The fictional Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, who debuted in 1962, is well known for his unique superhuman abilities as depicted in the comics and other media. He receives most of his powers when he is bitten by a radioactive common house spider. He uses his technical skill to develop equipment and weapons to complement his powers, and wears a number of costumes, many of which have special properties.
Video Spider-Man's powers and equipment
Original abilities
When Peter Parker was bitten by an irradiated spider, radioactive mutagenic enzymes in the spider's venom quickly caused numerous body-wide changes. Immediately after the bite, he was granted his original powers: primarily superhuman strength, reflexes, and balance; the ability to cling tenaciously to most surfaces; and a subconscious ability to sense everything in his surroundings, which he called a "spider-sense".
Generally enhanced physiology
Spider-Man's overall metabolic efficiency has been greatly increased, and the composition of his skeleton, connective tissues, muscles, and nervous system have all been enhanced. Originally, Peter Parker wore glasses, but after the spider bite, his vision became 20/20, allowing him to see perfectly after his spectacles were broken by Flash Thompson. Spider-Man is capable of healing injuries faster and more extensively than ordinary humans, including injuries as severe as broken bones within a matter of hours. During a battle with a villain called the Masked Marauder, Spider-Man is rendered completely blind. However, during a visit to an eye specialist, it is revealed that Spider-Man is already healing only hours later. After about two days, Spider-Man's 20/20 vision is restored, although his eyes are sensitive for about a day after, shown when Carrion flashed a bright light in his face. Afterwards, his eyes are completely healed. However, Spider-Man's healing factor has not been depicted as being anywhere near as rapid as that of Deadpool and Wolverine in as much as he has suffered life-threatening injuries that would not have endangered those other superhumans.
Following the events of "The Other", Spider-Man permanently had some of his abilities increased, including his healing. During Marvel's "Civil War" (after "The Other"), he is ambushed by the Rhino and is injured. However, he heals completely by the end of the issue without medical attention and mentions to Aunt May that he knew he had "always been a fast healer, but lately it seems even more so." During "Civil War", Spider-Man is heavily beaten and drugged, suffering multiple fractures and blood loss at the hands of the Jack O' Lantern but his injuries heal almost completely by the next issue. However, like many superhuman powers, the effectiveness of Spider-Man's abilities varies based on the author and the needs of the story.
His accelerated metabolism increases his tolerance to drugs, meaning a larger dose is needed to cause the usual effect, and he can recover from the effects rapidly. During an encounter with the bee-based villain Swarm, Spider-Man is incapacitated by thousands of bee stings, but fully recovers in less than 24 hours. His resistance to other toxins varies, but is typically significantly higher than normal. However, Spider-Man has normal human tolerance to the effects of alcoholic beverages and is rarely shown drinking, since it affects his balance, reflexes and coordination. In one battle with the Hobgoblin, he nearly loses his life after unknowingly consuming spiked punch at a party. Although he is still affected by disease and infection, his recovery time is typically shorter than that of an ordinary human. Spider-Man's unique physiology even allows him to recover from the effects of vampirism.
Spider-Man is still vulnerable to disease, and has fallen ill due to flu many times, which affects the reliability of his powers. He also has certain susceptibility towards ethyl chloride, which is a commonly used pesticide against insects and arachnids. This chemical is used frequently as a weapon in Spider-Slayer robots.
Possible mystical connection
Ezekiel, who shares similar spider abilities (albeit gained through an arcane ritual), makes Peter question the source of his powers, as this implied a mystical reason the spider chose to bite him, suggesting that the spider would have given him powers even without being exposed to radiation (although Peter has noted that the radiation did slightly change the mutative effects that the spider had on his system). Though this was never proven, Spider-Man has been tied to mystical forces before, such as when he was mentioned in an ancient prophecy in connection to the sorcerer Dr. Strange, and when the cosmic beings Lord Order and Master Chaos claimed credit for Peter Parker being the one bitten by the spider. Magical forces could also explain how Spider-Man is able to psychically detect threats such as whether or not a person has a gun or if he is being followed. However, after Ezekiel's death, Peter has chosen not to pursue this line of thought any further, noting that science and magic can be essentially two sides of the same coin, and reasoning that his scientific background has helped him for so long that there is no reason for him to shift focus.
Wall-crawling
Spider-Man is capable of crawling on walls and ceilings. He has conscious control over this ability, and it is simple and instinctive for him to use, first using it in Amazing Fantasy #15 before realizing he has the ability. Originally, Spider-Man is able to stick to surfaces using only his hands and feet, but later he is shown to be able to cling with his back. The strength of attraction between himself and the surface he is clinging to is considerable, with an upper limit of several tons per finger. If Spider-Man does not willingly detach, but is pulled off by force, the surface usually breaks, still attached to his body. However, it has been shown that a significant shock can cause him to lose control of his power and fall off a surface. If a surface is too slippery, he has problems sticking to it; if it is too fragile or crumbling, it is unable to support his weight. He can also use his clinging ability to lift or hold objects; for instance, he can catch a thrown ball simply by touching it with one fingertip. Spider-Man is also able to jump and sprint against a wall which helps him climb surfaces a lot faster.
The ability works through thin layers of cloth, such as the fabric of his costume, but not through materials such as the soles of shoes. When Peter Parker needs to crawl without changing into the costume, he removes his shoes first.
Spider-Man's wall-crawling ability has increased with time, most notably in a backup story in Amazing Spider-Man #365 by Tom DeFalco, in which Peter explains his abilities to Mary Jane. Peter reveals that every part of his body has gained or increased in attraction to other surfaces, and he can stick people or objects on his back. Over time he realizes he could keep his mask firmly fixed to his face (previously used to prevent undesirable mask removal), protecting his secret identity.
In a discussion and demonstration of his ability with Iron Man, Stark was fascinated that Spider-Man will not slip on vertical glass and challenged him to stick to the nearby Hulk, who affably let Spider-Man stand upside down from his outstretched arm.
Kaine, the villainous clone of Spider-Man, has shown the ability to use his wall-crawling abilities in a more offensive manner, burning distinctive scars - the Mark of Kaine - in the face of his victims. Later, Spider-Man himself uses a variation of the same ability to escape from The Green Goblin by making his fingertips cling to his face and tearing them away, digging five deep wounds in Norman's face. Despite the obvious offensive potential of such an ability, Peter claims that it is unlikely he will use it again, as it was a move born out of anger and desperation. In later events during the Grim Hunt arc, due to Peter's rage at Sasha Kravinoff over everything she put him and his 'spider family' through, he uses his version of the Mark of Kaine on her, ripping the skin off her face in the shape of a hand print, proclaiming "This is from my brother."
Spider-Man's wall crawling abilities have been explained in several ways. Some notable explanations include:
- A panel of biologists and physicists on the History Channel's Spider-Man Tech suggested the barbed hairs on his fingertips (as depicted in the 2002 Spider-Man film) could have the same effect as the miniature scopulae hairs on the ends of a spider's feet. Spiders are able to climb up seemingly impossible surfaces like glass because the scopulae interact with the glass's atoms causing a form of atomic static cling via the Van der Waals force.
- The Spider-Man entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe states that Spider-Man is able to enhance the flux of inter-atomic attractive forces on surfaces he touches, increasing the coefficient of friction between that surface and himself.
- Bio-electricity. Spider-Girl's similar power is referred to by Reed Richards as "bio-magnetism", but her ability is somewhat different.
Enemies able to cancel wall-crawling ability
- Electro had a revelation during a battle about Spider-Man's clinging ability and can disrupt this power somehow, claiming that it was based on some sort of electromagnetic bonding. It is ineffective after the events of "The Other".
- Many enemies, such as Stilt-Man and Paste Pot Pete, have used lubricants to prevent Spider-Man from sticking.
- Some enemies with sufficient strength have ripped Spider-Man from a surface but usually after the wall breaks from the strain, not from his powers failing, and pieces of the wall can still be seen clinging to his hands and feet.
Superhuman strength, durability, healing factor, jumping, leaping, and speed
Early in his career, Spider-Man was frequently said to have the proportional strength of a spider, but he can lift much more due to his human size and physical build, up to 11 tons. Since the events of "The Other" and "The Queen" story arcs, his strength temporarily increased to more than twice his original limits, sufficient to lift 25 tons. Due to the events of the "One More Day" story arc in which reality is altered by Mephisto as part of a deal Spider-Man makes to save the life of May Parker, his strength reverts to its original levels. During the Secret Invasion, Spider-Man was shown to be able to knock a Tyranosaurus Rex unconscious in one punch. He has been shown to lift and throw objects such as a tank and a semi-truck and to bend the steel of a screwdriver with one finger with ease.Once he held up the entire Daily Bugle skyscraper. When in combat, Spider-Man must pull his punches unless fighting someone of similar or greater durability and power. Otherwise, his blows would kill a normal person. A notable example of this occurs in Amazing Spider-Man #700 when Otto Octavius, having taken over Peter Parker's body, gets into a fight with Scorpion. When Octavius punches Scorpion in the jaw, his blow easily knocks Gargan's lower mandible clean off his body. Octavius is astonished by this, realizing that Parker had been holding back his true strength during all of their own battles.
Spider-Man's bodily tissue is a great deal more durable and resistant to some types of injury than a normal human (for example, a regular human punched Spider-Man and broke his wrist). However, Spider-Man is far from invulnerable. While his body is tougher than an ordinary human, as seen several times in Spider-Man 2 (via falling from average web slinging height without sustaining significant injury), he can still be injured in ways comparable to an ordinary human. For example, Spider-Man can be injured by bullets or knives composed of conventional material and from impacts of sufficient force. However, if injured, his accelerated metabolism is capable of repairing itself many times faster than an ordinary human. A doctor has told Spider-Man that it would be impossible for a normal man to survive the punishment that he has endured.
Spider-Man can leap several stories vertically or the width of a city street. While his running speed has never been definitely established, he can run at superhuman speed for short sprints and has been shown to be easily capable of overtaking fast-moving cars, but nearly always prefers using his weblines to travel.
Superhuman agility, reflexes and equilibrium
Spider-Man's speed, agility and reflexes are far superior to those of an ordinary human, even those that represent the peak of human conditioning such as Captain America. The speed of his reflexes combined with his spider-sense allows him to avoid or dodge any attack, even gunfire. Due to the events of "The Other", his reflexes are increased further, responding directly to his spider-sense and instinct that can result in him lashing out at negligible threats. Again, however, due to the alteration of reality during the "One More Day" story arc, his agility and reflexes reverted to their original levels. During the "Grim Hunt" storyline, he was able to dodge a bullet fired from a hunting rifle at point blank range, and the story implies that Spider-Man's exceptional speed in that situation was a result of the intense grief and rage he was feeling at the time.
