When it comes to quality villains, the Spider-Man series can be counted on to deliver in more ways than one. The wallcrawler is generally considered to have three archenemies of Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom, but there are several others that also make up his rogue’s gallery.
Fans on Ranker have cast thousands of votes to determine which baddies can be seen as the greatest set of villains. Since voters are from around the world, there’s no doubt that these characters are the most popular antagonists in the series. Whether it’s Peter’s dark reflection in Venom or an even more chaotic symbiote in Carnage, it’s worth looking at the names that have reached the top.
The Kingpin
Although fans largely consider Kingpin and Daredevil to be archrivals, the supervillain actually started out as a Spider-Man villain. Kingpin has been one of the most recurring adversaries of Spider-Man because of his hold on the organized crime circuit and the fact that he can go toe-to-toe with the superhero due to his muscled physique.
Although Kingpin hasn’t been responsible for the greatest tragedies in Spider-Man’s life, he’s most definitely caused a lot of problems since his goons prowl the city at nearly every corner. Moreover, his contrasting personality to Spider-Man has brought a lot of memorable banter between the hero and the villain.
Vulture
It’s only in recent times that casual fans have come to know more facts about Marvel’s Vulture, mainly after he showed up in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, comic book fans have seen him as part of various teams like the Sinister Six, with the Vulture also among Spider-Man’s regular foes.
After initially debuting as a rather hammy villain with a rather bizarre ability, Vulture has taken on a more serious demeanor and been placed as a serious threat since. He’s mainly been popular with fans because of how easily he blends in different villainous factions, meaning Vulture is never gone for too long.
Sandman
There are far more versions of Sandman in Spider-Man comics than many know of, but the live-action and Earth-616 iterations remain the most popular. Sandman is a fan favorite because of how his relatively simple abilities have been so effective in storytelling.
Sandman’s forced Spider-Man to use different methods to defeat him and it’s always interesting to see how he can go about it. The comic book version is quite the smart mouth, which has brought in memorable one-liners from him. Mainstream fans have taken to the character for the way he’s been made out to be a sympathetic villain.
Electro
Electro is notable for his overall design, with every incarnation of the supervillain having a distinct appearance. He’s responsible for creating the Sinister Six, which has gone on to become the most notorious faction that Spider-Man has gone up against.
He happens to be one of the most powerful Spider-Man villains overall, capable of doling out one-hit kills and incapacitating the hero at regular intervals. Electro has easily switched between having a hammy attitude or a deadly serious one depending on how he’s written and this quality enables him to be incorporated in various forms of media.
Carnage
The one Spider-Man villain who has no redeeming qualities has to be Carnage. The symbiote’s bonding with murderer Cletus Kasady has created a truly terrifying monster that lives up to its name. Carnage is generally reserved for Spider-Man stories that veer into horror territory.
His popularity comes from Carnage’s ruthlessness, as fans know they’re in for an experience that will thrill on all accounts. Carnage has heightened abilities than that of his father Venom, which means that Spider-Man is always on the brink of losing his life when battling the red symbiote.
Mysterio
Mysterio’s appearances are great for the thinking person fan, in that those who enjoy good brain teasers appreciate this villain. Mysterio’s knack for creating illusions generally bamboozle fans because they see things from Spider-Man’s point of view. Everything from Mysterio’s appearance to his schemes is supposed to confound audiences.
His popularity has no doubt shot up since Jake Gyllenhall portrayed the villain in Spider-Man: Far From Home, although the threat he poses was known to comic book fans for a long time. Mysterio is also among the hammier villains Spider-Man has, so his stories can be lighthearted even if they add in a sense of paranoia due to his illusions.
The Lizard
Another villain that is tragic and sympathetic to Spider-Man fans, the Lizard’s popularity comes from his multifaceted personality. As Curt Conners, he’s been placed in a mentor role for Peter in multiple incarnations, which has made his mutation as the Lizard heavily laden with guilt and conflict for the hero.
Lizard’s chaotic presence has been a source for super fight scenes between him and Spider-Man. Their clashes tend to be destructive and memorable, with Spider-Man’s feats of strength on full display. The Lizard can easily be seen as a horror villain for his fiendish persona and there are a lot of layers to his personality that make him an appealing villain to follow.
Doctor Octopus
Part of the trio that makes up Spider-Man’s archenemies, Doctor Octopus has been a constant thorn in the hero’s side. The Earth-616 version has caused him great distress, to the point where Octavius switched his conscience with Peter’s to swap bodies and become the Superior Spider-Man for years.
Live-action fans have loved Alfred Molina’s appearances as the villain, with this version being a genuinely good man and a fatherly figure to Peter. The tentacles can be seen as villains in their own right, as Doc Ock’s fusion with them has enabled him to go up against Spider-Man and win several times.
Green Goblin
For many fans, the Green Goblin deserves to be named as the primary archnemesis of Spider-Man, having caused many tragedies like the death of Gwen Stacy. He’s like The Joker to Spider-Man’s Batman, as the Green Goblin’s maniacal personality makes him a terrifying villain.
In his Norman Osborn persona, the villain has caused problems for Peter with his genius intellect. His far-reaching influence saw him becoming the leader of the Avengers and going to war against Asgard at one point. Fans have also enjoyed Willem Dafoe’s breakout performance as the Goblin, who ended up being the main villain in the multiversal Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Venom
Without a doubt, the most mainstream popular villain to come out of the Spider-Man universe has to be Venom. His enormous fan-following is such that he’s become an anti-hero in recent adaptations. Still, he’s largely considered to be part of the trio of Spider-Man’s archenemies, with many seeing him as the main villain because he knows all of Peter’s dark secrets.
Since he started out bonding with Spider-Man, the Venom symbiote drew from Peter’s inner darkness and nearly corrupted him. Venom’s fiendish appearance, twisted mind, and Spider-Man-like abilities have made him a great parallel to the hero. There’s so much to uncover with this character that fans continue to be entertained by Venom.