Warning: Spoilers ahead for Amazing Spider-Man #3!

Spider-Man has faced many supervillains, both world-ending cosmic threats and petty thieves; however, one villain has the ability to strike fear into Peter Parker like no other, and that crown belongs to his own genetically altered “daughter,” Itsy Bitsy. While Peter Parker has had deeply personal villains before, such as the Green Goblin and Venom, Itsy Bitsy is an enemy that has tested Spider-Man’s moral com in a way no villain has.

In a preview to the Amazing Spider-Man #3, written by Joe Kelly, with art by Pepe Larraz, Spider-Man is hallucinating distorted memories from his past when his Aunt May begins to choke him, revealing that the actual person suffocating him is Itsy Bitsy. In this moment, Spider-Man its that her very presence fills him with an unshakable anxiety and that he is afraid, stating, “I know she is real the way a man knows he just drank poison.”

Itsy Bitsy was specifically designed to push Spider-Man over the edge, and it’s apparent the villain’s return has evoked painful memories for the hero.

The Villain That Scares Spider-Man the Most Is His Own Daughter

Amazing Spider-Man #3; Written By Joe Kelly, Art By Pepe Larraz; Color By Marte Garcia; Letters By Joe Caramagna

The brainchild of Patient Zero and Mephisto, Itsy Bitsy was a woman who was genetically altered with the DNA of both Spider-Man and Deadpool, giving her all of Spider-Man’s powers and Wade Wilson’s incredibly advanced healing factor. First debuting in Spider-Man/Deadpool #8 by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness, Itsy Bitsy would unnervingly emerge during one of Spider-Man and Deadpool’s battles with blue skin, six eyes, four extra arms, and referring to Deadpool and Spider-Man as her “daddies.” She immediately showed how dangerous she was when she swiftly killed several villains who were of the Hateful Hexad.

Itsy Bitsy begins violently massacring criminals in Spider-Man's name, which sets Peter Parker off and nearly causes him to go against his moral code and kill her.

Not only does Itsy Bitsy have a genuinely creepy demeanor, she also has an incredibly distorted sense of justice, is unconventionally brutal, and is an exceptional killing machine. In an attempt to be a “hero,” Itsy Bitsy begins violently massacring criminals in Spider-Man's name, which sets Peter Parker off and nearly causes him to go against his moral code and kill her. In her first few appearances, Itsy Bitsy’s chaos caused Spider-Man to become a version of himself he greatly despises, and now that she has returned, he is forced to relive one of his worst fears.

Spider-Man’s Fear Is Warranted as Itsy Bitsy’s Powers Are on Full Display

Spider-Man’s Daughter Is the Perfect Culmination of Peter Parker’s Worst Nightmares

From her bizarre appearance to her uncomfortable way of speaking, Itsy Bitsy is a truly unique villain who tests Spider-Man’s limits. The combined abilities of Spider-Man and Deadpool have turned her into a cold-hearted killing machine, and because she is made of Spider-Man’s own DNA, his spider senses don’t pick up when she is near. The fact that she calls both Spider-Man and Deadpool “daddy” as a grown woman is unnerving on its own, but having his DNA stolen to create a twisted, murderous clone is a morbid reality to have to confront.

In Spider-Man/Deadpool #14, Spider-Man tells Nightcrawler the reason he fears Itsy Bitsy’s existence is because she kills whoever she deems a threat to society, and every time Deadpool and Spider-Man face her, she easily beats them. Itsy Bitsy may be a perverted mutation of Wade Wilson and Peter Parker, but the true reason Spider-Man fears her is that he fears her Punisher-style methods of murdering criminals work. Originally, Deadpool killed Itsy Bitsy to stop Peter Parker from committing an act he would regret, but with her return, Spider-Man is forced to face one of his greatest fears alone.

Itsy Bitsy Almost Sent Spider-Man Over the Edge, Testing His Moral Code

Will Itsy Bitsy Be Peter Parker’s Breaking Point?

Peter Parker being forced to face Itsy Bitsy again can be interpreted as Peter’s more intrusive thoughts of how he should approach life, as well as his life as a hero, can never stay buried forever. As Peter gets a new job, he is not starting over, he is still forced to contend with his past and face the same villains he’s encountered for years; however, this time, he is facing his difficulties with arguably much less than years prior. In a way, the return of Itsy Bitsy emphasizes the vicious cycle that is Peter Parker’s life as Spider-Man.

While Itsy Bitsy does terrify Spider-Man with her uncomfortable mannerisms and her hyper-violent abilities, it’s also the fact that she forces Peter to reflect on his less-heroic tendencies, and she brings out the worst in him. For decades, Spider-Man has always tried to sustain the moral high ground as a hero while balancing his civilian life, and it has led him to a life of continuous torment. Itsy Bitsy is the one villain that truly terrifies Spider-Man because, in a dark way, she forces him to reflect on himself should he forgo all his long-kept morals as a hero.

Amazing Spider-Man #3 will be available on May 7, 2025, from Marvel Comics.