With the new Spider-Man movie already breaking box office records, it's time to look back at the franchise's enormous impact on the internet.
Because with every new Spider-Man movie, it feels like there are 10 more memes being added to the world – but only a few are worth a revisit.
Here are the best Spider-Man memes, ranked.
8. Uncle Ben, what happened?
— the bees knees (Altlexander) (@TBKALX) November 13, 2021
The best memes sometimes come from the most tragic scenes. That's because when the stakes are high, and the actors begin to cry, the serious tone begs to be subverted by a humorous caption.
When Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) died in the 2002 "Spider-Man" film, fans figured out that they could cope with the tragedy by making it into a silly webcomic. In the meme, Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker is seen
in the top half, sobbing, asking his uncle, "What happened?"
Uncle Ben is shown on the ground in the bottom half, succumbing to his wounds – and saying he ate too much Taco Bell, 5G waves got to him, or simply, "I don't know," often abbreviated to "IDK" in comically large Impact font.
In the film, the death of Uncle Ben is a catalyst for the superhero's story. The character's quote, "With great power comes great responsibility," shapes Parker's morals. Uncle Ben is the fallen martyr of series - that's why it's darkly amusing to make him say, "Gas station weed," as he takes his final breath.
7. Nah, I'mma do my own thing
Miles Morales has arguably become the most popular Spider-Man in modern memes. Even him just saying, "Hey," became a meme back in 2018 when "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was released. In the 2023 film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," his main quote is a bit more profound: "Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go. Nah, I'mma do my own thing."
The quote is impactful: Morales is his own Spider-Man. He's not Peter Parker. In memes, it's used to express defiant originality. But of course, it's been frivolized by meme creators who use it to joke about not wanting to clean their rooms or eat anything besides chicken nuggets. Need to represent someone or something ignoring instructions? This meme is ideal.
6. Exaggerated swagger
@chronicalmagic I love Games Journalism so much. The famous “Exaggerated swagger of a black teen” from GameSpot's 2020 review of Spider-Man: Miles Morales… #gaming #meme #spiderman #fyp #xyzcba
♬ original sound - Kev
When the video game "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" was released in 2020, GameSpot shared a video review that was met with minor controversy. Reviewer Jordan Ramée compared Morales' mechanics to "the exaggerated swagger of a black teen," and it was not well received on Twitter. Many assumed that Ramée was white, and believed that his comment was not only cringe but also insensitive.
The uproar led to a heated reply from former GameSpot editor Alessandro Fillari. "This shameful tweet of yours just reeks of you assuming he was white and speaking out of turn," he wrote. "If you actually bothered to read and listen to Jordan's review, who is Black, the majority of it examined Miles' experience of being a Black character in NYC."
However, to this day, "the exaggerated swagger of a black teen" still goes viral online. Some recent TikToks reiterate, "Never forget," in their captions, as if the clip were a national tragedy.
5. Venom dunking
Here's another entry for the basketball series, Venom #35 retailer exclusive variant for Frankie's Comics, Scott's Collectables and Golden Apple Comics.
— Kael Ngu (@KaelNgu) March 5, 2021
Lmao poor spidey but hey, he's da hero he can take it...😅 pic.twitter.com/TdM8H4Nx0d
Who would win in a basketball game, Spider-Man or his evil doppelgänger Venom? In this meme, unfortunately for those banking on righteousness, Venom is the clear winner.
The image in question shows the Marvel villain posterizing Spider-Man in a packed arena. Venom's got his tongue out and his hand on Spider-Man's head, reminiscent of Shaquille O'Neal's greatest dunks.
The image was created by artist Kael Ngu in 2021. Some recreate the image the best they can in "Roblox" or simply proclaim, "This pic goes so hard."
The underlying truth is that Venom is just cool. His fans on Reddit say his design is iconic, and that "he doesn't go to bed before ten PM as mom orders."
4. I'm something of a scientist myself
Some of the most famous Spider-Man memes don't even feature Spider-Man. The most classic example of this is Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn in the 2002 film, introducing himself to Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. He says, "I'm something of a scientist myself," with a smarminess in the scene that later proves prophetic when he becomes the film's main villain.
In memes, Dafoe's smirking declaration has been used to represent overconfidence and pseudointellectualism. The image is often paired with a top caption like, "When you successfully connect to the WiFi," using Dafoe's smug look as the punchline.
Dafoe has one of the most expressive faces in Hollywood, which makes him especially easy to memeify – including in "You can't do this to me!" and "You know how much I sacrificed?" from the Spider-Man franchise alone.
3. Jacob Batalon "CEO of Sex"
Jacob Batalon's portrayal of Peter Parker's nerdy best friend Ned Leeds is another fan favorite, but his most famous Spider-Man meme has him dubbed a different, possibly more powerful character.
Back in 2019, a photo of Batalon in a grey suit at the premiere of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was given an odd caption in memes: "I'm the CEO of Sex." Something about his gold chain, open top button and cellphone-in-hand stance conveyed authority and romantic appeal.
One absurd meme started a chain reaction. Batalon still can't escape the title, but he apparently finds it hilarious, telling ScreenRant in 2025, "First of all, it's an honor. I feel like people come to me for sex advice all the time."
2. Carefully, he's a hero
Tobey Maguire has been especially prominent in memes, in part because of a years-long posting campaign on 4chan called Raimiposting - named after director Sam Raimi.
In one, Maguire as Peter Parker is being carried by a crowd of people after stopping a train with his body and saving many lives, alongside the caption "Carefully, he's a hero." No one in the movie actually says this, which is a surprise to many rewatchers.
The image is used to represent praise for a heroic act, but a heroic act for most internet users is far less dramatic than putting one's life on the line. If you take the fall for your friends and get detention, or win the video game for your team, that's enough to be honored.
1. Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man
The original 1960s "Spider-Man" cartoon is the source of many memes, none more famous than the image of two Spider-Men pointing at one another.
In memes, it's often used to represent two entities who are surprised that they are exactly the same. Alternatively, it shows two people who blame each other for a transgression, when the viewer knows that they're both responsible.
The image was inescapable throughout the 2010s, and since then has maintained its relevance across Twitter and Reddit. It's united generations of meme creators – much like it's united generations of Spider-Man fans. It even united Spider-Man actors Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, when they recreated the image in real life.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 8 greatest Spider-Man memes of all time, ranked
