10 Scientific Secrets Of Spider-Man Only Geeks Will Love
2. Spider-Man's Strength Puts Him In A Very Select Weight Class
“The proportionate strength of a spider” doesn’t begin to cover the level of physical power that Spider-Man possesses. His DNA was rewritten by the spider bite and his body now creates more of the proteins actin and mycin. As such, his muscles are stronger, denser, and capable of processing more fuel than a normal human. His skeleton has also been augmented to support any excess weight that he might lift.
Given how strong he is, Peter has had to instinctively pull his punches lest he'd shatter every bone in a common bank robber's body with a light push against a wall. This point was proven when Otto Octavius took over Parker’s body and literally punched the Scorpion's lower jaw off his face with a single punch in Amazing Spider-Man #700.
The ten tons is far from Spider-Man’s limit, although he is rarely called upon to push that limit. When under extreme duress, his absolute “fight or flight” physical strength limit is 135 tons. That is getting into the neighborhood of the Thing, Thor, and the Hulk! Parker was famously called on to shift a pile of debris that was crushing him in Amazing Spider-Man #33, and that pile was said to weigh as much as a locomotive. With the last vestiges of his strength, he succeeded in lifting the mound!