Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is taking audiences on yet another trip through the multiverse, uniting colorful and fun Spider-Man variants in the sequel to the hit 2018 film. The Spider-Verse franchise is deeply rooted in comic lore, including the 2014 crossover event of the same name by Dan Slott, Olivier Coipel, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Justin Ponsor.
While many of the Spider-Man variants in Spider-Verse had appeared in earlier stories, some made their debut during the 2014 event. Many of these variants have become fan-favorites to this day, tracing their histories in Marvel Comics back to Spider-Verse.
10 Patton Parnel (Earth-51412)
Patton Parnel makes his first and only appearance in the Spider-Verse tie-in comic, Edge of Spider-Verse #4, which stands as a brutal Spider-Man comic. After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Patton begins to transform into a horrifying human-spider hybrid, leading him to capture and kill other humans to lay eggs in their bodies.
This twisted version of Spider-Man is truly horrifying, making it a surprising relief when the Inheritor known as Morlun arrives and kills Patton by consuming his life force. Despite the gruesome nature of this variant, however, he remains one of the most intriguing and memorable characters introduced in Spider-Verse.
9 Ben Parker Spider-Man (Earth-3145)
The spider-totem of Earth-3145 changed Spider-Man's origin story so that Ben Parker, not Peter, was bitten by the radioactive spider. However, after losing May and Peter to the villainous Emerald Elf, Ben retired from superheroism, leaving Doctor Octopus to destroy the world in a parallel account of the "Ends of the Earth" arc.
While Ben Parker's Spider-Man faltered in his responsibility to the world, he gradually found his inner heroism once more during Spider-Verse. In the end, it was Ben that saved the Scion from the clutches of the Inheritors, saving the spider-verse from complete destruction and, in a small way, repairing the pain of losing his wife and nephew.
8 Old Man Spider (Earth-4)
Old Man Spider is the Spider-Man of Earth-4, who is among the first recruits to stop the Inheritors during Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, he is killed early during the course of the story, which reveals that an alternate-reality version of Ezekiel Sims is under Old Man Spider's mask.
Sporting a unique look from the other Spider-Man variants, Old Man Spider is a grizzled hero not unlike Marvel's other "old man" superheroes. Furthermore, the revelation that longtime Spider-Man enemy Ezekiel Sims had become Spider-Man in another timeline is certainly intriguing.
7 Six-Armed Spider-Man (Earth-92100)
Hailing from Earth-92100, Six-Armed Spider-Man is a version of the superhero who, as his name may give away, has six arms. This variant is a reference to one of the weirdest stories in early Spider-Man comics in which Peter Parker accidentally gave himself four additional arms. Unfortunately, he is killed by the Inheritors during Spider-Verse.
While Six-Armed Spider-Man may not be the most imaginative Spider-Man variant in the story, his extra arms certainly give him an extra edge in crime fighting. With four extra limbs helping him shoot webs, fight enemies, and stick to walls all at the same time, Six-Armed Spider-Man is one of the most capable spider-totems in the multiverse.
6 Lady Spider (Earth-803)
Hailing from the steampunk alternate reality of Earth-803, Maybelle Parker uses her advanced inventions to become the Lady Spider. As her superhero alter-ego, Maybelle fights a host of familiar villains from Spider-Man's Rogues Gallery, all with a steampunk tilt to them.
While Lady Spider hasn't appeared in many stories since Spider-Verse, she remains one of the most creative Spider-Man variants ever. The enthralling world from which she hails mixed with the compelling visuals of her costume, tech, and villains, make Lady Spider one of the coolest additions to the Spider-Verse of all time.
5 Spider-Punk (Earth-138)
Earth-138 is a sobering alternate reality wherein the malevolent Norman Osborn became President of the United States, creating a fascist regime that rules the country with fear. This totalitarian government led to rebel Hobie Brown adopting the superhero alter-ego of Spider-Punk in order to incite a revolution.
Spider-Punk is starkly different from his Earth-616 counterpart while remaining familiar enough that readers are not put off by the changes made to Spider-Man's story. Additionally, the callback to Hobie Brown, the original Prowler, is a welcome allusion to Spider-Man canon. The character has gained some traction in recent years and will be portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
4 Peni Parker (Earth-14512)
Peni Parker hails from Earth-14512, where she pilots her late father's mech suit SP//dr to fight crime in a futuristic Japan. The character makes her debut in Edge of Spider-Verse #5 before being recruited for the Spider-Army's war against the Inheritors.
Unlike many of the Spider-Man variants featured in Spider-Verse, Peni Parker is a stark departure from anything readers had ever seen in the Spider-Man mythos. Her unique and lovable nature made her an instant favorite, leading the character to play a major role in the hit 2018 animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
3 Spider-UK (Earth-833)
A member of Earth-833's multiversal governing body known as the Captain Britain Corps, Billy Braddock is Spider-UK. For all intents and purposes, Spider-UK is quite similar to Earth-616, but British. Despite his limited differences from other Spider-Man variants, Spider-UK turns out to be one of the best Spider-totems yet.
Much like Earth-616's Spider-Man, Billy Braddock is determined and full of heart, willing to sacrifice his very life to protect innocents. It is he who first alerts the other spiders to the threat of the Inheritors, making him responsible for saving the entire Spider-Verse. His future adventures throughout Marvel Comics, including the lead-up to 2015's Secret Wars show just how terrific Spider-UK really is.
2 Cosmic Spider-Man (Earth-13)
Earth-13 is one of the most extraordinary Spider-Man variants in Spider-Verse. Unlike Earth-616's Spider-Man, who handled the Enigma Force for a brief period of time, this version of Peter Parker kept his cosmic powers, making him not only the Spider-Man of his world but also Captain Universe.
Cosmic Spider-Man's power was beyond that of any other spider in the multiverse, such that even the Inheritors dared not trespass on his Earth. It took the complete power of Solus, the patriarch of the Inheritors, to finally bring Cosmic Spider-Man down in one of the most epic showdowns in the history of Marvel Comics.
1 Spider-Gwen (Earth-65)
Spider-Gwen is an alternate reality version of Gwen Stacy who got spider powers rather than her world's Peter Parker. Also known as Spider-Woman or Ghost-Spider, Gwen Stacy made her first appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse #2, and she was an instant fan-favorite.
Spider-Gwen gained enough popularity from her appearance in Spider-Verse to get her own ongoing series, fleshing out her world and backstory. The character even appeared in the animated Spider-Verse franchise, wherein she was voiced by Hailee Steinfeld. Spider-Gwen retains the best parts of the original Gwen Stacy's character while also developing her into something new, a hero with every bit as much strength as Earth-616's Peter Parker.