Who Can Beat Spider Man In Marvel?

Spider-Man is one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and comics, but he is not unbeatable. The superhero known to some as Peter Parker has suffered defeats to both villains and other heroes in Marvel.

Below, you will find a list of Marvel characters, both good and bad, who either have beaten or can beat Spider-Man. A few characters listed below are obvious, while others, you may not have seen coming.

It is important to note that Spider-Man has beaten some of the characters mentioned below. This is not a list depicting characters who have beaten Peter Parker, but who can beat him. So let’s meet these nine characters who can or have given Parker all he could handle.

1. Electro

Some call Electro the toughest villain Spider-Man has ever faced, while others give Green Goblin the nod. Anyway, you may remember Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and he goes from being a down-on-his-luck character to one whose body becomes fully electric thanks to a work accident.

While Parker won the initial duel against Electro, the character returned during the Multiverse Saga in Spider-Man: No Way Home. In the flick, Parker believes he can cure Electro, but the supervillain accesses an Arc Reactor and becomes more powerful than ever before.

Only when Doctor Octopus interferes and provides a cure for Electro does Spider-Man claim ultimate victory here.

2. Mysterio

We met Quentin Beck, better known as Mysterio, in Far From Home, and he provided quite a challenge for Spider-Man. Yes, Parker prevailed in the end, but Mysterio, the master of illusions, gave Spider-Man a challenge he wasn’t ready for.

Parker was so underprepared that, when Mysterio came across as an ally, he had no qualms with transferring E.D.I.T.H to the villain. This was an artificial intelligence connected to a weapons supply at Stark Industries.

With access, Mysterio would use the technology to augment the illusions he used to come across as a legitimate superhero.

Luckily for Parker, MJ picked up some debris, which they later realized was part of a projector that Mysterio used during an earlier battle where he and Parker teamed up to defeat so-called Elementals.

Had it not been for MJ, Mysterio’s victory over Parker would have led to some damaging consequences. Luckily, Parker ended up winning out, but not before Mysterio revealed the teen’s identity.

3. Iron Man

In the MCU, Parker looked to Tony Stark as a mentor and father figure. This showed us that the teenage Parker would have no chance against the seasoned Avenger. This became clearer when Iron Man had to bail Spider-Man out of several mishaps in Spiderman: Homecoming.

The first occurred when Vulture dropped Parker into a lake and Stark came to the rescue.

In another incident, Spider-Man tried and failed to rescue those aboard the Staten Island Ferry, only for Stark to once again swoop in.

These two scenes showed just how much more experience Iron Man had over Spider-Man, and that the latter would have stood no chance if the two came to blows.

4. Thor

While it is possible to beat the God of Thunder, most in the Marvel universe would have a tough time doing so, and Spider-Man is no exception. While these two rarely battle, Spider-Man cannot take advantage of Thor’s weakness of handling energy blasts.

Therefore, the only way Spider-Man wins this fight is if he finds a way to weave in and out of Thor’s powerful strikes. And if the Thunder God can’t beat him there, he will simply employ the Mjolnir and end any chance Spider-Man has of remotely winning this duel.

5. Captain America

MCU’s Civil War showed us that Spider-Man had a tough time estimating Captain America’s strengths. If you remember, this flick saw a divide in our heroes, with Captain America leading one faction and Iron Man leading the other.

During one of the most action-packed scenes, Spider-Man thought it was a good idea to target Cap. Using his Iron Spider attire, Spider-Man thought this was going to be an easy win, but Captain America proved otherwise when Parker mainly went for the shield.

It should go without saying that the first Avenger taught one of our youngest Avengers at the time a thing or two when in a duel. Never underestimate your opponent. When Spider-Man constricted the shield in his web, Cap resorted to blows and ultimately bested Parker.

6. Hulk

This is a battle between two Marvel heroes with completely different skill-sets. On one end, you have the finesse of Spider-Man, and on the other, the superhuman strength that Hulk possesses. And while Spider-Man’s speed is more than efficient, it is rarely enough to win against Hulk.

Sure, Spider-Man has beaten Hulk during the numerous times they have fought in the comics; but he has also come off on the losing side often. When Spider-Man won this bout, Captain Universe was the reason behind it.

When these two battle, Spider-Man must often wait for a reinforcement to help him get the win. If help doesn’t come, he is looking for a way to retreat.

7. Black Panther

T’Challa, or the Black Panther, is arguably one of the strongest, if not the strongest, Avenger. Like Thor, few can beat him. One reason is that with a suit powered by Vibranium, the sky’s the limit for his endurance.

The Black Panther and Spider-Man rarely meet as rivals, but the one time it occurred in the comics, T’Challa defeated Parker in a squash match, meaning he easily won the short duel.

8. The Vulture

While the scope of the Vulture’s feud with Spider-Man was more on the micro scale, it didn’t make him any less of a villain. We first met him in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Parker’s first go around with Vulture did not end well.

When Parker witnessed a weapons deal going on, Vulture caught him in the act. This led to the villain dropping the hero into a nearby lake. Parker could have drowned, but Tony Stark came to the rescue.

Following another one of Parker’s mishaps, Stark took back Parker’s suit. Things grew even bleaker when Parker met Vulture face-to-face on the night of Parker’s homecoming dance.

That night, Parker, wearing a homemade Spider-Man suit, once again met Vulture, and as had been the case previously, came off on the losing end. Vulture trapped Parker in a pile of rubble and left him for dead.

While Parker found the strength to escape and continue fighting, Vulture’s exploding suit is what ultimately tipped the scales in Spider-Man’s direction.

9. Green Goblin

The Green Goblin is another candidate for the toughest opponent Spider-Man has ever faced. We met him in Spider-Man (2002), and given his super soldier serum plus military tech, it is easy to see why Spider-Man would have such a tough time winning this battle.

During one fight in the flick, the Green Goblin got the best of and wounded Spider-Man. However, Parker ultimately got the best of the villain, thanks to his spider-sense.

While the Green Goblin was strong enough physically, he was also able to mentally and emotionally torture Parker. We saw this occur in Spiderman: No Way Home when he took direct responsibility for killing Parker’s Aunt May.

Also in No Way Home, it took three Peter Parkers from the multiverse to inject the Green Goblin with a serum that would cure the villain of his insanity.

Sion Fawkes

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.