black storyline, even working with Dr. Strange more than once. In 2025, she even had a big part in a Fantastic Four storyline where she ended up striking up a friendship with Susan Storm Richards.

2) Punisher

Easily, the most popular and important Marvel Comics hero who debuted in Spider-Man comics is The Punisher. He made his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #129 when the Jackyl tricked him into thinking that Spider-Man was a villain, so he tried to gun the Wall Crawler down. This led Punisher and Spider-Man to have a complicated relationship for years, but soon Punisher moved out of Spider-Man comics.

Soon, Punisher became more well-known for his appearances in Daredevil comics. However, when Punisher got his own solo series, he exploded in popularity. The books by Garth Ennis turned Punisher into one of Marvel’s most popular antiheroes, and he remains in that position to this day.

1) Venom

Venom is the one major Marvel Comics hero who debuted in Spider-Man comics and remains connected with him, something that will never change. The symbiote costume first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #252, and when Spider-Man ditched the costume, it joined with Eddie Brock to become Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #299. Since that time, Venom has become a massively popular Marvel hero.

When Venom moved to California to get away from Spider-Man, he was more popular than ever. He has even had his own crossover series, including the Marvel-wide crossover King in Black and the more recent Venom War. He has also moved entirely away from Spider-Man at times, although he retained a connection with hosts like Scorpion, Flash Thompson, and even Mary Jane Watson.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

10 Best Spider-Man Comics Of The 21st Century (So Far)