With Marvel Studios’ latest film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, arriving in theaters soon, it is the perfect time to look over his most amazing toys. Since this web-swinging hero first popped up on the final issue of Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy in 1962, his snarky quips have won over the hearts of millions. In many ways, Spider-Man represents the most down-to-earth superhero around. While he still has unimaginable power, he struggles with everyday issues like paying his rent. He prefers to see himself as a fellow New Yorker, rather than becoming a man that hovers high over the city. So, many readers relate most to Spider-Man and his exploits.
Following Spider-Man’s boom in popularity, many toy companies have created the action figures that brought the web slinger’s antics home. In the 1970s, Mego proudly presented multiple toys for superheroes, including Spider-Man. Later, Spider-Man moved into the hands of Mattel, Toy Biz, and then Hasbro. Additionally, Lego has created imaginative sets that open even more possibilities for Spider-Man’s adventures.
While there have been several dishonorable additions to the Spider-Man collection shelves, many more toys have perfectly encapsulated the hero. While some of these toys hold a prominent place in toy history, others have sculpts that blow away collectors. Above all, each of these toys supplied hours of play over the years. So, join us as we explore the greatest Spider-Man toys that have popped up over the decades.
Presenting the top ten toys that featured Spider-Man from Marvel Comics
10. Toy Biz’s Spider-Man 2 Super Posable Spider-Man & Doc Ock (2004)
As audiences began viewing Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 movie in 2004, Toy Biz created the toy line that celebrated and promoted the film. This toy line ran strong for two series, including multiple imaginative figures and vehicles that had little to do with the movie. For instance, they created two color variants of a Spider Glider Car, which the hero never once owned. There was also a uniquely positioned electronic version of this crime-fighter.
Standing out from the pack was a dual pack that included super possible figures of both Spider-Man and Doc Ock. Both figures wore fabric clothing, an uncommon detail for most toys. Toy Biz carefully designed these clothes so that they closely resembled miniature replicas of the outfits from the film. This included Spider-Man’s intricate webs on his red and blue suit.
Where Spider-Man only comes with his mask, Doc Ock has with his four mechanical arms and his sunglasses. Unfortunately, Spider-Man’s mask does not fit well on his head, so the accessory is barely worth it. On the other hand, Doctor Octopus’s mechanical arms fit well against the back of the figure. Each of these arms has internal wiring that allows for an extreme range of poses. Notably, the weight of these arms keeps the figure from easily standing without support.
9. Toy Biz Spider-Man Green Goblin (1994)
As Toy Biz obtained the Spider-Man license in the 1990s, they created a wide range of toys, especially those that represented the characters from Fox Kid’s cartoon. So, there is little surprise that Toy Biz crafted a toy of one of Spider-Man’s most notorious villains, the Green Goblin. Their Green Goblin action figure even included the character’s iconic goblin glider.
In the comics, Norman Osborn began his criminal career as the Green Goblin to organize New York’s criminals and defeat Spider-Man. He first appeared in the 14th issue of the Amazing Spider-Man comics, so he is one of the web-slinger’s oldest foes. He soon became one of the first villains to discover the hero’s secret identity, Peter Parker. As Osborn revealed his identity, he explained that a modified version of Stromm’s enhancement formulas blew up in his face. This formula gave him enhanced intelligence and strength in exchange for making him mentally unstable.
Likewise, the version of the Green Goblin from the Fox Kid’s show also originated from an enhancement formula. However, he was not the head of a criminal organization. Instead, this goblin terrorized Spider-Man and the city on his own. Between his strength and the access to Oscrop’s advanced weaponry, Osborn required no other criminals to help him cause havoc.
The popularity of this character made him an obvious choice for Toy Biz to include in their Spider-Man toy line. This toy resembles the version of the Green Goblin from Fox Kid’s cartoon. However, since the cartoon also closely resembled the comics, the action figure easily represents both versions.
8. Toy Biz Projectors Spider-Man Lizard (1995)
As one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes, the Lizard first terrorized New York City in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #6. This tragic character was originally Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connors, who lost his right arm while serving as a surgeon for the U.S. Army. In the years since his amputation, he had dedicated his life’s work to researching the secrets of reptilian DNA. For, he had hoped to figure out how these creatures, especially lizards, could easily regrow their lost limbs.
Eventually, he developed a serum that injected reptilian DNA into mammals. After witnessing the initial success with a rabbit, Dr. Connors quickly decided to use the serum on himself. Unfortunately, he had not foreseen the side-effect of this serum. Not only did this serum restore his arm, but it also mutated him into a humanoid lizard in both mind and body.