Spider-Man has the ability to maintain his equilibrium on any surface that he can stick to. For example, he can balance on one finger on a high wire, or stand upright on a wall, his body parallel to the ground. Additionally, he is able to flex his body like a contortionist, assuming postures that would be impossible or harmful for most normal humans. His tendons and connective tissues are at least twice as elastic as the average human being's. This ability is often demonstrated by the unusual poses Spider-Man would assume while webslinging or dodging enemy attacks. Also, as an outcome of his super reflexes, Peter has developed his own improvisational fighting style.
Sense perceptions
Spider-Man's five primary senses of perception have superhuman levels of sensitivity, as a result of his spider powers. After the "Disassembled" and "The Other" storylines, Spider-Man gains the ability to feel vibrations and currents in the air or in his web lines, much like a real spider (though this aspect of his powers may no longer be present within the comics, see below). This ability is also used in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man.
Spider-sense
Spider-Man's "spider-sense" manifests as a tingling sensation at the base of his brain, alerting him to personal danger; the strength of the tingling rises in proportion to the severity of the threat. For instance, a little tingling such as a happenstance passing by of an enemy would prompt Peter to be alert, while a strong tingling, sometimes to the point of being painful, is interpreted as a need to take immediate evasive action on a deadly threat. It appears to be a simultaneous response to a wide variety of phenomena. Though the exact mechanism of this ability is unknown, (though in The Amazing Spider-Man #1, he refers to it as an instinctive ability) his spider-sense clearly has at least six aspects in addition to sensing nearing, acute, potential, immediate, potential immediate or impending danger:
- A psychological awareness of his surroundings, similar to the radar-sense of Daredevil. When he is temporarily blinded, Spider-Man learns to emulate this ability and navigate without his eyesight. Even under normal conditions, his spider-sense helps him navigate darkened rooms, instinctively avoiding obstacles or hazards, or potentially noisy or unstable floorboards, walls or ceilings that may betray his presence. In one comic, he is shown sensing how many fingers Mary Jane is holding up.
- An ability to detect certain radio frequencies. Spider-Man's technical skill is such that he has designed spider-tracers that broadcast a signal detectable by his spider-sense.
How this appears changes based on the comic or cartoon. In most comics, wavy lines appear around his head; when he is unmasked, this effect is sometimes accompanied by a symbolic half-mask appearing on his face. In the 90's cartoon, negative colored shapes appeared around him.
Using his spider-sense to time his enhanced reflexes, Spider-Man can casually dodge attacks up to and including automatic-weapons fire. Even point blank, his spider-sense has already warned him in enough time to get away like a precognitive sense, before he can even consciously think about his actions. However, he can ignore this instinct. His spider-sense is sufficiently well-linked to his reflexes, even before "The Other" storyline, that a threat can trigger them even when Spider-Man is asleep or stunned, as in The Amazing Spider-Man #141, where a narcotic gas released by foe Mysterio caused him to lose his balance and fall from a building. Though barely conscious, a combination of spider-sense and reflex caused his arm to seize a fire-escape ladder, saving his life.
When Spider-Man swings across a city on his weblines, his spider-sense guides his aim, allowing him to travel at high speeds hundreds of feet above street level with minimal concentration, confident his weblines will find secure anchor points.
Spider-Man's spider-sense is directional and can guide him to or away from hidden weapons and disguised enemies. Sudden and extreme threats (such as the Beyonder observing Earth before the first Secret Wars, Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy half of the sapient population of the universe, the Ultimate version of Venom, or the predatory Morlun) can cause his spider-sense to react with painful intensity.
Spider-Man can also sense and dodge attacks directed randomly or by a computer. His spider-sense has helped him preserve his secret identity since it alerts him to observers or cameras when changing into or out of his costume. The spider-sense does not react to those whom Peter does not consider a threat, such as Aunt May. Contrary to this, his spider-sense has warned him of people close to him when he does not wish to be seen, such as when he's partly in costume.
Spider-Man can choose to ignore his spider-sense, and the tingling gets stronger when the danger becomes more immiment and threatening and Peter find outs where the danger is coming from and how to avoid it and this ability is limitlessly passive and limitlessly uncontrollable.
Spider-Man has used his spider-sense to battle even the most skilled fighters in the Marvel Universe. While not being trained in fighting styles, his spider-sense and reflexes allow him to dodge and counter, often with ease.
After the "Disassembled" and "The Other" storylines, Spider-Man also develops a psychic connection to insects, spiders, and other arthropods, though this aspect of his powers may no longer be present (see below). The spider-sense also allows Spider-Man to determine the source of the incoming attack, which gives him an advantage against enemies who are all over the place like Spot.
As a result of the storyline "Revenge of the Spider-Slayer", Spider-Man loses his spider-sense when he sets off a device that disabled Spencer Smythe's latest creations' ability to coordinate their attacks via a similar principle. As such, he starts taking kung-fu lessons from Shang-Chi, on Madame Web's advice. When his full powers are restored in the "Spider-Island" storyline, his battle-honed body granted him a new, refined form of Spider-Sense that allows him to draw upon Shang-Chi's training instead of automatically reacting to threats.
On the storyline Spider-Verse it is stated that Spider-Man's spider-sense is an ability that comes from its connection as a Spider Totem to the Web of Life and Destiny. Other Spider Totems from other universes have shown enhanced Spider Sense powers such as Silk. At the end of the crossover event, Otto Octavius/Superior Spider-Man's attempt to destroy the Web left it diminished and thus left the Spiders' spider-sense diminished as well for the time being.
Immunities and countermeasures
When deprived of his spider-sense, Spider-Man becomes vulnerable to surveillance and attack and traveling by web-line requires most of his concentration.
- The Green Goblin developed a gas that temporarily deadened all of Spider-Man's powers, especially his spider-sense. This same gas was later used by Roderick Kingsley, in his guise as the villain Hobgoblin. A variant of this attack was used by Phil Urich as the Hobgoblin, causing Spider-Man's spider-sense to be so sensitive that he was alerted to even minor 'threats' such as staplers for a time, requiring him to concentrate far more to determine what was or wasn't a true threat.
- College student Greg Salinger, who operated as the second Foolkiller, did not trigger the spider-sense, since Greg trusted Peter Parker, his favorite college teacher. Whenever Greg encountered Peter, his "psychotic rage" would subside and he was no longer a threat to Peter that the spider-sense would register.
- Venom is undetectable to Spider-Man's spider-sense, due to the symbiote having been mentally linked to him, and for the most part, containing his DNA. This works against Spider-Man in the sense that Spider-Man fighting Venom is basically Spider-Man against his black-suited self. All of Venom's descendants, including Carnage and Toxin, have inherited this trait to a lesser extent.
- In Secret Wars issue #8, Spider-Man first comes in contact with the symbiote. His spider-sense goes off but is quickly dampened as the symbiote flowed over Spider-Man's body and established the mental link that allowed it to generate webbing and respond to Spider-Man's thoughts. However, a clone of Spider-Man, Ben Reilly was able to use his spider-sense to anticipate the attacks of Venom. This may be related to the fact that the clone was created prior to Peter's bond with the symbiote. This suggests that it is Peter's spider-sense that no longer responds to the symbiote due to acclimatization, rather than the symbiote having developed the ability to hide itself. This explanation would be the official reason Spider-Man could not sense Venom in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series.
- Mysterio developed a radar-like device that can neutralize the sense.
- The clones Kaine, Ben Reilly, and Spidercide were also undetectable, and he is undetectable to their spider-senses as well. As they share the same DNA, their spider-senses recognize the others as "self." However, Spider-Man was later able to use his Spider-Sense (albeit it was previously tampered, stripped from him and later restored, all while receiving specific training to hone his battle effectiveness) against a further mutated Kaine, possibly because Kaine's DNA had been altered to a point where it was no longer identical to his own Once Kaine is restored to normal, he is again able to sneak up on Peter Parker in his civilian guise (though it's worth noting that he was acting peacefully at the time).
- Kraven the Hunter once used a jungle scent that dulled Spider-Man's spider-sense.
- The Jackal once succeeded in attacking Spider-Man from behind, without triggering his spider-sense. The Jackal explained it to be due to him always being Peter Parker's (Spider-Man's alter ego) friend, meaning that the spider-sense would not regard him as a threat/enemy. The Jackal then revealed himself to be Dr. Miles Warren, one of Peter Parker's teachers.
- During the 2006-2007 miniseries Civil War, Iron Man creates a device that can send false spider-sense signals. He has also incorporated the device into his armor to grant him his own version of the spider-sense. However, this mechanism is apparently imperfect, since Iron Man is unable to detect the presence of Vision.
- Ezekiel Sims was immune to Peter's spider-sense because the two shared similar powers, but this also made Spider-Man immune to Ezekiel's.
- When Spider-Man is surrounded by Fogg of the criminal duo Knight and Fogg, who can turn himself into fog, his spider-sense seems more diffuse.
- In one issue, Spider-Man's aunt, May Parker is able to hit Spider-Man from behind without triggering his spider-sense. The reasoning behind this is that Peter did not consider Aunt May to be a threat so his spider-sense did not warn him.
Film
In the Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films, the spider-sense is explained as reflexes "so fast it borders on precognition", often signified with a special sound (like a bell ringing once very slowly) and bullet time photography. In the 2002 film Spider-Man, when Peter Parker's spider-sense triggers for the first time, he seems to become aware of every potential danger in his surroundings, even those that pose minimal threats, such as flies and paper spitballs. In the Spider-Man 2 novelization (ISBN 2-265-07939-1), the spider-sense is described as a general slowing-down of his perception of time (e.g. one second would feel like a minute). In Spider-Man 3, the spider-sense is never shown going off in Spider-Man's head with its special sound as in the previous two movies. Peter is shown using the spider-sense only once in the film, to dodge a pumpkin bomb thrown at him by Harry. Also, Eddie Brock as Venom (who is immune to the spider-sense) manages to attack Spider-Man by surprise, mocking Peter's inability to sense him with "Ooh, my spider-sense is tingling, if you know what I'm talking about."
Spider-Man's spider-sense is depicted frequently in The Amazing Spider-Man film series (where it accompanied with a sound akin to the rustling of paper or dry leaves). The spider-sense is shown to be potent enough to allow him to evade bullets fired at close from both pistols and semi-automatic rifles. Though neither scenario explicitly attempts to explain this as his spider-sense at work, it is common belief that this is in fact the case due to many comic book renditions of the character's spider-sense giving him the ability to 'dodge' bullets. Peter's spider-sense is also used during 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man when on a New York City Subway train, In which, Peter appears to become aware of his assailants attacks before they have moved in a manner of precognition, rendering him able to deflect their lunges towards him as they attack him even with his back to them. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2 of 2014, his spider-sense triggers after Electro (Marvel Comics) enters Times Square, making him acutely conscious of the potential danger that may arise because despite the fact that Peter was several blocks away at the time.
In Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker explains to Tony Stark that his abilities give him sensory overload, so the adjustability of the lenses in his suit or the goggles in his homemade suit allow him better focus. In trailer footage of Avengers: Infinity War, the spider sense is hinted at with the hairs on Peter's forearms standing on end.
"Way of the Spider" Fighting style
Spider-Man has developed a unique fighting style called the "Way of the Spider". This style of fighting is difficult for adversaries to predict and other heroes to emulate. The character is depicted as not having training in hand-to-hand combat, but instead he utilizes an improvisational style of fighting. This style functionally encompasses the usage of his powers simultaneously to overpower and overwhelm his foes, relying on his superhuman strength, immense agility, speed, flexibility, wits, intelligence, and "spider-sense", along with the use of his equipment and technology. He also makes excellent use of his surroundings during battles. For example, he uses a webbed-up fire extinguisher as a projectile in order to get distance between himself and Doctor Octopus' crushing arms. He is also never without a witty response or wisecrack to throw at an enemy in order to distract, anger, or simply insult a foe. With this combination of his acrobatic abilities, the use of his webbing and his surroundings, he can easily work his strengths against his opponents' weaknesses. Another thing about the "Way of the Spider" fighting style is that it nullifies all other fighting styles. This is shown when you see Spidey defeating the likes of Wolverine, who knows over 300 form of martial arts. Captain America, who a master at hand-to-hand combat. And even Black Panther, who is one of the top 5 most skilled combatants in the Marvel universe.
Because of his skill and many years of superhero experience since high school, Spider-Man is a cunning and experienced fighter who repeatedly defeats enemies much more powerful than himself. During the Secret Wars he evaded the entire X-Men's attempt to capture him; Nightcrawler described his strength and speed as "awesome", and Wolverine stated that "he made us look like fools! Like amateurs!". He also defeated Titania, a villainess far stronger than him, using his superior fighting experience. (This caused Titania to develop an overwhelming fear of facing Spider-Man in combat for a time.) Another example is his victory over Galactus' cosmic-powered herald, Firelord, due to employing multiple strikes and retreating to a safe distances and luring him into dangerous situations, such as an exploding gas station. Spider-Man also simultaneously fought DC's supervillain Mantis and the Marvel villain Juggernaut, both of whom are significantly more powerful than he is.
During the events of "The Other", Peter is shown as receiving martial arts training from Captain America. As per Madame Web's instructions, the Master of Kung-Fu, Shang-Chi, taught kung-fu to Spider-Man in order to compensate for the loss of his spider-sense at the time. Together, they devised a new, unique variant of kung-fu for Spider-Man, aptly named "The Way of The Spider". This style has significantly improved his existing fighting prowess. When his spider-sense was re-activated, this, combined with his new martial art, now allows him to react and fight his enemies with training and skill rather than with random attacks. He was able to defeat the highly trained SHIELD and HYDRA double-agent Spider-Woman as she was being controlled by Doctor Octopus.
Scientific knowledge
Before the radioactive spider bite, Peter Parker was already a gifted academic student with considerable expertise in many scientific fields, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. With these academic skills, he was able to create his artificial web fluid, his web-shooters, and other Spider-Man equipment. His scientific knowledge has often been used to defeat his adversaries when his powers are insufficient, such as devising an antidote to the formula that originally turned Doctor Connors into the Lizard, and creating various mixtures to dissolve the costumes of foes such as the Rhino and El Dorado. Academically gifted, with a recorded IQ of 250, Peter displays an uncanny affinity for applied science, mathematics, mechanics, biology, and physics. He is a brilliant individual, with exceptional skill in practically every field of science, and an excellent inventor. He is an accomplished chemist and physicist.
Peter Parker's intellect has impressed and gained the respect of individuals such as Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and Reed Richards. Hank Pym notes that Peter may be more intelligent than he is based on him designing the spider-tracers at 15 when Pym took years to develop similar technology. Richards acknowledged that Spider-Man is both better suited to analyze a problem from a biological perspective than he is, and his own IQ actually matched that of Spider-Man's at the same age. During a confrontation with Doctor Octopus, who had used various cybernetic enhancements to enable his mind to take virtually complete control of New York, Spider-Man's mind proved powerful enough to take control away from his enemy despite Doctor Octopus's skepticism that his mind could be strong enough to accomplish such a feat.
Further mutations
On several occasions, Spider-Man takes on more spider-like forms--at the extreme even transforming into a gigantic spider.
When Peter tried to rid himself of his spider powers by using a formula, it backfires, growing him four extra arms from his sides. With help from Dr. Curt Connors, and a blood sample from Morbius, he is able to return to normal.
In Marvel Fanfare vol. 1 #1-2, he is transformed by the Savage Land Mutates into a monstrous, predatory form that comes to be called "Man-Spider". In this form, his normal human consciousness is submerged, and he attacks like an animal. However, his conscience is able, barely, to stop him from killing. He is transformed into Man-Spider several other times.
In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, the "Six Arms Saga" was reinvented as the "Neogenic Nightmare", where the transformation was not caused by Peter's attempts to remove his powers, but as a result of his body mutating further from the original spider-bite. After his attempts to ask Professor X and the X-Men for help developing a cure met with failure (although he was able to assist them in thwarting a monster created when an anti-mutant scientist was exposed to a serum he'd developed to remove mutant abilities), Spider-Man turned to Doctor Crawford for aid. Unfortunately, his initial attempt at a cure resulted in him growing the four new arms, the accelerated mutation subsequently causing him to mutate into the Man-Spider after fighting Punisher, a recently mutated Michael Morbius, and the NYPD. Thanks to the collaboration of Kraven the Hunter and the Punisher, Spider-Man was cured of the mutation and returned to normal. When the Vulture attempted to drain Spider-Man's youth and power in a later encounter, Doctor Connors reprogrammed the device that the Vulture was using to absorb the defective genome that had caused the mutation originally, resulting in the Vulture mutating into a Man-Spider (though Vulture managed to get rid of the mutation somehow) and forever curing Spider-Man of the defective genome. During the concluding "Spider Wars" storyline of the series (where Spider-Man teamed up with multiple alternate versions of himself to save reality), one of his other selves was still dealing with the mutation crisis, completely transforming into the Man-Spider during the mission before the Beyonder was able to use the last of his power to teleport Man-Spider back to his home dimension.
In the "Avengers Disassembled" crossover event, Spider-Man encounters an enemy called the Queen, a woman capable of controlling insects. She triggers another transformation in him: first, he grows extra eyes and hair cover. Second, he changes into a Man-Spider-like form (however, with his human mind still intact); and finally he transforms into a giant spider. In that form, he seems to die, but instead emerges in human form, but with enhanced powers. (See below.)
Other transformations included the vicious Spider-Lizard which occurred when Spider-Man tried to cure Dr. Connors from the Lizard persona by using a portable Enervator. The machine made Peter absorb radioactive feedback and transferred the reptilian metamorphosis to him and granting him bulletproof skin, a powerful tail and reptilian fangs and claws. There was also the Spider-Hulk mutation which granted the Spider-Man the powers and the easy temper of the green goliath by transferring energy from the Hulk (which was kept in a Bio-Kinetic Energy Absorber made from a scientist trying to steal the Hulk's powers) to the web-slinger, when the latter accidentally touched the device.
In the What If: The Other, an alternate variation of "The Other" storyline, Peter rejects the Spider and kills it, leaving him in a comatose state. The Venom symbiote abandons its current host, Mac Gargan, and bonds with Peter to become Poison, who combines the powers of Venom and Spider-Man's enhanced powers.
Maps Spider-Man's powers and equipment
Powers after "Disassembled" and "The Other"
In addition to his original powers, Spider-Man gains the following abilities after he fights the Queen in "Disassembled", and also after apparently dying at the hands of Morlun and being reborn ("Spider-Man: The Other", 2005). It is apparent that his powers gained from "The Other" are only available because a voice inside him says that he is "embracing the Other".
While he still has most of these extra powers, a few of them (most notably the ability to produce organic webbing) no longer seem to be present, for reasons that have yet to be revealed. In an interview, Joe Quesada stated that "While we won't be making any direct references to "The Other", it's still a part of Spidey history, and it remains to be seen how Pete lost those powers." However, in the letters page of The Amazing Spider-Man #640, the editors stated that the powers were always temporary by nature: "Those Other powers really only exhibited themselves under certain circumstances. They weren't extra powers Peter could call up whenever he wanted, so whether or not they've disappeared for good is a story waiting to be told. That said, though, Peter still does remember the adventure where he got them. He hasn't forgotten."
Arthropod communication
After Disassembled, Spider-Man can mentally communicate with arthropods (at least insects and spiders), though he does not seem to be capable of controlling them like Ant-Man. He can sense their presence, or glance at any spider and instantly know what kind it is. It is possible that this is an extension of his spider-sense. Spider-Man used this mental capacity to communicate with all of the Queen's followers, humans with an "insect gene" and learned how to deactivate a bomb. This power was rarely, if ever, used or referenced after Disassembled.
Biological webbing
In "Disassembled", Spider-Man develops the ability to shoot organic webbing from his wrists (after he recovered from being changed into a spider), and he stopped using his Web-shooters which was a great advantage for him because it allowed him to stop being dependent on web cartridges which allowed him limited shots. Once, while fighting Iron Man, Spider-Man supposedly "let loose", allowing his webbing to shoot out unrestrained. After he had stopped, he had generated enough webbing to completely encase Iron Man, and nearly fill the alley in which they were fighting with webbing. However, this power seems to have gone away completely, for reasons that are currently unknown.
In the three feature films directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man's body produces biological webbing from spinnerets in his wrists as a result of the bite from a genetically engineered spider. Like his other powers, in the second film they fade when he is under stress, but return when he gets angry at Mary-Jane's kidnapping.
Night vision
After "The Other", Spider-Man develops night vision, allowing him to see in the dark to a limited degree.
Eyes, teeth, and stingers
Overcome by rage in "The Other", Spider-Man's spider side overrules his human qualities. His eyes turn glowing red, and he develops fanged teeth, night vision, and sharp stingers. The stingers were within his arms, protruding from his wrists. They are coated in a venom that inflicts temporary paralysis, though the impalement itself can prove fatal. Spider-Man could not consciously control these stingers yet, so they are only triggered in overwhelming situations. Arrow claimed that the stingers will only come out when he is confronting or confronted by creatures who are associated with his mystical powers like Morlun or Ezekiel, which could explain why they were seen so rarely.
