All of Spider-Man’s Sidekicks, Ranked

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Spider-Man has been the most recognizable hero for Marvel almost since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. Beginning as a struggling teenager dealing with loss and financial hardship after the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter Parker evolved into a highly admired and popular hero across the entire Marvel Universe. He’s a role model for many, from characters within the Spider-Verse to powerful figures like Hope Summers, consistently demonstrating true heroism. Given his inspiring nature, it seems logical that Spider-Man would take on a protégé, but surprisingly, he’s never actually had a sidekick.

Despite seeming like a natural fit, most fans and comic critics dislike the idea of Spider-Man taking on a sidekick. Though he’s had a couple throughout the years – sometimes reluctantly – writers have repeatedly tried to give him one, even when he’s made it clear he prefers to work solo. Let’s explore these attempts to understand why Spider-Man is often portrayed as a lone hero. Let’s jump right in!

4) Gibbon

Spider-Man is famously independent and rarely works with sidekicks, which is why Gibbon is at the bottom of our list. Gibbon is a mutant who, due to a combination of his natural abilities and an encounter with Kraven the Hunter, ended up looking like an ape – making him a constant target of ridicule. He was a huge fan of Spider-Man’s agility and desperately tried to become his sidekick, but Spider-Man rejected him. This led Gibbon to become a very small-time villain seeking payback, though he never posed a real threat. As one of the very few to ever attempt to be Spider-Man’s partner, Gibbon at least deserves a mention.

3) Frog-Man

Frog-Man is the son of the briefly notorious villain Leap-Frog. Determined to make up for his father’s mistakes, he adopted the same spring-powered technology to become a well-meaning, though somewhat clumsy, hero. Spider-Man has repeatedly turned down Frog-Man’s attempts to become his sidekick, encouraging him to forge his own path as a hero instead. Despite this, Frog-Man consistently tries to present himself as Spidey’s partner, which Peter always corrects. While he isn’t a true sidekick or even a particularly skilled hero, Frog-Man does fight crime, putting him a step above some other minor characters like Gibbon.

2) Alpha

Finally, we come to Alpha, Spider-Man’s first real sidekick. Andrew Maguire—named after the first two actors who played Spider-Man in movies—was a typical student at Midtown High. He unexpectedly gained super powers related to energy manipulation during a presentation Peter Parker gave at Horizon Labs, much like how Peter himself got his abilities. Spider-Man began training the incredibly powerful Alpha, sharing his knowledge of heroism. Sadly, Alpha only learned about having great power, but not the importance of using it responsibly.

Alpha’s arrogant behavior and disregard for people and property led him down a villainous path, ultimately forcing Spider-Man to remove his powers. It’s likely his unpopularity with fans played a significant role in how things turned out. Despite everything, Alpha holds a special place in Spider-Man’s history as his first sidekick – or at least, the first one most fans remember. As our top pick demonstrates, the story isn’t always straightforward.

1) Spider-Boy

Spider-Boy is the real deal – truly a hero and Spider-Man’s dedicated sidekick. Surprisingly, he has a long history! He started as a young boy who was experimented on by the villain Madame Monstrosity, transforming him into a spider-human hybrid. Spider-Man took him in, helping him master his abilities. Together, they embarked on countless adventures alongside Peter and Miles Morales, until Spider-Boy made a selfless sacrifice.

During a battle with a mysterious, corrupted Spider-Totem, Spider-Boy was stabbed with a special dagger that completely wiped him from existence – everyone forgot he even existed. He surprisingly returned, though, and managed to restore everyone’s memories, reclaiming his place as Spider-Man’s only sidekick. While Spider-Man isn’t always thrilled to have him around, he remains a dedicated mentor to Spider-Boy, and proves to be a very good one, just as everyone expected.

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2026-02-28 18:10