With the historic importance of the Lizard, Fox Kids opened their Spider-Man cartoon with a fight between the web-head and this reptilian menace. Likewise, Toy Biz created a massive electronic figure based on the cartoon’s depiction.
This figure appeared in their Projectors line-up, where they included a projection gimmick into each figure’s chest. By inserting one of three disks into the lizard’s chest, the projection would display screenshots from the cartoon. This large action figure also featured action phrases from the show.
7. Toy Biz Special Collector’s Edition Spider-Man 12 Inch Collector Hero (1995)
As Toy Biz was gaining their stride with releasing Spider-Man action figures, they released the 12 Inch Collector’s Edition series. This small series of toys included three different action figures. First, there was Mary Jane, which included an outfit to give her a supermodel appearance. Then, there were two different Spider-Man toys. One set was for the Spectacular Spider-Man, for it included Ben Reilly who changed from his Spider-Man outfit to the Scarlet Spider outfit. Finally, there was the classic Spider-Man figure, which included a change of clothing so that Peter Parker could walk the streets.
This large action figure had full articulation, allowing Spider-Man to assume a multitude of poses. Since it had a cloth mask, fans could easily remove the mask to reveal Peter Parker’s head underneath. Otherwise, fans could decide to have Peter Parker run around in civilian clothing with his mask still on.
In many ways, this action figure harkened back to one of the original Spider-Man toys, the Mego toy from the 1970s. So, it serves as an excellent placeholder until one could add that action figure to their collection. Otherwise, fans could try to get their hands on yet another collector’s edition Spider-Man.
6. Diamond Select The Amazing Spider-Man Re-Issue Mego Spider-Man (2014)
In celebration of the historic Mego action figures, Diamond Select recreated and reissued several of the most popular Marvel toys from the past. Amongst their selection was a reissue of the original eight-inch scale Spider-Man action figure. They first produced this toy in 2014, along with several other marvelous Mego reissues.
Paying homage to the original toy, Diamond Selects purposely recreated the “circle suit”, which was originally an error that Mego shipped the toys with. While fans fondly remember this erroneous suit, Marvel had quickly insisted that Mego fix the mistake. Likewise, the set includes a second Spider-Suit that includes the proper webbing pattern.
In addition to the action figure, this limited-edition collector set also included several accessories. Not only could fans dress up Spider-Man in his proper costume, but he could also wear casual clothing. Since Spider-Man could not run around in his mask all the time, his casual clothing included a Peter Parker head. The set also came with a mini-magazine, several replacement hands and feet, a camera, and a belt.
5. Mattel’s Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Black Suit Spider-Man (1984)
After Mego stopped producing toys, the Spider-Man license fell into the hands of Mattel. Thus, for a few short years during the 1980s, Mattel created several memorable action figures that reflected the latest issues of Marvel Comics. Most notably, Mattel handled the production of action figures that celebrated the largest event in comics to date, the Secret Wars.
As Spider-Man engaged in the Secret Wars, he traveled to the staging grounds far away from his home in New York City. During this event, Spider-Man’s suit received heavy damage, so he sought out a new suit. Eventually, he discovered a machine that he thought was a fabric replicator. However, this machine produced a sphere of black goo that fully engulfed the hero. At the time, no one knew the extent of this suit nor the symbiote that Spider-man had merged with.
Eventually, partially because fans initially disliked the outfit change, Marvel revealed that the Symbiote heightened aggression within its host. Thus, Spider-Man found a way to remove it thanks to its sensitivity to loud sounds. This suit later merged with Eddie Brock to become Venom.
As one of the earliest toys that presented Spider-Man in his Black Suit, Mattel’s Secret Wars action figure is as iconic as the suit itself. This action figure also included two emblems, which presented images of Spider-Man merging with the suit.
4. Toy Biz Maximum Carnage Deluxe Edition Carnage (1994)
As Maximum Carnage became a smash hit for Marvel in 1993, fans fell in love with the sweet carnage of Cletus Kasady and the symbiote. While Carnage first appeared in 1991, Maximum Carnage set him on the map as one of the great Spider-man villains. Spider-Man originally believed that the symbiote had perished, leaving a powerless Kasady at Ravencroft Asylum. However, the deep bond between the lunatic and his symbiote was beyond the scope of any seen before, for Carnage lived within Cassady’s blood.
Once Carnage escaped from his prison cell, he began a killing spree that brought terror through the streets of New York City. His escapades became even more dangerous as he teamed up with his fellow inmate Shriek and several other villains. Worse yet, Shriek used her psychic abilities to sway New York’s citizens into bloodthirst.
Celebrating the popularity of this comic event, Toy Biz created several Maximum Carnage action figures. While each package in this series included Carnage, most were multipacks. The action figure that stood out the most was the marvelous Deluxe Edition of Carnage.
