Summary
Marvel’s most iconic superhero isSpider-Man, and since the character has been swinging through comic pages, video games, shows, and movies for the past 60 years, it makes sense that he would’ve made a few friends along the way. Whilst most heroes and villains can’t stand Spider-Man’s constant quips, he’s a loyal friend who puts others before himself. After all, with great power, comes great responsibility.
Spider-Man has seen plenty of friends in his time in the spandex, and Spider-Man’s best friends deserve some recognition as they leap from Marvel pages. Whether it’s friends who help on the day-to-day business of being Spider-Man, or those who are there for himfor better or worse, Spider-Man may seem a mess at times, but these friends always have his back.
Updated February 1st, 2025, by Melody MacReady:Peter Parker, known as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, has been a beloved character in New York City for several decades, spanning comics, movies, games, and animation. Marvel has consistently portrayed him as one of the most relatable superheroes thanks to his wit, but also his unfortunate luck in life, which results in as many losses as it does wins. This relatability has led him to form numerous friendships, even with some characters who started as enemies but eventually became lifelong allies. These relationships are a significant reason why Spider-Man has been featured in many Marvel superhero teams, including the Avengers and The Fantastic Four.
13Captain America
Peter Parker Is A Big Fan Of Captain America
WhileCaptain Americamay not have a lot of adventures with Spider-Man, the two have mutual respect. Peter Parker grew up admiring Steve Rogers; he read about his exploits in World War 2 and admired the Avengers. Meanwhile, Captain America admires Spider-Man for his good-hearted nature and wholesome view of being a superhero.
It was his respect for Captain America that helped Spider-Man become an Avenger, and whenever they do interact, it is clear that they enjoy each other’s company. The two often bond over their love fortheir home of New York City, with Captain America being from Brooklyn while Spider-Man originates from Queens. When the two team up in battle, they also prove to be most effective.
12Doctor Strange
Stephen Is Always There For Peter, For Better Or Worse
Doctor Strangeand Spider-Man are not strangers, and although people might recognize their time together in the MCU, their bond is much more magical in the comics. Spider-Man and Doctor Strange have helped each other many times,and for anything involving magic, Spider-Man is always at the doorstep of the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Not only is their friendship a great pairing, but one of the most notable acts of friendship is when Doctor Strange gives Spider-Man a birthday present: five minutes with Uncle Ben. At this emotional moment, Peter can tell Ben everything he missed after his death. A touching gift like this is hard to forget.
11Deadpool
Perfect Partners For Making People Laugh
A match made of pure chaos,Deadpooland Spider-Man seem like the greatest duo one could conceptualize. Not only do they both wear red, but they both seem to be unable to shut up. Their love of pop culture references and grilling other people makes them an inseparable duo, even if Spidey can get far too sick of Deadpool sometimes, especially with his behavior and actions.
In an adorable action, Deadpool started to take on board some of Spider-Man’s heroic responsibilities and views, and they even gave each other matching Holiday sweaters where they called themselves “Bad besties for life!” It’s adorable, even if their morals clash sometimes, it won’t break their friendship.
10Wolverine
Peter Knows How To Melt Logan’s Cold Heart
Wolverineis far older than Spider-Man, and most of the time, he is grizzled and impatient when it comes to Spidey’s methods and quips. However, they have been through the thick of it, and it’s hard not to love Wolverine.Whether it’s in video gamesor comics, the duo have had quite a great relationship despite its few downsides.
Yet, these downsides show how close they are, as they constantly come around now and again. Peter even threw Wolverine out of a penthouse window once. Their bond goes deeper than the fact that they are both heroes, as they have shared their traumas, and their worst moments, bringing them very close together over the years.
9Luke Cage
Protectors Of The People And Fellow New Avengers
With his bulletproof skin and enhanced strength,Luke Cageis a more street-level hero of the Marvel Universe. He and Peter are more actively involved in the community and stop criminals and gangs, rather than venturing to space to battle the bad guys that threaten the world. Those are more secure for Avengers characters.
Luke Cage and Spider-Man have become quite close, especially since theyjoined the New Avengers team, mixing their crime-fighting expertise with knowledge of the criminal underworld. They trust one another and are always there for each other, like when Luke’s daughter was abducted by Skrulls. This unstoppable duo creates a fantastic friendship.
8Daredevil
Peter And Matt Are Both Local New York Vigilantes
Spider-Man andDaredevilshare a lot of similarities as superheroes; they both care for the average person, thus defending the streets and the world when needed, they feature acrobatic prowess as they leap and swing through the city to fight crime, and both are hesitant to take lives on the battlefield. The two also share a common foein the Kingpin, which sees them often working together whenever he is involved.
Even outside the Daredevil costume, Matt Murdock has worked with Peter Parker, defending him in court when charged. Matt would be one of the few people Peter willingly revealed the truth about Spider-Man to; which is not common, even among his friends. The best part is that Daredevil knew Peter was Spider-Man based on his heartbeat, but Matt kept the secret until Peter was ready.
7Ben Reilly
The Clone That Endured Too Many Hardships
At first, the relationship between Peter Parker andBen Reillyis awkward, as Ben was a nearly perfect clone of Peter created by a villain to replace him. However, after a brief time as a villain, Ben Reilly would take on the mantle of Spider-Man and then, later, the Scarlet Spider.
Rather than discard Ben Reilly, Peter continued to show his good-hearted nature and accepted Ben as part of his family, almost like having a twin brother. That brotherhood was tested when Ben lost all of his memories and became the villain known as Chasm, resulting in the character being sidelined afterward.
6Agent Venom
From Childhood Bully To A Loyal Friend
High school may have been difficult for Peter Parker since he didn’t quite fit in, but it was made even harder thanks to the bully,Flash Thompson, who would eventually becomeAgent Venom. However, as the two got older, and became adults, they managed to turn this mutual dislike for one another into one of the best bonds in comics, and they became great buddies for Marvel readers to smile at.
Their turn from bully and victim into close friends made for a great pairing that people could aspire to. Their friendship became even greaterwhen Flash became Agent Venom, allowing them to be partners in crime-fighting, especially since Flash was already a super fan of Spider-Man before he knew his true identity to be Peter Parker.
5Gwen Stacy
Always Will Be The First Love Of Peter’s Life
Often considered Peter Parker’s first love,Gwen Stacywas kind, intelligent, and gave Peter more respect than many of his peers did in high school. Her friendship with Peter would blossom into love, forming a strong relationship between them, but this love from Gwen also became a weakness.
Gwen Stacy would end up becoming the target of Green Goblin and, out of spite for Spider-Man, the villain murdered her. Even after so many years, Peter still struggles with the loss and guilt of Gwen’s death. However, Gwen Stacy from an alternate reality, who became thesuperhero known as Ghost Spider, would help relieve Peter of that guilt as a friend and ally.
4Miles Morales
As Good A Friend As He Is A Protégé
Whilst Peter may take more of a mentor approach toMiles Moralesto help the duo become the perfect Spider-Men, they still have a great friendship that forms from their age, asMiles Morales is far youngerand inexperienced by the time the two met, and it gives way to a great relationship where Peter can teach Miles all he knows, the failures and the successes.
Peter and Miles appreciate and trust each other, and together, they are a great duo for stopping the crimes of New York City, the destination to which they were both born and the place they will forever call home. They mutually share their secret identities and do not hesitate to ask each other for help.
