Insomniac's Spider-Man game is due out on September 7, and plot details are still being kept tightly under wraps. It's known that players will take on the role of Peter Parker, both in and out of his legendary outfit (of which there will be a great many variants), and certain parts of the game will even put players in the shoes of Mary Jane Watson, possibly the most iconic redhead in comic book history. Miles Morales will also have a role in the PlayStation 4 exclusive title, but it's unknown if he'll be playable or have superpowers.
Despite the secretive nature of the game, Insomniac has shined a particular spotlight on the bad guys who'll be taking on the friendly-neighborhood wall crawler. There will be a metric ton of villains for Spider-Man to face - and that's just Kingpin! All told, there are 11 big-name Spider-Man baddies confirmed for the game (so far).
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Some of these foes are as iconic as New York City's most famous web-slinger, but some of them are relatively more obscure. While hype for the long-awaited superhero game from the studio behind Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank is at its zenith, let's take a look at Every Marvel Villain Confirmed For Spider-Man.
11. Kingpin
The first villain revealed for the game was the Kingpin of crime, Wilson Fisk. A supposed "legitimate businessman," Fisk is easily recognizable due to his massive height and weight. He may be a little on the husky side, but make no mistake – he's a deadly opponent in hand-to-hand combat. The character first appeared in a 1967 issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, and is considered to be the arch-nemesis of all of New York City's street-level heroes.
In the game, the first E3 demo revealed he's already been captured by Spidey, but that doesn't mean he's not still dangerous. On the big screen, he appeared in the ill-fated Daredevil film, played by Michael Clarke Duncan, and is currently set to reappear in Daredevil season 3 on Netflix, played by Vincent D'Onofrio.
10. Mister Negative
Mister Negative made his debut in the same E3 demo which introduced Kingpin. It was initially believed that Mister Negative, aka Martin Li, was going to be the main villain of the game, but it's now looking like the title will feature an ensemble of foes, possibly resulting in the iconic supervillain team the Sinister Six.
The character is a relatively recent addition to Spidey's pantheon of rogues, having debuted in the controversial 2008 storyline, "Brand New Day." He possesses a split personality; Martin Li is a good man, dedicated to helping the poor with his F.E.A.S.T. initiative, though the super villain Mister Negative can charge weapons with electrical energy and aims to usurp Kingpin as the big boss of New York's criminal underworld.
While Li has never made a proper appearance in a Spider-Man game (LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 DLC notwithstanding), he was hinted at or briefly mentioned in both of Beenox's Amazing Spider-Man titles, tie-ins to the ill-fated and ironically-titled "Amazing" reboot film series.
9. Scorpion
Scorpion is one of Spidey's oldest adversaries, having made his debut in 1964's Amazing Spider-Man #19, though he didn't technically become a feared super villain until issue #20, which was released in January 1965. In the realm of cinema, the character finally made his first appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Although he didn't wear his armored exo-suit, he did get punched in the face by a car on the Staten Island Ferry (which doesn't allow cars in real life, by the way!). His re-appearance in that film's post-credits sequence hinted towards the possibility of him becoming a greater threat in a prospective sequel.
In the video game space, Scorpion appeared as the first boss in Neversoft's genre-defining super hero game, simply titled, Spider-Man. He also appeared in the movie tie-in to Spider-Man, Spider-Man 3, and The Amazing Spider-Man, despite not appearing in any of those movies. In the new game, Scorpion appears in the Raft prison break-out, though his role beyond that is a mystery.
8. Rhino
One of Spider-Man's most physically intimidating villains, Rhino made his cinematic debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, inexplicably played by the decidedly non-physically intimidating Paul Giamatti, sporting an over-the-top Russian accent and tacky tracksuit.
The character dates back to Amazing Spider-Man #41, released in 1966. While he's more than a physical match for Spidey, he's definitely a match for the plucky teenager's quick thinking and problem-solving skills. Physically, he's certainly not on the level of someone as powerful as The Hulk, as shown in 1968's Hulk vol. 2 #104, in which Rhino is beaten so badly he's knocked into a coma.
In the game, Rhino is one of the prisoners on The Raft, and he's bigger and more musclebound than ever. His armored suit makes him look like a tricked-out version of Bane from the Batman Arkham games, and that can't be a bad thing.
7. Vulture
One of Spidey's very first villains, Vulture made his comics debut in 1963's Amazing Spider-Man #2, making him Spider-Man's first super villain enemy. Armed with a technologically advanced harness which grants him the ability to fly like a bird, he's nonetheless defeated in his first appearance.
The legend goes that Vulture was to be the main antagonist of Sam Raimi's prospective Spider-Man 4. Alas, it was not to be, though the version played by Michael Keaton in Spider-Man: Homecoming has been lauded as one of the MCU's greatest and most relatable villains.
Adrian Toomes, aka The Vulture, didn't appear in Spider-Man 4, but he did show up in the 2002 video game tie-in to the first Spider-Man movie, as well as Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, as the "Noir" version of the character. This Toomes was a psychotic cannibal who murdered and devoured Uncle Ben. So far, the PS4 version of Vulture only appeared during the E3 2018 Raft demo, and is presumably not a cannibal, thank goodness.
Page 2 of 2: Every Other Spider-Man PS4 Villain
6. Shocker
The Shocker made his PS4 debut in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it trailer cameo, but made a full appearance in he E3 2018 floor demo. Apparently, somebody is using mind control to have guards release prisoners from their cells, setting them loose in the city, and Spider-Man his to fight the escaped Shocker in an adrenaline-pumping boss battle, in which Spidey discovers there's a greater evil pulling the strings of the NYC's street-level villains.