This action figure stood tall at ten inches tall, towering over most other Spider-Man action figures. While many companies trade size for articulation, Toy Biz made certain that this action figure remained fully poseable. Furthermore, this action figure came with a sickle-like accessory that could attach to his arm, making his weapons.
3. LEGO’s Daily Bugle (2021)
Over the years, LEGO has featured several building sets that ventured into the marvelous adventures of Marvel Comics. Swinging high above all other Marvel properties, LEGO has featured Spider-Man in several of their most imaginative playsets. Spider-Man’s LEGO adventures began in 2002 when the first sets appeared as a part of the Studios theme. However, he quickly earned his own theme in 2003, following the popularity of Sam Raimi’s first movie.
Over the years, Spider-Man popped in and out of LEGO sets, even making prominent appearances in the LEGO Marvel cartoons and video games. His exploits included scenes from his movies as well as unique stories, like defeating a Venomsaurus. Likewise, LEGO has given away exclusive versions of him as Comic-Con exclusives.
So, there is little surprise that Spider-Man earned one of the largest builds for Marvel characters in LEGO history. In 2021, LEGO debuted the Daily Bugle playset, which consisted of 3772 pieces with twenty-five different minifigures. With so many characters available, fans could stage battles between Carnage, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Spider-Ham, and many more. Moreover, this set first introduced the minifigures of Blade, J. Jonah Jameson, the Black Cat, Daredevil, and The Punisher.
Once built, the Daily Bugle stands tall at thirty-two inches tall and over ten inches wide. While the build completely closes up the building once complete, it features several windows. So, builders are welcome to set up their minifigures inside and outside the offices of the Daily Bugle.
2. Hot Toys Spider-Man Advanced Suit VGM31 (2018)
As Sony broke records with their exclusive Marvel’s Spider-Man video game for the PlayStation 4, fans of Spidey from all over fell in love with his new threads. To make their game stand out, Insomniac Games created their own take on the iconic blue and red outfit. Rather than the typical black spider, which blended in with the outfit’s webbing design, they created a prominent white spider that prominently stood out on his chest. In some ways, this outfit combined the fan-favorite black suit with Spider-Man’s traditional suit.
As Spider-Man tackled the menaces of Kingpin, Shocker, Mister Negative, and many more villains in the game, Hot Toys designed a hyper-realistic toy for collectors. Over the years, Hot Toys has earned a reputation by creating highly detailed collector-grade toys. While each of their toys costs a small fortune, each of them holds up to a standard of detail and excellence that the company has been known for.
This Spider-Man is no exception, for in several ways it looks like they directly printed out the character model in 3-D. This toy includes several details, especially when it comes to the texture of the suit, which looks and feels like a carbon-fiber athletic suit. They even included intricate details like a weathered look to the treads of his shoes.
This action figure comes with a massive array of accessories, including a prominent display stand. The figure comes with five different sets of alternative hands. It also includes several of Spidey’s gadgets, like the web bombs and trip mines. The set even includes a spider-bot and spider-man plushy, as seen in the games.
1. Mego’s The Amazing Spider-Man 12” Spider-Man (1977)
Without exception, the most memorable and culturally significant Spider-Man toy to ever come out is the original Spider-Man action figure from Mego. Fans who grew up with the wall-crawler flocked to this toy when it first came out in the 1970s. The original eight-inch-tall version of this toy even included an error where the suit’s webbing had a circular pattern around his spider emblem. Those versions of the suit were short-lived, for Marvel quickly forced Mego to rectify the suit to look comic-accurate.
To many fans, the best version of the Mego action figure came in the twelve-inch scale. This action figure wore a cloth outfit, permitting owners of clothing accessories to change out Spidey’s look. Unfortunately, Mego never included a change of clothing with the original figure.
Fans fondly remember this figure not only because it was one of the first Spider-Man toys around, but because it also had excellent articulation. The toy offered an extensive range of movement, permitting fans to pose Spider-Man to their content. His clothing sat snugly enough that it neither fell off as the figure moved, nor got in the way of movement.
Testifying to the impact of Mego’s Super-Hero action figures, multiple other companies, including Diamond Selects, has paid tribute to them. Many figures since the 1970s have replicated the look and feel of this original toy. So, it remains the best Spider-Man action figure to ever appear.
What are your favorite toys of Marvel Comic’s Spider-man?
Today, we have shared our picks for the greatest action figures that brought the wall-crawling action of Spider-Man to homes across the world. Still, we would love to hear from you. What are your favorite Spider-Man toys? Do you have any fond memories of these toys? Let us know in the comments below.
Do you have old and used Spider-Man toys?
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About the Author
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!