Spider-Man is definitely one of Marvel's most popular comics and perhaps that's why we've
seen and been free to embrace so many alternates of this superheroic character.
Spider-Man is traditionally witty, charming and intelligent, gaining his powers from a
radioactive spider-bite after undergoing a transformation.
Sometimes however it isn't an obsession with his heroic deeds that cause the writing team
to spin their yarns but the darker obsession with transformation and the creepier crawlier
side of Spider-Man's potential origins.
In this list we'll be turning away from your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man of earth
616 and look at some creepy neighbourhood Spideys from alternate earths and realities.
Warning, some of these alternates may disturb you.
10 Zombie Spider-Man
A scary alternates list is of course never complete without a trip to the Marvel Zombie
series.
This series examines a world where all your favourite superheroes become infected and
transform into ravenous zombies.
A warning, only visit this part of the multiverse if you have an iron clad stomach and are a
fan of gore.
Even being a horror fan myself, I find it challenging to visit this universe as often
as I do.
In the Marvel Zombie verse, Peter does not become a zombie right away but when he does,
he ends up devouring both MJ and Aunt May.
This version of Spider-Man also saw him break and purposefully tear off limbs and shoot
veins out of his arms as a substitute for webbing.
Eep.
9 Symbiote Spider-Man
In the What If series volume 2, issue 4, we explore an alternate world where Venom symbiote
could not be stripped from Peter Parker by using a combo of magic and tech.
In fact it just stays bonded to him.
Two pretty scary things happen to Peter Parker in this reality.
He loses complete control of his mind and body as the symbiote bonds to him for good.
He is drained of years of his life, when the suit does spit him out.
Oh and when the symbiote does choose to relinquish Parker, it is only to possess Hulk, creating
an even bigger, meaner and greener problem.
Did I mention that this alternate version of Spidey is also strong enough to take on
the Hulk and even make him scared?
Ultimate symbiote Spider-Man is scary strong.
8 Spiders Man
We get this version of Spider-Man from the Vault of Spiders series.
It introduces us to an alternate version of Spider-Man who was seemingly still with Gwen
Stacy until an accident caused him to undergo a transformation.
You may have guessed it from his name, but yes, he is man made of Spiders which he believed
somehow absorbed and withheld his consciousness after the accident which he assumes actually
cause his death.
There is no Peter Parker, there is only Spider's and his imprint left.
7 Webslinger
In the series, Avataars the Covenant of the Shield, we see Peter's story told as though
it were some gruesome fairy tale.
Once a young boy, fascinated with spiders, he ventured to the Webwood to learn all he
could about them from a witch who resided there, known as the Widow of the Web.
She granted him spider-like abilities with her teachings but warned him not to use his
abilities for his own interest.
When the youth uses his abilities to protect his Uncle from a thief, he is punished by
the witch, transformed into a spider-like creature and burdened with protecting those
in the forest, despite the fact this his form now terrifies all who live to see it.
6 Dark Spider-Man
What happens when you combine Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion with the Venom symbiote and
throw Norman Osborn in the mix?
You get Dark Spider-Man.
This disturbing alternate version of Spidey comes to us from the Dark Avenegers, HAMMER
and Norman Osborn's alternate team of superheroes comprised mostly of villains.
What makes Gargan so terrifying as Spider-Man?
His complete lack of control.
And if you are attached to your head or any other of your body parts I would not advise
you to get on Dark Spider-Man's bad side as he has a tendency to completely devour anyone
that gets in his way.
Talk about Venom unchained.
5 Spider-Man Doppleganger
What could possibly be scarier than an unchained cannibalistic version of Spider-Man?
How about an unchained version that has six arms?
Created by Magus as part of a team of alternates to fight their goody two-shoes counterparts,
Spider-Man Doppleganger is all the potentially evil parts of Peter Parker and Spider-Man
thrown together.
He also introduces us to something Spider-Man artists and writers are obsessed with when
it comes to terrifying alternates of this character, having multiple arms.
Which while probably handy, is also just creepy.
4 Spider-Man Reign
Taking a break from the visually terrifying versions of Spider-Man a la multiple arms
and physical deformities, this version takes us down a more mentally disturbed path.
If your fans of old man Batman from the DC, you might also be a fan of this version of
Parker as well.
This is after all Marvel's version, old man Spidey if you will.
We find elderly Parker in a darker place.
MJ has passed away from cancer which was caused by her exposed to radiation as a result from
being so "close" to Parker.
Parker evidently is reeling with guilt from her death while also having been fired from
his job at the local florist shop.
Needless to say he is not in a great place, and has since retired from being Spider-Man.
But when a strict authoritarian government and their police force, known as The Reign
pushes Parker too far, he takes up the mantle again.
Parker imagines himself in his prime while he fights injustice in nothing but a Spider-Man
mask and his underwear.
The reason why this Parker is so terrifying is it makes readers have to deal with the
idea of aging, of getting old and how that affects both your mind and body.
3 Man Spider
Back to being visually grotesque with none other than one of the grossest, Man Spider.
He is half spider, half man, all monster.
In the comics this version of Spider-Man is often caused by Parker having his mutation
altered into a more primal form.
A sadder and equally terrifying exploration of this character also exists in the 1990s
animated series.
After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Parker continues to mutate into Man Spider,
the monstrous version of the standard Spider-Man.
What makes this version of him even worse?
Poor Parker actually keeps some of his memories and emotive responses.
Reaching to his loved ones only to have them flee in terror.
Poor, Man Spider.
He just wants to be loved!
2 Spider-Carnage
Continuing with my love of the 1990s Spider-Man animated series, another scary alternate also
lives there.
Coming from the alternate earth of 98311, this Spider-Man has a bit of a convoluted
origins story.
Spider-Carnage is one of two versions of Spider-Man who exist after Spider-Man is cloned.
To begin with, this Spider-Man alternate already had an even more tragic life, losing both
Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
As a result one of the versions bonds with the Carnage symbiote and goes on a murderous
rampage.
And hence Spider-Carnage is born.
What happens to the other clone?
They become Ben Reilly, aka Scarlet Spider.
I am not sure which sometimes is more nonsensical... comics or their animated series?
1 Patton Parnel
If you're not afraid of things that go bump in the night, you're about to be.
This alternate is truly something from a nightmare.
It combines both grotesque, visual and mental spooky stimuli, all in one neat package.
This alternate comes to us from the Edge of Spider-Verse series.
Patton Parnel was a mostly harmless creepy science nerd, living with his abusive Uncle
Ted and crushing / spying on his next door neighbour Sara Jane, until one day he was
bitten by a radioactive spider.
This gave him an enhanced sense of smell, the ability to shoot webs and obsessive bloodlust.
Parnel transformed into something more terrifying than Man Spider, though he does have a similar
look.
Multiple eyes, arms and legs and pincers to boot.
The thing that makes him the most scary is not only is a he a murderer, kidnapping other
teens and devouring them but he also can lay eggs... inside people.
Eeek!
Thanks for watching.
I hope my fellow horror fans out there found at least a few of these Spidey's scary.
And if you are a fan of scary comic book stories, be sure to let me know some of your favourites
in the comments below, be they Spider-Man related or otherwise.
And before you head to the comments section, remember to give this video a like and this
channel a sub on your way.
Man, I am not going to be able to get some of the panels from the Patton Parnel story
out of my mind.
Maybe throw some of Spider-Man's funniest moments in the comments below, just to help
me and anyone else who got spooked find some sleep tonight.
Till next time, this has been top 10 nerd and I am your host Amanda McKnight, reminding
you to stay nerdy, YouTube.