Slinging webs, cracking bad jokes, and making sure the local bodega stays safe from purse snatchers. That’s the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man that we all know and love. But comic book fans know that Spidey can be so much more than just a street-level superhero; in the Spider-Verse, there are an infinite number of Spider-Men, each with their unique origin stories and their own amazing power sets.
We’re talking Spider-Men who can rewrite reality. Spider-Men who can single-handedly take on Galactus. And Spider-Men who can punch entire planets into orbit! So, read on because today we’re going through the most powerful comic book versions of Spider-Man and answering the question: who is the definitive strongest version of the character?
5. Ghost Spider
No, we’re not talking about Gwen Stacy; we’re referring to Earth-11638’s Peter Parker. In this universe, Uncle Ben never dies. In fact, he actually trains Peter when he gains his spider powers. Peter still goes on to become Spider-Man, but it’s not enough for him. Wanting to increase his powers, he builds a machine to bring in Spider-Men from other universes into his own and steals their powers for himself. He kills countless Spider-Men and, as a result, becomes so strong that he manages to defeat Thanos and even Galactus.
Eventually, this leads him to a confrontation with 616 Peter, and his powers end up getting sucked into the machine. He enters a comatose state with his spirit trapped in hell. But then Dr. Banner, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-11638, connects his soul to the Spirit of Vengeance (Ghost Rider) and creates the Ghost Spider. So, this version of Peter Parker has all the Spider-Man abilities as well as the ability to travel between dimensions, the power to unleash hellfire chains, and the Penance Stare, which can burn the souls of his enemies.
4. Spider-Hulk
Spider-Hulk first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #70. Peter travels to Connecticut to investigate a story for the Daily Bugle in this issue. There, he encounters the Hulk, who zaps him with a shot of bioelectricity. This gives Peter all the powers of the Hulk, including limitless strength. The angrier he gets, the stronger he gets. However, in his Hulk state, Peter becomes a mindless brute without any of his intelligence, agility, or web-shooting abilities, which keeps him from being the ultimate strongest version of Spider-Man.
3. Zombie Spider-Man
The zombified version of Spider-Man from Earth-2149 is one of the most powerful versions of Spider-Man for several reasons. First of all, he keeps his intelligence and spider powers, but he loses his ability to feel pain, which makes him a relentless killing machine. Secondly, he gains the abilities of anyone he devours. He easily overpowered and ate the Green Goblin and then also consumed the Silver Surfer, which gave him a fraction of the Power Cosmic. Peter then gained the power to fly, control energy, and even survive in space. He became so powerful that he even managed to take on Galactus himself.
2. Cosmic Spider-Man
In the Acts of Vengeance storyline, Peter gained the Uni-Power and became a literal god. He could manipulate matter as he wished and he acquired the ability to fly at 99% of the speed of light. He was practically invulnerable and infinitely strong, capable of sending the Grey Hulk to space with one punch! His Spider-Sense also received a cosmic upgrade, giving him a near-omniscient view of the universe. He could detect cosmic-level threats and see possible futures. This made him way stronger than any other version of Spider-Man that ever existed back then.
1. Beyonder Spider-Man
In the Secret Wars event, Spider-Man briefly gained the powers of the Beyonder, who is one of the most powerful beings in the entirety of the Marvel Universe. Beyonder Spider-Man could bend time and space at will and perceive events across multiple realities. He becomes capable of remaking Creation, which is the entirety of the Marvel Multiverse. He also resurrects Uncle Ben, saves Gwen Stacy, and defeats Molecule Man and Galactus!
This version of Peter is definitely the strongest version of Spider-Man to have ever existed. While Cosmic Spider-Man could bend reality on a universal or, at most, multi-universal scale, Beyonder Spider-Man had true multiversal-level god-like powers. He’s not just powerful; he’s infinitely adaptable, able to rewrite fundamental laws of physics and manipulate the very fabric of existence. He could reshape entire realities with a thought, create pocket universes on a whim, and even challenge the very concept of death. Find out if the superhero will appear in Venom 3.