List of Spider-Man enemies
Spider-Man is a superhero created by Marvel Comics who debuted in the anthology comic book series issue Amazing Fantasy #15 during the Silver Age of Comics. After his debut, he received his own comic book entitled The Amazing Spider-Man. This comic introduced many of what would become his major supervillain adversaries. Spider-Man then became popular enough for more Spider-Man comic spinoffs which introduced more recurring enemies of the web-slinger, across their various incarnations.
As with Spider-Man, most of his villains' powers originate from scientific accidents or the misuse of scientific technology. They can be classified into multiple categories, such as animal-themed villains, villains with powers over the elements, horror-themed villains, crime lords, inventors, and masters of trickery and illusion. There are, however, numerous villains that don't fit into any specific category, such as Mephisto, who originated as a Silver Surfer villain. The villains oftentimes form teams such as the Sinister Six to oppose the web-slinger.
Spider-Man is notable for having numerous villains that redeemed themselves and became antiheroes, such as Black Cat, the Prowler, Morbius, Kraven, Sandman and Silver Sable. Also, unlike most superheroes, Spider-Man doesn't have one particular archenemy, but rather three: the Norman Osborn version of the Green Goblin, the Otto Octavius version of Doctor Octopus, and the Eddie Brock version of Venom, the latter two of whom have been similarly redeemed and depicted as antiheroes; since the late 2000s, the demon Mephisto has additionally been depicted as an overarching archenemy/prominent adversary of all incarnations of Spider-Man.
The rogues gallery of Spider-Man has garnered critical acclaim and has been considered one of the greatest rogues galleries of all time.
Supervillains and themed criminals
The majority of supervillains depicted in Spider-Man comics first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, while some first appeared in spinoff comics such as The Spectacular Spider-Man and Marvel Team-Up and other titles.''The Amazing Spider-Man'' debuts
Most of the supervillains of Spider-Man would be introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man comic book starting with the Chameleon. The early villains would be introduced in the 1960s during the Silver Age of Comic Books, and created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. John Romita Sr. replaced Ditko starting with the Rhino. Gerry Conway later replaced Stan Lee and helped create new adversaries for the web-slinger and also helped pave the way for the Bronze Age of Comic Books with the death of Spider-Man's long-time romantic interest, Gwen Stacy. Many collaborators would soon take over The Amazing Spider-Man title. One of the more popular examples included Todd McFarlane's Venom in the Modern Age of Comic Books.Note: Alter ego characters who are the most high profile in the supervillain alias but have shared that alias with others are in bold. Alter egos listed having N/A use their real name as supervillain name. All the villains are listed in the chronological order of their debut in comics. Characters of the central rogues gallery are in bold.
Central rogues gallery
| Name | Notable alter ego | First appearance issue # | Creator | Descriptions |
| Chameleon | Dmitri Anatoly Nikolayevich Smerdyakov | #1 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A master of disguise who can make himself look like anybody |
| Vulture | Adrian Toomes | #2 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | An elderly inventor who created mechanical wings that allow him to fly and grant him superhuman strength |
| Doctor Octopus | Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius | #3 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | Originally a brilliant scientist, his greatest invention, a set of metallic limbs, became fused to his body by an accident which caused his insanity. He has telepathic control of these arms, which are strong enough to physically hurt Spider-Man. While Doctor Octopus is regarded as one of Spider-Man's archenemies, he has also been portrayed as an antihero, and even starred in his own comic book storyline that saw him becoming a superhero called the Superior Spider-Man after the original Spider-Man's death. |
| Sandman | William Baker / Flint Marko | #4 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | Once a small-time crook, he became a supervillain after his body merged with sand which he can manipulate in many ways, such as shapeshifting, increasing his density and strength to lift up to 85 tons, and creating dust storms from his body. |
