Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a certified box office hit that opened the large doors of the multiverse in the Sony universe. The film is partially based on the comic storyline of Spider-Verse, where multiple versions of Spider-Man had to come together to deal with a multiverse menace that proved too much for a single Spider-person. The story left such an impression that Sony started to plan a trilogy of films around the concept.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the first offering back in 2015, and we got to see the cinematic debut of Miles Morales, along with four different versions of Spider-Man. Across the Spider-Verse has introduced many more characters, some of whom are not even Peter Parker. This ranking lists some of the most interesting Spider variants from the multiverse. Many of these have made their cinematic debut in the latest film, while others have yet to appear.
Now sit, and let's get familiar with some of the most popular versions of Spider-Man!
20 Peni Parker SP//dr
If you haven't caught on yet, Peni Parker is heavily based on the characters from Neo Genesis Evangelion. Peni is the designated pilot of SP//dr; the character was created by Gerard Way and Jake Wyatt, with her on-screen debut in Into the Spider-Verse. In the comics, she debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #5. Peni hails from Earth-14512 in the multiverse and uses a spidery mecha suit to fight crime. Voiced by Kimiko Glenn, Peni is the charmer of the crew in the first film, while in the new one, she seems more aligned with her comic persona.
19 Cindy Moon/Silk
Cindy Moon is a unique character. She's currently known as Silk in the Marvel Universe and was created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos as a supporting character in Amazing Spider-Man #2 from 2014. She's from Earth-616, same as Peter Parker; Cindy gained her powers from the same radioactive spider that bit Peter Parker, which gives them certain genetic traits that makes them mutually attracted to each other in a very animalistic sense. Silk has made a few appearances in various Spider-Man animated shows, such as Ultimate Spider-Man, and she's currently played in the MCU by Tiffany Espensen.
18 Julia Carpenter's Spider-Woman
There are quite a few women out there bearing the mantle of Spider-Woman. Julia Carpenter made her debut in Secret Wars #6, by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck. She's also a native of Earth-616, and her powers are similar to Spider-Man's but derived from a mix of spider venom and genetically engineered plants. She's served as an Avenger and as a member of Iron Man's Force Work. Julia also appeared in the classic Spider-Man Animated Series from the '90s and the Iron Man cartoon.
17 Takuya Yamashiro/Japanese Spider-Man
Spider-Man has always been a popular character. Back in the 70s, Marvel licensed the IP to the Toei Company (yes, the same guys responsible for Dragon Ball and One Piece), and they used to create a tokusatsu series based on the Super Sentai premise. Takuya Yamashiro, also known as Japanese Spider-Man, made his screen debut in 1978's Spider-Man TV show, complete with a power bike and a giant mecha. Writer Susumu Yoshikawa created this character version, and Marvel has stated he hails from Earth-51778.
16 Spider-Ham
Spider-Ham is another character who gained massive popularity after his debut in Into the Spider-Verse. The lovable pig has the same spider powers as Peter, but his adventures occur on Earth-8311. Spider-Ham was created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong. His comic book debut took place in Marvel Tails, Starring: Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham #1 in 1983. This Spider variant is known for its unique brand of humor, full of pig puns. He's played on the big screen by comedian John Mulaney.
15 Widow the Spider-Horse
This peculiar character shouldn't be so remarkable, but we can't overlook the silliness of this concept. Widow, The Spider-Horse, is a horse with arachnid powers. He was created by Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli. He made his full debut in Amazing Spider-Man #13 in 2014. The hoofed hero hails from Earth-18845 in the multiverse. While Widow hasn't made any significant appearances outside the comic books (yet), he was recruited by Miles Morales in the original Spider-verse storyline to fight The Inheritors. Here we are, hoping for a grand debut in the next animated Spider-verse film.
14 Spiders-Man
If you want a wacky horror showcase, look at Spiders-Man. This variation of Peter Parker was consumed by a hive of spiders bombarded with radioactive particles. He would adopt the Spider-Man persona as a force of evil, fighting crime with wicked methods. Spiders-Man was created by Christos Gage and Jorge Molina and debuted in Spider-Geddon #3 in 2018. He hails from Earth-11580, and it's one of the most resilient variations of the character as he can be made whole again as long as a single spider from the hive lives on.
13 Spider-Wolf
Spider-Wolf is more of a visual than anything else, but the sole concept had comic fans speaking about the unexplored potential of this character. Created by Dan Slott and Oliver Coipel, this Spider-variant is from Earth-13989 and has the powers of Peter Parker on top of being able to turn into a werewolf. He hasn't been seen in any other media, but audiences would love to see him do something more aside from being killed by The Inheritors as it happened to its comic counterpart.
12 Spider-Man Noir
Spider-Man Noir was created by David Hine and Marko Djurdjevic, and he made his comic book debut in a series of the same name. Born on Earth-90214, this variant alter ego is known as Peter B. Parker, an investigative reporter. The pulp influences can be seen in his modus operandi as he researches crimes and punishes the guilty. Unlike the regular Spider-Man, Noir is not above killing the culprits. He made his off-page debut in the videogame Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and was one of the members of the Spider-Squad in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, aptly voiced by Nicholas Cage.
