Highlights

• The best Spider-Man villains elevate the franchise, pushing the hero to his limits in iconic moments.
• New faces help to keep Spider-Man's rogue gallery fresh, rotating characters to prevent staleness.
• Modern video games help to introduce classic Spider-Man villains to a brand-new audience.

Since his creation some six decades ago, Spider-Man has gone on to become one of the biggest and most recognizable superheroes in the world. He started life in print, but can now be found in television shows, movies, and a plethora of high-quality video games as well. While undoubtedly a great character though, the Spider-Man franchise would have been nowhere near as successful as it has been were it not for its fantastic roster of villains.

It's their diabolical schemes that push Spider-Man to his limits and make the series so exciting to read, watch, and play. Whether they're teaming up to take the web-slinger down or committing unspeakable acts in the city around him, their antics have made for some of the most iconic moments in the history of the franchise and have cemented their places as some of the best villains ever created.

Updated April 16, 2024, by Tom Bowen: When a franchise has been around for as long as Spider-Man has, the size of its cast can often start to become a little bloated. While it's certainly true that the series' rogues' gallery has seen a lot of new faces added over the years, the variety of villains that are on offer in Spider-Man and the way that they are rotated in and out of storylines helps to keep things from ever feeling stale. Granted, not all Spider-Man villains are quite on the same level, but those at the very top really are some of the most memorable bad guys in comic book history. With this in mind, there's never a bad time to revisit the topic of the best Spider-Man villains of all time.

30 Spencer Smythe

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #25 (1965)

Spencer Smythe's time in the spotlight was relatively brief when compared to some of the other great Spider-Man villains of yesteryear, yet he's still remembered fondly by many fans of the franchise. For those unfamiliar with his work, he's the creator of the Spider-Slayer: an immensely powerful robot that was used by J. Jonah Jameson in an attempt to bring the titular wall-crawler to justice.

"This is the finest spider-slayer I have ever created. Made from unshatterable metals, it responds instantly to my mental commands." - Spencer Smythe

Though he died of radiation poisoning not long after, Spencer's son Alistair picked up right where his father left off and also came close to bringing Spider-Man down before his untimely demise. Both men were eventually resurrected by the Jackal along with a number of other notable Spider-Man villains, though despite surviving the process and the degeneration that killed most of the others, Spencer is still to achieve his goal.

29 Tarantula

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #134 (1974)

Anton Miguel Rodriguez started life as an idealistic revolutionary who fought to free his people from an evil dictator. However, it soon became clear that what he really loved most was conflict and killing, including those who were supposedly on the same side. This led to him being forced out of his home country into the United States, where he began his life of crime as Tarantula.

"You are but a Spider-Man! I am the Tarantula, and my touch means death!" - Tarantula

Initially, he's little more than a low-level threat, but after undergoing an experimental procedure, he's transformed into a grotesque spider-like Cronenberg creature that's not too dissimilar to the titular character from the 1986 horror movie The Fly. In this form, he's a lot more dangerous but ultimately elects to subject himself to death by cop after realizing just how grotesque he has become.

28 Richard Fisk

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #83 (1970)

Being the son of one of the best Spider-Man villains of all time isn't easy and is ultimately what first led Richard Fisk to put on a mask. Initially, his antics as The Rose are fairly tame when compared to those of Kingpin, but as he becomes more comfortable with his new persona, he grows increasingly brazen and soon finds himself catching the attention of the wall-crawling webhead.

"What could be more fitting... what could be more just... than that I... your own son... be the one to end the Kingpin's career??!" - Richard Fisk

Later on, Fisk becomes Blood Rose after vowing to avenge his friend Alfredo, and this too sees him and Spider-Man at odds. His subsequent escapades are a bit less nuanced; with Fisk first being cloned by Jackal and then later becoming a high-ranking lieutenant in hell. He's still a great villain, though, and even made an appearance in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; albeit in a very different capacity.

