Spider-Man (Peter Parker) is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU’s) most distinguished superheroes.
You might know the iconic neighborhood hero for his speed, agility, spidey senses, and web shooters. He even has a fair share of strength, durability, and endurance.
But Spider-Man also has quite a few weaknesses in the MCU and in the comics. Below, we will discuss 10 of those weaknesses that jumped out at us the most.
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1 – Tough Time Concealing His Identity
Peter Parker would rather the world not know that he is Spider-Man. Unfortunately for him, concealing his identity is easier said than done.
At the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, for example, Aunt May catches Peter trying on his Iron Spider suit. And in Far From Home, Mysterio revealed Parker’s identity to the world, and before that, MJ figured out that Peter Parker was Spider-Man.
Peter has such a bad track record at keeping his identity secret that in No Way Home, he had to approach Doctor Strange to make the world forget who he was and that he was Spider-Man.
2 – Overconfidence
While Peter can be one of the stronger Avengers, he’s overconfident at times.
During his fight with Captain America (Steve Rogers) in Captain America: Civil War, Parker gained the upper hand, only for Rogers to turn the tide shortly thereafter.
Using his web shooters, Spider-Man separated Cap from his shield before he quipped, “he also said to go for your legs.” Cap wasted no time in sprinting back for his shield, forcing Parker to catch up and try to stop Cap from retrieving it.
Parker failed, and Cap won the battle.
Overconfidence is a weakness we primarily see regarding villains, like Thanos. However, for Thanos, that weakness is thanks to his arrogant nature.
For Spider-Man, he can underestimate an opponent’s power because of his youth and inexperience.
3 – Recklessness
When Tony Stark (Iron Man) recruited a 14-year-old Peter Parker to his side in Captain America: Civil War, it didn’t end well for the latter.
After Stark sent him home, Parker became so obsessed with receiving an offer to join the Avengers that he quit the decathlon team to spend more time as Spider-Man.
In Homecoming, Parker’s obsession led to him getting into and losing a fight against a villain called Vulture, prompting Stark to swoop in and rescue him.
When Parker made matters worse during his failed rescue of the Staten Island Ferry, Stark took back the Iron Spider suit. It wasn’t until Peter’s victory over Vulture that he got the suit back and a subsequent offer to join the Avengers.
4 – Inexperience
As one of the youngest Avengers, Parker has far less experience than the likes of Iron Man and Captain America.
His inexperience has led to some of the weaknesses listed above, like his overconfidence against opponents, or biting off more than he can chew with sheer recklessness.
To Parker’s defense, however, he often makes up for his inexperience. In No Way Home, when he wanted the world to forget he existed, he wisely enlisted Stephen Strange instead of looking to solve the problem on his own.
But even then, Parker messes things up with his inexperience. As Strange is casting the spell, Parker continually asks Strange to adjust it. The consequences? The spell summons villains from the Multiverse.
5 – High and Low Frequencies
While Parker’s spidey senses might be his most distinguished strength, opponents can turn it into a weakness if they know what to do. One way is to use a frequency current high enough to overwhelm Parker, as the current could leave him disoriented.
Low frequencies can also throw off the spider sense. This would allow a villain or opponent to put Spider-Man into a false sense of security before blindsiding him.
Whether an opponent chooses to use a high or a low frequency, it doesn’t matter. Either way, they would quickly defeat Parker if they discovered how to manipulate these frequencies.
6 – Ethyl Chloride
This one might sound unbelievable, but it’s true. The household product can overwhelm Peter Parker, as it tends to render his powers useless, much like kryptonite does to Superman in the DC Universe.
The good news? You don’t see a lot of villains using it in the comics, as the many writers who have worked on Spider-Man’s storylines feel it’s the easiest way to defeat the neighborhood hero.
7 – Limitations on His Spider Senses
Peter Parker’s spider senses are an incredible strength, as he can sense nearby danger and prepare to fight (or flee) accordingly. But a smart opponent can circumvent them.
If an opponent approached Parker and didn’t render themselves as a threat, like Quentin Beck (Mysterio) in Far From Home, for example, Parker wouldn’t be able to detect the actual danger.
In Far From Home, his spidey senses tingled when Mysterio was nearby. However, he mistook them for warning him about Hydro-Man, and other illusions, while Mysterio tricked Parker into believing he was a fellow superhero.
The limitations on Parker’s spider senses nearly resulted in disaster. Mysterio planned on killing Parker’s classmates, who traveled to London at the time.
Parker, however, worked his way through Mysterio’s illusions, confronted, and defeated the villain.
8 – Low on Funds
In the MCU, Tony Stark created the high-tech Iron Spider suit for Peter Parker. But when he took it back thanks to Parker’s recklessness (See Number 3 on this list), it forced Parker to revert to his homemade Spider-Man suit.
While Stark had the resources to build these suits, Parker had no means financially to afford a replacement for the Iron Spider suit, or anything remotely close.
In the comics, we see Peter’s financial struggles even more. He often needs to balance work with his superhero duties, which can result in low paychecks if he misses too much work.
There have been other times where we have seen Parker’s attempts to make money set a comic’s storyline in motion.
In one example, he thought he could get paid for joining the Fantastic Four, so he tried to join them. Yet when Parker discovered there was no salary involved, he was no longer interested.
9 – Humanity
Of all the superheroes in the MCU, Parker arguably faces similar issues to the average, everyday person.
Unlike Thor, Doctor Strange, Tony Stark, or Bruce Banner, to name a few, Parker did not start off as a god, an accomplished surgeon, or a scientist. Instead, he’s a student who faces challenges like academics, common illnesses, and in the comics, holding a job.
Like his spider senses, Parker’s humanity can also be a double-edged sword. While it can hold him back, it can also let him see right from wrong better than many of the heroes listed above.
Thor was reckless and arrogant with his immaculate powers. Strange and Stark originally held a similar mentality with their skills as a surgeon and weapons manufacturers, respectively, before they became superheroes.
10 – Web Swinging Can Be Limited
So many weaknesses on this list can be seen as potential strengths, and Spider-Man’s web swinging is one of his greatest. However, there are flaws here.
For one, Parker can’t often use his web swinging on low buildings. If he were fighting a villain outside a major metropolis or in an area surrounded by low buildings, there is no way his webs would give him an advantage.
His web swinging ability is also useless near bodies of water. We saw an example of this in The Amazing Spider-Man #141, when Parker thought it was a good idea to take a detour through a lake in his spider-mobile.
The problem? His web shooters got waterlogged and they malfunctioned. Therefore, wetland and low buildings won’t do Parker many favors when he battles an opponent.
Sion Fawkes has been covering Star Wars since January 2022, expanding his expertise in Star Wars Canon, Legends, and MCU. When not writing, you can find Sion in the gym or running trails. He also likes watching sports and listening to audiobooks.