Top 10 Spider-Man Fights!!

If you have been keeping up with the current Amazing Spider-Man run by Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr. and Ed Mcguiness, you have most likely noticed a particularly sad trend with the title character:

 

 

 

 

 

Spider-Man has been beaten in nearly every fight he’s been in (except against Benjamin Rabin because that guy is a joke). This is especially sad since most of the characters who have steamrolled Spidey in this run have also been beaten by him numerous times over the years. Yet for whatever reason, the web-head has been coming in second all throughout this run.

Look, Spider-Man is certainly no stranger to taking a beating or losing a fight (like most superheroes), but Marvel seems to have forgotten that he is actually a very formidable fighter, more than capable of dishing out as much punishment as he takes himself. Spidey has been in countless scraps throughout his sixty-plus years of published comic books (often against foes more powerful than him), with many of them being excellent showcases for the wall-crawler’s prowess. 

So if you’re like me and are tired of seeing your favorite Marvel character get his head handed to him on a regular basis, how about we take a look back at some of the greatest battles throughout his storied career? Like always, this is just my opinion and feel free to let me know if I omitted any of your favorite skirmishes in the comments below. Now let’s kick off this Top 10 list with:

 

10.) Spider-Man & Venom vs. Carnage

by David Michelinie & Mark Bagley

In his iconic debut story, psychotic serial killer Cletus Kasady bonds with a powerful new alien symbiote that was spawned from Venom a.k.a. Eddie Brock, becoming the near-unstoppable force of destruction known as Carnage. Spider-Man tracks down the lethal lunatic in order to put a stop to his murderous rampage, but quickly learns that this new symbiote has powers and abilities he never imagined.

Proving to be even more powerful and elusive than his predecessor, Spider-Man has no choice but to seek out and enter a temporary truce with Venom so they can track down and stop Kasady. But as one might expect, this proves to be much easier said than done, as Carnage has more than enough power for even their combined might.

The web-head is even forced to save Venom’s life at one point from his psychotic spawn!

Now I’m normally not a big fan of when Spidey teams up with another character as I usually prefer him to fight his own battles, but this is one of the exceptions. Seeing Peter Parker and Eddie Brock put aside their vast differences to take on a far more sinister threat was both incredibly exciting and unfathomable when these comics first hit the shelves. With neither possessing enough raw power to defeat Carnage on their own, Spider-Man and Venom are forced to work as a team, delivering one of the more memorable fights in all three characters’ careers.

 

09.) Spider-Man vs. Tombstone

by Gerry Conway & Sal Buscema

I’ve said multiple times in past articles of mine that Tombstone is Spider-Man’s most underrated villain and I stand by that. Despite not having any superpowers at this time (something that would change dramatically in the coming years) other than peak human strength, Lonnie Lincoln was a terrific and intimidating antagonist who came onto the scene making life miserable for his old “pal” Robbie Robertson and even our dear Mary Jane Watson-Parker.

 

So when the time finally came to square off against the albino assassin, Spidey (and the readers) were more than ready to see Tombstone get what’s coming to him. Unfortunately, Mr. Lincoln appears to gain the upper hand at first, mercilessly beating the web-head with a steel pipe from the construction site they’re at.

However, this turns out to be little more than a case of playing possum as our hero quickly turns the tables on the malevolent mobster.

Throughout the entire arc, Tombstone has brought pain, misery and death to everyone he’s come across, including characters that the readers care about. Seeing Spider-Man teach him that despite his strength, skill and reputation, he’s still only a man (for now anyway) and isn’t anywhere near Spidey’s league is incredibly satisfying.

 

08.) Spider-Man vs. The Hobgoblin

by Roger Stern, Tom Defalco, Ron Frenz & Klaus Janson

While he is often overshadowed by his emerald predecessor, the Hobgoblin a.k.a. Roderick Kingsley (something that we wouldn’t discover for far too long) was easily one of Spider-Man’s most formidable foes when he came onto the scene in 1983. A worthy successor to Norman Osborn, the Hobgoblin was actually quite sane (but no less evil) and sought to use his newfound gadgets and abilities for profit instead of an obsessive vendetta against Spider-Man. Being the first Goblin since Norman to replicate the strength-enhancing formula, Roderick even became a physical match for the arachnid, able to go toe-to-toe with him. This would lead to their best bout as the two duke it out in a speeding armored van with their fists.

The Hobgoblin gains the advantage at first thanks to a chemical compound he previously used on Spidey to disable his spider-sense. But luckily, it returns right in the nick of time for the wall-crawler to turn the tables on his foe.

Switching gears, the Hobgoblin resorts to gadgetry in order to regain the upper hand. But this time, Spidey is ready for his tricks.

Even as the armored vehicle speeds off the end of a pier, the two combatants won’t let up!

Even in cramped quarters where his famed agility and mobility are of limited use, Spidey proves that he is still a force to be reckoned with and is no slouch in a contest of strength. Top this off with an excellent set piece with the moving armored van and you have one the wall-crawler’s best brawls.

