Check out our ranking of the top 25 Spider-Man villains!
Honorable Mention: J. Jonah Jameson
He doesn’t wear a costume or have any super-powers (aside from a superhumanly cranky disposition), but few have made Peter Parker’s life more difficult than J. Jonah Jameson. This newspaper tycoon built an empire on the back of his scathing anti-Spider-Man editorials. And he even went so far as to hire killer robots and actual supervillains to attack the hero. But as he’s transitioned from newspaper man to mayor and faced the loss of his wife, JJJ has learned some hard lessons about letting go of hate and taking responsibility for his own mistakes. But given the breakdown in his newfound partnership with Spider-Man, we could be due for a return of the old-school Jameson.#25: Hydro-Man
Spider-Man has a villain made of sand, so why not one made of water, too? Hydro-Man may not have the deepest emotional connection to Peter Parker, but he always tends to offer a good fight for the wallcrawler whenever they clash. With his liquid constitution and ability to control and merge with other bodies of water, Hydro-Man is undoubtedly one of Spidey’s more powerful foes. Whether working alone or with groups like the Frightful Four or Sinister Syndicate, Hydro-Man is not a villain to be trifled with.
#24: Black Cat
Spidey doesn’t have many memorable female villains, despite having a strong lineup of female supporting characters. But he does have Black Cat, a femme fatale who can either be a staunch ally or a thorn in his side, depending on her mood. The fact that she isn’t an outright villain is the only reason Felicia Hardy doesn’t rank higher on this list. But between her expert burglary skills (honed since childhood thanks to her father) and her complicated "relationship" history with Spider-Man, she definitely deserves a spot. And with Felicia making her live-action debut in Amazing Spider-Man 2, her stock will only rise further.
#23: Shocker
Like many good villains, Shocker is a dark reflection of his nemesis, Spider-Man. He has a knack for science and invention, but like Peter Parker, has often struggled to live up to his potential. Too bad Shocker never had a father figure to teach him about power and responsibility. He used his talents to create a pair of vibrational gauntlets, which he uses to commit various robberies and petty crimes. He doesn’t have the ambition of a Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus, but Shocker’s trademark weapons make him a tricky foe to contend with, and he’s been a constant foe to Spider-Man since his debut in 1967.
#22: Juggernaut
Powered by the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, Juggernaut is an indestructible, super-strong powerhouse to be feared. Traditionally, Juggernaut is viewed as an X-Men villain, only occasionally branching out to clash with non-mutant heroes like Spider-Man and Hulk. But his few encounters with Spidey have made for some strong stories. In particular, 1982’s “Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!” remains an iconic example of Spidey’s unflappable heroism. Despite being completely outmatched by his invulnerable opponent, Spidey refused to give up his futile attempts to halt Juggernaut’s warpath. The lesson was clear - Juggernaut is a great Spider-Man villain because he brings out the best in our hero.
#21: Carnage
Venom quickly developed into one of Spider-Man’s most popular foes in the late ‘80s. Is it any wonder Marvel wanted to further capitalize on that success? Carnage doesn’t necessarily win any points for originality. After all, he gained his symbiotic powers after inheriting a fragment of Venom’s alien costume. But he is the closest thing Spidey’s rogues gallery has to a Joker. Cletus Kasady is as psychotic and murderous as they come, but being a fairly one-note character who only excels at murder keeps him from being higher on this list. Regardless, he’s a foe that even Spider-Man and Venom united are hard-pressed to overcome.
#20: Hammerhead
Heroes like Spider-Man sometimes have to contend with ordinary criminals as well as costumed supervillains. Hammerhead is unique in that he manages to blend the best (or worst, rather) of both worlds. Hammerhead gained his name and distinctive appearance after barely surviving a vicious attack and having his skull replaced by an unbreakable steel plate. With few memories of his old life remaining, Hammerhead began dressing like a Dick Tracy villain and vying for control of New York’s criminal underworld. It’s hard to compete with a guy who can smash his enemies into paste with his forehead.
#19: Morbius
Dr. Michael Morbius is a walking, blood-sucking example of how science can go astray. His efforts to cure his own rare blood disorder transformed him into a living vampire. He has all the powers of a vampire, but unfortunately, most of their weaknesses as well. Since that fateful day, Morbius has constantly struggled to do good despite his unquenchable thirst. And that struggle has made him both an ally and an enemy to Spider-Man. Sadly, his recent actions have only reinforced the latter half of that dichotomy, and he and Spider-Man are once again at odds.
#18: Morlun
Of all Spider-Man’s many villains, only Morlun has the distinction of actually killing the wallcrawler. Maybe it didn’t stick for long, but that still counts for a lot. Morlun is an ancient, immortal being who preys upon totemic heroes like Spider-Man, draining their life force like a vampire. With his vast strength and single minded hunger, Morlun pushes Spider-Man to his limits in their every encounter. His return in this fall’s Spider-Verse will force Peter Parker to team up with every Spider-Man in the multiverse to stand a chance of ending Morlun’s menace once and for all.