| Lizard | Dr. Curtis "Curt" Connors Peter Benjamin Parker | #6 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A scientist researching genetics, he injected himself with an experimental serum made from reptile DNA which transformed him into a humanoid lizard. As the Lizard, he has regeneration abilities, along with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. He has sometimes been shown as being able to telepathically command all reptiles within a one-mile radius. |
| Electro | Maxwell Dillon | #9 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | Originally a lineman for an electric company, he turned to a life of crime after being struck by lightning while working on a power line and becoming a living electric capacitor. His powers range from shooting electricity bolts to flight and superhuman strength and speed, which makes him one of Spider-Man's most dangerous enemies. |
| Mysterio | Quentin Beck Daniel Berkhart Francis Klum | #13 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A master of illusion who uses special effects, hypnosis, and an extensive knowledge of chemistry and robotics to trick his enemies |
| Green Goblin | Norman Osborn Harry Osborn | #14 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | The first Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, is the CEO of Oscorp and has powers derived from a "Goblin formula" that increases agility, endurance, strength, and reflexes to superhuman levels. The formula has also advances the intelligence while causing insanity as a side effect. He uses an arsenal of weapons created by Oscorp, such as pumpkin bombs and a personal glider. The Norman version of the Green Goblin is usually regarded as Spider-Man's archenemy. The second Goblin, Harry Osborn, is Norman's son and Peter Parker's best friend. He has the same powers as his father. |
| Kraven the Hunter | Sergei Kravinoff Alyosha Kravinoff Ana Kravinoff | #15 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | Depicted as the world's greatest big-game hunter, Kraven is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, though he also uses a "magic jungle potion" to increase his speed, strength, and tracking skills. He aims to kill Spider-Man, whom he regards as his equal, to prove himself as the world's greatest hunter, and is also the half-brother of the Chameleon. |
| Scorpion | Mac Gargan | #20 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A former private investigator who underwent a test that made him more powerful than Spider-Man, at the cost of his sanity. He gained the superhuman strength of a scorpion, and was provided with a scorpion-themed suit and weaponry. Gargan later became the third host of the Venom symbiote. |
| Rhino | Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich | #41 | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. | A Russian thug who was given a rhinoceros-modeled armor, which give him superhuman strength and resistance, after undergoing a chemical and radiation treatment. After escaping from his handlers, he used his newfound powers to become a supervillain. |
| Shocker | Herman Schultz | #46 | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. | A former small-time criminal who built himself a battle suit that contains vibro-shock gauntlets. |
| Kingpin | Wilson Grant Fisk | #50 | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. | Depicted as crime lord of New York City. Manipulate henchman to do his bidding. His body consists of mostly muscle that has much strength and agility. Enough to grapple and hammer Spider-Man. |
| Morbius | Michael Morbius | #101 | Roy Thomas Gil Kane | A formerly renowned biochemist who was mutated into a vampire. He has all the powers and weaknesses of a vampire. Later comic book storylines depict him as a tragic antihero. |
| Jackal | Miles Warren | #129 | Gerry Conway Ross Andru | A brilliant professor with the knowledge of cloning, which he uses to torment Spider-Man emotionally. The Jackal possesses superhuman strength, speed, and agility. There are two versions of the Jackal that operate independently of each other; the original being Miles Warren, while his clone goes by the alias of the Carrion. |
| Black Cat | Felicia Hardy | #194 | Marv Wolfman Keith Pollard | A master cat burglar, who inherited her name and skills from her father. She often carries a grappling hook for swinging on rooftops, and sometimes has bad luck powers. She has often been depicted as both a love interest and ally of Spider-Man. |
| Hobgoblin | Roderick Kingsley Jason Macendale Ned Leeds Phil Urich Demogoblin | #238 | Roger Stern John Romita Sr. | Roderick Kingsley discovered one of Norman Osborn's lairs and perfected the Green Goblin formula, which granted him superhuman strength and intelligence without Osborn's insanity. Using a vast arsenal of weapons similar to the Green Goblin's, including a goblin glider, pumpkin bombs and razor-sharp bats, Kingsley became the criminal mastermind known as the Hobgoblin. |