 

07.) Spider-Man vs. The Rhino

by J.M. DeMatteis & Sal Buscema

Considering that he is one of Spider-Man’s signature foes, especially in outside media like cartoons, video games and even movies, it’s surprising how little the web-slinger has actually fought the Rhino in the comics. They battled once in the ’60s and then the Rhino proceeded to spend the entirety of the ’70s duking it out with the Hulk instead. In fact, if you go off of the comics, the Rhino is a more of a Hulk rogue than a Spidey one. Despite this, Aleksei Sytsevich is widely regarded as one of the arachnid’s most physically powerful foes, though you wouldn’t know that from their encounter in this comic.

Hired by the Green Goblin (Harry Osborn) to torment Peter Parker, Rhino tracks down the seemingly unassuming photographer and proceeds to put the muscle on him while making some severe threats.

This proves to be a huge mistake as Peter is already at his breaking point from all of the havoc that Harry has been causing to his life and is just waiting for something or someone to come along that he can hit. As such, Peter quickly changes into his Spider-Man costume and proceeds to beat the Rhino to a pulp, vowing not to let any harm befall his loved ones.

The Rhino pleads with the enraged arachnid to stop but Spidey isn’t exactly in a forgiving mood.

 This fight (if you can even call it that) perfectly demonstrates that size and strength will only get you so far when Spider-Man has reached his limit and stops holding back. Despite being twice as strong as him, Rhino is no match for Spidey here.

 

06.) Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus

by Bill Mantlo & Al Milgrom

Out of Spider-Man’s vast array of rogues, he has fought Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius more times than any other. As such, the two have had many memorable confrontations throughout the years, but their best by far comes courtesy of the classic Owl/Octopus War story arc. The stakes are exceptionally high here as the dreaded doctor not only plans to destroy New York City with nuclear device, but he has also taken Spidey’s new love interest, Felicia Hardy a.k.a. the Black Cat, as a hostage. And you better believe that Doc Ock has zero intentions of keeping her alive knowing the pain her demise will bring his hated enemy.

Furiously and desperately, the web-slinger fights to free his lover from the mad scientist’s grip before she is smashed to pulp.

Ock is forced to release Black Cat in hopes of using each of his appendages to fend off his foe’s relentless assault. Unfortunately for him, it ends up making little difference as Spidey seizes each of his mechanical tentacles in a vice-like grip before he can activate the bomb.

Now I normally wouldn’t spoil the outcome of the fight for those who haven’t had the pleasure of reading it for themselves, but in this case, it’s simply too good not to.

One of the most badass moments in Spider-Man history and the defining moment of the Spidey/Ock rivalry. When the webbed wonder’s loved ones are in danger, there are few lengths he won’t go to in order to ensure their safety.

 

05.) Spider-Man vs. Firelord

by Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz

If there’s one aspect of Spider-Man’s character that a lot of current Marvel writers and editors consistently underestimate, it’s his strength. The wall-crawler has proven capable of besting (or at least holding his own against) opponents who are significantly stronger than him. Arguably the best and most well-known example of this fact is his legendary scrap against Firelord, the former herald of the mighty Galactus.

Firelord is a character who can hold his own against entire superhero teams like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, so when Spidey ends up on his bad side after rescuing some civilians from his lethal wrath, you better believe our hero is worried.

Believing he won’t stand a chance against his flaming foe head on, Spidey does everything he can throughout the two-parter to stay out of Firelord’s reach and use the environment to his advantage. But no matter what he does, Firelord will not stay down and keeps coming at the web-slinger angrier and more determined than ever.

After a long bout, Firelord finally manages to corner his elusive enemy. Out of options and objects to use, Spidey decides to go out swinging and leaps at the indignant alien with everything he has.

I won’t spoil the outcome this time, but let’s just say that Marvel aren’t the only people who underestimate Spider-Man’s prowess. This fight is a must-read for any fan of the webbed wonder.

 

 

04.) Spider-Man vs. Morlun

by J. Michael Straczynski & John Romita Jr.

While he is but a pale shadow of his former self these days, Morlun was a true force to be reckoned with when he first appeared. Introduced as a supremely strong mystical predator that had been feeding on super beings for thousands of years (not just spider-people as later writers would state), Morlun set his sites on Spider-Man as his next meal. The wall-crawler quickly discovered that he was no match for the not-vampire as he took whatever Spidey threw at him and just kept on coming like Jason Voorhees.

Spidey is truly pushed to his physical limit here as he becomes progressively worn down and bloodied while Morlun doesn’t break a sweat. And being an ancient vampiric entity that survives by feeding on others, Morlun isn’t exactly concerned about any civilians that could be caught in the crossfire, making an already grueling battle even worse for our hero.

On top of all this, Spidey can’t even hide in his civilian identity because Morlun already has his scent and can locate him where ever he goes.

 

At one point, Spidey even calls his loved ones to tell them goodbye, as even he becomes convinced that he won’t be walking away from this encounter.

