The Best Alternate-Reality Spider-Man Comics

Marvel’s main universe (dubbed Earth-616) is filled with incredible comics, and the Peter Parker of the main Marvel universe has starred in iconic Amazing Spider-Man stories from “Spider-Man No More” to “Spider-Island.” However, beyond the walls of Earth-616, plenty of Spider-Man comics set in alternate worlds earned praise.

Miles Morales and a younger Peter Parker shined in the Ultimate Universe, Peter and MJ are married with a child on an alternate Earth, while Gwen Stacy donned her mask as Spider-Woman on Earth-65. The Marvel multiverse is vast, holding an equally large library of fantastic comics centered on Spider-Man variants who have nothing to do with the 616 Spider-Man.

10 Gwen Stacy Steals the Show as Spider-Woman

Spider-Gwen originally appeared in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 and starred in her own comic title less than a year afterward. No one could have predicted Spider-Gwen’s meteoric rise in popularity. She has since starred in Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse and is a mainstay in Marvel solicitations each month.

The original Spider-Gwen volume follows Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 before and after the events of the Spider-Verse comic event. How Gwen became Spider-Woman, what happened to Peter Parker, and her interactions with alternate versions of Kingpin, Matt Murdock, Kraven etc. Spider-Gwen (Vol. 1) is perfect for fans looking to read Earth-65 Gwen’s journey from ground zero.

9 Marvel Age Retells Classic Spider-Man Comics

Many Spider-Man books that take place in alternate realities really use the multiverse concept to its fullest, crafting Spider-Men and Women in the past like 1602 or the future like Spider-Man 2099. Marvel Age Spider-Man may be the subtlest “alternate” Spider-Man comic ever.

Marvel Age Spider-Man simply retold the original 20 issues of Amazing Spider-Man, updating stories told in the mid-1960s to better appeal to modern readers in 2005. With newer art and updated technology/character designs, Marvel Age is a unique way to experience Spider-Man’s earliest adventures.

8 1930s Spider-Man Gets Dark & Gritty

Movie audiences may be familiar with Spider-Man Noir thanks to Into the Spider-Verse and gamers certainly know him thanks to his iconic levels in Shattered Dimensions. Before those mainstream appearances, the Spider-Man of 1930s New York debuted in the four-part miniseries, Spider-Man: Noir.

Spider-Man Noir is a stark contrast to the colorful, cheerful Amazing Spider-Man. This Peter Parker wears bulletproof equipment and frequently carries a pistol. Other characters like Norman Osborn and the Vulture received similar, stylish, era-accurate makeovers.

7 Mary Jane Watson Takes Center Stage

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane reads more like a romantic-comedy manga than a superhero comic, but that’s what sets it apart from any mainstream Spider-Man book. Mary Jane is the star of the series as she navigates the highs and lows of high school in a world dominated by Spider-Man and his supervillains.

Two other series, Mary Jane and Mary Jane: Homecoming exist in the same universe. The final series ended in 2009, but Marvel should consider more comics like Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane to give supporting characters a stage to shine on, especially in the cute, colorful styles seen in this one.

6 New Spider-People Enter the Spider-Verse

Marvel originally conceptualized the first Edge of Spider-Verse volume as a companion to the main Spider-Verse comic arc. The first volume reintroduced Spider-Man Noir while also gifting the world Spider-Gwen.

The three volumes that followed (volume four is currently ongoing) similarly connected to other Spider-Verse events while debuting new, interesting and sometimes ridiculous alternate Spider-Men and Women. Fans of multiversal concepts who aren’t interested in longer narratives will love the one-off stories in Edge of Spider-Verse comics.

5 Peter Parker Ages Naturally In Spider-Man: Life Story

The Amazing Spider-Man comics (and all of Marvel Comics) use a sliding timeline, which means the characters rarely age, making the passage of time difficult to decipher. Spider-Man: Life Story retold Peter Parker’s life using a realistic timescale. Peter and his supporting cast aged normally, experiencing real-world events through the Marvel lens.

Life Story is one of the most fascinating comics outside the 616 and Marvel should absolutely apply this format to all of their top characters. Peter’s journey in Life Story may be condensed, but powerful moments like the Civil War and Alien Costume saga hit harder due to Peter’s age and natural development through the unseen years.

4 Miles Morales Takes Over Ultimate Spider-Man

The Ultimate version of Peter Parker was incredibly popular with fans, and many readers were sad to see him go, but Marvel surprised everyone with the introduction of Miles Morales. Miles is no Spider-Boy but shares the Spider-Man mantle alongside the 616 Peter Parker.

While Miles Morales debuted at the end of Peter’s run in Ultimate Spider-Man, the young hero shined in his first solo comic series, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man. Anyone who fell in love with Miles thanks to Into the Spider-Verse or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game should definitely check out his first comic run.

3 May Parker Swings as Spider-Girl in the MC2 Universe

Marvel had briefly dabbled in alternate realities, but the multiversal concept was more popular at DC Comics. With the debut of Amazing Spider-Girl, readers surprised Marvel with how quickly they fell in love with May Parker, Peter and MJ’s daughter from the MC2 universe.

May Parker starred in her own Amazing Spider-Girl comic and several subsequent volumes, featuring alternate versions of Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and more. Thanks to her popularity, May even returned in Spider-Verse and made a cameo at the end of Nick Spencer’s Amazing Spider-Man run.

2 The Ultimate Universe Introduced Spider-Man to New Readers

In 2000, Marvel Comics had their cake and ate it too. They maintained their mainline comic universe that had existed for over 40 years, and simultaneously launched the new Ultimate Universe that featured new, modern versions of classic heroes and villains.

Offering an incredible 160 issues of brand-new material, the original Ultimate Spider-Man may be the most impressive Spider-Man comic outside Earth-616’s Amazing Spider-Man. The Ultimate Spider-Man holds so much legacy and many readers actually prefer this version over the “Amazing” Spider-Man.

1 Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson Have A Daughter

The first Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows volume introduced readers to an alternate version of Peter Parker and Mary Jane who stayed married (no deals with Mephisto in this universe) and had a daughter named Annie Parker. Fans were overjoyed to see the iconic Marvel couple back together, especially after so many years of relationship hurdles the pair experienced in the main Marvel Comics world.

Renew Your Vows proved that Peter and MJ deserve to be together. It proved Spider-Man doesn’t need to be single or “young” to be relevant. Jonathan Hickman’s new Ultimate Spider-Man book is proving that again right now.