| Venom | Eddie Brock Mac Gargan | #300 | David Michelinie Todd McFarlane | Eddie Brock is a former reporter who blamed Spider-Man for ruining this career and his life. He became Venom after binding with the symbiote that once merged with Spider-Man. As Venom, he has the same powers as Spider-Man, and aims to ruin his life in any way he can. He is also undetectable to Spider-Man's spider sense. While Venom grew to be regarded as one of Spider-Man's archenemies, later comic book storylines depict him as an antihero, and he even reluctantly teamed up with Spider-Man when the lives of innocent people were at risk. Other character have also been the host of the Venom symbiote, including Mac Gargan, who became the second Venom. |
| Carnage | Cletus Kasady | #361 | David Michelinie Erik Larsen Mark Bagley | An offspring of the Venom symbiote merged with a serial killer. Carnage possess powers such as shapeshifting and creating weapons from his body. He can also plant ideas in people's heads. |
Foes of lesser renown that originated in ''The Amazing Spider-Man''
| Name | Notable alter ego | First appearance issue # | Creator | Descriptions |
| Tinkerer | Phineas T. Mason | #2 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A gifted engineer who specializes in creating gadgets from just about anything |
| Living Brain | N/A | #8 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A living robot that is designed to solve any problem |
| Big Man | Frederick Foswell | #10 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A notorious crime lord in New York City |
| The Smythe Family / Spider-Slayers | Spencer Smythe Alistair Smythe Spider-Slayers: (Multiple Names) | #25 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | The Smythe Family are robotic experts who create various deadly weapons known as "Spider-Slayers" for the purpose of hunting down Spider-Man. Spencer Smythe is the initial antagonist who creates the first Spider-Slayer on behalf of J Jonah Jameson. Alistair Smythe is the paternal son of Spencer Smythe who was crippled after a lab accident while helping his father with his work. Alistair fully inherits the Spider-Slayer legacy following his father's death, eventually enhancing himself with his own technology to increase his strength and return his ability to walk. Following this upgrade Alistair takes on the alias of "The Spider-Slayer" |
| Crime Master | Various | #26 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A professional criminal who was the alias of different people |
| Molten Man | Mark Raxton | #28 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A scientist who was covered in a liquid metallic alloy that not only gives him super-strength, but also enabled him to generate heat and radiation. |
| Looter | Norton G. Fester | #36 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A poor scientist who gains superpowers from meteor gas |
| Robot Master / Gaunt | Mendel Stromm | #37 | Stan Lee Steve Ditko | A former college teacher and partner of Norman Osborn that became a cyborg after being betrayed by Osborn |
| Finisher | Karl Fiers | Annual #5 | Stan Lee Larry Lieber | |
| Man Mountain Marko | Michael Marko | #73 | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. | A Maggia lieutenant to Silvermane with super-strength |
| Silvermane | Silvio Manfredi | #73 | Stan Lee John Buscema | An aging crime boss that is later turned into a cyborg with superhuman strength |
| Prowler | Hobie Brown Aaron Davis Miles Morales | #78 | Stan Lee John Buscema | An African-American teenage prodigy created the Prowler Technology; donning a green and purple battle suit with a cape and clawed gauntlets in order to operate as a petty thief. The "Ultimate" version was depicted as the uncle of Miles Morales. |
| Kangaroo | Frank Oliver Brian Hibbs | #81 | Stan Lee John Buscema Jim Mooney John Romita Sr. | A name given to two kangaroo-themed villains |
| Schemer | Richard Fisk | #83 | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. | The son of the Kingpin |
| Gog | N/A | #103 | Roy Thomas Gil Kane | An alien was found by Kraven the Hunter and adopted as a pet. He quickly grew gigantic in size, and possesses superhuman strength and bracelets that allow interdimensional teleportation. |
| Gibbon | Martin Blank | #110 | Stan Lee John Romita Sr. | A lesser criminal with gibbon-like abilities |
| Hammerhead | Joseph | #113 | Gerry Conway John Romita Sr. | A mobster who had most of his skull replaced with an unbendable steel alloy |
| Man-Wolf | John Jameson | #124. | Gerry Conway | The son of J.Jonah Jameson, John was transformed into a werewolf after being exposed to the alien Godstone. He has been depicted as both a villain and hero. |
| Tarantula | Various | #134 | Gerry Conway Ross Andru | A name given to different tarantula-themed villains |