#17: Jackal
Once a respected college professor and friend of both Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, Professor Miles Warren was driven to madness by Gwen’s death, which he blamed on Spider-Man. One thing led to another, and Warren became a deranged costumed villain with a penchant for cloning. His brand of super-science formed the basis for such iconic Spider-Man storylines as The Clone Saga and Spider-Island. He has consistently proven to be a tricky foe capable of cheating death and returning to torment Peter again and again. And all because of a bad case of unrequited love.
#16: Rhino
Rhino didn’t begin his comic book career as an especially deep character. He was a common criminal who agreed to become permanently bonded to a super-strong Rhino costume, granting him enough strength and durability to battle the Hulk. But Spider-Man proved to be Rhino’s most recurring foe over the years, with each new encounter offering no small amount of carnage and destruction. But in recent years, Rhino’s complexity has become more apparent. His brief redemption and subsequent fall from grace during the course of the Brand New Day saga remains one of the most heartbreaking Spider-Man tales ever written. We’ll see how much of that depth translates into Rhino’s live-action debut this summer.
#15: Sandman
Only in the Marvel Universe could a guy stumble onto a nuclear testing site and wind up bonding with the radioactive sand rather than contracting cancer. Since that day, Flint Marko has terrorized the world as Sandman, one of Spider-Man’s toughest and most resilient foes. But what makes Sandman truly appealing is his conflicted nature. A victim of a troubled, fatherless upbringing, Flint has often struggled to reform and put his incredible powers to better use. He hasn’t been terribly successful, but it’s that complex dynamic that gives this villain much of his appeal.
#14: Chameleon
Chameleon has the distinction of being the very first of Spider-Man’s costumed villains to be introduced, dating all the way back to Amazing Spider-Man #1. The fact that he’s been such a mainstay of Spidey’s rogues gallery ever since is a testament to his enduring appeal. This isn’t a villain who relies on strength or brute force, but rather subterfuge and deception. Chameleon has the uncanny ability to disguise himself as anyone he chooses, regardless of age, race, gender, or other qualities. He’s a fascinating villain, and often quite scary and unpredictable as he slips into a new role.
#13: Mysterio
The only villain more skilled than Chameleon at using deception and trickery against Spider-Man is Mysterio. There have been several versions of this dome-headed illusionist, but the most iconic is former stuntman and special effects wunderkind Quentin Beck. Mysterio can generate amazingly convincing illusions through a combination of stagecraft, hypnotism, robotic duplicates, and chemicals. He even used his skills to project himself into the Ultimate Universe, tormenting two Spider-Men at once. He’s not a villain who can be easily stopped or punched into submission.
#12: Vulture
Had life treated Adrian Toomes a little better, he might not have felt compelled to don his special flight harness and terrorize New York as the Vulture. But alas. Vulture was the second of Spider-Man’s famous rogues gallery to be introduced. His incredible suit makes him a match for Spidey despite Toomes’ advanced age. And his feud with Spider-Man has inspired several others to take up the Vulture mantle for a time. But always, Toomes returns to remind everyone who the one, true Vulture is.
#11: Electro
Spider-Man’s villains often fall into one of two categories - animal-themed or elemental. Electro falls into the latter camp, with his electricity-based powers making him a formidable foe for almost any hero in the Marvel Universe. Once a humble electrical engineer, Maxwell Dillon was struck by lighting and became a living conductor of electricity. His power has only grown over the years, though it’s also become more uncontrollable as Dillon has aged. Where once an insulated suit and webbing-coated hands were enough to triumph over Electro, now every clash puts Spidey’s life in mortal danger.
#10: Scorpion
The most iconic villain to call himself Scorpion, Mac Gargan, is actually the fourth to carry the name. Gargan’s comic book career started out innocently enough, as he was hired by J. Jonah Jameson to find out how Peter Parker kept bringing in such amazing photos of Spider-Man. When that failed, Jameson convinced Gargan to submit to a procedure that would bond him to an armored suit and grant him scorpion-like powers. It worked, but at the cost of his sanity. Since then, Gargan has made both Spider-Man and Jameson the target of his wrath.
But Gargan went through a second transformation in recent years when he became the new host of the Venom symbiote after Eddie Brock attempted suicide, The symbiote found a willing host in Gargan, one happy to indulge in its violent appetites. Eventually the two were separated, and Gargan has since returned to plaguing his two mortal enemies as the Scorpion.
