Thanks in large part to his instantly recognizable design, Marvel Comics’Spider-Manis unquestionably one of the most iconic superheroes in comic book history. But as unforgettable as the Webslinger’s classic red-and-blue costume is,there have also been many memorable variations on his look over the years, many of which have equally captivated fans.
With Marvel’s ever-expanding roster of Spider-heroes crawling aroundthe vast Marvel Multiverse, artists and fans alike continue to be enthralled by the innumerable different elaborations and permutations possible with the character’s look. That is to say, Spider-Man is more than one of the most versatile character concepts Marvel has ever created, but also one of the company’s most malleable character designs. From tweaks to the proven formula, to outrageous riffs on the basic premise, these arethe best versions of Spider-Man’s costume in Marvel Comics.
10Kaine’s “Scarlet Spider” Variation On Spider-Man’s Outfit
First Introduced:Scarlet Spider#2 – Written By Chris Yost; Art By Ryan Stegman, Michael Babinski, Marte Gracia, & Joe Caramagna
It’s fitting that Kaine’s costume is darker than his lighter brother’s, but it’s fairly simple as well, having an abundance of red, with not quite enough black to fully balance it out. It’s a great look, one that helped elevate Kaine’s character as he adopted the heroic identity of the Scarlet Spider.
Marvel Uses a Spider-Man Clone to Call Out Its Silliest Trope
Spider-Man’s clone from Limbo, Rek-Rap, reminds readers of the worst trope that won’t stop showing up in the Marvel Universe and other comics.
While just about everyone remembers Ben Reily, not as many people tend to remember his oft-forgotten brother Kaine Parker, another of Peter’s many clones. Kaine was someone who struggled to be a hero at first and had no issue using the powers he was gifted to enact violent justice. One of the best examples of this washis Mark Of Kaine ability, which allowed him to burn someone with a single touch, which he often used on their face.
9Spider-Man Noir, One Of Spider-Man’s Darkest Looks
Spider-Man Noir#1 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, and Carmine Di Giandomenico
Taking place on Earth-90214, this universe had its heroes appear in the 1920s and 1930s, instead of the current day. This Spider-Man gained his powers from a mystical Spider-God as opposed to the radioactive spider bite. Naturally, the next step from there was to seek revenge on the criminals who had killed his uncle Ben and look damn good doing it too.
With the trench coat and all black look, this Spider-Man is unlike anything readers have seen before.Swinging through the city with his trench coat billowing behind himthe entire time is an absolutely fantastic visual. Unfortunately, Spider-Noir isn’t used that often, so readers rarely get to appreciate this killer design.
8Iron Spider, An Iron Man Sponsored Spider-Man
Amazing Spider-Man#529 by J. Michael Straczynski and Ron Garney
The Iron Spider was one of Spider-Man’s most controversial suits, as he only wore it during theCivil Warevent. Unsure of whom to side with, Peter was eventually sweet-talked into joining the registration side with Tony Stark. As a reward, Peter was granted the Iron Spider Suit, which, of course,came in Tony’s preferred red and gold, instead of Spider-Man’s familiar colors. Using this suit, and all the enhanced gadgetry in it, Peter would hunt down his fellow super-heroes on Tony’s orders.
This wouldn’t last forever though, as Spider-Man would later defect to Captain America’s side, and he took the suit with him, at least for a little bit. This suit has shown up reliably in both video games and even the MCU, but Peter hasn’t put it on again since the events ofCivil War.
7Ben Reily’s Scarlet Spider
Spider-Man#52 by Howard Mackie, Tom Lyle, Scott Hanna, Kevin Tinsley, Richard Starkings, and Comicraft
Ben Reily is the other, more famous,clone of Peter Parker. He ended up having his own time as Spider-Man.He’d later get a fancy new suit, in part due to the Beyond Corporation, but his original suit is absolutely amazing. There’s just something about the simple look of a hoodie with torn-off sleeves and a spider symbol scribbled on it that just works so well. It’s a Spider-Man who has nothing, no friends, no family, no resources, just the desire tobeSpider-Man.
It’s honestly one of the best looks that Spider-Man has had. While the Beyond Suit is a great look for Ben Reily and is a lot more in line with how Spider-Man should typically look, there’s still something just magical about the first suit that Ben Reily ever wore. Unfortunately, Ben is unlikely to ever return to this amazing look.
6Miles Morales' Distinguished Him From Peter Parker
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man#5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, and David Messina
When Ben Reily and Kaine Parker took on the mantle of Spider-Man, they had to separate themselves from Peter Parker, who was still very active at the time. While their suits are different, they’re still similar enough to show people that the two are related. This wasn’t the case for Miles Morales.In Miles' world, Peter Parker had died, murdered by the Green Goblin.With no active Spider-Man, Miles was free to make his own look that was separate from anything that came before.
