Spider-Man was an odd idea for 1962. Teenagers in superhero comics were sidekicks, not leads, and Stan Lee was told readers wouldn't buy a hero who worried about rent, homework and his aunt's health. Steve Ditko drew him as a skinny kid in a mask that covered his whole face, so anyone could imagine being under it. Peter Parker became Marvel's most popular character, and the idea at his core is simple: if you can help and you don't, what happens next is partly on you.
Over sixty years that idea has built a huge cast: Peter's family and friends in Queens, villains who are mostly scientists and businessmen gone wrong, and since 2014, a multiverse of other spider-heroes. This guide covers all of them, with the actors from the live-action films, the animated Spider-Verse films and the Insomniac games. For Spider-Man's place in the wider universe, see our Marvel characters hub.
- Created by
- Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
- First appearance
- Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)
- Home
- Forest Hills, Queens, New York
- Film rights
- Sony Pictures, sharing Peter with Marvel Studios since 2016
- Spider-Verse
- Comic event 2014; animated films from 2018
The spider-heroes
For decades there was one Spider-Man. Then Miles Morales arrived in 2011, Dan Slott's 2014 Spider-Verse event brought spider-heroes from every corner of the multiverse together, and the animated films made several of them famous in their own right.
Peter Parker
The original Spider-Man · Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)
Peter is a science prodigy from Queens raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. A radioactive spider gives him proportional strength, wall-crawling and a danger-sensing "spider-sense"; he invents his own web-shooters. He lets a thief escape out of spite, and that thief kills Ben. Everything Peter does afterwards follows from that guilt. He's funny in a fight because he's scared, and always broke because he keeps choosing to help.
Miles Morales
Spider-Man of Brooklyn · Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011)
Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles is an Afro-Latino teenager from Brooklyn who was bitten by a different spider and took up the name after his universe's Peter Parker died. He has Peter's powers plus invisibility and a bio-electric "venom strike". His father is a police officer and his uncle is the criminal Prowler, which pulls him in two directions. Into the Spider-Verse (2018) is his story about choosing to be Spider-Man his own way.
Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy)
Earth-65 · Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (2014)
In Gwen's universe the spider bit her instead of Peter, and Peter died after becoming a Lizard-like monster, with Spider-Woman blamed. She's a drummer in a band called the Mary Janes, and her father is a police captain hunting her. Her white hooded costume became one of Marvel's most popular modern designs. In the films she's Miles's closest friend.
Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara)
Earth-928 · Spider-Man 2099 #1 (1992)
Miguel is a geneticist in a corporate-controlled future New York who gets spider-powers when an experiment is sabotaged. He has fangs, talons and enhanced vision rather than spider-sense. In Across the Spider-Verse he leads the Spider-Society, and his belief that some tragedies must happen to keep the multiverse stable puts him on a collision course with Miles.
Peter B. Parker
The tired mentor · Into the Spider-Verse
An older Peter from another universe, divorced, out of shape and out of hope, who ends up training Miles. He's the films' way of asking what happens to Spider-Man after twenty years of the job. By Across the Spider-Verse he has a baby daughter, Mayday, and a reason to try again.
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Agent and hero · Marvel Spotlight #32 (1977)
Despite the name, Jessica Drew has no link to Peter's origin: her powers came from her father's experiments with spider blood. She's been a HYDRA agent, a private investigator and an Avenger. Across the Spider-Verse made her a motorcycle-riding member of Miguel's society.
Spider-Man Noir
1930s universe · 2009
A Peter Parker from a black-and-white Depression-era world, where he fights gangsters in a trench coat. He talks like a pulp detective and is baffled by colour and Rubik's Cubes. Nicolas Cage's deadpan voice in Into the Spider-Verse made him a fan favourite.
Peni Parker
SP//dr pilot · Edge of Spider-Verse #5 (2014)
Peni is a girl from an anime-inspired future who pilots a mech called SP//dr, which is psychically linked to the radioactive spider living inside it. She inherited the job from her father. In Into the Spider-Verse she's drawn in a completely different animation style from everyone else, which is the point.
Spider-Ham (Peter Porker)
Cartoon pig · 1983
Peter Porker was a spider who got bitten by a radioactive pig. He comes from a world of slapstick cartoon physics, carries a giant mallet, and is the funniest of the Spider-Verse heroes. In the film he still gets a moving line about loss.
Spider-Punk (Hobie Brown)
Anarchist guitarist
Hobie is a spider-hero from an anti-establishment London-style universe. He wears a safety-pinned costume and fights a fascist regime with a guitar. Across the Spider-Verse drew him in a collage style that looks like punk zines. He's Gwen's friend and the one who doesn't trust Miguel's rules.