| Mindworm | William Turner | #138 | Gerry Conway Ross Andru | A superhuman with telepathic powers |
| Grizzly | Maxwell Markham | #139 | Gerry Conway Ross Andru | An ex-professional wrestler who wears a grizzly bear-themed outfit |
| Human Fly | Richard Deacon | Annual #10 | Len Wein Bill Mantlo Gil Kane | A criminal who was imprinted with the genetic code of a housefly |
| Will o' the Wisp | Jackson Arvad | #167 | Len Wein Ross Andru | A former Roxxon employee who can manipulate his molecules |
| Big Wheel | Jackson Wheele | #182 | Marv Wolfman Ross Andru Mike Esposito | A criminal who rides the Big Wheel vehicle |
| Calypso | Calypso Ezili | #209 | Dennis O'Neil Alan Weiss | An accomplice of Kraven the Hunter who uses voodoo potions and magic |
| Hydro-Man | Morris Bench | #212 | Denny O'Neil John Romita Jr. | A former crewman who gained aquakinetic abilities following an accident during Spider-Man's fight with Namor. |
| Rose | Richard Fisk | #253 | Tom DeFalco | The alias of a gentleman-like crime lord with the alias used by different people most notably Kingpin's son Richard Fisk |
| Puma | Thomas Fireheart | #256 | Tom Defalco | A Native American who was bred to be a perfect warrior prophesied to stop a future threat that might destroy the world, gaining the ability to transform into a mountain lion werecat at will. |
| Slyde | Jalome Beacher | #272 | Tom DeFalco Sal Buscema | A chemist whose suit allow him to move at nearly. He is almost impossible to grasp and he is incredibly maneuverable |
| Styx and Stone | Jacob Eishorn and Gerald Stone | #309 | David Michelinie Todd McFarlane | A mad scientist and homeless man duo who fought Spider-Man as well as the Hulk, Venom and Cardiac. Styx has a disintegrating touch. Stone had two-large weapons on his shoulders and was later mutated into a golem-like creature. |
| Delilah | Unrevealed | #414 | Tom DeFalco Mark Bagley | A highly skilled and ruthless assassin who came under the employ of the Rose during one of the many crime-boss gang wars and became his confidante as well as his chief enforcer. |
| Black Tarantula | Carlos LaMuerto | #419 | Tom DeFalco Steve Skroce | A tarantula-themed martial artist |
| Morlun | N/A | vol. 2 #30 | J. Michael Straczynski John Romita Jr. | A member of the Inheritors who can drain the life force of Spider-Totems. |
| Shathra | N/A | vol. 2 #46 | J. Michael Straczynski John Romita Jr. Scott Hanna | An insectoid creature from the Astral Plane |
| Gray Goblin | Gabriel Stacy Lily Hollister (Menace) | #509
| J. Michael StraczynskiMike Deodato | A gray-resembling Green Goblin whose alias was used by different people |
| Mister Negative | Martin Li | #546 | Dan Slott Phil Jimenez | A crime boss and leader of the Inner Demons gang, who can swap between his normal appearance and his alter ego. His powers include a healing touch, mind control, and the ability to charge regular weapons with his energy. |
| Overdrive | James Beverley | Swing Shift | Dan Slott Phil Jimenez | A supervillain who can convert any vehicle into a high-powered one. |
| Freak | Unknown | #546 | Dan Slott Steve McNiven | A drug addict turned into a superpowered being able to adapt to injuries by metamorphing into new forms. Also referred to as Armadillo Man. |
| Screwball | Unknown | #559 | Dan Slott Marcos Martín | The world's first "live-streaming super-villain" |
| Massacre | Marcus Lyman | #655 | Dan Slott Marcos Martín | A brain-damaged criminal who lacks emotions |
| Panda-Mania | Unknown | Vol. 3 #1 | Dan Slott Humberto Ramos | A panda-themed supervillain |
| Regent | Augustus Roman | Vol. 4 #1 | Dan Slott Christos Gage Paco Diaz | The CEO of Empire Unlimited whose suit enables him to copy the powers of anyone imprisoned in his stasis tubes. A version of the character from Earth-18119 first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows as part of the "Secret Wars" storyline. |
| Kindred | Gabriel Stacy Sarah Stacy | Vol. 5 #5 | Nick Spencer Ryan Ottley | A human-turned-demon who has been revealed as Gabriel & Sarah Stacy. |
''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' debuts
Note: In chronological order| Name | Alter ego | First appearance | Description |
| Lightmaster | Dr. Edward Lansky | #3 | A physics professor and vice-chancellor of Empire State University who became a criminal mastermind as a way to prevent budget cuts for higher education. He created a unique special power armor suit which utilized "gravity-pump circuitry" to allow him to manipulate photons for a variety of effects. |
| Carrion | Various | #25 | Originally a clone of Miles Warren, he can levitate, kill by touch, control his density and telepathy. The first Carrion was killed by an amoeba-like clone of Peter Parker, and since then other incarnations of him has appeared. |