Spider-mutation and cocoon
During the "Disassembled" storyline, Spider-Man mutates into a giant spider, and then emerges from the spider's body with a new ability to communicate with arthropods and organic webbing.
In "The Other", Spider-Man seemingly dies and molts his damaged skin. He creates a cocoon, and emerges with all his bodily damage healed: lost teeth, broken bones, his lost eye (which Morlun had torn out and eaten), scars, and even lost tonsils. In the words of Tony Stark, Peter's "odometer's been reset". Since it was claimed in related issues that some species of spiders shed their skin once in a lifetime, this may be a one-time occurrence.
Powers after "Brand New Day"
Although not technically Spider-Man's power, the worldwide mindwipe of Spider-Man's identity as Peter Parker occurred sometime prior to the events of the "Brand New Day" storyline. Spider-Man is aware that the whole world has forgotten his secret identity and that he played a role in making it happen.
When Norman Osborn confronts Peter in his apartment, as part of the "New Ways To Die" storyline, Peter thinks to himself, "Ah, right. He doesn't remember anymore. He has no idea I'm Spidey. Nobody does. Everything we did is still up and running. I'm safe." Peter later describes it to Mister Fantastic as a "psychic blindspot". When confronted with any evidence which could lead to the realization that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, those affected will be unable to 'connect the dots', or they will come to the wrong conclusion, but will accept it as the right one. An example of this is shown in the comics when Norman Osborn discovers a camera at a fight scene that is taking pictures of Spider-Man based on a tracking device in his suit; rather than assuming that Peter Parker is Spider-Man taking pictures of himself, he assumes that Spider-Man takes the pictures and uses Peter as his agent to collect the money for him. Another example is when Horizon Labs' Max Modell confronts Peter about his connection to Spider-Man, and comes to the conclusion that Peter had created all of Spider-Man's equipment, stating that for one person to have both Spider-Man's superhuman powers and the scientific knowledge necessary to create that equipment is implausible.
If Spider-Man were to be unmasked - or were to unmask himself - then the memories of affected people witnessing the incident would be restored. Mister Fantastic claims he can duplicate the "firewalls" for himself and the Fantastic Four, allowing Spider-Man to tell them his identity, without fear of further compromising his secret. The psychic blindspot power's magnitude is high enough to fool even Daredevil's senses, who can normally identify people with the sound of their individual heartbeat rhythm or the scent of body odors. In The Amazing Spider-Man #600, Daredevil refuses to relearn Spider-Man's identity, as the psychic blindspot power is enough to even fool his heightened senses, and thus he does not want to compromise that protection. The Black Cat, having learned Mary Jane's ex-boyfriend was Spider-Man, is able to recall back when she was dating Flash Thompson that Mary Jane had a boyfriend at the time, but when prompted with the name "Peter?", she dismisses it immediately due to the blindspot.
It is hinted in The Amazing Spider-Man #561 and The Amazing Spider-Man #601 that Mary Jane is aware of Peter's dual identity, which is finally confirmed in #605. It was also shown that Kaine is immune to the psychic blindspot, as Kaine is in fact a clone of Spider-Man. It is revealed in the "Spider-Island" storyline that the Jackal also retains memory of Spider-Man's secret identity, most like due to all the DNA samples he has collected from Spider-Man and the clones he has created from them over the years. Given that Morlun and Steve Rogers were deceased during "One More Day", it is unknown if they remembered Spider-Man's identity; although Steve Rogers sees an unmasked Spider-Man in Captain Marvel (vol. 7) #1 and Morlun, alone and with his family, has killed several alternate versions of Spider-Man (Kraven and his family saw Kaine umasked, but there is no clear indication that they are even interested in knowing Spider-Man's name outside of his heroic role). Miguel O'Hara remembered Peter's name when he returned to the present day from 2099.
It is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man #640 and #641 that Peter went to Doctor Strange and begged him to make the world forget he was Spider-Man. Doctor Strange in turn visited Tony Stark and Reed Richards via astral projection and convinced them to help him do so via a mix of magic and science in a similar fashion to how the world forgot who the Sentry was. The three decided that the sole person with the knowledge of Spider-Man being Peter Parker would be Peter himself, and in Reed's words, have Tony infect the world with the mind-purging virus storm via his Extremis system as the carrier. Peter himself would be protected from this global mind purge by being placed inside a spherical magical barrier, though at the last second he takes Mary Jane inside as well. Due to the events of "Spider-Island", in which Peter publicly uses his powers unmasked, albeit while claiming that he was one of the people infected by the "virus" that gave most of New York his abilities, he has unknowingly invalidated the spell that Dr. Strange had cast, thereby making it possible for others to deduce his secret identity again, although his past unmasking has still been erased from the world's memory. This is confirmed when Carlie Cooper breaks off her relationship with him after deducing his true connection to Spider-Man due to her frustration at his lies. Norman Osborn's memory of Spider-Man's identity is later restored when he is interrogating J. Jonah Jameson and Jameson mentions that Osborn throwing Gwen Stacy off the bridge was a direct threat to Spider-Man's 'girl'.
A similar process has been used to protect Daredevil's secret identity in recent storylines, except that this one was established by the Purple Children, the children of the villain the Purple Man, rather than the deal with Mephisto/spell by Doctor Strange as used here.
Equipment
Although he is usually of limited financial means, Spider-Man uses his extensive background in science to develop personal equipment that plays an important role in his superhero career.
Artificial web-shooters
Spider-Man's web-shooters are perhaps his most distinguishing trait, after his costume. Peter had reasoned that a spider (even a human one) needed a web. Since the radioactive spider-bite did not initially grant him the power to spin webs, he had instead found a way to produce them artificially. The wrist-mounted devices fire an adhesive "webbing" (see below) through a threaded adjustable nozzle. The trigger rests high in the palm and requires a double tap from the middle two fingers to activate, eliminating the chance of accidental discharge when forming a fist. In order to fire the webbing, Spider-Man's fingers must hit the sensor precisely.
Spider-Man must steadily replenish his webbing supply, reloading his web-shooters with small cartridges of web fluid, which is stored under high pressure. In early stories, he carries his extra supplies in a utility belt worn under his costume. Later on, he equips the web-shooters with a bracelet-like carousel that automatically rotates a new cartridge into position as he empties them. In many stories, Spider-Man's life is severely imperiled when he runs out of web fluid, both in his shooters and his utility belt. (Mary Jane once asks Peter, during "The Other", why he never thought to incorporate an alarm in his web-shooters to warn him about low fluid levels.)
When in use, a steel nipple in the carousel pierces the seal of the cartridge, and allows the fluid to travel through an air-tight channel toward the nozzle. Pressing down on the palm-trigger of the web-shooter causes the valve in the nozzle to open wider, expelling the fluid. Releasing the trigger causes the valves to close, cutting off the web-line or fluid. If Spider-Man creates any variation to his normal web formula that is too strong for the valves to sever, he might end up being tangled up or tied to the object he attached his web to, which has happened on more than one occasion. His web-shooters require constant maintenance and on more than one occasion suffer jams or malfunctions.
In some issues, the web-shooters have required tremendous pressure to fire them, requiring ordinary humans to use hammers or similar objects to trigger them, while in other stories, normal human strength is sufficient to activate them.
Occasionally, the web-shooters are modified to expel other liquids.
After he develops organic webbing, Spider-Man gives the web-shooters to his wife Mary Jane as a Valentine's Day present, after having them changed into bracelets, and weakening the pressure required, so that she can use the bracelets for self-defense. This appears to have reversed at some point, as Spider-Man is once again dependent on his web-shooters since the start of the "Brand New Day" storyline, for unknown reasons.
During All-New, All-Different Marvel, Spider-Man develops new web shooters, fitted with multiple rotating cartridges (with different varieties of webbing) which can be activated via voice command.
Ben Reilly, as the Scarlet Spider and later as Spider-Man, uses modified web-shooters that can fire fast-acting sedative "stinger" darts, and "impact webbing", balls of webbing that explode on impact and envelop the target. The impact webbing and stingers are activated by certain wrist movements, rather than using a double-tap on a palm trigger. They use larger web cartridges than Peter's web-shooters and worn on the outside of his costume. After Ben's death, Peter obtains Ben's web-shooters and uses them when needed. Spider-Girl, Peter's alternate future daughter, uses modified versions of Ben's web-shooters.
The 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man, shows Parker using artificial web-shooters mounted on the exterior of Spider-Man's gloves. The webbing is an Oscorp product called "biocable" which is made from the webbing of genetically engineered spiders. Peter buys boxes of biocable cartridges and incorporates them into old wrist watches with a palm-mounted sensor as a trigger. However, unlike the comics, where Peter must steadily replenish his webbing supply, in the movie, Peter never showed any problem with his web-shooters running out of ammo, except when his web-shooters are broken.
In the sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 the web-shooters are redesigned. Unlike the previous web-shooters' improvised nature, the new web-shooters are streamlined cartridges that fit neatly onto Spider-Man's wrists with the triggers being incorporated directly into the costume's gloves. They presumably still use Oscorp's biocable for webbing, the webbing conducts Electro's electrical power and causes the web-shooters to break. In the movie Peter attempts to modify the web-shooters to resist electricity, but with little success; by the film's climax Gwen Stacy suggests magnetizing the web-shooters to counter Electro, which ends up defeating him. The devices are said to be able to play music and probably listen in to police broadcasts.
The film Captain America: Civil War introduces Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and shows Spider-Man's web-shooters as being worn outside of his costume. Prior to the newest one, Peter creates his own web-shooter from homemade materials before being upgraded by Tony Stark. In the after-credits scene, Peter reveals a signal in the shape of a spider in the web-shooters designed by Stark. The upgraded web-shooters also feature selectable web types depending on need and a laser targeting system.
In the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man wears the costume he receives from Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War and is able to change the settings of his web-shooters through an artificial intelligence assistant built into the suit which Peter refers to as "Karen". The web-shooters have over 500 combinations of settings, allowing Spider-Man to use different types of web projectiles for any number of purposes.
Webbing
Shortly after getting his powers, Peter Parker (established early on as being extremely intelligent and creative) develops a special synthetic polymer adhesive that has spider web-like properties, as well as wrist-worn launching devices (see Web-Shooters). Upon release, the webbing dries into an extremely tough, flexible, adhesive fiber. One account described a single strand as stronger than piano wire and it is perhaps as strong as real spider silk or Kevlar (Spider-Man has used web-shields on several occasions to protect himself from small-caliber bullets). In Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide, one strand of webbing is described to be strong enough to bind the Hulk and hold him prisoner, but only if the Hulk were to hold still and let the webbing dry sufficiently. Also, according to recent volumes of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, the tensile strength of the webbing is equivalent to 120 lb (54 kg) per square millimeter in cross-section and is comparable to nylon with extraordinary adhesive properties. Its exact composition is unknown, but after about an hour, the webbing breaks down, loses strength and eventually evaporates.
