Spider-Man famously possesses the proportionate speed of an arachnid — but what does that mean in real terms? Just how fast can Spider-Man actually run and swing?
You’ll find the answer to both these questions in the following Spider-Man explainer, alongside a round-up of the key vital statistics of both the Peter Parker and Miles Morales incarnations of the character.
How Fast Can Spider-Man Run?
Pinning down Peter Parker’s or Miles Morales’ max running speed is harder than it sounds, largely because both characters prefer web-swinging and rooftop vaulting over sprinting. What’s more, official Marvel guidebooks tend to gloss over the subject, simply describing both Spider-Men as possessing super speed and leaving it at that.
That doesn’t mean we can’t make a pretty accurate estimate of how fast Peter and Miles are on their feet, though. We know from the official Marvel database that both webslingers are roughly as quick as each other and are also relatively low on the Marvel Universe’s super speed index — they’re one level above peak humans, such as Captain America, and four below legit speedsters, such as Quicksilver.
By combining this information with 61 years of Spider-Man continuity (plus a healthy amount of online debate), we’re willing to pinpoint Peter and Miles’ average running speed at around 70-80 miles per hour. We’re also in agreement with fans who argue that both crime-fighters can reach speeds of 130-250 miles per hour, with the caveat that they can probably only maintain this pace for fairly short bursts.
Related: What Kind of Spider Bit Marvel’s Spider-Man?
How Fast Can Spider-Man Swing?
Much like with their running speeds, nailing down exactly how fast the junior and senior Spider-Men can swing through the air is tough. Marvel Comics canon doesn’t provide any definitive answers, although the consensus among long-time readers based on the source material is that the webslingers’ swinging speed ranges between 30 to 125 miles per hour (although some fans cite an apparent instance of Peter hitting 1,440 miles per hour as evidence he’s capable of much higher speeds).
Interestingly, real-world science seems to back up the lower web-swinging speed estimates, indicating that the Spider-Men’s standard, “Tarzan swing” technique couldn’t propel them much faster than 30 miles per hour (although this doesn’t take into account slingshot-style maneuvers and the like). Video game physics also hints that Peter and Miles web their way around slower than Marvel devotees might expect, as Peter’s web-slinging speed in Marvel’s Spider-Man is only approximately 64 miles per hour.
How Much Does Spider-Man Weigh?
According to Marvel’s official database, Peter Parker’s canonical weight is 167 lbs. By contrast, actor Tobey Maguire reportedly weighed 155 lbs when he portrayed Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, while his successors in the role, The Amazing Spider-Man duology’s Andrew Garfield and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Tom Holland bulked up to 165 lbs and 145 lbs, respectively.
Turning to Miles Morales, the Marvel database lists Miles’ weight as 125 lbs. It’s worth noting that Miles’ database entry seemingly reflects his height and weight at the start of his career, and other sources peg the elder Miles’ weight at 160 lbs. Looking beyond the comics, Miles headlines the animated Spider-Verse movies, and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, it’s reasonable to assume the webslinger’s cartoon incarnation (along with those in other media) weighs around the same as his comics counterpart.
Related: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: When the Game Takes Place on the Timeline
How Tall is Spider-Man?
The Marvel database bills Peter Parker’s height as 5’10”. This tracks with his portrayal in the last six decades’ worth of comics, in which the OG Spider-Man is consistently depicted as noticeably shorter than the likes of Captain America and Thor. It’s also broadly in line with the heights of the actors who have played Peter Parker on the big screen — Andrew Garfield is just over 5’10”, while Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland are both around 5’8″.
Confirming Miles Morales’ canonical height is a trickier proposition. As noted above, Miles’ Marvel database entry appears to reflect his stature and build at the start of his crime-fighting career, with his height listed as 5’2″. Recent comics present Miles as somewhat taller than this, and other resources list his current height at 5’8″. For what it’s worth, the Spider-Verse version of Miles appears to be closer to 5’8″ than 5’2″, while a line of dialogue in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 suggests that the video game’s more mature Miles is actually taller than Peter!
Related: How Many Spider-Man Versions Are There?
So, there you have it: the running and swinging speeds of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. And now that you know just how fast they can go, why not take both heroes for a spin (pun fully intended) in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and experience their incredible velocity for yourself?