11 Ghost-Spider
Ghost-Spider made her comic book debut in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 and quickly became one of the most popular Spider-person ever created for the Spider-verse event. This native from Earth-65 is actually Gwen Stacy, who takes on the mantle of Spider-Woman in this reality after the death of Peter Parker. Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez created her. The character has proven so popular that she has appeared in multiple animated films. She was the breakout character of Into The Spider-Verse next to Miles Morales, for whom she seems to have some romantic interest.
10 Jessica Drew's Spider-Woman
The first ever Spider-Woman was Jessica Drew, created by writer Archie Goodwin and Marie Severin. Jessica made her stunning debut in Marvel Spotlight #32. She's from Earth-616 and has the same power set as Peter, with the sole difference being her unique skill to manipulate pheromones around her, making anyone do her bidding. Unlike other women to bear the mantle, Jessica has a background as a trained SHIELD operative. She also had her own TV show in the 80s, and she recently made her big screen debut in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, although she only resembles her comic counterpart in the name.
9 Superior Spider-Man
Superior Spider-Man has the distinction of being a unique take on the main character in Spider-lore. After switching minds with Peter Parker, Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus, vows to be a better version of the hero. Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman created him, and Otto quickly took over as the lead character of all Spider-Man books from 2012 to 2014. Otto would prove to be a formidable hero, but one that lacked the subtlety of Peter. He made enemies out of former allies but made Peter's life easier as his unparalleled intellect allowed him to build a giant corporation using his vast scientific knowledge.
8 Lady Spider
Lady Spider will be your favorite Spider-Person if you like Steampunk aesthetic. Created by Gerard Way and Jake Wyatt, May Reilly made her stylish entrance in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as she was drafted from Earth-803 by a squad of Spider-Men to fight against The Inheritors. Lady Spider still has to appear outside comic books, but her unique aesthetic and Victorian-era flair make her a standout among Spider-variants.
7 Spider-Rex
Hailing from Earth-66, the weakling Pteranodon Pter Ptarker was constantly harassed by the T-Rex Norrannosaurman and his lackeys until they were hit by a meteor full of alien spiders. They wake having switched bodies, and Pter had a new set of powers similar to the ones of Peter Parker. The character reads like a parody of the original but done with dinosaurs, which is the point. He was created by Karla Pacheco and Pere Pérez and debuted in Edge of the Spider-Verse #1 (vol.2). The character recently leaped to the big screen as a background character in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
6 Ben Reilly
The original clone of Peter Parker made his debut way back in Amazing Spider-Man #149. As Peter's "brother," he's from Earth-616. He was created by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler, who took the original idea developed by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru and expanded on it. Ben has been a point of contention for Spider-Man fans for many years, as the character has often been portrayed as a good guy but mainly as a mentally imbalanced villain who is always plotting to take over Peter's life. He played a similar role in the original Spider-Man: The Animated Series and recently made his debut in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, voiced by Andy Samberg.
5 Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 was created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992. Unlike most spider-variants, Miguel O'Hara has a unique identity. He's from Earth-928 in the multiverse and dons the mantle of Spider-Man in a dystopian future where the Alchemax megacorporation manages everything. He's been featured in several media outside comic books, gaining more popularity as time passes. He was one of the main characters in the video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, and he's one of the lead antagonists in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film, voiced by Oscar Isaacs.
4 Spider-Punk
Spider-Punk is the wildest character Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel concocted for the Spider-verse storyline. Hobart "Hobie" Brown is a young black kid who debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as a native of Earth-138. The spiky-haired punk sports a mohawk and a battle-worn denim vest. Unlike other spider-variants, Hobie is actually The Prowler in the regular 616 universe. He recently leaped to the big screen as one of the lead supporting characters in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" film, voiced by Daniel Kaluuya, who brings a fantastic take on the character.
3 Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India
Pavitr Prabhakar spun into existence thanks to the talents of Jeevan J. Kang and Sharad Devarajan. Unlike other spider-variants, he was created to attract the attention of international readers back in 2004. Pavitr lives on Earth-50101, where he fights crime in the bustling streets of Mumbai. He's also another Spider-person who transitioned to the big screen as he stars in Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse as a supporting character with a brand new look, and voiced by Karan Soni of Deadpool fame.
2 Kaine, the Scarlet Spider
Kaine is a malformed clone of Peter Parker. Tom DeFalco and Mark Bagley created him. As part of the multiple characters created during the clone saga, he first appeared on Web of Spider-Man #119. As a native of Earth-616, Kaine suffers from a severe mental imbalance due to the flawed cloning process used to make him. While he knows how to keep his cool, he bursts into emotional rampages of psychopathic violence. While in a fight with Doctor Octopus, he killed the scientist without a second thought (don't worry, he got better). Kaine would later reform with Peter's assistance and take over The Scarlet Spider's mantle to become a hero for a while.
1 Mayday Parker's Spider-Girl
Mayday Parker represents the ultimate fulfillment of Peter's life: a chance to be happy and evolve as a character. After the whole Clone Saga fiasco, Mary Jane had a miscarriage and lost a baby. In an alternate future, this baby girl gets to live and becomes Spider-Girl. Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz created the character for a "What If" story featured in issue #105 of the second volume.
She proved so popular that Marvel created an entire universe around her, now dubbed Earth-982, or the MC2 Universe. Mayday embraces her legacy as the daughter of Peter Parker and MJ, and she plays a significant role in the Spider-Verse storyline. Recently Mayday made her debut on the big screen as a baby held by Peter B. Parker during the events of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
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