27 Morlun

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30 (2001)

Whether or not Morlun is truly one of the best Spider-Man villains is perhaps a matter for debate, but he is undoubtedly one of the coolest. He's able to absorb the life force of others, granting him an almost unlimited pool of power from which to draw, and can track any person who he's come into close contact with.

"With a little arm twisting, I found one of you who was willing to lend me a hand." - Morlun

Morlun was one of the key figures in the Spider-Man comic books throughout the early two-thousands, appearing in some of the most memorable storylines of the era. He can fly, is ridiculously durable, and has been shown to cheat death on multiple occasions; with his demise at the hands of Silk in 2022's Spider-Man #6 being the latest example of this.

26 Molten Man

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #83 (1965)

Molten Man's backstory is a fairly generic one by today's standards, with the whole "scientist develops superpowers after terrible accident" thing having been done to death over the years. However, back in the mid-sixties when the character first made his debut, it was actually a fairly original premise for a comic book villain.

"I was once a scientist. A man whose brain has been trained for thought. A man unfamiliar with crime until the accident which turned me into the creature before you." - Molten Man

Whichever way one slices it, the idea of a man covered in molten metal is an incredibly cool one and leads to some incredible imagery in the comic books in which he features. A character based on Molten Man even made an appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home, though the man himself is still to make an appearance outside of the comics and animated series.

25 Spot

First Appearance: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97 (1984)

Few Spider-Man villains would be better suited to the MCU than Al Milgrom's Spot. Whether or not it will ever happen remains to be seen, though fans of the supervillain can at least got to enjoy an appearance in 2023's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Surprisingly, despite having debuted back in the mid-eighties, this was the character's first outing outside of the comics and the animated Spider-Man television series.

"I'm here to learn some things about myself! And to teach you a thing or two!" - Spot

Spot's ability to open up interdimensional portals makes him a fantastic villain, not just in terms of the way that he fights, but also in the way that he commits his crimes. Being able to portal into a bank vault from the other side of the world is incredibly effective and makes a nice change from the many brute-force villains that the Spider-Man series tends to highlight through its frequent depictions of crime.

24 Black Tarantula

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #419 (1997)

One of the very few great Spider-Man villains yet to appear in a movie despite having first debuted in the comics more than a quarter of a century ago, Black Tarantula has proven himself to be a worthy adversary to Spider-Man on multiple occasions. With superhuman strength and the ability to heal almost any injury, it's almost impossible to hurt the mysterious villain, let alone beat him outright.

"Men such as they congratulate themselves when they plan for mere years in advance. The Black Tarantula, however, must think in terms of decades and centuries." - Black Tarantula

In fact, Black Tarantula is one of the few Spider-Man villains with whom the webhead has conceded defeat, with everybody's favorite wall-crawler admitting that he's not only weaker than Black Tarantula but also a lot slower too. Even when Spidey is able to make a mark, Black Tarantula's Cyclops-like eye lasers prove to be a very effective last resort.

23 Kaine

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #119 (1994)

Kaine is one of the more complicated characters in the Spider-Man comic books, having served as both a hero and a villain during his rollercoaster character arc. The Peter Parker clone was originally created by The Jackal, though was quickly discarded once flaws in the cloning process came to light. This led to him becoming mentally unstable and developing strong feelings of abandonment that would ultimately go on to further shape his psychosis.

"With great power also comes the ability to rain down hell on those who prey on the weak." - Kaine

After spending some time as a hitman for the mob, Kaine eventually turns his back on the criminal underworld and begins killing all those who he deems to be a threat. This leads to Peter Parker being arrested for murder, though Kain steps in at the last minute to take responsibility for his crimes. Once his sentence has been served, he has several more run-ins with Spider-Man, often flipping between heel and face from appearance to appearance.

22 Mister Negative

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #546 (2008)

When it comes to video game adaptations, no superhero has been treated to quite as many as Spider-Man. Despite the wall-crawler having swung his way onto more than 15 different gaming platforms though, the vast majority of his outings have centered around only a handful of villains, with the likes of Venom, Doc Ock, and the Green Goblin usually taking center stage. The emphasis there is on the word "usually."