According to Spider-Man, in 1994 Spider-Man the Animated Series (season 3, episode 2, "Make a Wish (Part 1)" (List of Spider-Man the Animated Series episodes)), after the spider had bitten him, and the genetic infusion had took, giving the enhanced strength etc., the spider had also passed-on to him an instinctive knowledge of how certain proteins and enzymes can be combined to make the Spider silk/Spider web-itself, which he then stored into cartridges, which are then stored in pouches on his belt and can load into his Web-Shooters, to reload them when old web cartridge are emptied.
Uses of Spider-Man's webs:
- Firing a thin strand to a great height at a nearby tall building, then brachiating on this "webline". Doing this in rapid succession allows Spider-Man to quickly travel through well-developed urban areas. His travel speed has not been officially stated, though the Sins Past storyline depicts his crossing the borough of Manhattan in under 11 minutes (because he has been able to travel by web since the age of fifteen, Peter Parker does not have a driver's license). During his web swinging travelling, Spider-Man can reach 120 mph (190 km/h).
- Firing a thicker "rope" of webbing, Spider-Man can bind captured criminals (even those with superhuman strength) to be later picked up by police officers.
- Covering a small area with an extremely sticky blob. Spider-Man can cover an opponent's eyes, blindfolding them, or smother a handgun or a small bomb. On one occasion, he told a criminal whose weapon and hand had been so covered: "I should warn you about the tensile strength of my webbing, but considering your likely IQ, let's just say that if you pull that trigger again, the backfire will probably take your hand off! Kapeesh?"
- Casting a large web across a street or alley to snare rapidly moving persons or vehicles. The longer Spider-Man presses his two middle fingers in his palm to throw web, the thicker the web becomes as more and more layers are being added on.
- Improvising small structures, such as parachutes, statues or dummies, baseball bats, full-size operational gliders, trampolines, gloves (for fighting the likes of Electro), nets, water-tight domes (for underwater breathing), bandages, slings, bulletproof shields, plugs, patches, and even hammocks.
- In his early adventures, Spider-Man sometimes fired the fluid as a straight liquid to use its maximum adhesive strength.
- To defeat the Blob, he once intentionally broke a web cartridge, exposing the fluid to air, rather than channeling it through his webshooter. By exposing it to air, the web fluid immediately expanded, covering the Blob in a large mass of webbing. Though expanded, it did not appear to lose any of its strength, as it was able to contain the Blob until the police arrested him.
- Peter has also been seen using the impact webbing. Originally crafted from Ben Reilly, the impact webbing is a large ball of webbing that explodes on contact and covers the opponent in webbing from top to bottom.
- In some cases, like in Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, some comics, and "Spider-Man: Homecoming", Peter is able to let out a thick piece of web called for a short time, creating a small projectile weapon called "web balls".
Spider-Man can modify his webbing when anticipating combat with a specific threat. These modifications include non-conductive webbing (typically for battling Electro), flame-retardant webbing (against the Human Torch or out-of-control fires), stronger (yet less stable) webbing for dealing with Stegron's dinosaur army, and acid webbing that can eat through the Rhino's tough hide. He also has taser and electro webs. He has crossbow webs that explode on impact, and he has flash webs that blinds the enemy for a few seconds. His latest variation is magnetic webbing, which is used to interfere or cancel out radio or remote-control frequencies.
In volume four of Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man develops several new forms of "specialty webbing". Among these are micro-coiled z-metal webbing (which he refers to as "bug zappers") which electrocute his targets, expanding web foam for cushioning impacts, acid webbing, and highly durable concrete webbing.
Organic webs
In the "Disassembled" storyline, Parker undergoes a transformation that results in the ability to produce organic web fluid from his wrists, and is able to fire his webbing in much the same manner as his artificial web-shooters. According to the new 2007 Spider-Man handbook, Parker has grown spinnerets in his forearms that terminate in small pores at the junction of his wrists. By pressing down with his middle fingers to his palm, he causes the pores to open and the spinnerets to eject the organic fluid with a force equal to or greater than that of his web-shooters. The effectiveness and amount of the new webbing is dependent upon his health and nutrition. The specific properties of this new organic webbing are unknown, but it can be safely assumed to be comparable to his artificially created web mixture. In some cases, it has shown to be of greater tensile strength and elasticity. Furthermore, according to the new handbook, the organic webbing takes a week to dissolve. After gaining this ability, he begins using the bio-webbing instead of his traditional mechanical web-shooters. The upper limit as to how much webbing he could produce at any one time has not been specified, though during Part 1 of the "One More Day" storyline, Peter actually produced enough webbing to immobilize and smother Iron Man's armor. In the subsequent "Brand New Day" storyline, Peter is shown to have his traditional web-shooters and appears to have lost the ability to create organic webbing, for reasons that have yet to be revealed.
Instead of having mechanical webshooters in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, Spider-Man grows spinnerets in his forearms, along with his other powers, although the film's novelization states that Peter made bracelets similar to the comic web shooters to help him aim his shots. In the Marc Webb films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter creates artificial webshooters, as in the comics.
One biologist on the History Channel's Spider-Man Tech suggested that it would be more plausible for Spider-Man to shoot webbing from the Submandibular gland beneath the tongue instead of from his forearms.
Animated series
In 1994's Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Parker explains that when he became Spider-Man, he also became subconsciously aware that a combination of certain enzymes would create a strong, sticky fluid reminiscent of a spider's webbing. He then built web-shooters as in the comics.
Spider-tracers
Spider-Man uses small electronic "spider-tracers" of his own design that allow him to track objects or individuals. Typically, Spider-Man plants one on a departing enemy, or throws one to adhere to an escaping enemy, and then follows the target to their hideout for later attack. Spider-Man sometimes also uses a launching device in his web-shooters for better range and accuracy.
A tracer's outer casing is shaped like a spider, with legs for aerodynamic flight. The tracers are small enough to remain unnoticed, in general, but sometimes a target finds a tracer and destroys it.
In early stories, Spider-Man uses a small electronic receiver to follow the signals of his tracers, but eventually he modifies the tracers to emit a signal he can follow with his spider-sense so that he will be able to know whether or not he is in the proximity of the tracer. According to what he once said to Hank Pym (who noted that Peter may actually be smarter than him if he was able to design this at fifteen when Pym spent years developing similar technology for his helmet), he is able to sense the tracer within a 100-yard radius. The receiver, however, offers better range. Spider-Man is unable to sense a tracer that had been taken out of Manhattan at one point. The receiver, however, allows him to follow it to the town of Scarsdale, New York, some 20 miles (32 km) away. It is not yet established if the changes to his spider-sense documented in "The Other" storyline have affected Spider-Man's ability to sense the tracers.
Besides Spider-Man, Daredevil can pick up the signal with his Radar Sense from the Spider-Tracers due to his heightened sense of hearing being able to hear the signal. Unlike Spider-Man, it is more difficult for Daredevil to follow the signal, as he must drown out all other sounds around him to maintain focus.
In several stories, enemies use the tracers to lure him into a trap. Enemies with sufficient technical knowledge can reprogram the tracers into overloading his spider-sense, making it hard for him to tell the difference between real danger and the tracer. Or they just attune it to his sixth sense and they can simply put to a target of their own, just like Tracer did in "The Other".
His clone, Ben Reilly, can also pick up the signal from Peter's tracers. Ben also developed a modified version of the original tracer into a simpler 'Micro-Dot' form. Like Peter's, these devices can be fired from Ben's web-shooters and can adhere to most surfaces. They fly like miniature Frisbees. May Parker's spider sense operates on a different frequency than her father's, requiring her to use the tracer device, as Peter's tracers do not trigger her spider sense.
Following her rescue from an obsessed kidnapper, Mary Jane Watson wears an amplified version of a spider-tracer in a necklace pendant. It carries a boosted signal so Spider-Man can follow it over a longer distance.
After the events of "Revenge Of The Spider-Slayer", the Spider-Tracers become useless since Spider-Man can no longer pick up their signal due to the loss of his Spider Sense. However, in the "Road to Spider-Island" storyline, from working with Horizon Labs, Spider-Man made new and improved spider-tracers with listening devices, GPS and camouflauge. Some further modifications include using them as weapons with one example of combating Hydro-Man by freezing him solid with a cryogenic Spider-Tracer. This particular advancement is then applied toward a medical transplant delivery system. In "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" video games, Spider-Man used spider tracers with listening capabilities.
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man uses a Spider-tracer to track the movements of Adrian Toomes's men, leading him to Washington D.C.
Utility belt and spider-signal
Spider-Man keeps his regular field equipment in a utility belt that can carry extra web fluid cartridges, spider-tracers, and his camera. The belt can hold up to 30 cartridges, each one being pressured to 300 psi. The belt's buckle contains a small but powerful light, which is filtered through a lens decorated with a stylized likeness of Spider-Man's mask. This spider-signal is mostly limited to intimidating weak-nerved criminals and acting as a wide-beam flashlight. It is sometimes used to call for help, as well. The Utility belt and the spider-signal is later used in The Spectacular Spider-Man. At his job at Horizon Labs, Peter has upgraded his utility belt to hold cartridges of different types of webbing and his Spider-Signal has a UV light setting for forensic analysis. In "The Amazing Spider-Man" video game and the MCU Spider-Man films, Spider-Man's default costume has a utility belt. In Captain America: Civil War, the spider-signal in his web shooters is revealed in the second end credits scene. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, the spider-signal serves as 3D holographic display, which Spider-Man uses to track the movements of Adrian Toomes's men.
Camera
Peter Parker gains employment as a freelance (and sometimes staff) photographer through most of his teen and young adult years. He sells pictures of himself in action as Spider-Man, takes any assignments offered, or, sometimes, uses his powers to help him photograph special events where normal press access is limited or denied, for the New York newspaper The Daily Bugle.
His first camera, originally his father's, has an extended rear metal plate that allows him to use his web to secure it to a wall or other fixed object without interfering with its functions. Typically, Spider-Man positions the camera before intervening in a crime or emergency. Spider-Man gradually improves on the camera's simple timer, including adding a motion sensor that triggered the camera whenever he, as Spider-Man, moved in front of it. He has updated and replaced the camera (they are occasionally destroyed during battles) as necessary over the years.
