13 Secret Spider-Man Powers That He Didn’t Get to Keep

As Marvel’s most iconic superhero, Spider-Man has undergone many changes regarding his powers over the years. His trademark abilities, such as sticking to walls and shooting webs, have been a staple in American pop culture. But there are several other powers that Spider-Man has obtained over the years that fans have forgotten about. That’s because Spider-Man wasn’t allowed to keep these certain abilities.

Ever since his debut in Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man has been widely recognized for his amazing spider-based powers. After getting bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker gains incredible strength, agility, adhesive powers, and a radar-like Spider-Sense. Spider-Man has grown stronger with brand-new storylines that have brought out something extra within the Wall-Crawler. These new abilities range from enhancing established powers to strange transformations and even cosmic upgrades. Most of these new abilities are catalysts from Spider-Man’s fated encounters with new villains. Though he eventually loses all of these new powers, let’s explore all the cool abilities Spider-Man had for a short time.

13 The “Other” Powers: Stingers, Fangs, Night Vision, and Cocoon Healing

Spider-Man: The Other (2005-2006)

When Spider-Man faces death, he awakens the Spider within to gain new powers. In 2005’s Spider-Man: The Other, Peter Parker wrestles with the harsh reality that he is dying due to his radioactive spider blood. The spider-hunting vampire, Morlun, attacks the vulnerable Spider-Man, nearly killing him, but the villain helps him upgrade his powers. After Spider-Man gives in to his “savage” Spider side and dies while killing Morlun, he emerges from a cocoon with new abilities. These include fangs, stingers on his wrists, and even night vision. All these new powers would be lost after Peter’s deal with Mephisto from the infamous One More Day storyline.

12 Chest Expansion

The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964)and #27 (1965)

This bizarre but helpful superpower has been largely forgotten about. In the early years of Spider-Man, he could grow his muscles to free himself from danger. In The Amazing Spider-Man #14 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spidey uses this muscle flex ability to escape from the lasso of a villain named Montana. He deploys this slightly useful power again in The Amazing Spider-Man #27 by Lee and Ditko to break through steel chains wrapped around him by the Green Goblin. Though not as noteworthy as web-swinging or crawling up walls, this muscle/chest expansion power shows off Spider-Man’s underrated strength.

11 Organic Webbing

Spider-Man (2022), Spider-Man: The Other (2005-2006) and The Spectacular Spider-Man #20 (2004)

Spider-Man is best known for his web-based technology, but sometimes the webbing comes from his body. The first example of organic webbing is seen in the 2002 Sam Raimi film, Spider-Man, where Peter does not need mechanical web-shooters, since his web fluid comes from inside him. The second instance is the storyline, Spider-Man: The Other, in which Spider-Man also gains organic web fluid after his cocoon resurrection. Finally, in The Spectacular Spider-Man #20 by Paul Jenkins and Lan Medina, Spidey gets kissed by a spider villain known as the Queen and transforms into a giant spider. This crazy storyline leads to Peter dying as a spider, giving birth to his human self, and gaining his organic webbing.

10 Talking to Spiders

Spider-Man: The Other (2005-2006) and Doctor Strange #390 (2018)

This ability should honestly be more of a main-stay in Spider-Man lore, given his attachment to spiders. Peter has been able to, on multiple occasions, communicate with spiders. After his cocoon resurrection in Spider-Man: The Other, Spider-Man gains the ability to talk to spiders, which allows him to save people from a destroyed building. Later on, in Doctor Strange #390 by Donny Cates, Frazer Irving, and Chip Zdarsky, Spidey is allowed to speak to his “kin” through Doctor Strange’s magic. Peter learns a little about spider lifespans during his wholesome interaction with a pet spider.

Savage Spider-Man #1–5 (2022)

The 2022 Savage Spider-Man comic miniseries reveals a brand-new side of Spider-Man, complete with a new suit and webbing. As the comic book title suggests, Spider-Man is turned “savage” following his exposure to a power-enhancing drug that completely changes his personality as well as his abilities. Now more menace than hero, the Savage Spider-Man creates a new costume to go along with his new attitude and powers. This includes organic webbing with a twist, where Spider-Man can now mind-control his webbing to accomplish several tasks at once. This incredible ability is short-lived as he returns to his regular self once this five-part story ends.

8 Bulletproof as the Spider-Lizard

The Spectacular Spider-Man #39 (1979)

Arachnid abilities meet reptile powers when Spider-Man accidentally turns into the Lizard. Dr. Curt Connors aka the Lizard turns over a new leaf as an ally of Spider-Man after using a machine called the Enervator to remove the Lizard DNA from his body. Spider-Man uses this same Enervator to cure the supervillain known as the Iguana, but Connors warns Peter of possible side effects.

Sure enough, the leftover reptilian DNA from the Enervator seeps its way into Peter’s body and transforms him into the “Spider-Lizard.” This gives Spider-Man all the abilities of the Lizard, including bulletproof skin, heightened senses, and claws. The transformation also overwhelms his personality, just like it does to Connors, causing Spider-Lizard to go on a rampage across New York City. Thankfully, Dr. Connors makes an antidote to turn Peter back to normal in Spectacular Spider-Man #40.