This fight is one of the web-head’s best because of how thoroughly overpowered his opponent is here and how he seems to stand no real chance of winning. This was one of the few times reading a Spider-Man comic where I actually wasn’t sure if he’d be able to defeat the villain and feared for his life. I stand by my opinion that Morlun should never have appeared past this storyline, but I will never forget just how threatening he was in his debut and how he gave Spider-Man one of the biggest, bloodiest brawls of his career.

 

03.) Spider-Man vs. The Green Goblin

by Paul Jenkins & Mark Buckingham

You just knew that a confrontation with the webbed wonder’s greatest enemy was going to appear on this list at some point, right? The Green Goblin/Norman Osborn has brought more pain and misery to Peter Parker than any of his other foes combined, giving us so many intense and personal battles between the two. While their brutal clash at the end of the classic The Night Gwen Stacy Died arc almost made this list, I decided to go with something a little different. Their brawl in Trick of the Light might not be as iconic as the former, but it is no less personal, epic or exciting.

In an effort to break his longtime nemesis and bring him over to his side, Norman abducts Peter and brings him to his old estate. Once there, Norman wastes no time in subjecting Peter to all manner of physical and psychological torture for weeks and end.

Our hero is brought to one of his absolute lowest points mentally and physically, but Peter being Peter, he refuses to give in (much to his captor’s fury). His building rage finally reaches a boiling point after weeks of abuse when the Goblin, frustrated that his foes refuses to give in, says the absolute worst thing possible in that situation.

Their fight soon spills out onto the mansion roof where things become progressively bloodier and more personal.

Few fights better showcase the sheer willpower and determination from Spider-Man. Bloodied, battered, exhausted, dehydrated, starved but never defeated, Peter shows the Goblin that no matter what depraved cruelty he inflicts on him, Peter will always be the bigger man and will never be brought down to Norman’s level. Ever.

 

02.) Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin

by J. Michael Straczynski & Ron Garney

While he is more commonly thought of as a Daredevil rogue (for good reason), Wilson Fisk a.k.a. the Kingpin of Crime has been fighting the web-head for far longer than ol’ horn-head. Despite not possessing any true superpowers other than peak human strength, the Kingpin has always managed to give Spider-Man a run for his money whenever they’ve come to blows over the years. That is until the wall-crawler made the mistake of revealing his identity to the world in support of the Superhero Registration Act (long story). Now knowing the true face of his longtime rival, Kingpin wastes little time in sending a sniper after Peter Parker. Sadly, his elderly Aunt May is the one caught in the crossfire.

Pushed to his absolute limit, Peter dons his old black suit (for reasons) and sets off to end the crime lord once and for all. Fisk awaits his foe at the prison he currently inhabits and wastes no time in mocking the enraged arachnid as soon as he arrives.

Big mistake. Spidey quickly makes it clear that this isn’t going to be like any of their previous bouts. He’s out for blood this time.

What follows is the single biggest, most thorough beatdown of the crime king’s entire career (no small feat).

Fisk never lays a finger on Peter and is completely humiliated and emasculated in front of all of the inmates.

Spider-Man is often known for his humor and sarcasm, but when you hurt his family, the gloves are off. This is the definitive Spidey/Kingpin tale that perfectly demonstrates why Fisk is out of his league when taking on a being as powerful as the web-slinger.

 

01.) Spider-Man vs. The Juggernaut

by Roger Stern & John Romita Jr.

It may not be as personal as many of his other confrontations on this list alone, but Spider-Man’s classic encounter with major X-Men rogue, the Juggernaut a.k.a. Cain Marko, remains the single greatest battle the arachnid has ever engaged in and is one of the most defining moments of the character’s entire career.

On a mission to abduct the psychic known as Madame Web, Juggernaut crosses paths with the wall-crawler, who doesn’t take kindly to the prospect of kidnapping helpless old ladies. Now the Juggernaut is a villain who regularly goes toe-to-toe with the entirety of the X-Men, the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk and the Mighty Thor…all of whom just barely managed to overcome the titan. So how exactly is Spider-Man, a hero who doesn’t rank anywhere near Marko’s weight class, supposed to beat him? Simply put: he can’t.

Realizing that he can’t go toe-to-toe with the bruising behemoth, the web-slinger tries some other methods…to absolutely no avail.

Try as he might (and try he does), Spidey never once comes close to hurting Juggernaut. He throws everything including the kitchen sink at him, but doesn’t even succeed at slowing him down.

 

 

Aside from the incredible action sequences (which certainly help), why is this Spider-Man’s single greatest fight? Because despite being completely outmatched and clearly not standing a chance, the web-slinger never once backs down and keeps coming back for more no matter how futile it seems. This is really what makes Spider-Man one of the best comic book characters of all time and a true hero: his strength of will. Sure, his powers and abilities are cool, but his unwillingness to give up even when there’s seemingly no hope in sight is what makes Peter Parker such an inspiration to children and adults alike. Arguably no other story encapsulates this better than Spidey’s no-holds-bar against the Juggernaut and that is why it will always be his single greatest fight of all time. Well, that and the amazing action courtesy of John Romita Jr. Just look at those pages!

 

So what do you think? Did I leave any of your favorite fights out? Sound off in the comments below!