Spider-Man India (Pavitr Prabhakar)
Mumbattan · 2004
Pavitr is a cheerful Indian Spider-Man from a city that blends Mumbai and Manhattan. His mystical origin and bright energy made him a breakout in Across the Spider-Verse, where he plays the guy who just wants everyone to get along.
Ben Reilly (Scarlet Spider)
Peter's clone
Ben is a clone of Peter created by the Jackal in the 1970s. In the 1990s "Clone Saga" he returned and briefly replaced Peter as Spider-Man, a storyline that confused and angered many readers. He's since come back several times, sometimes heroic, sometimes not.
Friends, family and love interests
Spider-Man's supporting cast matters more than most heroes'. Peter's life outside the mask is half the story, and the people in it are often who the villains go after.
Aunt May Parker
Peter's aunt and guardian
May raised Peter after his parents died and is the person he's most afraid of letting down. Early comics made her frail; later writers made her tougher and, eventually, aware of his secret. In the MCU she's younger and works for a charity. Her death in No Way Home gives that version his own Uncle Ben moment.
Uncle Ben Parker
The reason Peter does this
Ben appears mostly in flashbacks: a kind, ordinary man whose death after Peter's moment of selfishness creates Spider-Man. The famous line about power and responsibility is most closely associated with him, although the earliest version appears as narration in Peter's first story.
Mary Jane Watson
Peter's great love
MJ was introduced as a mystery date and finally revealed in 1966, and she won Peter and readers over with her party-girl confidence, which hid a difficult home life. She and Peter married in 1987. Marvel undid the marriage in the 2007 story One More Day, which many fans still resent. Kirsten Dunst and Zendaya have played versions of her.
Gwen Stacy
Peter's first love · The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (1965)
Gwen was a smart, sweet classmate and Peter's first serious girlfriend, the daughter of police captain George Stacy. Her death at the Green Goblin's hands in 1973 is one of the most important moments in comics history, often cited as the end of comics' innocence. It's why so many other universes treat her as a fixed tragedy.
Harry Osborn
Best friend · Second Green Goblin
Harry is Norman's son and Peter's college best friend, starved of his father's approval. When he learns that Spider-Man was involved in his father's death, he takes up the Goblin mask himself. His story is the tragedy of a friendship that the masks wouldn't let survive.
J. Jonah Jameson
Publisher of the Daily Bugle
Jameson is a loud, cheap newspaper publisher who is convinced Spider-Man is a menace, and keeps buying Peter's photos of him. He's comic relief with a real streak of integrity about the news. J.K. Simmons has played him in both Sam Raimi's films and the MCU.
Black Cat (Felicia Hardy)
Cat burglar · The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979)
Felicia is a thief who flirts with Spider-Man and finds Peter Parker boring. That's the whole problem with their on-and-off romance. She drifts between ally and opponent, and her bad-luck powers make her as dangerous to be near as to fight.
Ned Leeds and Ganke Lee
Best friends in the chair
The MCU's Ned is Peter's excitable best friend and "guy in the chair", a name taken from a minor comics reporter but largely modelled on Ganke Lee, Miles Morales's best friend in the comics. Both are the friend who knows the secret and is thrilled about it.
Spider-Man villains
Spider-Man's rogues gallery is often called the best in comics after Batman's. Many of his villains are what Peter could have become: brilliant people who got powers and used them for themselves. In 1964 six of them teamed up as the Sinister Six: Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Electro, Kraven, Mysterio and Sandman.
Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
Archenemy · The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964)
Norman Osborn is a ruthless industrialist and the father of Peter's best friend. A strength-enhancing formula gives him power and wrecks his sanity. He found out who Spider-Man was, killed Gwen Stacy, and keeps coming back. Willem Dafoe's version, with his switching personalities, is a high point of Sam Raimi's 2002 film and returns in No Way Home.
Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius)
Scientist · The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (1963)
Otto Octavius is a nuclear scientist whose mechanical arms fuse to his body in a lab accident. He's arrogant and brilliant and has been Peter's most persistent foe. In Superior Spider-Man (2013) he switched bodies with a dying Peter and tried to be a better Spider-Man, which was surprisingly good. Alfred Molina's tragic version in Spider-Man 2 is still widely considered the best superhero villain in film.
Venom (Eddie Brock)
Symbiote · The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988)
The black costume Peter brought back from Secret Wars turned out to be a living alien symbiote. When he rejected it, it bonded with Eddie Brock, a reporter whose career Spider-Man had ruined. Venom knows Peter's secret and doesn't set off his spider-sense. He later became an antihero, and Tom Hardy played him in three Sony films.
Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
Serial killer · The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (1992)
Carnage is the offspring of the Venom symbiote, bonded to a serial killer. It's stronger than its parent and has none of Eddie's conscience. He's so dangerous that Spider-Man and Venom have to team up against him.
Vulture (Adrian Toomes)
Elderly engineer · The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (1963)
Adrian Toomes is an older engineer cheated by his business partner, who builds a flying harness and turns to crime. Michael Keaton's version in Spider-Man: Homecoming makes him a working-class salvager who turns out to be Peter's date's father.
Sandman (Flint Marko)
Shape-shifting criminal · The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (1963)
A small-time crook exposed to radiation on a beach while on the run, Flint can turn his body into sand. He has reformed more than once. Spider-Man 3's sequence of his first transformation is one of the series' best scenes.
The Lizard (Curt Connors)
Tragic scientist · The Amazing Spider-Man #6 (1963)
Dr. Curt Connors is a one-armed scientist who uses reptile DNA to regrow his limb and becomes a monster. He's a friend and mentor to Peter when he's himself. Rhys Ifans played him in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).
Electro (Max Dillon)
Living lightning · The Amazing Spider-Man #9 (1964)
Max Dillon is a lineman struck by lightning who can generate and control electricity. He's usually written as a resentful nobody who wants to be noticed. Jamie Foxx played him in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and again in No Way Home.
Mysterio (Quentin Beck)
Special-effects illusionist · The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (1964)
Quentin Beck is a Hollywood effects artist who uses illusions, gas and a fishbowl helmet to commit crimes and fool people. Jake Gyllenhaal's version in Far From Home fakes being a hero and, in the end, reveals Peter's identity to the world.
Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff)
Big-game hunter · The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (1964)
Kraven is a Russian aristocrat and hunter who wants to prove himself by bringing down the most dangerous prey: Spider-Man. Kraven's Last Hunt (1987), in which he buries Peter alive and takes his place, is one of the darkest and most acclaimed Spider-Man stories.
Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
Crime lord · The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (1967)
Wilson Fisk is a massive, calm businessman who runs New York's underworld. In Into the Spider-Verse he's the villain who tears open the multiverse because he wants his dead wife and son back. He's also Daredevil's archenemy.
Rhino, Scorpion and the Spot
Second-tier rogues
Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich) is a thug in an armoured suit, Scorpion (Mac Gargan) is a private eye mutated by an experiment meant to beat Spider-Man, and the Spot is a scientist covered in portals. The Spot was a joke villain until Across the Spider-Verse turned him into a real threat.
Who played them: live action
| Character | Raimi trilogy (2002–2007) | Amazing films (2012–2014) | MCU (from 2016) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Parker | Tobey Maguire | Andrew Garfield | Tom Holland |
| Love interest | Kirsten Dunst (MJ) | Emma Stone (Gwen) | Zendaya (MJ) |
| Aunt May | Rosemary Harris | Sally Field | Marisa Tomei |
| Harry Osborn | James Franco | Dane DeHaan | — |
| J. Jonah Jameson | J.K. Simmons | — | J.K. Simmons |
| Main villains | Willem Dafoe (Goblin), Alfred Molina (Doc Ock), Thomas Haden Church (Sandman), Topher Grace (Venom) | Rhys Ifans (Lizard), Jamie Foxx (Electro) | Michael Keaton (Vulture), Jake Gyllenhaal (Mysterio) |
Tom Holland's Peter is shared between Sony and Marvel Studios, so he appears in the Avengers films; see our Avengers guide. A fourth Holland solo film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, followed in 2026.
Voice cast: the Spider-Verse films and games
Sony Pictures Animation's Into the Spider-Verse (2018) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and Across the Spider-Verse (2023) continued the story on a cliffhanger. The conclusion, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is set for 2027.
| Character | Voice actor | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Morales | Shameik Moore | Spider-Verse films |
| Gwen Stacy | Hailee Steinfeld | Spider-Verse films |
| Peter B. Parker | Jake Johnson | Spider-Verse films |
| Miguel O'Hara | Oscar Isaac | Spider-Verse films |
| Spider-Man Noir | Nicolas Cage | Into the Spider-Verse |
| Spider-Ham | John Mulaney | Into the Spider-Verse |
| Peni Parker | Kimiko Glenn | Into the Spider-Verse |
| Kingpin | Liev Schreiber | Into the Spider-Verse |
| Aaron Davis (Prowler) | Mahershala Ali | Into the Spider-Verse |
| Jessica Drew | Issa Rae | Across the Spider-Verse |
| Hobie Brown (Spider-Punk) | Daniel Kaluuya | Across the Spider-Verse |
| Pavitr Prabhakar | Karan Soni | Across the Spider-Verse |
| The Spot | Jason Schwartzman | Across the Spider-Verse |
| Peter Parker | Yuri Lowenthal | Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man games |
| Miles Morales | Nadji Jeter | Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man games |
Voice work is a big part of why these versions land. Our voice actors page covers more of the people behind animated heroes.