"Don't be so negative..." - Mister Negative

The decision to break from this pattern and the sheer number of villains that feature in Marvel's Spider-Man are just two of the many things that make it such a great game. Mister Negative is one of the standouts in this regard and shows that there's still plenty of room for new faces in Spider-Man's forward-facing rogues' gallery.

21 Black Cat

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979)

It's difficult to ignore the many similarities between Felicia Hardy's Black Cat and Selina Kyle from the Batman comics. Aside from each of the women dressing up like felines and committing burglaries, they also share complicated relationships with their respective heroes, which in turn makes them infinitely more compelling to readers.

"I didn't think you'd be so upset over one last job." - Black Cat

Her ill-fated relationship with Spider-Man showed the world that there is some good in Hardy's heart, yet her insatiable kleptomania prevents her from ever truly realizing it. That she's able to manipulate Peter without possessing any traditional superpowers is also impressive, albeit a little overplayed in modern pop culture.

20 J. Jonah Jameson

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963)

Whether or not JJ can really be classed as a villain — in the traditional sense, at least — is a matter for debate. It's hard to deny though that he's probably caused more trouble than any other Spider-Man villain over the years and is constantly mistreating Peter when it comes to his employment at the Daily Bugle.

"I can never respect myself while he lives." - J. Jonah Jameson

JJ's short fuse and his hatred of vigilanteism have provided plenty of wonderful moments over the past fifty years. Many of these have come on the silver screen, where Jameson is typically portrayed by J.K. Simmons. Simmons has reprised the role in numerous video games as well, each time managing to perfectly capture the character's dishonorable nature.

19 Tombstone

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #36 (1988)

That Tombstone is both one of the most recent Spider-Man villains and more than three decades old should say a lot about the frequency with which new Spider-Man villains are created. When all's said and done, he's a pretty decent one too, though not quite on the same level as some of the all-time greats that preceded him.

"This is me teaching you a lesson." - Tombstone

The albino crime boss is both a skilled marksman and an accomplished street fighter, making him an incredibly difficult nut to crack. He's able to back this up with super-human strength and serves as a more than worthy successor to Hammerhead. Some may prefer the latter, but the Tombstone character arguably has more depth, not to mention a much more distinctive design.

18 The Hobgoblin

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #238 (1983)

Though nowhere near as compelling as the Green Goblin, the Hobgoblin has still had plenty of great moments throughout the Spider-Verse. He was originally created by fashion designer Roderick Kingsley, who uses an altered version of Norman Osborn's Goblin formula to gain his powers and his own vast fortune to finance the tech.

"Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" - The Hobgoblin

In the years following his debut, many more villains would adopt the Hobgoblin persona, including Roderick's twin brother and butler, although none were quite as formidable as Roderick himself. Despite this, however, it is the Ned Leeds version of the Hobgoblin that was chosen to return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Jacob Batalon reprising the role of Leeds.

17 Shocker

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #46 (1967)

Shocker is somewhat unique in that he has no real desire for power, nor is he ever shown to have a particularly strong hatred of Spider-Man. In fact, the only thing that seems to really motivate him is making money; something that he is more than happy to use his powers and break the law to accomplish.

"Next time you'll know better than to challenge your superiors." - Shocker

While his modest ambitions definitely make him one of the more singular Spider-Man villains, they don't often lead to set-piece moments. It's perhaps for this reason that so many directors have overlooked the character when creating film adaptations, with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming the first and only time that Shocker has ever appeared on the big screen.

16 Jackal

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (1965)

Several Spider-Man villains have adopted the Jackal persona over the years, but the very first to do so was Miles Warren. This mild-mannered biology professor develops an unhealthy obsession with Gwen Stacy and, following her death at the hands of the Green Goblin, swears vengeance on Spider-Man after initial reports suggest that he was the one to blame.