Still wanting to pay tribute, but needing to do his own thing, Miles sports a black and red costume that’s honestly fantastic. It’s the perfect way to show off that heisSpider-Man, but he’s not related to Peter Parker in the slightest. It’s a great look and when paired with Peter’s iconic look, it allows the two heroes to stand visually separate, while still using the same superhero name.
Spider-Man’s New Vibranium Costume Is One of His Biggest Power Upgrades of All Time
Following the tumultuous “Blood Hunt” crossover, Miles Morales needs a boost, and he’s getting one in the form of a slick vibranium upgrade.
5Spider-Man’s Black Widow Suit is Deadly Serious
Spider-Man/Deadpool#8 by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness
Peter is usually a pretty easygoing guy, always quick with a joke or something else to put people at ease. That wasn’t the case whenSpider-Man put on the Black Widow Suit.After being resurrected by Deadpool of all people, Peter wasn’t looking to mess around with the ones who ordered his assassination. Peter chose to confront them with a terrifying black widow suit that featured a pure black fabric, bright red eyes, and a dark red spider symbol.
He also had black widow symbols on the palms of his hands and his fingers ended in sharp talons now. It was a pretty scary suit,and it’s one that Spider-Man has really only worn once. While readers haven’t seen it much since, it definitely left a lasting impression as one of the scariest looks Peter has ever had.
4Future Foundation Was A Great Inversion Of Spider-Man’s Black Suit
FF#1 by Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting
When one of Peter Parker’s best friends died, Johnny Storm, asked Peter to join the Fantastic Four as his last request. Taking this requestveryseriously, Peter not only joined the team, but he dropped his iconic red and blue suit and took up the Future Foundation suit, which matched the rest of the Fantastic Four’s look at the time.It’s one of the coolest looks Peter has ever had, with it being a predominantly white suit with black highlights. It almost looks like an Anti-Venom design, and it’s just a treat to look at.
But like with most of Peter’s coolest outfits, this suit only lasting as long as the storyline did, and as soon as Pete was done with the Fantastic Four, he went right back to his classic red and blue. It’s a shame this look couldn’t stick around longer, as it’s honestly one of his best designs.
3Otto Octavius Gave Spider-Man A Superior Look
Superior Spider-Man#14 by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos
There was a long stretch of comics where Peter Parker was seemingly dead, and the only Spider-Man was Otto Octavius in Peter Parker’s body. This led to the Superior Spider-Man look, which is honestly amazing. It’s a dark and red suit, with metal wrist guards and gloves that end in sharp claws. Not only that, but Superior Spider-Man typically has a small backpack-like spot on his back, which is where his robotic spider legs come out.
It’s a wonderful design, and it works perfectly for a Spider-Man who leans more towards the villain than the hero. Ottotriedto become a hero eventually, but at the start of his story, he was more than willing to kill people and was a complete monster. Otto has made some pretty impressive inventions over the years, but his version of a Spider-Man suit is one of his best.
After 12 Years, Fans Are Finally Getting Closure on Spider-Man’s Incredibly Controversial ‘Death’
Marvel is revisiting one of Spider-Man’s most controversial stories ever, as Spidey faces the villain who beat him in the infamous “Dying Wish” story.
2The Black Suit Is Spider-Man’s Second Most Famous Look
Amazing Spider-Man#252 by Tom DeFalco, Roger Stern, and Ron Frenz
Without a doubt, one of the most famous looks that Spider-Man haseverhad is the black suit. It marked averyspecific time in Spider-Man’s history and has gone down as one of the most important looks that Peter haseverhad. Not only did this suit mark a fantastic era in Spider-Man stories,but it also gave birth to one of the most popular Spider-Man characters ever with Venom.If it wasn’t for this fan-designed suit, the history of both Spider-Man and Marvel itself would beverydifferent right now.
This look issogood, that Marvel continually returns to it. This suit debuted in 1984, and now, 40 years later, Marvel is still finding ways to put Spider-Man back in the Black Suit,most recently with the currentVenom Warstoryline. That’s how important and iconic this look is, but there’s just one suit that beats it.
1Nothing Beats Spider-Man’s Original Suit
Amazing Fantasy#15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
There’s simply nothing that beats Spider-Man’s original look. It’s incredible that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko nailed everything that Spider-Man would be in his first appearance. Compare this to characters like Batman or even Superman, who both needed time to refine their designs and decide on their backstory. Spider-Man got everything on the first go. He got his iconic backstory and motivations and an amazing look that hasn’t changed much over the years.It’s a remarkable feat of creativity to get something so perfect on the very first try.
With the white lenses, the blue of his costume, the amazing web-lining on his suit, and the iconic spider symbol on his chest, this is about as close to perfection as a superhero design can get. While there’s plenty of cool suits on this list, there’s simply nothing that beatsSpider-Man’sfirst and most iconic look, which has stayed mostly the same for over 60 years.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