What Spider-Man stories are about
Almost every good Spider-Man story comes back to the same few ideas:
- Responsibility as a cost. Being Spider-Man keeps costing Peter jobs, relationships and sleep. The stories ask whether it's worth it and answer yes, but never cheaply.
- The mask as an equaliser. Ditko's full-face mask means anyone can be under it. The Spider-Verse turned that into its central message.
- Villains as mirrors. Osborn, Octavius, Connors and Toomes are all people who had a chance to be decent and didn't take it. Peter and Norman's feud is one of comics' great rivalries for that reason.
- Grief that doesn't stop. Uncle Ben, Gwen, Captain Stacy, May: Spider-Man loses more than most heroes, and Across the Spider-Verse calls these "canon events".
Where to start
- Watch Into the Spider-Verse — the best single introduction to the whole idea, and to Miles.
- Watch Spider-Man 2 (2004) — the definitive Peter Parker film, with Doc Ock.
- Read the Lee–Ditko Amazing Spider-Man issues #1–38, or Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis and Bagley for a modern retelling.
- Play Marvel's Spider-Man (2018), Insomniac's game, which tells an original story with an older Peter.
Spider-Man has also spent a lot of time on the antihero side of the ledger through Venom and Black Cat; see our anti-hero guide.
All Spider-Man character names A–Z
A–B
- Aaron Davis — Prowler
- Aunt May Parker — Family
- Ben Reilly — Scarlet Spider
- Black Cat — Felicia Hardy
C–E
- Carnage — Cletus Kasady
- Doctor Octopus — Otto Octavius
- Electro — Max Dillon
G–K
- Ganke Lee — Miles's friend
- Green Goblin — Norman Osborn
- Gwen Stacy — Peter's first love / Spider-Gwen
- Harry Osborn — Best friend
- J. Jonah Jameson — Daily Bugle
- Jessica Drew — Spider-Woman
- Kingpin — Wilson Fisk
- Kraven the Hunter — Sergei Kravinoff
L–N
- The Lizard — Curt Connors
- Mary Jane Watson — Love interest
- Miguel O'Hara — Spider-Man 2099
- Miles Morales — Spider-Man
- Mysterio — Quentin Beck
- Ned Leeds — MCU best friend
P–R
- Pavitr Prabhakar — Spider-Man India
- Peni Parker — SP//dr
- Peter B. Parker — Spider-Verse
- Peter Parker — Spider-Man
- Rhino — Aleksei Sytsevich
S–V
- Sandman — Flint Marko
- Scorpion — Mac Gargan
- Spider-Ham — Peter Porker
- Spider-Man Noir
- Spider-Punk — Hobie Brown
- The Spot — Villain
- Uncle Ben Parker — Family
- Venom — Eddie Brock
- Vulture — Adrian Toomes
Frequently asked questions
Who created Spider-Man?
Writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, cover-dated August 1962, the last issue of a cancelled anthology. It sold well enough that The Amazing Spider-Man #1 followed in 1963.
Who is Spider-Man's greatest villain?
The Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, is usually named his archenemy: he knows Peter's identity and killed Gwen Stacy. Doctor Octopus is the other main contender, and Venom is the most popular with fans who grew up in the 1990s.
How many Spider-Men are there?
In the main comics, Peter Parker and Miles Morales both use the name. Across the multiverse there are hundreds of spider-heroes, from Spider-Gwen and Spider-Man 2099 to Spider-Ham. Across the Spider-Verse shows a whole society of them.
Who plays Spider-Man in the movies?
Three actors have played Peter Parker in live action: Tobey Maguire (2002–2007), Andrew Garfield (2012–2014) and Tom Holland (from 2016). All three appear together in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). In the animated Spider-Verse films, Shameik Moore voices Miles Morales and Jake Johnson voices Peter B. Parker.
Is Spider-Gwen Gwen Stacy?
Yes. Spider-Gwen is a version of Gwen Stacy from another universe, Earth-65, where the spider bit her instead of Peter. In her world, Peter became the Lizard and died. She's called Spider-Woman in her own world and has also used the name Ghost-Spider.
Who is the strongest Spider-Man?
Among regular spider-heroes, fans most often point to the Captain Universe version of Peter, or to Miguel O'Hara and Miles for their extra powers. The main Peter is strong enough to lift around ten tons in most portrayals, though writers vary. Our power scaling guide explains why exact numbers are slippery.