10 Best Multiversal Versions of Spider-Man

Spider-Man: No Way Home finally arrives in theaters this weekend, bringing a whole new chapter in the cinematic story of Spider-Man. The film is expected to see Peter Parker / Spider-Man (Tom Holland) dealing with the repercussions of his identity being exposed in the final moments of Spider-Man: Far From Home, leading him down a chain of events that accidentally opens up the multiverse. As the film’s marketing material has showed, that will involve Peter crossing paths with familiar villains from previous Spider-Man movie series, and while we don’t know if he’ll be teaming up with another version of the web-slinger along the way, that hasn’t stopped fans from talking about all of the “Spider-Men” that exist.

Outside of the films, quite a lot of versions of Spider-Man exist throughout the multiverse, with Marvel Comics showcasing those possibilities in events such as Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon. Some of the characters in question have gone on to become mainstays in the comics, while some remain under-the-radar favorites or pieces of trivia. As we all prepare for No Way Home, let’s look back at some of the best versions of Spider-Man throughout the multiverse.

Miles Morales

Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles has grown into a bonafide household name in the time since he first debuted in 2011. A biracial teenager from Brooklyn who is originally from the Ultimate universe, Miles suited up as Spider-Man following the death of Peter Parker and quickly became a bit of a phenomenon, later being merged into the main 616 continuity.

In addition to countless comic appearances (both in solo and group settings), Miles has starred in animated TV shows, video games, and the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Gwen

Spider-Gwen (later known as Ghost-Spider and Spider-Woman) might be the best-known multiversal Spider-Man outside of Miles — and it’s easy to see why. Created by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez in 2014,  this take on Gwen Stacy hails from the colorful universe of Earth-65 where she was bit by a radioactive spider instead of Peter. Gwen balances her role as the protector of her New York City with her civilian life as a student and aspiring musician, and crosses paths with surprising alternate versions of Marvel heroes and villains.

While we have yet to see Spider-Gwen in live-action, she has appeared throughout animation quite a bit, with actresses such as Hailee Steinfeld, Dove Cameron, and Laura Bailey bringing her to life. 

Spider-Man 2099

Created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992, Miguel O’Hara occupies another unique spot in the tapestry of Spider-Man as the Spider-Man of 2099. The futuristic version of the character, who is really a biracial geneticist named Miguel O’Hara, is able to recreate the Spider-Man powers for himself — but with unintended consequences, as half of his DNA ultimately gets bonded with a spider’s.

Most recently, Miguel made his cinematic debut in the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, voiced by Moon Knight star Oscar Isaac. 

Spider-Ham

One of the most eccentric — and beloved — alternate versions of Spider-Man might be Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham. Created by Larry Hama, Tom DeFalco, and Mark Armstrong, Spider-Ham is the protector of Earth-8311, which is occupied by countless anthropomorphic, pun-inspired villains of the characters we know and love. 

Over the years, Spider-Ham has led his own comic series several times over, and famously was portrayed by John Mulaney in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. 

Spider-Punk

Created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel in 2015, Spider-Punk might be one of the most visually unique takes on Spider-Man’s design. Originally a homeless teenager named Hobart Brown, Spider-Punk gains powers thanks to toxic waste dumped by President Norman Osborn, and uses his abilities to motivate the community to fight Osborn’s militia. He then factored into the “Spider-Geddon” storyline, and has remained a fan-favorite thanks to appearances in animation and in the recent Marvel’s Spider-Man video game.

Mayday

First introduced by Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, and Mark Bagley, May “Mayday” Parker is the future child of Peter and Mary Jane in the MC2 universe. When May was a child, a traumatic injury led Peter to retire and focus on his family, all while hoping that May wouldn’t inherent his superpowers. That did prove to be the case when May was a teenager, leading to her becoming Spider-Girl and later Spider-Woman.

While May might not be as widely-known in the pantheon of Spider-Man characters, she definitely has remained a fan-favorite.

Spider-Ma’am

Speaking of Mays inheriting the Spider-Man mantle, a 1980 story from Steve Skeates and Alan Kupperberg saw the introduction of May Reilly-Parker gaining superheroes. The incident occurred after May was bitten by a radioactive spider while trying to deliver Peter his lunch, and led to her becoming a crime fighter.

While May has only appeared sporadically in the comics in the years that have followed, she remains a unique twist on the Spider-Man origin — and on Peter and May’s relationship.

Six-Armed Spider-Man

What If…? also gifted us one of the most aesthetically odd versions of Spider-Man, nicknamed the “Six-Armed Spider-Man.” Created by Michael Gallagher and Kevin West, this version of Peter Parker tried to create a potion to get rid of his Spider-Man powers — but accidentally gained an extra two sets of arms in the process.

After a series of events — including Morbius being eaten by sharks — and fights with other Spidey villains, Peter began to realize that the additional arms could be used for good.

Webslinger

One of the more macabre — and tragic — versions of Spider-Man, Webslinger was created by Lee Kaminski and Oscar Jimenez in 2000, as part of a sword and sorcery-inspired take on the Marvel universe. This version of the character, who is never explicitly referred to as Peter Parker, has a fascination with spiders, which a sorceress uses to manipulate him and give him magical spider powers. The only caveat is that she banishes him from using his power for his own personal gain — which he goes against after saving his uncle.

As a result, the sorceress turned the boy into a grotesque hybrid of human and spider, which he used to try to protect his city, despite their disdain of him.

Spiders-Man

And finally, the Peter Parker of Earth-11580 boasts one of the weirdest subversions of lore yet — as he is a Spider-Man literally made up of spiders. Created by Christos Gage and Jorge Molina in 2018, this version of Peter was attacked by a colony of spiders, which absorbed his consciousness and began to fight crime as him.

Yes, this version of Spider-Man literally operated as a pile of spiders — and seemed to do so pretty successfully.

Want to learn more about Spider-Man’s latest adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Check back on ComicBook CRAM every day leading up to the premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and click here for even more content to find out everything you need to know about the new movie!