All Of Spider-Girl's Powers And Abilities Explained
She may look like a defenseless baby in the first-look images for 2023's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," but comic book fans know that Peter B. Parker's daughter May "Mayday" Parker grows up to be the amazing Spider-Girl, one of the most formidable superheroes in the Marvel Universe.
The child of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson in the alternate MC2 future timeline, fifteen-year-old Mayday decides to follow in her dad's "web steps" after she inherited his spider-powers in "What If –?" #105. While the dangers of joining the family business prove formidable, May shows she is more than up for the challenge when she develops creative uses for her abilities, adds new gadgets to her arsenal, and even gains a powerful bond with the Venom symbiote.
If you'd like to learn all about Spider-Girl's powers and abilities, read on. Spider-Man may be able to do "whatever a spider can," but Spider-Girl repeatedly shows she's capable of more — much more.
Spider Strength
Marvel fans know that Spider-Man has the "proportionate strength of a spider" — but just how this translates into actual lifting power has varied significantly in comics, movies, and animated series. Standard power ratings indicate Spidey can lift 10 tons on a good day, putting him well above super soldiers like Captain America, but way below raging powerhouses like the Hulk.
Despite this, Peter Parker has been shown to lift well above his weight limit when the need arises. From lifting the better part of a warehouse roof in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) to tossing around tanks weighing in excess of 60 tons, it seems Spider-Man can become much stronger in special situations, making him just as strong as he needs to be.
The same is true for Spider-Girl. Although "Spider-Girl Annual" #1 establishes that May can only lift about 5 tons, making her only half as powerful as her dad, May has run into some situations where she needs to summon even more power.
In "Spider-Girl" #56, for instance, May finds herself welded to a massive anchor that gets dropped into the middle of the Hudson River during the winter. Surrounded by tons of freezing water, denied adequate leverage, and quickly running out of oxygen, Spider-Girl still finds the strength to break free by doing something her father regularly does — think of the people who love her and need her help. They may be two different people, but both Spider-Man and Spider-Girl show that their spider-strength is still nothing compared to the power granted by the Parker spirit.
Hyper Agility
Prior to getting bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker was an uncoordinated guy who could barely hold his own in gym class. Post-bite, however, his flexibility increased to the point where he could put most Cirque du Soleil acrobats to shame.
But that's nothing compared to Mayday Parker's superhuman agility. Unlike her dad, May is already an athlete and the star of her high school basketball team when her powers emerge. Much of this skill can be attributed to her mother, Mary Jane Watson, who enrolled May in gymnastics classes before she began kindergarten. All this talent gets dialed up to 11 when her spider-powers come out, allowing May to develop her own array of lightning-fast acrobatics.
Confidence also plays a part in May's superhuman agility. Since she's used to being naturally coordinated and comfortable with pushing her body past its limits, Spider-Girl regularly uses her hyper agility to its maximum potential when she goes into action, allowing her to easily outmaneuver other acrobatic heroes like Spider-Man or Darkdevil.
Spider-Speed, Reflexes, and Reaction Time
May's natural athleticism gives her an additional edge when it comes to her spider-speed, reflexes, and reaction time. While Spider-Man is fast enough to dodge bullets and stay one step ahead of even superhumanly fast opponents, Spider-Girl may edge out her old man in this department, thanks to her background in sports.
Notably, in "What If –?" #105, Mayday goes from discovering her powers to taking on a vicious super-powered opponent like the Green Goblin in just a few days. The fact that she can confidently evade pumpkin bombs and genuinely enjoy herself through the entire fight despite her lack of experience says a lot about her speed and ability to stay cool under pressure.
"Spider-Girl Annual" #1 also established that May's powers have been developing ever since she was born, unlike her father, who received his powers in high school. Her reflexes are already 40 times faster than a normal human, and May could still become much stronger and faster over time — suggesting that Peter B. Parker will have to stay very fast on his feet to keep up with his baby daughter.
Enhanced Endurance
Being a full-time student and a superhero can become exhausting, which is why superhuman stamina is a must-have for teenage superheroes. Like her dad, Spider-Girl can push herself for several hours without tiring, allowing her to engage in prolonged battles. Her spider-stamina also allows her to hold her breath for long periods of time, although she can still wear herself out to the point of severe exhaustion.
When compared to her dad in "Spider-Girl Annual" #1, May's stamina is lower than Spider-Man's. Nevertheless, like many teenagers, Mayday has a very busy schedule, meaning her enhanced endurance is one power she constantly pushes to the max.
Heightened Durability and Healing
Swinging around skyscrapers inevitably means you're going to experience some nasty falls now and then. Fortunately for May, her heightened durability means she can fall from great heights and absorb impacts that would kill a normal human, shaking them off with minimal discomfort. This also means she can take blows from opponents with superhuman strength and keep fighting.
