Spider-Man first appeared in Marvel Comics in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962 and faced defeat instantly with Uncle Ben's tragic death. Spider-Man's appeal stems from his overcoming insurmountable odds, whether that's bills, school, or the most powerful supervillains. Time and again, he succeeds in beating characters with far more power than he has.
Spider-Man possesses remarkable superhuman strength and endurance that make him a contender in virtually every fight. But some battles require more and he uses his wit, intellect, and sometimes luck to defeat enemies armed with far more strength, magic, or cosmic power, including truly powerful entities like Galactus.
Rhino
Rhino ranks among the best Spider-Man villains in Marvel Comics and certainly among the strongest. He lifts 100 tons in his specialized suit, far beyond Spider-Man's capability, which lies closer to 10 tons. Nevertheless, Spider-Man defeated Rhino on several occasions in the comics, mostly relying on his exceptional speed and agility.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #43, Spider-Man used specialized webbing that proved corrosive to Rhino's impenetrable suit. The suit dissolved, reducing Rhino's power significantly and allowing Spider-Man to prevail
Wolverine
With an adamantium-laced skeleton, superhuman strength and stamina, and a mutant healing factor, Wolverine numbers among the most powerful X-Men in comics. Despite this, Spider-Man proved that he outclasses Wolverine in terms of strength in their first battle in Spider-Man Vs. Wolverine #1.
Spider-Man endured Wolverine's patented and devastating berserker rage to pummel the mutant and eventually subdue him. He grabbed Wolverine's neck intending to break it, though his moral code proved far stronger in the moment.
Titania
Comic book fans know Titania wields enough superhuman strength to challenge She-Hulk. She proved her impressive strength and endurance against She-Hulk in Secret Wars #8 from 1985 and this issue also features Spider-Man's defeating Titania in an epic battle. He relies mostly on his experience in this brawl on Battleworld.
Titania possesses more strength than him, but her powers are very new, as she only received them a few issues prior thanks to Doctor Doom. Spider-Man uses his considerable skill and experience to outmatch her in the end.
Kryllk The Cruel
Sometimes Spider-Man simply gets by on pure luck. One such case occurred in Marvel Team-Up #7 when Spider-Man faced Kryllk the Cruel. This Asgardian Rock Troll stole The Dark Crystal (not to be confused with the movie) and used it to freeze time on Earth and in Asgard, immobilizing everyone except Spider-Man and Thor.
Spider-Man simply punched Kryllk in the chest, defeating him. This inexplicable defeat prompted a question from Thor to The Watcher (who Kryllk stole the crystal from) on how this happened, but it went unanswered.
Hulk
Spider-Man seems to fight heroes as often as villains and he's traded blows with the Hulk a few times. One major battle occurred in The Amazing Spider-Man #328. Spider-Man fought a rampaging Gray Hulk, whose strength allows him to press around 75 tons, far in excess of Spider-Man.
Spider-Man benefited from a very unique circ*mstance. At the time, he possessed cosmic powers as Captain Universe. This granted him virtually unlimited strength, and he punched the Hulk into outer space.
Juggernaut
Juggernaut reigns as the 'Immovable Object' in the Marvel Universe thanks to the incredible superhuman strength and durability the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak grants him. The Juggernaut lifts over 100 tons and it takes more than that to move him, resulting in dire odds for Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #229.
This all-out brawl in New York City ranks among the greatest battles Spider-Man ever fought in and he survived thanks to his ingenuity. Spider-Man trapped Juggernaut in a construction site flooded with wet cement, using the villain's need to keep moving against him. This left Juggernaut trapped in curing cement for months.
Colossus
Colossus on his own leverages extraordinary superhuman strength but on the rare occasion he's fought Spider-Man, it's been armed with even more. In AVX: VS #2, a tie-in to the Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover event. Colossus at this time possessed the Gem of Cyttorak, giving him the immovable power of the Juggernaut.
Spider-Man survives by literally running away, but things only get worse when Colossus inherits the Phoenix Force. Now armed with truly cosmic power, Colossus nearly destroys Spider-Man. Spider-Man defeats him by goading him into an argument with Magik and setting the mutant siblings on each other.
The Fantastic Four
Comic book fans know the Fantastic Four collectively possess power beyond most individual characters in the Marvel Universe. With vast technological advantages, unrivaled intellect, and superpowers that include invisibility and pyrokinesis just for starters, the team outmatches Spider-Man easily.
Still, he beat them in his first encounter with the team in The Amazing Spider-Man #1. He used his ingenuity to outsmart the team and prove his value as a hero, though they didn't accept his bid to become a member.
Firelord
Firelord counts among the most powerful Heralds of Galactus and as such possesses the Power Cosmic. This grants him extraordinary power including energy and matter manipulation, space flight, and cosmic beams that can devastate cities. Yet Spider-Man defeats him in The Amazing Spider-Man #269 thanks to his cunning.
Spider-Man tries many ways to defeat Firelord, including dousing him in the river and trapping him in the subway, until finally, he relies on his strength and speed to hit Firelord multiple times in a second, overwhelming him.
Galactus
The source of the Power Cosmic and among the most powerful cosmic entities in the Marvel Universe, Galactus destroys worlds with little effort. Spider-Man stands no chance against him but in at least one reality in the multiverse, Earth-11638, Spider-Man single-handedly defeated Galactus with some supernatural power.
In The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #38, Rhino says Spider-Man, or The Amazing Spider, defeated Galactus in this reality. He offers no explanation, but The Amazing Spider's powers do include those associated with Ghost Rider, suggesting he used mystical means to overcome Galactus.
NEXT: Spider-Man: No Way Home - 10 New Parts From The More Fun Stuff Version That Were Right To Cut
