Summary
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, anda plethora of high-quality video gamesas well. While undoubtedly a great character though, theSpider-Manfranchise 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 ofthe best villains ever created.
Updated August 10, 2025, 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.
30Spencer 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 greatSpider-Manvillains 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 notableSpider-Manvillains, though despite surviving the process and the degeneration that killed most of the others, Spencer is still to achieve his goal.
29Tarantula
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 fromthe 1986 horror movieThe 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.
28Richard Fisk
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #83 (1970)
Being the son of one of the bestSpider-Manvillains 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 andSpider-Manat 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 inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; albeit in a very different capacity.
27Morlun
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #30 (2001)
Whether or not Morlun is truly one of the bestSpider-Manvillains 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 theSpider-Mancomic 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.
26Molten 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 inSpider-Man: Far From Home, though the man himself is still to make an appearance outside of the comics and animated series.
25Spot
First Appearance: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97 (1984)
FewSpider-Manvillains 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’sSpider-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 animatedSpider-Mantelevision 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 theSpider-Manseries tends to highlight through its frequent depictions of crime.
24Black Tarantula
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #419 (1997)
One of the very few greatSpider-Manvillains 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 fewSpider-Manvillains 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.
23Kaine
First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #119 (1994)
Kaine is one of the more complicated characters in theSpider-Mancomic 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.
22Mister 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 andthe sheer number of villains that feature inMarvel’s Spider-Manare 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 inSpider-Man’s forward-facing rogues' gallery.
21Black Cat
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979)
It’s difficult to ignore the many similarities between Felicia Hardy’s Black Cat andSelina Kyle from theBatmancomics. 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 Peterwithout possessing any traditional superpowersis also impressive, albeit a little overplayed in modern pop culture.
