10 Spider-Verse Heroes Who Deserve Their Own Ongoing Comics

Spider-Man has had countless comic books in the decades since his debut, with the Wall-Crawler starring in several spinoffs. He also has just as many spinoff characters, with Peter Parker far from the only hero able to spin a mighty web. Not all of these other heroes always get their due, but they’re just as deserving of their own comic books.

Besides Spider-Man himself, many of Marvel’s web warriors would make for great comics. This includes different takes on the web-slinger, heroes who are closely or tangentially related to him, and even one of the biggest bullies from his youthful years. Regardless of how they are tied to Spidey, these heroes could expand the friendly neighborhood in their own way.

10 Spider-Punk Impressed in Across the Spider-Verse

Debut: The Amazing Spider-Man #10 by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel

Before the release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the Spider-Punk character was somewhat overlooked. Now, he’s one of the more popular variants of Spidey, and his world is heavily inspired by English punk rock. Having a grungy, anarchist worldview, Spider-Punk’s timeline differs greatly from the 616 Spider-Man. Thus, giving him an ongoing comic to explore those differences would be a good way to see what makes him so different.

An issue with previous Spider-Punk comics was that they focused too much on non-Spider-Man characters. A new Spider-Punk series should solely feature him and his inversions of the usual lore. This could give his newfound fans a further taste of his particular flavor of punk and expand things beyond just the surface level for what could otherwise be a one-note pony.

9 The First Spider-Girl Is Still the Best

Debut: What If #105 by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz

Different heroines have used the name Spider-Girl over the years, with most of them having loose, at best, ties to Spider-Man himself. The best incarnation of Spider-Girl was related to Spider-Man in a literal way, with May “Mayday” Parker being the daughter of Mary Jane and Peter Parker. Starring in her own adventures, the “MC2” continuity version of Spider-Girl was a fan-favorite, with her book lasting quite a while.

Sadly, Mayday hasn’t had a book in years, but it could be a hit if relaunched. She represents a future where Peter and MJ are happily married, and given the controversy of anything but that happening in the mainstream comics, a new book for Mayday would fill a major void. Likewise, she could occupy the status of a young, relatable hero that Peter himself once did, proving that “like father, like daughter.”

8 Anya Corazon Has Been Forgotten

Debut: Amazing Fantasy #1 by Joe Quesada, Fiona Avery and Mark Brooks

Anya Corazon is the most prominent Spider-Girl in the mainstream continuity, though she no longer uses that mantle. The status of her actual superhuman powers tends to wax and wane depending on what the writers remember about her character. There’s a lot of potential in her for either her Arachne persona or an in-continuity Spider-Girl, and she can be used for stories that fit her but don’t necessarily fit Peter Parker or Miles Morales. It helps that the infamous Madame Web movie increased awareness of her to some extent.

The book’s main draw would be putting her in situations that the other Spider characters don’t engage in. This could even mean moving her to a new city, and introducing her own villains and supporting cast would definitely be a must. Her book could also function as a pseudo-team book featuring the various female Spider-Man heroes. This can ensure that their proverbial web is connected, allowing them to bolster each other’s popularity while also reflecting the popularity of Spidey himself.

7 Peni Parker Is a Different Kind of “Spider-Girl”

Debut: Edge of Spider-Verse #5 by Gerard Way and Jake Wyatt

Peni Parker takes the basic concept of the Spider-Man mythos more than any other spinoff character, and her anime inspiration is quite obvious. The pilot of the “SP//dr” mecha, her entire concept is based on the iconic mecha anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Forced to pilot an experimental robot powered by a radioactive spider, Peni Parker defends her universe in a way that’s different from Spider-Man and similar heroes.

A SP//dr comic book series could showcase more of Peni Parker’s world, bringing in further elements that reference Evangelion and deconstruct both mecha anime and superhuman comic books. Since Evangelion is still incredibly popular, this would be a great way to bridge the gap between both fandoms. Likewise, it wouldn’t just be another typical superhero book on the block, offering something far different compared to other titles by Marvel Comics.

6 Silk Has the Most Untapped Potential

Debut: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos

Silk was introduced in the wake of Miles Morales’ and Spider-Gwen’s success, but she’s sadly failed to amount to anything. Reduced to occasional miniseries, the heroine started on the wrong foot with many readers. She’s never really been given a chance to succeed in the decade since she debuted and now is the time to make it happen. This will require cementing her status among the Spider-Man characters while remaining independent.