"What do I want? I want your soul, Peter. I want every chromosome of it. - Jackal

Though he does square off against Spider-Man from time to time, much of Jackal's best moments have come from his manipulation of others, and it's ultimately through these means that he's able to learn the web-slinger's true identity. He later goes on to clone Parker, as well as create multiple clones of himself, but he's ultimately manipulated and outsmarted by the Green Goblin.

15 Electro

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #9 (1964)

That the team behind Spider-Man: No Way Home opted to bring Electro back into the fold after the Amazing Spider-Man 2 debacle is a testament to the true quality of the villain. Thankfully, there was no comical blue skin this time around, which definitely allowed viewers to get a better impression of the classic Spider-Man villain.

"I'll disguise myself, take the name Electro, and get all the dough I want!" - Electro

Since his first appearance back in 1964, the villain has been a constant threat to Peter and has played a part in some of the web-slinger's very best adventures. He's a founding member of the Sinister Six and was also the leader of the Emissaries of Evil in the Daredevil comics. His over-the-top antics may not be to everybody's tastes, but they invariably lead to shocking consequences nonetheless.

14 Rhino

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (1966)

While intelligent villains do typically lead to the best storylines, there's something about a dimwitted powerhouse that just feels right. Just about every comic book series has one and Spider-Man is no exception in this regard. The Rhino may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but his brute force approach is often just as effective as even the most cunning of plans.

"Nothing can resist my rhino-powered attack! - Rhino

Perhaps if Spider-Man's rogues' gallery weren't so full of evil geniuses, the Rhino would not stand out anywhere near as much as he does. As it is though, he serves as a breath of fresh air and a reminder that brawn can and often does overpower brain if the circumstances are right. That said, the Rhino is arguably at his most effective when being used as a tool by one of the smarter villains.

13 The Lizard

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #6 (1963)

That Dr. Connors serves as Peter's mentor during the early days of Spider-Man provides a lot of extra depth to the Lizard, as too do the doctor's failed attempts to put a stop to his alter-ego's evil plans. Ultimately, the fact that Peter knows that there is still a good person inside the Lizard causes him to pull his punches a little and the Lizard is more than happy to exploit this whenever possible.

"Once I destroy you, all mankind will tremble before the Lizard!!" - The Lizard

Though his ultimate goal is to mutate the Earth's population, the Lizard does still have some good in him and he has teamed up with Spider-Man on several occasions. Eventually, Dr. Connors even learns to control the transformation, although a lot of what made the Lizard such a great villain is arguably lost when he does so.

12 Chameleon

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963)

Though there are undoubtedly better Spider-Man villains, none are quite as cruel as the sinister supervillain, Chameleon. Debuting in the very first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, Dmitri Smerdyakov was the first villain that the web-slinger ever crossed paths with and has been a near-constant thorn in the hero's side ever since.

"I have told you again and again. I am not Smerdyakov. I am the Chameleon!" - Chameleon

Chameleon is a master of disguises and developed an immense hatred of Spider-Man following the death of his half-brother, Sergei (better known as the original Kraven). After learning Peter's true identity from Harry Osborne, Chameleon once build android versions of the hero's parents just to mess with him. He then goes after Peter's loved ones, although is left rather embarrassed by both Mary Jane and Aunt May.

11 Scorpion

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #20 (1965)

Although MacDonald Gargan's first appearance comes in The Amazing Spider-Man #19, it is not until the following issue when Jameson subjects him to a shady medical procedure that he truly becomes the Scorpion. Since then, he's appeared in countless story arcs and has pushed Peter Parker to his absolute limits on several occasions.

"Why waste time? I feel like I could lick an army right now!" - Scorpion

His impenetrable armor allows him to withstand insane amounts of punishment, while simultaneously transforming him into the perfect killing machine. As well as Spider-Man, he's come up against the might of The Avengers and even spends some time as Venom in the Marvel Knights: Spider-Man arc.