Partly due to the stinginess of Bugle editor/publisher J. Jonah Jameson, Parker never earns much money as a freelancer. The Bugle, legal owner of his submitted work, eventually publishes a book of his photographic images (Webs) which helps improve his finances. He wins a Pulitzer Prize for his picture of the Sentry, but the Sentry's earlier adventures and their consequences are later wiped from human memory, probably including this award. Parker does, however, win other photography awards over the years.
Peter Parker publicly reveals his secret identity during the "Civil War" storyline. The Bugle staff (particularly Jameson), are shocked to learn that Parker had been selling them photographs of himself for years and is taking legal action for the fraud, although due to the actions of the Scarlet Spiders, Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man was heavily questioned. In addition, the events of One More Day has wiped the knowledge of anyone knowing Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man, thus restoring the status quo of the early Spider-Man comics; via the 'psychic blindspot' created to hide his identity, Norman Osborn and the Thunderbolts assumed that Peter merely acted as Spider-Man's agent to sell the photos even after discovering an automatic camera Peter used to take pictures of himself in action.
Peter Parker currently no longer uses his camera due to being discredited as a photographer during the events of "The Gauntlet" storyline. The Camera appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man and is used similar to its comic counterpart from the 60's and 70's.
Spider-Mobile
According to Gerry Conway, who wrote the Spider-Mobile stories, the vehicle stemmed from a conversation between then-Marvel Comics publisher (and Spider-Man co-creator) Stan Lee and a toy company representative, who told Lee that cars were a very popular toy for children and that if Spider-Man had a car it would be a very lucrative tie-in. Conway thought that Spider-Man having a car made no sense since swinging from building to building on weblines was one of the character's main motifs, but Lee insisted that he introduce a car in the comics, and assured Conway that he could wreck the car as soon as possible if he wanted.
In the story, Corona Motors approaches Spider-Man through the advertising agency Carter & Lombardo, offering him use of a new nonpolluting engine they had invented and wished to promote, to be installed in a "Spider-Mobile" of his design. Initially reluctant but tempted by the promised endorsement fees, Spider-Man enlists the aid of Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, in creating the vehicle; a heavily customized Manx-type dune buggy with web-launchers and a spider-signal. It debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #130. It proves useful for a time but is quickly wrecked (Spider-Man having not yet learned to drive). The Tinkerer (with support from the Kingpin), salvages and modifies it further to allow it to drive itself and drive up walls, and he uses it against Spider-Man, who disables it. Spider-Man returns the heavily damaged vehicle to Carter & Lombardo, suspending it with webbing outside the window of their 14th-story offices. Spider-Man looks back on the entire affair with some regret, calling the Spider-Mobile "hokey".
During the Spider-Island event, the Spider-Mobile can be seen in the Police Station basement, with other super human paraphernalia.
In the alternative universe story "Old Man Logan" a blind Hawkeye owns the Spider-Mobile and has customized it with the aid of one of his ex-wives. Hawkeye uses it to transport himself and Logan across the country to make a delivery.
The Spider-Mobile also makes a cameo in the Spider-Verse as part of the team Miles Morales recruits to fight the Inheritors. Shocker is seen with a car that looks like a re-painted Spider-Mobile in The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.
Spider-Bots
Shortly after taking up the role as Spider-Man, A.K.A Superior Spider-Man, Octavius quickly discovered the challenges of leading a double life and worked to find a method to give him more personal time; this led to the creation of the Spider-Bots. The Spider-bots are red-and-blue spiders that act as surveillance equipment for Octavius. Each Spider-Bot possesses eight-eyes similar to a real spider and can send Octavius information and images to either the lenses of his mask, mobile phone, mobile tablet, or television. The Spider-Bots are capable of travel and have demonstrated the ability to scale walls, travel underwater, and shut down or reactivate technology. Later Octavius adds several upgrades to the Spider-Bots. In an attempt to find Massacre, Octavius had his fellow co-worker Uatu Jackson install an advanced facial recognition program for his Spider-Bots and his costume's lenses. During the Spider-Slayer's prison escape, the Spider-Bots have demonstrated the ability to display holographic imagery. For defensive purposes, when the Spider-Bots gather together they can create a force field to protect endangered civilians. Later on Octavius creates a larger version of the Spider-Bots called the Arachnaughts and are used for close combat and mobility for both Octavius and his mercenaries. However, Octavius's reliance on the Spider-Bots is eventually used against him when Norman Osborn manages to hack the bots and reprogram them to ignore anyone wearing a Goblin costume, prompting Peter Parker to discontinue the program after his return due to the risk of repeating Octavius's complacency.
Costumes
Standard costume
Although the details change somewhat over the years, Spider-Man's costume, with a few notable exceptions, remains fairly consistent. The standard is a form-fitting spandex bodysuit, which from the waist down is blue, except for mid-calf boots with a black web pattern on a red background. From the waist up, the fabric is a red-and-black web pattern, except for his back, sides, and insides of his upper arms, which are blue. There is a large red spider outline on his back, and a smaller black spider emblem on his chest. The black spider has changed over the years, featuring a spider with slightly smaller feet in the past. The mask has white one-way mirror type lenses rimmed with black. The white portions of the mask's eyes sometimes "squint" when Peter has his eyes partly shut. Whether this is his mask actually changing in response to his eyelids moving, or artistic license, is not clear. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Spider-Man's eyes change size similar to a camera lens shutter, and a mechanical sound effect can be heard. In addition to covering his entire head, thereby leaving no distinguishing features, the mask also muffles his voice, making it unrecognizable. The boots are composed of a thin material that allows Spider-Man's adhering ability to work through the soles of his feet. The boots, mask, and gloves can be folded up and stored inside a pocket while the remainder of his costume can be worn under his civilian clothes. Modernly, Spider-Man has taken to making and wearing a bulletproof version of this costume.
Spider-Man's costume was originally designed and portrayed as red-and-black, with blue highlights to accentuate details in the black sections of the suit. Over time, however, the black sections of the suit were understood to be dark blue instead of black, and artists adopted the now-iconic red-and-blue color scheme. This is not unlike the costumes of the X-Men, which began as yellow-and-black but eventually became yellow-and-blue due to the highlighting technique of their original artists.
This standard costume varies in the details depending on the artist: he is sometimes depicted with "underarm webbing" connecting his arms to his torso; the eyes of his mask vary from barely larger than human eyes to extremely large; the blue portions of his costume vary from light blue to black (the usual standard is dark blue); and the density of the web design varies.
Black costume
One of the most significant alterations to Spider-Man's costume was the black and white one he began using in 1984. It first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #252 and Marvel Team-up #141, released concurrently in May 1984, several months before its origin is revealed during the 1984 Secret Wars miniseries, in which all the major heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe are kidnapped by the Beyonder and made to fight on an alien planet called Battleworld. After ruining his red-and-blue costume, Spider-Man learns from his fellow heroes about a machine that can provide any type of clothing, weapon or equipment someone needs. Entering the room housing an assortment of machines, Spider-Man attempts to use one he believes to be the one in question, and it produces a sphere of black material that envelops his entire body, forming itself into a black costume with a large white spider on it. Spider-Man later sees that the other heroes are using a different machine to replace their costumes, rather than the one he used.
The costume is able to produce webs without the need for Spider-Man to use his mechanical webshooters, though he does not understand at first how this is possible. Unbeknownst to Spider-Man, the costume is actually an intelligent alien symbiote that is able to copy his abilities, and can produce webbing from its own substance. The symbiote wishes to permanently graft itself onto Peter, and sneaks back on to Peter's body at night after Peter had fallen asleep. It would then carry the unconscious body of Spider-Man through a typical session of fighting street crime, leaving Peter inexplicably tired every morning. When Peter learns this, he rejects the symbiote. He returns to using his red-and-blue costume, and alternates that one and the inanimate black one resembling the symbiote that is given to him by Felicia Hardy. The symbiote later comes into contact with Eddie Brock, and bonded with him. Having duplicated Spider-Man's powers, Brock became the first incarnation of the villain Venom. After Mary Jane is attacked by Venom, and Peter is nearly killed by him, he retires the black look and returns to using the blue and red one permanently. He does, however, return to using the black costume during some sporadic subsequently storylines, such as the 1991 "Sub-City" storyline by Todd McFarlane that ran in Spider-Man #13 and 14, and the 2007 post-"Civil War" storyline in which Spider-Man temporarily returns to his black costume on an ongoing basis, beginning with Amazing Spider-Man #539.
In The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2 #35, the black costume is first shown with underarm webbing like the original costume.
A variation on the black costume is featured in the film Spider-Man 3. It includes the webbing pattern from Spider-Man's red-and-blue costume with a black coloring and a slightly altered spider symbol with hooked arms, both on his chest and back. The same costume is also worn by Venom, with the added details of Venom's signature teeth, a more muscular appearance and a spider on his chest that closer resembles the comic book version's spider emblem.
In The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, the black costume is initially identical to the red-and-blue webbed costume only entirely in black with silver webs, as in Spider-Man 3, but gradually evolves into his original comic book appearance with the large white spider design on the chest area, slightly larger eye pieces and white organic web-shooters on the back of each hand over the course of several episodes as Peter becomes more affected by its influence. As in the comics, it creates its own webbing by use of its own semi-liquid composition, as well as being able to shrink to almost nothing due to said liquid properties. Venom maintained his original appearance from the comics.
The game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance features Spider-Man's black costume, or "Symbiote", as the second unlockable costume.
The idea for the black costume was submitted by a then 22-year-old fan named Randy Schueller, after Marvel in 1982 had asked its readers for ideas for new Spider-Man stories. Schueller's idea was purchased by Jim Shooter for the sum of $220.
Wrestling
In the film and the video game, the wrestling costume is first worn by Peter Parker for the wrestling match against Bone Saw McGraw, rather than simply wearing a bag over his head, as in the comic book. Although in the first movie Peter is shown designing his standard costume in a notebook, the outfit he wears to the wrestling match is much cruder and apparently hastily assembled, consisting of simply a long-sleeved red T-shirt with a home-dyed spider and web design in black across the chest, red ski-mask, blue sweat-pants, and socks. In The Spectacular Spider-Man, Spider-Man's costume that he creates during his origin is the one that he uses while wrestling Crusher Hogan.
The wrestling costume can be seen worn by Peter in Spider-Man 3 in his flashbacks.
In Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter wears a similar suit consisting of a red long-sleeved shirt, black sweatpants, a black ski-mask with sewn-on red patches to mark the eyes, and swim-goggles.