#9: Alistair Smythe
If you want to kill a Spider-Man but don’t want to get your hands dirty, there’s only one man to turn to -- Alistair Smythe. Like his father before him, Smythe is an expert at creating giant, killer robots designed to eliminate the pesky wallcrawler. Granted, none of them have actually succeeded in that task, but you have to give the man credit for his persistence.
It’s a persistence borne out of frustration at his repeated failures and a desire to fulfill his father’s legacy. Smythe goes to extremes few Spider-Man villains would dare, even transforming himself into a living Spider-Slayer.
Smythe is also notable in that his hatred for his father’s benefactor, J. Jonah Jameson, outstrips his hatred for Spider-Man. And he’s been more successful at tormenting Jameson, going so far as to kill his wife, Marla. Smythe appears to have finally died, but we suspect that this family legacy will continue in one form or another, most notably in the Spider-Slayers that have forever-plagued Spider-Man throughout his career.
#8: Hobgoblin
Faced with pressure to renew the Spider-Man/Green Goblin rivalry but not wanting to resort to old tricks, writer Roger Stern created Hobgoblin as a new goblin-themed villain for Spidey’s rogues gallery. Little could Stern have known how popular the new villain would become, or that the number of Hobgoblins in the Marvel Universe would outstrip the number of Green Goblins.
There have been many villains to don the mantle of Hobgoblin, from mercenary and original Hobby Roderick Kingsley to Peter Parker’s colleague Ned Leeds to Ben Urich’s nephew Phil. At one point, a Hobgoblin was even possessed by a demon, becoming Demogoblin.
But all of these character share a penchant for gliders and pumpkin bombs, and all have managed to make Spider-Man’s life miserable at one point or another. It seems he just can’t escape the menace of the goblin, regardless of what colors the villain wears or what motives he operates under.
#7: The Lizard
The Lizard has a bad case of Jekyll & Hyde Syndrome. But even Dr. Jekyll didn’t have to worry about transforming into a humanoid lizard. That’s a problem Curt Connors has wrestled with for years. Desperate to find a way of restoring his amputated limb, Connors tried to parlay his expertise in reptilian biology into a cure. Instead, he cursed himself with this uncontrollable transformation.
Ever since, Connors has struggled to maintain his humanity and prevent the cold, emotionless lizard side of himself from taking control. He’s lost everything because of that struggle - his career, his family, and nearly every tie to his human life. He even murdered his own son in a particularly brutal period of transformation.
The fact that Connors never quite gives in to his animal side is what makes him such a fascinating villain. He constantly suffers as a result of his transformations. And because of the close ties between Peter Parker and Connors, Spider-Man suffers too. He views the Lizard’s continued existence as a personal failure, one he’ll stop at nothing to rectify.
#6: Green Goblin - Harry Osborn
With a father like Norman Osborn, it’s little wonder Harry eventually became a supervillain. Early on, Harry and Peter Parker were best friends and college roommates, each finding a kindred spirit in the other. But Harry eventually fell victim to his personal demons and weaknesses, nearly dying of a drug overdose. As has been explored in Ultimate Spider-Man and the movies, Harry also suffered an inferiority complex, with Norman coming to view Peter as his true son and scientific heir.
All of this came to a head when Harry discovered that his father was Green Goblin and came to blame Spider-Man for his death. He took control of his late father’s business empire and Goblin weapons, carrying on the legacy of hate and destruction.
Luckily, Harry is a stronger person than his father at his core. He was able to resist the influence of the Green Goblin, eventually returning to a more normal life. He found redemption where many of Spider-Man’s more complex villains have failed. But given Harry’s past, can Peter ever truly trust his old friend not to relapse into old habits? While he might not be like other Spider-Man villains in the long run, his impact on Peter’s life cannot be understated, earning him a high spot on this list.
#5: Kraven the Hunter
Not many of Spider-Man’s villains can claim to have killed him, but Kraven the Hunter can. Well, sort of. Kraven beat him in a fight, shot him, and buried him in a grave in the famous story Kraven’s Last Hunt -- only for it to be revealed that it was a tranquilizer dart that he used just to prove that he was better than Spider-Man. So he could have killed him, but he’s genuinely crazy so it didn’t pan out.
That’s what makes Kraven so dangerous. He’s got an impressive skillset as the world’s greatest big game hunter, but his psychotic nature has him obsessed with Spider-Man. He doesn’t even use traditional hunting weapons like guns and spears, preferring to take his prey down with his bare hands. He also uses a mystical potion that gives him super strength, but hey, Spider-Man has enhancements too!
#4: Kingpin
The Kingpin is a huge dude. Not just physically, but his presence in the Marvel Universe. That he would also be near the top of a Daredevil villains list goes to show you just how far-reaching and downright nasty this crimelord can be.