General audiences probably know Shocker best from his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming, though he didn't get to wear his creepy yellow mask; just the powerful gauntlet, which, in the MCU continuity, is actually an enhanced upgrade to Crossbones' powered fist.
Shocker's first appearance in the comics dates back to Amazing Spider-Man #46, initially published in 1967. While the character has never risen to super villain prominence like Doc Ock, Green Goblin, or Kingpin, he's always a formidable foe who gives heroes a real run for their money before they inevitably defeat him.
5. Taskmaster
Taskmaster was introduced as an enemy of The Avengers back in 1980, though he may be best known for his work alongside Deadpool in the late 1990s/early 2000s. While Insomniac has yet to offer an official look at the villain in action, it has been confirmed the character will play into a set of sub missions. These optional tasks (get it?) will see Spider-Man swinging across the city to disarm bombs set by the villainous military instructor.
While still a relatively unknown character in the mainstream compared to the likes of Doc Ock or Venom, Taskmaster has a cult following due to his unique backstory and clever skill of "photographic reflexes," which allows him to perfectly imitate anything action he witnesses, as well as his occasional forays into fighting on the side of good, training registered super heroes in the aftermath of Civil War.
It's only a matter of time before Taskmaster pops up in a movie. In fact, the legend goes he was slated to appear in the first Deadpool movie, but the rights reverted to Marvel before production began. On the plus side, maybe that means he'll get to pop up in the MCU eventually.
4. Electro
Electro debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #9 from 1964. Sure, it was a long time ago, but that doesn't excuse his gaudy style and horrible mask! Of course, he's so powerful that few would dare insult his wardrobe, lest they get a lightning bolt to the face.
The first big-screen appearance of Electro came in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. In fact, the film was even retitled in some countries to The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro. Unfortunately, despite Jamie Foxx's impressive, Tim Burton-esque performance, the film was a critical dud and a financial underperformer. Interestingly enough, Electro also had a starring role as the lead villain in a different Spider-Man 2; he was the lead antagonist in the 2001 PlayStation game, Enter Electro.
Electro plays a large role in the E3 2018 trailer, and proves to be a formidable opponent on The Raft, throwing lightning bolts at Spidey and nearly killing the plucky hero on numerous occasions. This version of the character doesn't wear his infamous yellow mask, but instead has its general shape burned onto his face. It's a distinctly Arkham-style design choice which suggests the game is going for a slightly more realistic style with regards to the looks of its villains.
3. Black Cat
With origins dating back to 1979's Amazing Spider-Man #194, Black Cat, AKA Felicia Hardy, was actually created by Marv Wolfman to be a supporting character for Spider-Woman, but she wound up being more comfortable around Peter Parker. It's tough to describe Black Cat as a straightforward villain, but she's definitely not a straight-up hero, either. Like her obvious inspiration, Catwoman, Black Cat acts as a femme fatale foil to the hero, a self-centered thief who nevertheless finds herself harboring an unexpected infatuation with her sometimes-enemy. She's also ridiculously over-sexualized, even by the admittedly old-fashioned standards of comic books.
Black Cat is due to play a role in the main game, but she'll truly get to shine in the spotlight in the first DLC expansion, though the team at Insomniac stopped short of delivering any truly juicy details. Presumably, True Believers will get to learn more about "The City That Never Sleeps Initiative" as Spider-Man's September launch begins to draw near.
2. Silver Sable
Nobody can say for sure if Sony's Silver & Black spinoff film will ever see the light of day, but fans of Silver Sablinova can rest easy knowing their favorite character will get her just due in this new Spider-Man game. The character has never appeared in a film before, but she's been in games as varied as Ultimate Spider-Man, Shattered Dimensions, and even the little-known multiplayer arena shooter, Punisher: No Mercy.
In the comics, Silver debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #265, from 1985, and she certainly rocked the 1980s headband, which appears to be sadly absent in the new video game. In the PS4 title, Silver Sable is the leader of Mayor Osborne's security force, and he calls on her to take control of the city back from vigilantes like Spider-Man. After all, he's running for re-election, and he seems to be the type of guy who would run on a law & order ticket while employing a private army to fight his opponents, political or otherwise.
1. Norman Osborne
Speaking of Mayor Osborne, the Green Goblin himself is the final piece of the Spider-Man puzzle. It's unclear if this version of Osborne was ever the Green Goblin, if he's reformed, or if nobody ever learned his secret villainous identity. It's all a mystery. However, this incarnation of the character does bear an unusually strong resemblance, in face and voice, to Willem Dafoe, who earned universal praise for his portrayal of the character in the Sam Raimi movies.
The Green Goblin first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #14, but his alter ego, Norman Osborne, didn't appear until nearly two years later, in 1966's Amazing Spider-Man #37. Almost immediately, the character cemented himself as Spidey's ultimate nemesis and, indeed, one of the most dangerous and compelling comic book villains of all time, right up there with Lex Luthor and Doctor Doom.
It seems like a sure bet that Osborne is the mastermind behind everything, but it could also be too obvious; perhaps Osborne is just a politician – albeit a crooked one – and he won't truly become a dastardly villain until the inevitable sequel.
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Spider-Man PS4 is one of the most hyped games of 2018, and with Spidey having an iconic rogues' gallery, it looks like Insomniac Games is pulling out all the stops to make sure they're all well-represented in the game. While much of the title is still shrouded in mystery, there's one thing we know for sure: September 7 can't come soon enough.