Extemporaneous substitutes
When Spider-Man first rids himself of the symbiote, he finds himself without clothing across town from his home. The Human Torch gives him an old Fantastic Four uniform (without boots), a paper bag to conceal his identity and a "kick me" sign on his back. Years later he again uses a paper bag as an impromptu disguise during a time when a bounty was placed on his head and he had to save the Grizzly and the Gibbon from the White Rabbit, as he had temporarily abandoned his Spider-Man identity in favour of new costumes but none of his other identities were completed or available yet. The Bag Man costume returns once again in New Warriors vol. 4 when one child is dressed in the suit with other children in other super hero costumes.
If he has no costume and Spider-Man is needed, he will use webbing, street clothes, or whatever else is available to hide his identity. This costume also appeared as one of the Variant covers of "Spider-Man: The Other".
In Spider-Girl, when fighting the super skrull Apex, Peter asked Johnny to loan him a costume, on the condition that it did not include a paper bag and a kick-me sign. Johnny replied that he is offended that Peter thinks he would repeat the same gag, instead lending him an old, ill-fitting Fantastic Four jumpsuit and one of Ben Grimm's metal helmets.
In the 2010 video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions "The Bombastic Bag Man" is a costume that can be used.
Captain Universe and Daredevil
The Uni-Power is an extra-dimensional force that possesses an individual in a time of crisis, transforming that person into Captain Universe. Spider-Man became Captain Universe for a short while beginning in The Spectacular Spider-Man #158, during the "Acts of Vengeance" storyline. The Uni-Power grants him cosmic-level abilities and awareness and as a result, all of his natural spider-powers are greatly enhanced. For example, Spider-Man's strength was amplified to the point of being able to punch the Hulk into orbit. The efficiency of his spider-sense is also enhanced to such a degree that the tingling becomes painful and responds to nearly everything, no matter how minor. He also gains telescopic vision, molecular manipulation capabilities, a high degree of resistance to physical injury, flight, and the power to manipulate great amounts of energy for a variety of purposes. With the Uni-Power at his command, Spider-Man is able to defeat the likes of Magneto and Graviton. Spider-Man, however, does not become aware of the actual 'possession' until much later on because of the powers being partially suppressed by a machine devised by one of Parker's teachers at Empire State University. In the aftermath of the Acts of Vengeance, the suppression is removed in time to battle and defeat the Tri-Sentinel. Both Spider-Man's costume and the traditional Captain Universe attire are merged into a single uniform after Spider-Man gained awareness. Once the Tri-Sentinel is destroyed, Spider-Man loses the Captain Universe powers.
On one occasion, Spider-Man masquerades in Daredevil's costume in order to convince people that Daredevil and Matt Murdock are two different people. Subsequently, Spider-Man has once again disguised himself as Daredevil when his costume winds up getting stolen by the daughter of Kraven.
Negative Zone and Alex Ross
While traveling to the Negative Zone to rescue three children, Spider-Man's suit transformed into a white and black suit that apparently did nothing other than change his appearance. On a second visit to the Negative Zone, Spider-Man gained a version of his red-and-blue nano-tech suit from the TV series Spider-Man Unlimited. Also, Alex Ross created a specially designed suit with a different appearance for the 2002 live action film, which was still in development at the time. In Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, the Negative Zone costume worn by Spider-Man Noir is an alternate costume.
Ben Reilly's costumes
Benjamin "Ben" Reilly (also known as the Scarlet Spider, the second Spider-Man and Spider-Carnage) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is a clone of Peter Parker (Spider-Man), and is prominent in the Clone Saga. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man#149 (October 1975).
Ben Reilly was the first successful clone of Peter Parker created by the Jackal, as the first clone, Kaine, had suffered from clone degeneration which made him become unstable. Through arcane science, Ben is imprinted with Peter's memories and in their first encounter believed himself to be the original. After Peter Parker was captured by the Jackal, both Parker and Reilly found themselves in Spider-Man costumes at Shea Stadium, and initially fought each other believing the other was the imposter. When realizing the stakes, they decided to team up in an attempt to save the Gwen Stacy clone and a captured Ned Leeds. In the process, the clone appeared to be killed in the explosion, and Parker, fearful of the consequences of a second body of "Peter Parker" turning up while he was still alive, dropped Reilly's body in a smokestack. Ben apparently survived and escaped from the smokestack. When he witnessed Parker and Mary Jane Watson in an embrace, it triggered a revelation in his mind that he was the clone, and he decided to depart on a nomadic life as if no one knew his existence. He dubbed himself the alias "Ben Reilly", using his Uncle Ben's first name and his Aunt May's maiden name, Ben Parker and May Reilly respectively. He took some old clothes Parker had intended to donate to charity, and he left New York deeply depressed. During his travels, he occasionally adopted a makeshift 'costume' consisting of bandages wrapped around his head and hands when he had to go into action using his powers in a manner that might expose him, although he kept the Spider-Man mask he had initially worn.
Five years later, Reilly discovers that May Parker is dying from a stroke, so he returns to New York. There, Reilly encounters Peter Parker, who has become bitter and angry following several tragedies. While they initially come to blows, they quickly begin working together, Ben donning his old Spider-Man mask and gloves over his civilian clothes in his first outing. Soon after, Reilly dons a makeshift but more detailed costume, consisting of an all-red suit and mask under a blue sleeveless hoodie with a black spider motif, and is dubbed the "Scarlet Spider" by the press.
When Peter retired as Spider-Man, Ben donned a new version of the Spider-Man costume as he felt that the original version needed an update, coupled with the fact that he did not feel as though he was ready to shoulder the burdens of the original costume yet. The new costume retained the familiar mask, but the entire torso was now red with an enlarged spider logo on the front and back, with the spider's legs extending over his shoulders and chest to join their mirror image on the other side of his body. The costume's arms were now completely blue apart from the index finger, little finger and thumb being red, and Reilly wore his web-shooters outside the costume- allowing him to use such new creations as impact webbing and sedative stingers- while his 'boots' consisted of a half-blue-half-red look.
Protective wear
On a few occasions, Spider-Man has altered his costume for specific purposes. He uses a very short-lived, silver-colored armored suit in Web of Spider-Man #100, developed at Empire State University Labs by the web-slinger. The armor severely impairs his natural agility, though it renders him highly resistant to high caliber bullets. However, the armor is soon destroyed by acid.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #425, he creates an electrically insulated costume to fight Electro. He also previously fashioned another insulated costume from a rubber air mattress to protect himself from Electro in The Spectacular Spider-Man #66, but that was a more of an ad-hoc creation, which he crudely manufactured in an hour. It featured the classic red and blue colors, but not the web pattern or the spider emblem.
Identity Crisis
In 1998, Parker created four distinct costumes during the "Identity Crisis" storyline, for the identities Dusk, Ricochet, Hornet, and Prodigy. Four other people later used these costumes and identities in the Slingers comic book series. The second Hornet was killed, Dusk has been missing since the series concluded, Prodigy was forcefully inducted into the Initiative, and Ricochet retired/joined the Loners.
Final costume
In The Amazing Spider-Man #500, Peter has a mystical experience where he simultaneously experiences the beginning and the potential end of his career as Spider-Man. This costume he wears in his final battle is utilitarian, consisting solely of a reversible jacket, mask and gloves. In The Amazing Spider-Man #502, Peter receives the design for this exact costume from Leo Zelinsky, The Super-Hero Tailor. This was in response to his criticism that the hero's usual tight costume is unsanitary for his skin, threatening to cause athlete's foot all over his body.
The costume reappeared as part of a possible dark future if Spider-Man were to kill Kraven the Hunter during the end of the "Grim Hunt" storyline.
Stark Armor (Iron Spider)
After Spider-Man's newer powers developed in the 2005 - 2006 storyline "The Other", Tony Stark (Iron Man) developed a new suit for Peter, which he began wearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #529. Nicknamed the "Iron Spider" costume, it is red and gold: according to Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada, "Stark's design, Stark's color!", the suit was designed by Quesada, based on a sketch by Chris Bachalo.
Big Time
Stealth suit
After a disastrous battle with the new Hobgoblin (Phil Urich) in The Amazing Spider-Man #649 and #650, Peter develops a black costume with various colored lights using new technology he created from his job at Horizon Labs, which he begins wearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #650 as part of the Big Time story arc. It is created with an "omni-harmonic mesh" based on one of Henry Pym's theories, with wave-bending technology to both light and sound with Peter adapting concepts he developed during his work with Tony Stark. It features several modes, the first which turns the lights on his costume neon-green and gives him the ability to be invisible to both visual and audio means except from certain lens and frequencies so allies can see and communicate with him. The green lights on the costume are for the benefit of whoever needs to see him (while wearing the lens), along with himself, as otherwise he is invisible to his own eyes.
The second mode, which turns the lights on his costume red, can cancel out all sonic-based attacks on his person. A side-effect of this is that it disrupts any attempt to communicate with Peter using sound, and vice versa. Using this principle, Peter developed new, lightweight noise-reduction headphones at Horizon Labs.
Having been loaned to Kaine for the fight against the Queen, the suit proved instrumental, as it allowed Kaine immunity against the Queen's sonic-based attacks. The stealth suit is currently in Kaine's possession due to Madame Web advising him to hold onto it. However, Madame Web has tampered with the costume so that it is locked permanently in red as a means to perpetuate Kaine's new identity as the Scarlet Spider.
The costume also contains a new type of weapon based similar in shape to his Spider-Tracers, but created from Anti-Metal (also known as Antarctic vibranium), which can be fired from the top of his wrist at metal objects, causing them to dissolve. Peter can apparently carry a large number of these new Anti-Metal spiders on his person without them causing harm to his own suit or webshooters. The anti-metal tracers were originally called "Antarctic Vibranium Stingers" and were fired from his Web-Stinger wrist-cannon from plastic tubes. The idea for these (and many other ideas that Marvel has utilized, including his post-Spider-Man Unlimited Battle-Armors, permanently joining and moving in with the Fantastic Four and returning him to The World's Greatest Super-Hero status was/were first proposed by frequent Marvel letter's page contributor, Spider-Man Crawl Space staff member and Wizard World contributor Spideyisthebesteverything aka James Dysart. Message Board contributor Spider-Dan (aka future Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott) said he liked this idea, along with several other weapons suggestions, including a greatly expanded web-belt that included numerous types of weaponized webbing formulas. Some of these suggestions were first published in Marvel Team-Up #4 (letters page), Webspinners #18 (letters page), Wizard World Message Boards and Spider-Man Crawl Space Message Boards.
The suit appears as one of Spider-Man's alternate costumes in the game Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds created by Capcom.