| Iguana | - | #32 | An accident occurs while Curt Connors experiments on an ordinary iguana, endowing the iguana with part of Connors' lifeforce and memories, as well as the personality and powers of Connors' alter ego, the Lizard. The Iguana becomes a human-sized semi-humanoid reptile with superhuman strength, hypnotic powers, and the ability to mentally control other reptiles. The Iguana encounters and battles Spider-Man, and is turned back into a normal iguana. |
| Answer | Aaron Nicholson | #91 | |
| Spot | Jonathan Ohnn | #98 | A scientist with the ability to create portals that lead to an alternate dimension and instantly cross short distances |
| Foreigner | Kris Keating | #115 | A master mercenary and assassin. |
| Sin-Eater | Stanley Carter | #107 | Multiple abilities ranging from artificially heightened physicality, to supernatural energy manipulation and self-healing. Was instrumental in the creation of Venom, and is also a reoccurring villain of Ghost Rider. |
| Lobo Brothers | Carlos and Eduardo Lobo | #149 | Two brothers who become werewolves and Drug cartel members who expanded into Texas. |
| Spidercide | - | #222 | Introduced as a red herring to suggest the possibility of a third individual that was the original Peter Parker during the "Maximum Clonage" story arc, he is one of the Spider-Man clones created by Jackal, to be Jackal's enforcer and protector. However, Spidercide is actually a clone of Ben Reilly, who is himself a clone of Spider-Man. |
''Marvel Team-Up'' debuts
Note: In chronological order| Name | Alter ego | First appearance | Creator | Description |
| Stegron | Vincent Stegron | Marvel Team-Up #19 | Len Wein Gil Kane | A scientist who became a humanoid Stegosaurus using the same method that turned Curt Connors into Lizard. |
| Witch-Slayer | Cotton Mather | Marvel Team-Up #41 | Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema | A witch-hunter of Salem, Massachusetts in the 17th century who had been given access to mystical power by the Dark Rider. |
| White Rabbit | Dr. Lorina Dodson | Marvel Team-Up #131 | J. M. DeMatteis Kerry Gammill Mike Esposito | A rabbit-themed supervillain, who pilots a giant rabbit mech and has a large arsenal of weapons at her disposal. |
| Black Abbot | Unknown | Marvel Team-Up #147 | Cary Burkett Greg LaRocque | A former monk of Dakoth-Kuru, a sect that had managed to use their teachings to unlock the full potential of their minds, giving them incredible mental powers. The Black Abbot had more powers, including the ability to control the twelve others and took control of the entire brotherhood. |
| Incandescent Man | Unknown | Marvel Team-Up #149 | Louise Simonson Bret Blevins | Following an experiment by Project Pegasus, he gained the ability to draw electrical energy into one's body. |
Debuting in other Spider-Man titles
Note: In chronological order| Name | Alter ego | First appearance | Creator | Description |
| Tombstone | Alonzo "Lonnie" Thompson Lincoln | Web of Spider-Man #36 | Gerry Conway Alex Saviuk | An albino mob enforcer |
| Shriek | Frances Louise Barrison | Spider-Man Unlimited #1 | Ron Lim Mark Bagley Mike W. Barr Tom DeFalco Jerry Bingham Terry Kavanagh | A sound-manipulating supervillain |
| Coldheart | Kateri Deseronto | Spider-Man #49 | Tom Lyle Howard Mackie | An expert martial artist and swordsman who wields Cryonic Swords that can freeze anyone in their place. |
Non-supervillain enemies
| Name | First appearance | Description |
| Burglar | Amazing Fantasy #15 | The man who killed Peter's uncle, which would inspire him to use his powers responsibly and become Spider-Man. |
| Flash Thompson | Amazing Fantasy #15 | Early on, Flash Thompson was usually depicted as an enemy of Peter Parker and an ardent admirer of Spider-Man. He is Peter's classmate who enjoys bullying him, while ironically being one of Spider-Man's biggest fans. Later on, Flash would become good friends with Peter. In The Amazing Spider-Man #654, Flash came into contact with the Venom symbiote and became the superhero Agent Venom. |
| J. Jonah Jameson | The Amazing Spider-Man #1 | The editor in chief of the Daily Bugle and Peter Parker's boss. He has a strong hatred of Spider-Man and tries his best to turn the city against him by publishing fake news about him, or changing them to make it look like Spider-Man is in cahoots with the villains he is fighting. He was also responsible for the funding of the creation of Scorpion, the Spider-Slayers, and the Human Fly. |
Miles Morales: Spider-Man villains
Miles Morales is a superhero and the third predominant Spider-Man to appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, created in 2011 by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, along with input by Marvel's then-editor-in-chief Axel Alonso.He debuted in Ultimate Comics: Fallout #4. Originally from the alternate Ultimate Marvel Universe Earth-1610 before being transported to the main Marvel Universe Earth-616.
