Through the 62 years Spider-Man has been swinging around fans minds, the wall-crawler has gathered quite a rogues gallery. Whether it’s classics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko or new ones like Paul, Peter Parker has accumulated an impressive amount of foes. With seemingly new ones being added everyday, it’s hard to keep track of them all, ranging from a little more than a theatrical bank robber or an psychopath. Spidey’s fought all manner of villains — but some are more sinister than others.
We’re not talking simple foes or adversaries that are minor or just merely annoy us. As much as I want to, Paul does not make this list. If Marvel did end up making him Venom then maybe he would have made an appearance. Instead this list is of the ones who actively make Spider-Man’s life worse. All the choices here have all done their worst and have affected Peter in some truly devastating ways.
6) Hobgoblin
One of the biggest Spider-Man villains we have on this list is the Hobgoblin. Whether it’s the mystery of who he was in early stories or his antics in Joe Kelly’s current run. Hobgoblin cemented himself as the new criminal mastermind to rival the other goblin foe — Green Goblin. Using the resources of Green Goblin, Hobgoblin used that foe as a blueprint and became a massive threat in his own right. No matter who’s under the mask you can always expect a menace behind the orange cloak.
Whether it was the setup of Peter’s friend Ned Leeds’ death as a distraction or making an empire off of the Hobgoblin name with many lackeys, he’s done it all. With ever evolving tech and weapons, Hobgoblin has stood out over the years and continues to be a big threat. The flame sword was already bad enough but the wings have transformed him into nightmare fuel.
5) Mr. Negative
Oh Mr. Negative, one of the newer rogues to Spider-Man, relatively speaking, despite being around for almost 20 years. Mr. Negative is sometimes referred to as kind businessman Martin Li, and he has the ability to transform into a negative energy version of himself and corrupts those around him. With various swords or daggers, Negative is a furious hand-to-hand combatant to many.
With many battles with Spider-Man, whether on his own or during gang wars, the two have squared off more than a few times. Negative can easily overwhelm Peter and many others in a single fight. If Peter could ever call for some help, it might take some of the stress off of fighting Li. No matter what happens, however, you can always rely on Mr. Negative to cause plenty of chaos to Spider-Man with a simple touch. If he corrupted Paul, maybe we could get what we all want.
4) Doctor Octopus
After the death of Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus claimed the title for Spidey’s arch-nemesis. A brilliant doctor with unmatched engineering skills, Doc Ock has taunted and gone toe to tentacle with his wall-crawling foe. Ranging from dating Aunt May to taunt Peter, to holding the world hostage with global warming, he’s been more than just a menace to Spidey but all of the world.
On a personal level, he died doing quite possibly the most nefarious deed but that also stops him from getting to the top. Swapping bodies with Peter as he was on the verge of death, becoming the new Spider-Man with Peter’s ghost to watch in horror, Superior Spider-Man, was the catalyst for destroying his reputation but ended up find the good in himself and Ock was a good Spider-Man at the end of the day. Had it not been for the change of heart he would have had the top spot on this list.
3) Carnage
What’s more terrifying than a serial killer? A serial killer with a symbiote that can turn any part of his body into a weapon. That’s Carnage in a nutshell for you and he’s haunted us for decades. With Venom being a gnarly enough threat as is, Carnage spawning as the offspring became another issue. Once he attached to Cletus Kassady, it was game over for a long while. Killing everything in his wake, Carnage has gone onto become one of the biggest threats for Peter and his friends.
Ascending to a higher calling, Carnage has gone on to become a problem for anyone he’s come across. While he now tangles with Venom a lot, he does go back to make Peter’s life a nightmare as per usual. Thankfully with Eddie Brock in control of the symbiote, Peter has less to worry about for now.
2) Kraven
For two decade Kraven the Hunter was one of the original rogues of Spider-Man and became less and less of a threat over time. All of that changed when J.M. DeMatteis wrote “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” With Kraven wanting one final hurrah as he feels his creeping death on the horizon, he does the unthinkable and buries Spider-Man alive, taking his costume. It was a death that shocked everyone reading at the time.
While it’s up for debate if Peter was actually dead the whole time, the hero did ultimately return. After returning Peter eventually made his way back to Kraven for a final fight but was met with a deceased Kraven. Having his last hurrah and taking down Spider-Man, Kraven felt a depression and ended up taking his own life because of it, confessing to the crimes he did as Spider-Man.
1) Green Goblin
A cross between a maniacal businessman and something of a scientist himself we have Norman Osborn, The Green Goblin. The Green Goblin was the original arch foe of Spider-Man and tormented him for years. The legacy of Green Goblin is immense. Whether or not we count “Sins Past” or not, he’s still a demon through and through.
Perhaps the worst thing he ever did was killing Gwen Stacy by throwing her off of the Brooklyn bridge with Peter’s catch accidentally killing her in the process. Giving him our top spot was a no brainer; he’s a classic for a reason.
Who do you think Spider-Man’s most sinister foes are? Let us know down in the comments.
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