7 Sand Control Powers

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #309 (2018)

Flint Marko aka the Sandman is one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains, and he gets a taste of his own medicine when he gives Spider-Man his sand control abilities. As Flint is becoming a trusted friend of Spider-Man, he’s haunted by a voice from the future. This voice turns out to be a time-displaced evil version of Sandman, who possesses the body of the good Flint Marko. In Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #309 by Chip Zdarsky and Chris Bachalo, Flint temporarily gives Spider-Man his sand control powers through mind melding. This leads to an epic Sandman vs. Sand Spider-Man battle where the two heroes manage to defeat the evil criminal.

6 Spider-Hulk Powers

Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1 (2020)

What if the Hulk entity was given to Peter Parker? In the 2020 one-shot Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1 by Tom Taylor and Jorge Molina, the trickster Loki uses his magic to remove the fiersome Hulk personality from the mind Bruce Banner. The Hulk then finds a new host: Spider-Man, and together they become the “Incredible Spider-Hulk.” This boosts Peter’s already-formidable strength, while also increasing his rage. Spidey quickly loses control of this new form and the Fantastic Four are nearby to stop him from hurting anyone else. Luckily, Bruce, Peter, and the Fantastic Four come up with a plan for Bruce to take his Hulk radiation back. It was fun while it lasted.

5 Wolverine’s Powers

Ultimate Spider-Man #66-67 (2004)

It’s a classic body-swap story from the early 2000s version of Spider-Man. In Ultimate Spider-Man #66-67 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, Jean Grey swaps Wolverine and Spider-Man’s minds as a punishment for Logan always hitting on her. The two heroes wake up and are completely thrown for a loop about their new bodies and powers. Peter, for a short time, gets to enjoy Wolverine’s healing factor, adamantium claws, and heightened senses. On the other hand, Logan has to try being a teenager again with the added Spider-Man identity attached. But eventually, Jean returns their minds to their respective bodies.

4 Omni-Spider Sense

The Amazing Spider-Man #695 (2012)

Peter Parker’s Spider-Sense is arguably his greatest skill as a superhero, and it got a dangerous upgrade in 2012. In The Amazing Spider-Man #695 by Dan Slott, Christos N. Gage, and Giuseppe Camuncoli, Peter’s Spider-Sense goes completely haywire thanks to fellow Spider-hero, Julia Carpenter.Julia, now acting as the new Madame Web, receives dire news about Peter Parker’s fate through her mental link to the future. She uses her new abilities to augment Peter’s Spider-Sense to warn him of this impending danger. However, this temporary “Omni-Spider Sense” causes Peter to lose control of his senses and leaves him vulnerable to an ambush by the Hobgoblin.

3 The Magic of Doctor Strange

Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #3 (2020)

In order to escape a deadly predator, Spider-Man must become the Sorcerer Supreme. In Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #3 by Peter David and Greg Land, the Venom symbiote has taken over Peter Parker’s body, and worst of all, Peter is being hunted down by everyone’s favorite vampire anti-hero: Morbius. To save himself from Morbius’ blood-obsessed cravings, Spider-Man agrees, while under the symbiote’s control, to learn how to use magic from Doctor Strange. Since time moves differently in Kamar-Taj, Spider-Man becomes a master of the mystic arts in a matter of weeks and uses his powers to fight the likes of Baron Mordo, Hobgoblin, and Nightmare.

2 Venom Symbiote

The Alien Costume Saga (1984-1985)

The most famous augmentation to Spider-Man’s abilities is his time under the influence of the Venom symbiote. After being bonded with the Venom symbiote on the alien planet Battleword, Spider-Man returns to Earth with a new black suit and attitude. With the symbiote by his side, Spidey gains enhanced strength, a stronger healing factor, and a thirst for violence.

Over time, the symbiote begins taking over Spider-Man’s mind and fueling his hatred, which means he has to let go of this obsessive symbiote.Peter loses his symbiote powers thanks to the piercing sounds of church bells, which releases the evil symbiote from his body. But it would famously find itself a new host nearby in the form of Eddie Brock, who bonds with the symbiote and becomes the anti-hero Venom.

1 Cosmic Spider-Man/Captain Universe

The Spectacular Spider-Man #158 & The Amazing Spider-Man #326-329 (1989)

This may not be Spider-Man’s most famous augmentation, but it is by far his most powerful. In The Spectacular Spider-Man #158, while helping Dr. Max Lubisch with an Enigma Force experiment, Spider-Man becomes the new Captain Universeafter the cosmic energy blows up and Spidey is caught in the blast range. Spider-Man now has near invulnerability, can shoot cosmic blasts from his body, and can overpower the Hulk and Magneto with ease.

With each passing day as Captain Universe, Spider-Man becomes the master and ruler of cosmic energy. Sadly, he loses all of these wonderful cosmic powers after expending all of his energy into an explosion to destroy the Tri-Sentinel robot. But for a brief time, Spider-Man is one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe.