Top 10 Greatest Spider-Man Villains

Kicking off our list is Dr. Curt Connors, the chemist who experimented with lizard DNA to regrow his lost appendage. Instead, the side effects made him a monstrous reptilian beast able to control fellow cold-blooded creatures. A terrifying foe first appearing in 1963’s Amazing Spider-Man #6, he has super strength, accelerated healing and nigh indestructible skin. Rhys Ifans ultimately brought the character to the big screen in 2012’s The Amazing Spiderman.

Next up is the gang enforcer who arrived in 1966’s Amazing Spider-Man #41. One of Spider-man’s least intelligent foes, he makes up for this shortcoming with excessive strength. This was provided to him by a criminal experiment that injected the Russian mob enforcer with chemicals and covered him in a special armored skin. This baddie finally gained big screen recognition with Paul Giamatti’s casting in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man 2. Don’t ask us how Rhino goes to the bathroom, we haven’t the foggiest idea.

This reoccurring villain has been around since early on, making his debut in 1963’s issue #4. A perpetually striped-shirt wearing shape-shifter made out of sand, he’s been everything from major threat to a hesitant ally. One of the strongest and most dynamic foes in Spidey’s rogue’s gallery, he was portrayed as a sympathetic criminal by Thomas Haden Church in 2007’s “Spider-Man 3”.

From animals and sand to electricity! Maxwell Dillon was a simple technician that became a living superconductor after a freak lightening strike. With a power like that, the only natural thing to do was to cause trouble for the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He has electrified audiences since 1964’s issue #9 and fans finally got their big screen desires fulfilled when Jamie Fox was cast to shock the big screen in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man sequel.

This geriatric villain is an old buzzard who arrived way back in 1963’s issue #2. A businessman and talented electronics engineer, Adrian Toomes became obsessed with gaining the ability to fly. However, when his business partner robbed him, the harness contraption he created became the tool he would use to claim his revenge on the corporate vulture that did him wrong. Of course, Spidey’s interference got him on Toomes’ shit list.

This mastermind and crime boss may have become best recognized as the archenemy of Daredevil, but he caused trouble for Peter Parker first and continues to do so. Wilson Fink first appeared as New York’s criminal King Pin in 1967’s “The Amazing Spider-Man #50”, fooling readers into thinking that he’s just chub and brains. In reality, he’s 99% muscle, and ridiculously strong.

The name says it all.... An alien symbiote spawned from Spidey’s other doppelganger Venom, this creature made its host out of psychotic serial killer Cletus Kasady. A relatively late and decidedly edgy addition to the Spider-Man universe, Carnage arrived in 1991’s issue #344 to paint the town red. He’s so powerful Spidey has been forced to do the unthinkable and work with Venom to take him down.

Speaking of Venom, here is at #3, out to prove that the suit really does make the man. When Spiderman finally rid himself of his evil living alien costume, the enraged creature found its way to disgruntled ex-journalist Eddie Brock, who just so happened to be holding a grudge against Spiderman and Peter Parker himself. The two thus combined to create Venom in 1988’s issue #299, and they’ve been causing headaches for the web head ever since.

This super intelligent eight-limbed nemesis arrived very early on in 1963’s issue #3. Once a brilliant mind in atomic research, Dr. Otto Octavius’ life of quiet science came to an end when a mechanical harness device bonded to his body and warped his brain during an accident. Driven mad and aiming to continue his experiments, Octopus eventually organized the Sinister Six coalition with many of the villains listed above, with the end goal of destroying Spider-Man.

Was there any doubt? Taking the top spot on our list is the ultimate Spider-Man villain. Cackling his way into Spidey’s World, Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin arrived in 1964’s Amazing Spider-Man #14. A millionaire with unlimited resources and the father of Peter Parker’s best friend, Osborn’s Goblin was the result of a military experiment gone wrong, causing him to become both deranged and super strong in the process. While all Spidey’s foes torture the hero and threaten his personal life, it was only the Goblin that went so far as to kill Peter Parker’s girlfriend Gwen Stacey. Not cool dude!

Agree with our list? Which Spider-Man villain is your favorite? For more entertaining top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.