Preferring to manipulate henchmen, scientists, and all manner of supervillains into doing his bidding, Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin is at his best working from the comfort of his lavish office in a skyscraper. Not that he can’t hold his own in a fight; while he may look like a large obese man, his body is comprised nearly all of muscle with very little fat. This gives him a surprising amount of strength and agility that he can use to grapple and hammer anyone who gets in his path, like Spider-Man for instance.Back when Spider-Man hung up his costume in the classic “Spider-Man No More” storyline, Kingpin appeared and raised crime to such levels that Spider-Man returned from retirement to put a stop to it all. Kingpin has long remained a thorn in Spidey’s side, and he ranks so high on this list for being a large reason Spidey’s New York City has so much crime in the first place. When Spider-Man is stopping random thugs from robbing banks and breaking up weapons dealer meetings, there’s always good chance he’s actually fighting one of the Kingpin’s goons.
#3: Venom
The doppelganger. The dark inverse. The twisted reflection. Venom is the polar opposite of Spider-Man, showing what he would become had he never learned the lesson of power and responsibility. Whereas Peter Parker was a skinny nerd and a photojournalist with integrity, Eddie Brock was a short-tempered muscle jock who ruined his own career as a reporter with a strong dose of yellow journalism. The two have much in common, but Eddie’s failures compared to Peter’s successes are what drove him insane with jealousy and resentment.
Venom’s origins are a bit complicated, but suffice to say that he gets his spider-powers, immense strength, and disgusting mouth from his suit, which is a living alien symbiotic creature that was previously rejected by Spider-Man. The similarities just don’t stop, do they? Venom blamed Spider-Man for ruining his career and went on a rampage to make him pay for it. The suit gave him intimate knowledge of Peter’s life, allowing him to toy with his friends and loved ones as a means of torture.
Over the years, Venom’s popularity among comic fans would have him become an anti-hero -- a “lethal protector,” if you will -- where he dished out his own warped sense of justice and occasionally worked on the same side as Spider-Man. Although Eddie and the symbiote eventually split and Flash Thompson is the current Venom in the comics, Eddie’s twisted legacy as Venom is what has made the character ever-present in every medium Spider-Man has touched.#2: Green Goblin - Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn the original Green Goblin isn’t #1?! Just wait a second before grabbing your pitchforks and torches and let us explain.
Norman Osborn has all the makings of a great villain. He is the father of Peter’s once-best-friend Harry, giving him an intimate personal connection. He got his powers as a result from a science experiment, just like Peter. He has a creepy goblin mask and a vast array of deadly weapons, including an air-glider that allows him to tangle with Spider-Man in the air. And worst of all, he is responsible for the death of Spider-Man’s first love, Gwen Stacy.
All things considered, he is a great Spider-Man villain. Not being #1 isn’t a slight; #2 is nothing to laugh at. He’s responsible for giving Spider-Man some of his worst headaches and heartbreaks over the years, and his presence in any story means it’s about to get real. But when you look at his entire comics career, he peaked at the death of Gwen Stacy. Writers have since struggled to recapture the original fire that made the Green Goblin so vile and insidious. Norman did pretty much take over the world for a year during the Dark Reign storyline, but he was more of an Avengers villain than a Spider-Man one during that time.
Norman is bad, we’ll give you that, but there’s one villain who has only gotten badder with age...#1: Doctor Octopus
With four super-strong mechanical arms permanently fused to his back during a freak lab accident, Doctor Octopus is a match for Spider-Man in more than one way. While only a normal man, his metal tentacles give him ample strength, agility, and reach to fight Spider-Man. As seen in the Spider-Man 2 movie, Doc Ock is able to have battles with Spider-Man unlike almost anyone else -- up walls, on the sides of moving trains, you name it -- he can eliminate Spider-Man’s wall-crawling advantage in a heartbeat.
As a scientist, Doc Ock is as brilliant as they come, making him a match for Peter’s mind. He has been leader of the Masters of Evil and is capable of coming up with threats that put the whole planet, not just New York City, in jeopardy. He’s also the original founder of the Sinister Six, the infamous villain group dedicated to destroying Spider-Man that still persists today. He even almost married Aunt May, which to this day is a horror we are glad never came to pass.
But what puts Doc Ock at the top of our list is when he successfully swapped minds with Spider-Man. This gave him the body of his arch-nemesis while Peter was left to die in his failing body. That’s right, not only did he kill Spider-Man (in a way), but he’s been running around in his skin working his job, socializing with his friends and family, and beating up crooks -- showing that he can be the Superior Spider-Man that Peter never could. It doesn’t get any more personal than that!
We won’t spoil how the Superior Spider-Man story ends, but just the fact that he pulled off the greatest plot against Spider-Man we’ve ever seen earns him the #1 spot on this list.That's our list of Spider-Man's best bad guys. How did you like how we ranked them? Who would you put as #1? Let us know in the comments!
