The newest trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home confirmed the return of the Sandman. This version of the classic Spider-Man villain first appeared in Spider-Man 3 and was played by Thomas Haden Church. It's likely other versions of Sandman exist in the multiverse of the MCU, and some of them could be based on the most powerful iterations of the character in Marvel Comics.
For every version of Spider-Man across the infinite multiverse in the comics, there seems to be a version of Sandman as well. Some variants of the villain are more powerful than others, and a few of them blur the line between hero and villain in the way the character often does in the comics and other media.
Sandmanatee
One of the most powerful - and the funniest - versions of Sandman in the comics is the Sandmanatee. This version of the character, from Earth-8311, the world of Spider-Ham, shares all the powers and abilities of the main universe Flint Marko. He is able to transform his body into loose sand, allowing him to move across surfaces almost like water.
The Sandmanatee uses his incredible abilities as a member of the Swinester Six, teaming up against Spider-Ham in the comics and potentially beyond into future sequels to the animated Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse movie.
Renew Your Vows
Sandman is one of the most powerful of the Sinister Six in many universes, and the reality of the Renew Your Vows storyline is no exception. The Sandman of this alternate future has the same powers and abilities as his Earth-616 counterpart, including the ability to form melee weapons with his fists.
Sandman can manipulate his density from soft sand to virtual concrete, and in this story, he created maces and axes with his fists that he actually ended up using against some of his own peers on the Sinister Six, helping Spider-Man.
Marvel Noir
The Sandman of the Marvel Noir reality differs from his other versions. Unlike most variants of the Sandman, he can't transform into sand or manipulate the substance. Instead, he's able to alter his own internal physiology. He's able to turn his bones and his skin into solid granite, which he uses to violent effect against his enemies.
This version of Sandman was virtually invulnerable, impervious to most forms of attack as Earth-90214 Spiderman found out. He could be injured by bullets, but only by huge amounts of them at once.
The Android Sandman
One of the most powerful versions of Sandman in the comics is actually an android imposter who first appeared in Fantastic Four #100. This version of the character appeared to have the same power as the real version, with the added benefit of being a highly advanced robot created by The Mad Thinker, one of the most powerful Fantastic Four villains.
Though he was incapacitated by Crystal in the battle with other of the Frightful Four, the android Sandman likely had improved base strength, stamina, and reflexes compared to the human version.
Alien Sandman
Though this alien version of Sandman was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Journey into Mystery #70 in 1961, he doesn't seem to be connected to the rest of Earth-616. Even so, the alien version is very powerful, able to impersonate any human being it encounters. It's also invulnerable to most forms of conventional attack.
Seeking to take over the entire world, the alien Sandman is finally defeated through a shockingly simple method. A young boy throws a bucket of water at him, preventing him from using his powers.
House Of M
House Of M was one of the comic books that inspired WandaVision and it is the source of many powerful variants in Marvel Comics. In this reality, altered by the Scarlet Witch, Sandman seems to have the same basic powers as other versions of the character. But he seems more brutal and willing to use them, making him one of the most dangerous iterations in the comics.
A great example of this is his battle with Wolverine. Sandman literally excoriates him, sandblasting Logan so much that he's driven insane by the devastating attack. Sandman's ruthlessness in this reality is unique.
Ultimate Sandman
The Earth-1610 version of Sandman from Marvel Comics has most of the same abilities as the Earth-616 one, but he can transform into sand on a molecular level. He's able to alter his physiology so he exists as pure sand, instead of just incorporating it into his person.
Because of this, the Ultimate Sandman can move in ways some of the others can't. He can trickle through cracks or whip up into a tidal wave of sand, something the movie version has adopted in both the Raimi trilogy and No Way Home.
Marvel Zombies
The Sandman of Earth-91126, the Marvel Zombies universe, is one of the most powerful of them all. Not only does he have his standard powers and abilities, but he also has the healing factor of Wolverine, thanks to taking a vaccine derived from Logan's mutant blood.
Sandman was one of the few characters in the zombie apocalypse to survive unscathed. He became one of the most powerful weapons against the zombies after Spider-Man also injected nano-bots into his blood, making him essentially impervious to zombie bites.
1602 Sandman
The Sandman of the 1602 alternate reality seems to share some powers and abilities with Morpheus, the star of The Sandman DC Comics series also written by Neil Gaiman. This Sandman is able to create dreams and nightmares, and can also put people to sleep by blowing sand on them.
It's a great allusion to Gaiman's other famous Sandman, a likeness underlined in the look of the character. This Sandman has pale white skin and at one point, black eyes, just like Morpheus.
Nowhere Sandman
Perhaps the most powerful version of The Sandman in Marvel Comics is almost exactly like the DC Comics version, though he predates both Morpheus and the Marvel Universe proper. This version of the character rules the Land of Dreams and is the source of all dreams in the world, much like the Sandman of myth and legend.
He creates dreams by placing a blanket over his realm each night. The Sandman of Nowhere appears in Marvel Mystery Comics #41 from 1943, in a comic that also features stories about Namor and the original Human Torch.
