7 Amazing Enemies of Spider-Man
Seven of Spidey's best known enemies.
With the ongoing CLONE CONSPIRACY story arc, we take a look at some of Spider-Man’s best known enemies at their worst because, let’s face it, you never know who could make an appearance when the dead refuse to stay dead.
Or at least their clones do!
And speaking of clones, who better to start this countdown off than the clone creator himself …
#7 Miles Warren, a.k.a. The Jackal.
The Jackal made himself known not long after the death of Gwen with his knowledge of genetics and cloning – the latter which would lead him to future conflicts with Spider-Man. In particular, Warren’s willingness to play god led him to the creation of Ben Reilly and the Clone Wars saga, and later, the Spider-Island debacle, which left the residents of New York City imbued – or infected – with spider-like powers of their own. This failure to respect the natural order no doubt sets The Jackal apart as one of Spider-Man’s most powerful and brilliantly deadly foes.
#6 Dr. Curt Connors, a.k.a. The Lizard.
Often portrayed in a tragic light as one seeking a cure for his missing arm, Dr. Curt Connor only found his fate as the monstrous Lizard. Responsible for numerous crimes against humanity, Spider-Man grew to understood his friend was a danger not only to himself but others around him. And while the thought of his wife and son could usually be counted on to help draw the man out from the beast, recently, the good doctor saw his own son turned into reptilian monster as well. Could there be a more villainous act than to lead one’s own child down the same path of destruction?!?
#5 Eddie Brock, a.k.a. Venom.
The death toll for the original Venom reaches pretty high – a worthy argument for falling on this list. Yet, one of the moments where readers see Eddie Brock arguably at his worst in his career as Venom took place in one of his first days on the job when readers discovered him encroaching upon the home of Peter Parker and terrorizing Mary Jane Watson! Few things are more sacred to a super hero than their secret identity, and to have one’s private life unmasked and exposed to the world of villains might be one of the greatest threats of all.
#4 Sergi Kravenoff, a.k.a. Kraven the Hunter.
For many Spider-Man fans, J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck’s “Kraven’s Last Hunt” may be one of the best story lines told to date. Not only do we see Spider-Man beaten at the hands of the greatest hunter in the world, but the black-suited wall-crawler then finds himself buried alive! For a true believer, how much worse could it be than seeing your favorite super hero buried six feet under?!?
#3 Dr. Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus.
With Dan Slott at the web-covered helm for going on seven years, no villain stands out more than Otto Octavius for his nefarious – and mostly successful – scheme to swap bodies with Peter Parker for almost a year and a half! And with his recent appearance in “The Clone Conspiracy,” who knows if he’ll reach even higher heights – and sink to even lower depths – to come out on top?
#2 Norman Osborne, a.k.a. The Green Goblin.
There are two moments in the life of Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s lives that defined him for the decades to follow and the death of Gwen Stacey would be one of those two times thanks to Norman Osborn. Of course, the Green Goblin terrorized Spider-Man on numerous occasions but the introduction of lasting death shocked both Parker and readers into realizing the cost of the costume was more than expected.
And, of course, this leaves us with the greatest of all Spider-Man’s enemies…but if not Norman Osborne than who could it be???
#1 Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man.
Let’s face facts: Peter Parker’s greatest enemy is himself. Not only has his infamous “Parker Luck” left his personal life in shambles, we cannot forget that Peter himself set in motion the circumstances that both led to the death of Uncle Ben and his life as a costumed super hero. While many benefited from the wall-crawler’s choice to fight for what’s right, one need only look to the Stacy family and others as proof that the price of being Spider-Man can prove costly. And that’s not even looking into the troubles his clones have created over the years …
The Hype Box
Can’t-miss news and updates from across the Marvel Universe!
Movies
Marvel Studios Releases ‘Thunderbolts*’ Teaser Trailer and Poster
TV Shows
Kathryn Hahn on Her 'Agatha All Along' Return: ‘I’m Still Pinching Myself’
Live Events
NYCC 2024 Schedule: Marvel Panels, Booths, and Activations