Highlights
- Spider-Man has lost his powers multiple times throughout Marvel's history, either due to villains or external factors.
- Villains like The Spot and Dr. Octopus have found ways to temporarily strip Spider-Man of his crucial abilities.
- Spider-Man's powers have also been suppressed by machines and he has even voluntarily given up his powers during storylines like The Clone Saga.
The loss of superpowers is a rite that almost every superhero goes through. Whether it's Marvel or DC, almost every superhero created has lost their powers, at least, once. Some have lost their powers several times, either by the machinations of a villain or through some other external factor.
When it comes to Marvel, one of the superheroes who has lost his powers dozens of times is Spider-Man. Known for his spider-like abilities, there were times when his abilities to stick to walls and shoot web from his wrists disappeared. These are the times when Peter Parker became a normal person again.
Spider-Man: Villains With Most Tragic Origin Stories
A good villain is one that didn't start out bad, and this is especially the case for these villains in Spider Man.
8 Facing The Spot
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #98
While no one will ever accuse The Spot of being a great villain, he still managed to beat Spider-Man by finding a way to take away the superhero's spider-sense. When Spider-Man is investigating a blackout caused by The Spot, the villain uses his unique powers to move between dimensions.
These powers put a stop to the abilities that allow Spider-Man to anticipate and predict his opponent's moves. It's a rare and shocking loss for Spider-Man. Eventually, he figures out how to win, but The Spot nullified one of his most important powers.
7 Facing the Sinister Six
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
The first time Peter Parker lost his abilities was in the Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Set not long after the loss of Uncle Ben, Spider-Man struggles with the debuting Sinister Six group of super villains. He actually loses his powers because of how distraught he is over Uncle Ben, before facing the villains.
Marvel: Times Spider-Man Became A Villain
Spider-Man may be one of the most popular heroes from Marvel, but there are some plots that turn him into a villain.
Eventually, Betty Brant's life is threatened, and Peter Parker is forced into battle. He regains his powers once he realizes his struggles are all in his head. It's one of the first example of psychosomatic struggles that comics have shown.
6 Unmasked by Dr. Octopus
Amazing Spider-Man #12
Dr. Octopus is one of Spider-Man's best villains, so it makes sense that he would be able to take powers away from the webbed wall-crawler. During this issue, Aunt May notices Peter seems a little sick, and warns him that he may be catching a cold.
Ever the hero, Peter continues trying to fight crime despite the fact he's having difficulty sticking to walls. Eventually, the virus overcomes him, and he loses all his strength while battling Dr. Octopus. The villain is able to unmask the hero in front of a public crowd.
5 Electro's Charge
Spectacular Spider-Man #134
Spider-Man has to deal with a dual threat as he battles the Sin-Eater and Electro as they both prowl New York City at the same time. Spider-Man attempts to stop Electro after the villain had robbed a jewelry store. However, Spider-Man struggled with using his full abilities.
As he wasn't using all of his powers, Electro capitalized and used an electrostatic charge to keep Spider-Man anchored to a wall. This leads to Spider-Man falling to the ground painfully and losing control of his powers for a time.
4 The Other
Spider-Man: The Other
The powerful Morlun proved to be too much for Peter Parker and Spider-Man in The Other storyline. Morlun nearly beats Peter Parker to death, and the dying Parker connects to a supernatural force that provides new animalistic powers.
Peter eventually rejects The Other, so The Other abandons him and instead seeks out his clone, the Scarlet Spider. This leads to more of a man-spider than Spider-Man, as the Scarlet Spider gained venomous stingers and could talk to the arachnids.
3 Power Suppression Machine
Amazing Spider-Man #340
The Chameleon was one of Spider-Man's first enemies when he became a superhero. While not the strongest villain, the Chameleon would return many times over the years with deadly schemes targeting Spider-Man. He once disguised himself as Dr. Turner working on a machine to analyze Spider-Man's powers.
However, the machine didn't just analyze Spider-Man's powers; it actually suppresses them. The Chameleon, as the fake Dr. Turner, is able to convince Spider-Man to use the machine. It takes away Spider-Man's powers temporarily; however, the real Dr. Turner alters the machine and returns the abilities.
2 The Clone Saga
Spider-Man: The Final Adventure
During The Clone Saga storyline, Peter Parker allowed Ben Reilly to take over as New York's Spider-Man. He moves to Portland with a pregnant Mary Jane Watson to start a new life, and to work for the company that created the radioactive spider that initially bit Peter.
Marvel: Best Members Of The Cabal
The Cabal has seen many impressive members over the years. These individuals were Marvel's best.
While trying to test his own radioactive blood to see how it may affect his own unborn child, Peter gets caught in an experiment designed to remove superpowers from two newly created beings. Peter loses his powers for a time during the Clone Saga, but they eventually return.
1 Revenge of the Spider-Slayer
Amazing Spider-Man #654
Alistair Smythe targets J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man with his robotic spider-slayer following the death of his father. Alistair becomes the Ultimate Spider-Slayer, as he uses enhanced abilities from other villains in an effort to fight the superhero and the newspaper publisher.
Peter Parker uses a device to create a bioelectric magnetic pulse to remove the insect-sense Smythe gained from using Scorpion's powers. However, Peter is caught in the blast and loses his own spider-sense. It eventually returns, but Spider-Man had to adjust for a while.