Of course, being extra durable doesn't mean May is indestructible, and she has been known to come home bruised and battered from a fight. This has led to some uncomfortable scenes in "Spider-Girl" #60 where her makeup skills can't hide her injuries and people begin suspecting she is a victim of domestic abuse. Thankfully, May's healing abilities are also enhanced and she can recover from even debilitating injuries within a relatively short amount of time.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Superhuman Balance
Mayday, Spider-Man, and Daredevil all enjoy a superhuman level of balance and equilibrium. No matter how tiny or narrow a surface may be, May's spider-powers allow her to instinctively maintain her balance anywhere she might be standing. Combined with her superhuman strength and clinging abilities, Spider-Girl could easily support her entire weight on a single fingertip if she had to.
Although "superhuman balance" may not seem like one of the top superhero powers, it's absolutely essential for a crime fighter like Spider-Girl. When you consider how much time spider-heroes spend running across rooftops and scaling skyscrapers, having a power that lets you escape nasty vertigo attacks is a literal lifesaver when you're swinging hundreds of feet in the air. The demands in her life may try to keep her off balance, but Spider-Girl is one hero who'll always land on her feet.
Bio Magnetism
Now we're getting into some of May's more exotic abilities. In Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" films, Peter Parker clings to walls, thanks to tiny claw-like talons that sprout from his fingertips, giving him a powerful gripping ability. In the comics, Spider-Man can mentally make his molecules bond with virtually any surface. Every part of his body can create this near-unbreakable bond, allowing Peter to stick to walls using only his back or take calls by sticking his smartphone to his foot.
Originally, it looked like Spider-Girl had an identical, albeit less powerful, ability. Where Peter barely had to think to crawl up a wall, May really had to concentrate to use her own clinging talents and could sometimes slip if she didn't focus properly.
In "Spider-Girl" #12, however, May learns she doesn't just stick to objects — she can repel objects attached to her. This enables her to use her adhesion power offensively by clinging to a chunk of cement and shooting it at an opponent. This also means she can add extra power to her leaps by sticking to the ground and then repelling herself off the surface.
Spider-Girl gets an additional power boost in "Spider-Girl" #33. After temporarily losing her abilities as the result of a strong electric shock, another powerful shock not only restores her abilities but also lets her extend her "adhesion field" through any of the objects she sticks to. This allows her to hold her enemies in place if they're standing on the same ground she is or touching a wall she's clinging to.
This suggests Spider-Girl's wall-crawling abilities are related to a bio-magnetic power that may keep growing stronger over time. May's already found creative uses for this power in "Spider-Girl" #59, where she beats up a foe by attracting and repelling his face against her feet. Although it appears her bio-magnetic power is unique to her, it's also possible that other spider-heroes just aren't as creative with their powers as May is.
Spider-Sense
Virtually all spider-powered heroes have some form of a "spider-sense." Originally considered a type of extrasensory warning signal that responds to immediate danger, the spider-sense has evolved over the years, especially in the comics. Today, the spider-sense is considered an "arachnofrequency" that is tied to the cosmic Web of Life and Destiny, which binds all of time and space. By accessing this, spider-beings gain an instinctive sense of the world, including what could happen in the future.
Different spider-people use their spider-senses in different ways. For instance, May reveals in "Spider-Girl" #28 that she can use her spider-sense to spot where an opponent is most vulnerable, allowing her to attack with more pinpoint accuracy. This embarrasses Peter, since he realizes his daughter figured out a use for their power that he hadn't tried during his entire superhero career.
In "Spider-Girl" #55, May tells her dad that her spider-sense has become so sensitive that it can detect when someone is lying. While Peter is skeptical, he's used his own spider-sense to detect when people are bluffing in poker games, indicating May's superhuman intuition is well within the abilities granted by a spider-sense.
Precognition
Certain spider-powered beings with a stronger connection to the Web of Life and Destiny can use their spider-senses in more extreme ways. Peter's clone Kaine, for instance, regularly suffers from precognitive visions that give him glimpses into the future, warning him of what is to come. During the infamous "Clone Saga," Kaine is haunted by a vision of Mary Jane getting killed but is unable to see her killer until the time of her death draws nearer (it turns out to be a mind-controlled Peter Parker).
Although May doesn't normally get precognitive flashes from her spider-sense, when she touches her "uncle" Kaine, she shares his vision, suggesting that she's at least potentially capable of using her spider-sense in the same way he does.
Martial Arts
Superhuman strength, speed, and agility might make you a powerful opponent, but only training and experience can make you a skilled fighter. Fortunately for May, she's had plenty of good instructors, starting with her Uncle Phil Urich, a former heroic Green Goblin. In "Spider-Girl" #6, Phil focuses on developing May's spatial awareness by blindfolding her and forcing her to evade multiple attacks using only her spider-sense. May excels at this, thanks largely to her hyper agility.
Later, Peter Parker himself takes an active role in May's training and drilled her on the art of effective web-shooter fighting. Considering Peter and Marvel's Master of Kung Fu develop a new martial arts style together called "The Way of the Spider," it's very possible May learns this style of fighting from Peter as well.