After his debut Miles appeared in multiple ongoing series including Ultimate Comics Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man where he faced numerous villains that were either previous Peter Parker: Ultimate Spider-Man villains, or Ultimate Universe versions of Main Universe Spider-Man villains. Following his introduction to the main Marvel Universe he appeared in Spider-Man (2016) and Miles Morales: Spider-Man, which introduced new recurring enemies.
''Ultimate Marvel Universe'' debuts
Note: In chronological order| Name | Alter ego | First appearance | Creator | Description |
| Prowler | Aaron Davis | Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 | Brian Michael Bendis Sara Pichelli | Aaron Davis is a burglar and career criminal known as the Prowler, in addition to being Miles Morales Uncle. In the Ultimate Comics he is the one to accidentally steal the spider that granted Miles his abilities. He features prominently in media adapting Miles Morales. |
''Miles Morales: Spider-Man'' debuts
Note: In chronological orderVillains in other media
Note: In chronological orderGroup villains
| Group name | Original members | First Appearance | Description |
| The Enforcers | Montana Ox Fancy Dan | The Amazing Spider-Man #10 | A team of mercenaries usually in the employment of crime bosses. They are generally depicted as having no super powers, but are highly skilled assassins. |
| Sinister Six | Doctor Octopus Vulture Electro Sandman Mysterio Kraven the Hunter | The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 | Brought together by Doctor Octopus, they consist of some of Spider-Man's worst enemies, who joined forces in an attempt to eliminate the web-slinger once and for all. The team had different members in its various iterations over the years, but Doctor Octopus generally remained their leader across all versions. |
| Sinister Syndicate | Beetle Hydro-Man Rhino Boomerang Speed Demon | The Amazing Spider-Man #280 | A team of Spider-Man villains who were inspired by the Sinister Six to band together. Unlike them, however, they are not interested in killing Spider-Man, and work for the highest bidder. |
| Spider-Man Revenge Squad | Spot Grizzly Kangaroo Gibbon | The Spectacular Spider-Man #246 | A team of lesser-known and weaker Spider-Man villains, also known as the Legion of Losers, who decided to join forces to stand a better chance against the web-slinger. |
| Inheritors | Solus Unnamed Matriarch Daemos Verna Karn Morlun Brix Bora | The Superior Spider-Man #33 | A clan of totem hunters from Earth-001 who feed from animal, human and deity totems. Their main goal is to hunt down the various versions of Spider-Man across the Marvel Multiverse and feed on their life energy. |
Archenemies
Unlike most superheroes, who have a particular villain or villainous group among their adversaries with whom they have come into conflict the most, Spider-Man is often regarded as having three archenemies, and it can be debated as to which one is the worst:- Doctor Octopus has been described as Spider-Man's greatest enemy, and the man Peter Parker might have become if he had not been raised with a sense of responsibility. He is infamous for defeating him the first time in battle and for almost marrying Peter's Aunt May. He is also the core leader of the Sinister Six, and at one point adopted the "Master Planner" alias. Later depictions revealed him in Peter Parker's body where he was the titular character for a while, ultimately becoming an antihero; on several occasions, he and Spider-Man have even put their differences aside to become allies.
- The Norman Osborn version of the Green Goblin is most commonly regarded as Spider-Man's archenemy. Unlike Doctor Octopus, who only aims to kill Spider-Man, the Goblin also targeted his loved ones and showed no remorse in killing them as long as it caused pain to Spider-Man, therefore making him not only Spider-Man's worst enemy, but also Peter Parker's. His most infamous feat is killing Spider-Man's girlfriend in what became one of the most famous Spider-Man stories of all time and helped end the Silver Age of Comic Books and begin the Bronze Age of Comic Books. While the Goblin was killed in the same story, he returned in the 1990s to plague Spider-Man once again, committing more heinous acts. He also came into conflict with other heroes, such as the Avengers. Norman is sometimes depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man even when not being the Green Goblin.
- The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom is often regarded as Spider-Man's deadliest foe, and has been described as an evil mirror version of Spider-Man in many ways. He is also among Spider-Man's most popular villains. Venom's main goal is usually to ruin Peter Parker's life and mess with his head in any way he can. Despite this, Venom is not a traditional criminal, as he is only interested in hurting Spider-Man and does not engage in criminal acts, lacking the typical supervillain desires for wealth and power. The character also has a sense of honor and justice, and later starred in his own comic book stories, where he is depicted as an antihero and has a desire to protect innocent people from harm. On several occasions, he and Spider-Man have even put their differences aside to become allies.