New Spider-Armor
Having lost his spider-sense in The Amazing Spider-Man #654, Peter is shot while in the process of dodging automatic gunfire from the villain Massacre. Realizing his new vulnerability, Peter pulls out a new black suit with the spider emblem in yellow, which he had been keeping in storage at Horizon Labs. The suit is designed to be bulletproof up to an unknown degree, but not impeding Spider-Man's agility. It has been observed to prevent assault rifle and multiple sniper rifle shots from penetrating the armor. It comes equipped with magnetic webbing which can block all radio frequencies, such as remote control explosives.
The suit is apparently made of a lightweight, impact-resistant polymer in which he applies to a motorcycle crash helmet at Horizon Labs. The new helmet is cheap, easy to mass-produce, and has ten times the strength of a normal helmet.
The suit appears as one of Spider-Man's alternate costumes in the updated game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 created by Capcom.
Future Foundation
Upon joining the Future Foundation as part of Johnny Storm's last request in his will, Spider-Man is given a new white costume made from third-generation unstable molecules which has several default color schemes which can be changed by mental control. This suit never gets dirty and allows him to change this costume to his classic red and blue or in civilian clothes, although in other Marvel titles (such as "The Avengers" or "The New Avengers") he uses always the white and black scheme. Because of this, now Peter uses this costume regularly, being the first change of regular suit since the Black Costume.
Ends of the Earth
Spider-Man now has a new suit of powered armor that incorporates the benefits of both the Iron Spider armor, his more recent stealth armor, and his bulletproof armor. Additionally it provides him with the strength to lift 100 tonnes, durability, and near-complete invulnerability (the Rhino was able to damage it) and further enhances his already formidable agility and spider-sense beyond its normal limits. It also has flight capabilities and can shoot powerful energy blasts. It has been shown to be immune to Electro's attacks, and comes equipped with infrared vision that allows him to see through Mysterio's illusions, as well as enhanced audio receptors modeled after Daredevil's heightened sense of hearing, which allows Spider-Man to determine the Chameleon's heartbeat even when his old foe is in disguise. The web-shooters are heavily modified gauntlets, which can fire larger amounts of webbing than his normal ones. The armor is equipped with all types of webbing, including his acid and magnetic varieties, as well as his cryogenic spider-tracers.
The 'Superior Spider-Man' costume
When Otto Octavius takes over Peter Parker's body, feelings, and memories he decides to take over Peter's role as Spider-Man. In the subsequent ongoing series, The Superior Spider-Man, Octavius, as Spider-Man, adds technological upgrades to equipment that Peter had developed during his time as Spider-Man, as well as new equipment that he designed personally. Octavius also retains access to some of his former hideouts and bank accounts as Doctor Octopus, coupling Horizon Inventions with his own particular brand of technology and to secretly withdraw millions of dollars for himself or his mercenary employees, thus circumventing the financial restraint and difficulties that Peter Parker had in his life.
Octavius's first costume as Spider-Man is a minor redesign of the original red-and-blue costume. The costume is slightly darker with a more imposing spider-motif on his back and split-toed footwear fashioned as jika-tabi shoes. The costume's lenses have a built in Heads-Up Display System, polarizing function, and are capable of tracking energy signatures; so far Octavius has demonstrated that the lenses are capable of tracking magnetic and radio waves signatures. The lenses also possesses advanced facial recognition software and have a visual com-link connected to his Spider-Bots, this essentially allows Octavius to see whatever his Spider-Bots sees. The costume also possesses a set of razor-sharp talons which Octavius can use for combat; the talons are also laced with nano-sized Spider-Tracers. Once the tracers enter someone's body, Octavius can track and listen to them at any time. During his final battle with Peter Parker, Octavius revealed that he added plating under the costume's mask which covers both his skull and neck. The plating protects Octavius from anyone who tries to transfer their mind into his body, and it also possibly protects him from other mental attacks.
Ocativus's second costume as Spider-Man is a more significant change to his previous costume, possibly to show that he is no longer bound by Peter's memories. The costume is primarily black and red, and the lenses that were previously white are now black. The costume retains many of the features of the previous suit, and adds several upgrades and new equipment. The most prominent addition is the set of four mechanical spider-arms that are based on the Iron Spider's and Doctor Octopus's mechanical arms. The arms are stored on the back of the costume inside a backpack; the backpack can also be used to store Octavius's civilian clothes when he acting as Spider-Man. The arms are quite sharp and their strength is great enough for Octavius to lift an entire car above his head. The costume also features built in wrist communicators that allow him to communicate with both his personal mercenary squad and his Spider-Bots. The Nano-sized Spider tracers have been upgraded so that they can now be detonated to explode and inflict damage to the subject at a sub-dermal level. Another upgrade Octavius has added is an improved web formula, according to Octavius the web-formula will not dissolve and will stay indefinitely until he activates the dissolving agent built within the formula. Something Octavius held in cold storage for the arrival of the Venom Symbiote, are new and improved wrist communicators tailored to combat the Klyntar using its weaknesses. Namely these devices double as web-shooters with built in flame throwers and sonic webbing to deal with the alien entity.
After regaining control of his body, Peter returned to his usual costume, but has continued to use Octavius's upgraded webbing.
Spider Armor from Amazing Spider-Man (2015)
Following the events of the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline, Peter uses the newfound resources of Parker Industries to create a new Spider-Armor which replaces his regular costume. The suit features various enhancements, new web-shooters, and different web designs. During the climatic battle with Doctor Octopus at Parker Industries in the "Secret Empire" event, Doctor Octopus uses an EMP Device to destroy the Spider-Armor, however Peter who was ready for this was wearing his regular Spider-Man costume underneath was able to defeat him after the armor's destruction.
In other media
Television
In the 1967 Spider-Man series, a version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man is seen in the Classic Costume. There is not much webbing/lines all over the costume; however, this is due to a budgeting problem the show had.
In the 1977 Spider-Man film, Peter Parker from the Spider-Man (1977 film) makes an appearance with the same costume.
In Spider-Woman, a version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man guest stars in two episodes with the Classic Costume on.
In the 1981 Spider-Man series, a version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man appears in every episode with the Classic Costume.
In Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, a version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man appears in every episode with the Classic Costume.
In the 1994 Spider-Man series, a version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man appears in every episode with the costume, before switching to the Symbiote Costume for a while.
In Spider-Man Unlimited, a version of Peter Parker as Spider-Man has a version of the Classic Costume where the eye pieces are slightly yellow. He changes this costume for a costume made by Reed Richards.
In the Spider-Man: The New Animated series, a version of Peter Parker appears in every episode with a Costume-based off the first film but with bigger eye pieces.
In Ultimate Spider-Man, a version of Peter Parker has appeared in every episode with a different take on the costume that is loosely based on its ultimate counterpart.
Films
Sam Raimi trilogy
- In 2002's Spider-Man, Peter started off with a red hood-like mask, blue stretchy pants, and a red sweater with a giant black spider on it with a black webbing background for his wrestling costume, however, after Uncle Ben's death and he decides to become a superhero, he creates a costume based on the one worn in the comics, which in the film, are based on sketches Peter makes. The actual sketches were made by comics artist Phil Jimenez, and in the closeups of Peter's hands as he sketches the drawings are actually those of Jimenez. The suit is made from spandex with raised silver webbing and is mostly similar to the comic version except for the front and the back spider emblems and the shape of the eye lenses.
- Spider-Man 2 (2004) had a similar look, except for new spider logos, both front and back, the blue was darker in tone, and the webbing was less sloppy and more straightened.
- In Spider-Man 3 (2007), Peter's black suit differed from the comics, still having the silver webbing and the emblems have hooked front arms. However, after he sheds the symbiote, he uses the same suit he wore in the second movie, only the blue was brighter in tone, and the lenses's lining were more grey-colored than black.
Marc Webb films
- Peter Parker's costume in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) starts off as a red mask with black sunglasses and a black knit cap with a black jacket, shirt, and jeans. Peter then uses a red and blue spandex bodysuit with silkscreened emblems and black webbing. The lenses in the mask are golden sunglasses lenses lined with a very dark blue. The red and blue parts are segmented, the gloves have patches on the palm and openings for the web shooters, and the soles of the boots are Asics track shoes.
- In The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), the costume is revamped and looks more like the comic book version. The suit has new emblems and has silver webbing. The lenses are larger and lined with black and white in color. The middle of the suit is thinner as well as the webbing going along the arm. The glove has a rubber pad to fire the web shooters and rubber pads on the fingertips. On the boots, the soles are thinner and have a web designs.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
- In Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man is shown to have begun his career using a makeshift costume made of regular clothing and goggles to address his hyper-sensitive vision. Tony Stark gives him a high-tech suit whose features include eyes that mechanically vary in widths. Stark gives Peter a more traditional suit, with a design recalling the Silver Age version of the costume, including the black spider logo on the front being much smaller and more compact than previous film versions, the red spider logo on the back being larger and rounder, and (most notably) the thick black stripes on the red fabric.
- The plot of the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming explores the features of the spider suits in greater detail. The makeshift costume is composed of a red, sleeveless hooded vest (the spider logo is drawn on with black permanent markers) similar to Ben Reilly's Scarlet Spider costume; red stockings; a blue onesie; fingerless gloves; and a mask with goggles sewn on it. The goggles are more expressive than the lenses in Stark's suit. The aforementioned suit (the one Tony Stark gave him) is computerized, features an artificial intelligence operating system that Peter names "Karen" (voiced by Jennifer Connelly), and its various features can be activated by voice command. These include retractable web wings under his arms that allow Spider-Man to glide; 3D holographic displays in the web shooters; a heads-up display in the mask similar to Iron Man's; a flying drone in the form of the detachable chest spider logo; light-up displays; voice-alteration for interrogation; spider tracers that mimic actual spiders; a built-in heating system; and a parachute in the rear spider logo. Spider-Man's webshooters allow for 576 different web combinations, including an electrified taser web, ricochet web that can bounced off a surface before hitting its target, a web grenade that fires webs onto an oncoming target, rapid-fire web balls, and splitter web consisting of two weblines that can fuse into one.
- When Peter is given Avengers membership, Stark shows Peter a new Spider-Man suit with a more metallic look, redesigned spider logos, gold accents (most notably around the logos), and the blue areas being blacker; and though Peter turns down both, trailer footage of Avengers: Infinity War shows Peter in it. In the footage, the suit does look more mechanical, and the visors have the capability to glow. Moreover, "Infinity war" merchandise and promotional art reveals that the suit will have its signature "waldoes".
References
External links
- Saronson; Robbins; Szeto & Rozenberg (2005). "Tension in Spider-Man's Webs". The Physics Factbook.
- 411 on Spider-Man
- List of Spider-Man's powers
- More on Spider-Man's powers
- Marvel Directory
- List of equipment
- Information on the Spider-Mobile
- Comprehensive list of costumes Spider-Man wore
Source of article : Wikipedia
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