May increases her martial arts training when she temporarily loses her powers in an accident. Asking the Ladyhawkes, a pair of crimefighting vigilantes, for help, May learns new fighting techniques that come in handy when her powers return, and she is able to add what she learns to her repertoire.
Web-Shooters
Like her dad, May can't generate her own webbing and relies on a pair of mechanical web-shooters to swing around town and trap her opponents. However, May's web shooters were originally designed by Peter Parker's clone, Ben Reilly, and have some tricks that Spider-Man doesn't normally use.
May can fire paralyzing "stingers" from her web-shooters as well as spheres of "impact webbing" that expand around a person or object once it hits them. She tends to shy away from using stingers against most opponents, feeling they're too brutal — but she will fire them if she's up against a particularly dangerous villain. Peter also tends to make web fluid cartridges for May, since she's not as skilled in chemistry as she is, although he has likely drilled her on the formula to ensure she's prepared in an emergency.
Given that the web fluid cartridges in May's web-shooters are the size of a small cell phone, May's later web-shooters come equipped with a space for her phone — which her parents will call her on if she's out past her crime-fighting curfew.
Spider Tracers
In "The Amazing Spider-Man" #11, Peter develops tiny mechanical bugs or "spider tracers" that he can place on a fleeing criminal to track them down them later. Although Peter originally uses a radio device to follow the signal, he eventually redesignes the tracers to operate on the same frequency as his spider-sense, making it easier for him to sense his targets.
Peter gives May a set of his old spider tracers to track down a villain, but finds to his surprise that she couldn't sense its radio waves. This made them realize that their spider senses operate on different frequencies, requiring Peter to further modify his tracers. Spider-Girl ends up using Peter's old radio device for the case, but may now be able to sense the new spider tracers just like her dad.
Goblin Gear
Spider-Man and the Green Goblin may have been mortal enemies, but Mayday prefers trying to reform her enemies. This pays off in a major way when she helps Normie Osborn, the grandson of the original Green Goblin, recover his sanity in "Spider-Girl" #27. When Normie discovers May has lost her spider-powers, he decides to help by giving her access to his old goblin gear, transforming Mayday into a heroic "Spider-Goblin."
Spider-Girl ends up flying over New York on a goblin glider while tossing pumpkin bombs at criminals. Although her powers eventually return and she retires the goblin tech, Normie stays on as her "gadget guy" and eventually starts supporting a new hero — May's old teacher Phil Urich, who becomes the original Golden Goblin and later a heroic Green Goblin. It just goes to show that sometimes helping your enemies can be more beneficial than punching them in the face.
Symbiote Costume
For most of her superhero career, May wears a version of a spider-suit originally designed by Peter Parker's clone Ben Reilly. Later, in "Spider-Girl" #45, she discovers her mom has opened a boutique shop called "The Spider Shoppe" that offers Spider-Girl-themed merchandise, giving her access to many more spider-styled costumes.
But May acquires her most unique look in "Spider-Girl" #100, when she bonds with the Venom symbiote. A living alien being, the symbiote functions as a living costume for many characters, including Peter Parker, Eddie Brock, and even Normie Osborn. Although considered an "evil" entity that often drives its hosts insane, the symbiote becomes a more benevolent being when it bonds with Normie Osborn, who passes it on to May after she is nearly fatally stabbed.
Merged with the symbiote, May can heal almost instantaneously, and her strength and speed increase. She also develops a friendly relationship with her symbiote and refers to it as "her." Ultimately, the symbiote becomes so protective of Spider-Girl that she sacrifices herself to save May from the Hobgoblin and dies a hero.
While May's time with the Venom symbiote is brief in the MC2, in Marvel's alternate Earth X Universe, an older May ends up permanently bonded to the symbiote and calls herself "Venom." This disgusts her father, but May shows that she can completely control the symbiote and use it for good.
Dimensional Travel Watch (aka Web Watch)
Following the events of the first "Spider-Verse" comic book event, May joins a team of spider-people from across the multiverse. These include Spider-Gwen, Spider U.K., Spider-Man Noir, Arana, Spider-Man India, and Spider-Ham. Known as the "Web-Warriors," the heroes police the Web of Life and Destiny to keep it safe from other multiverse threats.
To accomplish this, each Web Warrior wears a "Dimensional Travel Watch" created by Pavitr Prabhakar (aka Spider-Man India) that lets them hop from one alternate universe to another. While the watches are powerful, they can be damaged or run out of power, leaving the wearer stranded in the wrong universe. This unfortunately happens to both May and Billy Braddock (Spider U.K.) who find themselves stuck in the steampunk universe of Lady Spider before their team is able to retrieve them.
With all the spider-people glimpsed in the "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" trailer, it's a sure bet we'll see several alternate Spider-Men and Women donning a version of these "Web Watches." Will one of those heroes be Mayday Parker? Only time will tell. But given Spider-Girl's array of abilities and powers, any spider-team could use her.