A Silk ongoing needs to cement her status quo, love interest, and supporting cast and give her a unique rogues gallery. She shouldn’t simply be a female version of Spider-Man, but ties to Spidey should be strategically used if only to bolster sales. She could also be in different stories and scopes than Spider-Man himself usually is, perhaps by leaning a bit more into magic or fantasy. This would go a long way to giving her a series that’s finally a success.

5 Spider-Ham Could Bring a Lighter Side to Marvel Comics

Debut: Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham by Larry Hama, Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong

Spider-Ham represents two genres of Western comic books: superheroes and “funny animal” gag strips. This cartoonish nature was firmly displayed in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which helped raise the character’s profile. Now, he can easily be used to launch a goofy new series that puts the “comic” back in comic books. A Spider-Man series could recall the funny animal books of the past while acting as a somewhat low-key romp.

Doing this would create a “Spider-Man” book that lacks the tone or tension of most superhero action dramas. Instead, the series would be like a gag manga series, expanding Marvel Comics’ output beyond the typical superhero stories. Given the hero’s popularity, a variant of Spider-Man is perhaps the best way to do this, and one cartoonish incarnation would allow creators to “go ham” with his stories.

4 Spider-Man Noir Needs a Dark New Series

Debut: Spider-Man: Noir #1 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, Carmine Di Giandomenico and Marko Djurdjević

The classic Spider-Man: Noir comic book was part of a similar overall imprint by Marvel. It reinterpreted the Web-Slinger into a hardboiled world of dames, mooks, and two-fisted justice. Both tonally and visually, it was one of the darkest takes on the Spider-Man mythos, all while being the perfect mix of the noir and superhero genres.

A new Spider-Man: Noir series needs to abandon any ties to the wider Spider-Verse and simply focus on the Great Depression era take on the hero. Centered solely on this world’s version of Spider-Man’s friends and foes, it would offer a different take on the hero that appeals to older readers. It might be the best avenue for darker stories featuring the usually more lighthearted hero.

3 Agent Anti-Venom Can Ground the Symbiote Again

Debut: Amazing Fantasy #1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

In the past several years, the mythology of Venom and the symbiotes has gotten too outlandish, with the once street-level Lethal Protector now being a cosmic guardian on par with something out of a Thor comic book. This is too jarring of a change, but there’s one way to keep these changes while returning to the character’s roots. Currently, Flash Thompson is “Agent Anti-Venom,” and he’s perfect for another book of his own.

Many fans loved the Agent Venom comic featuring Flash Thompson, and a similar book using the Anti-Venom symbiote could reach the same heights. Most importantly, it would be a more grounded book that eschews the “King in Black” meanderings of the main Venom title. Add in the popularity of symbiotes as a whole, and such a book should be an easy sell, especially for Flash Thompson fans.

Debut: Web of Spider-Man #119 by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler

Kaine Parker is a failed clone of the true Peter Parker, and this once sent him on a homicidal vendetta against Ben Reilly, another clone. After Ben’s death, Kaine replaced him as the Scarlet Spider, with the new take on the alternate Spider-Man relocating to Texas. He had his own supporting cast and rogues gallery there, showcasing how a Spider-Man-related hero could get out of the real Spidey’s shadow.

A new Scarlet Spider book with Kaine could cement his place in the Lone Star State, again giving Houston its own Spider-Man. This way, there aren’t too many Spider-People clogging up New York. It would also take advantage of the fact that he was brought back to life after being stabbed with a mystical totem dagger, allowing him to finally enjoy the life that he felt he never deserved.

1 Ben Reilly Deserves a Redemptive New Book

Debut: The Amazing Spider-Man #149 by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru

There’s no Spider-Man side character who’s been so reviled and beloved at the same time as Ben Reilly. Initially controversial due to his supposed status as the “true” Peter Parker, Ben Reilly became much more well-liked after being firmly established as a clone. Sadly, he’s had a slew of contentious developments, most notably becoming the dark Chasm as of late. Whether he returns to the Scarlet Spider identity or stays Chasm, Ben Reilly needs to be redeemed, mainly since a solo book would actually sell.

He has perhaps more marquee value than almost any other Spider-Man character beyond Peter himself. Thus, letting him languish in villainy while other, less popular characters are focused upon is a surefire way to incense fan anger. Giving Ben his own book might remedy that, especially if it walks back his villain status and brings him back to the world of heroism. At the same, his nature as Chasm could be used for new avenues, making the book a darker, perhaps even more supernatural, Spider-Man title.