The debate over Marvel’s most powerful hero will always be an enduring aspect of fan discourse. The answer depends on many factors; power entails more than physical strength alone. When paired against magics and mystics, Spider-Man is rarely among the top contenders. Known for his web-slinging, Spidey-Sense, and sticky mobility, his sheer strength is often overlooked. So, just how strong is he? According to Marvel, Spider-Man’s strength allows him to lift “nearly 10 tons.” That may be his “official” spec in Marvel Comics, but every medium of Spider-Man has shown the hero going above and beyond.

The true extent of Spider-Man’s strength may vary, and the writer of a particular piece will always be the ultimate deciding factor. Almost always, as the movies and various adaptations are keen on depicting, an increase in his strength comes from an intense, internal need, often when a loved one or an innocent bystander’s life is at stake. In the comics, for example, he holds up the forty-six-story Daily Bugle building as it collapses in Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #98, perched under a beam and supporting the entire structure above him.

How Strong Is Spider-Man in the Movies?
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Tobey Maguire kicked things off with Spider-Man, and the entire Sam Raimi trilogy is a great example of Spidey pulling his punches. In Spider-Man 2, we saw him stop a NYC subway train going full speed, using only his feet against the tracks and his hands holding tightly to the webs he cast out. In the first film, he held a packed Roosevelt Island Tram cabin, which weighs 41,525 pounds when fully loaded. Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) held the same cabin with one arm, showing zero signs of exhaustion. This is clear evidence that Peter eases the blows when brawling with everyday criminals, considering how intensely he landed punches on Norman.The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, starring Andrew Garfield, showed Peter exhibiting similar power (and, with that, restraint). He’s especially fond of stopping and holding vehicles, including an NYPD Ford CV patrol car, which can weigh around 4,000 pounds, depending on the model.

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Pulls Off Impressive Feats in the MCU

Spider-Man: No Way Home is likely the best example of Tom Holland’s Peter opting to cease pulling his punches. During his first brawl with Norman, Peter is more rough and heavy-handed with his opponent than we’d ever seen, and he goes even further in the film’s final battle. After Norman slays Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and nearly kills MJ (Zendaya), Peter is overcome with fury and unleashes a brutal beating upon Norman, who has wild super strength of his own. It’s only when Tobey Maguire’s Peter intervenes that Norman’s life is spared.

Although these are immeasurable displays, Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming, both taking place in the early days of Peter’s powers, show impressive instances. In Civil War, Peter stops a punch from the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) with ease, quipping and marveling at his metal arm in the process. In Homecoming, Peter lifts himself from the rubble of a collapsed concrete structure, thwarts an engine-supported Vulture (Michael Keaton) from escaping, and even holds an entire Staten Island Ferry together for a considerable time. The exact weight of the boat would depend on many factors — the cargo and passengers aboard, the fuel level, the amount of water displacement wedging between the split halves, etc. However, these boats can range from 2,794 to 3,335 gross tonnage.

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter makes light work of multiple impressive maneuvers. When Ned (Jacob Batalon) and Betty (Angourie Rice) are trapped atop a Ferris Wheel during an Elemental attack, Peter has to hold the ride in place when damage incurred threatens to topple it. The ride is still attached to its foundation, and some webs are strung to aid in the support, so Peter isn’t taking the full brunt of the burden, but it’s a massive undertaking nonetheless. The average Ferris Wheel can weigh up to 85 metric tonnes (over 187 thousand pounds). Moreover, later on in Far From Home, Peter suffers a direct hit from an InterCity-Express high-speed train, which can reach speeds as fast as 200 mph. He goes unconscious for a bit and receives some abrasions, but his swift recovery is a testament to his spectacular durability.

Spider-Man’s Powers and Abilities Vary Throughout the Spider-Verse

“The person who’d win in a fight is the person that the scriptwriter wants to win,” the late Marvel legend Stan Lee professed in his YouTube series, Stan’s Rants. He was responding to fan questions over who’d win in brawls between Galactus and Hulk or Thor and Iron Man, but the sentiment is perfectly applicable here. Even user interaction can have an effect. Insomniac’s Spider-Man video games will have you pummeling bad guys across the screen and taking hits from Doctor Octopus with little damage to your HP. The cartoons have Spider-Man growing extra arms and acquiring Octavius’ tech. Then, of course, there are many iterations of Spidey succumbing to the alien symbiote and obtaining its heightened abilities. No matter the version (or the writer), Spider-Man has a place among Marvel’s strongest heroes.

Spider-Man is available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.

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