Fans were given an early look at the upcoming Kraven the Hunter movie with leaked images from the set. A few of Spider-Man’s villains have been showing up on the big screen in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Movies like Morbius and Venom highlight the popularity of the characters outside of the comics.
Spider-Man actually has quite a few villains who became popular with the fans over the years. Some have become anti-heroes to further increase their popularity while others have progressed further into evil. These villains have expanded beyond Spider-Man’s stories as the fanbase has grown to love them.
10 Black Cat Is A Thief And Former Partner Of Spider-Man Who Has Never Been More Popular
Felicia Hardy first appeared as a villain named Black Cat when she encountered Spider-Man. They began to work together as superhero partners and lovers, though the relationship eventually fizzled. While Black Cat mostly operates as a hero, she is still a world-renowned thief who dips her paws back into supervillainy every so often.
Black Cat’s recent ongoing series ran for two volumes and brought the character to the forefront of Marvel events. Her popularity with fans almost saw her debut on the big screen as well. Unfortunately, her shared movie with Silver Sable was canceled.
9 Hobie Brown’s Time As Prowler Saw Him Grow From Criminal To Hero Before Becoming The Hornet
He was initially designing new tools to help in his window washing position, though Hobie Brown was forced to use his tech to become the thief known as the Prowler. His encounter with Spider-Man allowed Hobie to reform and Prowler became a hero. He even worked as Peter Parker’s bodyguard and Spider-Man’s crime-fighting partner.
However, the Ultimate version of the Prowler also found his own level of popularity as a criminal. Hobie Brown decided to use another of his designs to take on the identity of the Hornet. He completed his evolution into his own hero while Aaron Davis from the Ultimate universe retained the Prowler name.
8 J. Jonah Jameson Was One Of Spider-Man’s Earliest Enemies Before He Became A Beloved Ally
He has been known as the publisher of the Daily Bugle, the mayor of New York, and the host of his own popular podcast called Threats & Menaces. However, J. Jonah Jameson was originally one of Spider-Man’s earliest villains. He paid for the creation of a few different Spider-Slayers and was the one responsible for Mac Gargan’s transformation into Scorpion.
However, Jameson was also an important figure in Peter Parker’s life who would become one of his closest friends. Jameson became even more loved by fans after he finally learned the truth about Spider-Man’s secret identity and rededicated his efforts to help Parker fight crime.
7 Doctor Octopus Found A New Level Of Popularity Thanks To His Time As The Superior Spider-Man
After the character reached a new level of villainy due to his impending death, Doctor Octopus was given a new lease on life. He switched his mind into the body of Peter Parker and vice versa. Octavius became the Superior Spider-Man and dedicated himself to being a better hero than Parker while also furthering his own schemes.
Even after Peter Parker reclaimed control of his body, Doctor Octopus continued to grow in popularity. He eventually returned in a powerful new cloned body that allowed him to return to his role as the Superior Spider-Man in an underrated comic series. He has since returned to his original body as Doctor Octopus and remains one of Spider-Man’s most popular villains.
6 Morbius Is A Living Vampire Who Has Become A Favorite Among Fans Of The Supernatural
The monstrous character known as Morbius first appeared in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man as part of a new wave of Marvel monsters. He was a scientist who accidentally turned himself into a living vampire after he experimented on himself in order to cure a rare blood disease that was killing him.
Morbius spent a few years struggling to find an audience until the ’90s when the character was given a new look as a member of the supernatural Midnight Sons. His popularity has waxed and waned over the years, though the character has reached a new audience thanks to 2022’s live-action Morbius adaptation.
5 Kaine Was A Dark Villain From The Clone Saga Before He Grew Into His Own Hero As Scarlet Spider
The Clone Saga introduced a few new characters that included the first failed clone of Miles Warren/The Jackal. He had taken the name of Kaine and dedicated his life to ruining the successful clone’s life, Ben Reilly. Kaine suffered from cellular degeneration due to his origins as a clone, though things changed after his body was restored during the Spider-Island event.
He was able to begin a new life with a clean slate as Kaine Parker. He took one of Spider-Man’s modified costumes as his own and adopted the name of his late “brother” Ben Reilly. He became one of the most popular versions of Scarlet Spider who fans are hoping to see make his return.
4 Boomerang And Shocker Became Fan-Favorite Villains After Their Run As Superior Foes Of Spider-Man
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man saw the forgettable villain Boomerang organize his own version of the Sinister Six alongside Shocker and a few other villains. Over the course of the series, Boomerang and Shocker endeared themselves to fans as flawed but loveable characters.
The two villains’ popularity continued to increase as Shocker earned new respect among his other villains while Boomerang seemed ready to reform. Boomerang even began working alongside Spider-Man for a time in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man to showcase his new status as a favorite among fans.
3 Cardiac Is A Powerful Anti-Hero Who Uses Extreme Methods To Take Down Corrupt Corporations
Dr. Elias Wertham dedicated his life to bringing down corrupt corporations after the needless death of his brother. He used his brilliant mind and resources to become a powerful anti-hero known as Cardiac. His body was enhanced by a beta particle reactor that replaced his heart and he protected himself with a vibranium mesh that was weaved through his skin.
Cardiac quickly made an impression on fans due to his brilliant design and complicated but convicted morals. He has worked alongside Spider-Man though has also fought against him when the wall-crawler disagreed with his extreme methods. Fans have a special spot in their hearts for Cardiac and he remains one of Spider-Man’s villains who haven’t yet appeared on screen.
2 Norman Osborn Grew Past His Rivalry With Spider-Man To Threaten The Status Quo In Dark Reign
The Green Goblin has been one of Spider-Man’s most powerful villains that he has faced time and time again. Norman Osborn has even returned from the dead to continue his ongoing rivalry with Peter Parker. However, Osborn eventually grew beyond his role as one of Spider-Man’s arch-enemies.
He became an even bigger threat who threatened other Marvel heroes like the Avengers when he achieved new political power during the Dark Reign event. Osborn has used a few other costumed identities like the Iron Patriot and the Red Goblin that have further grown his fanbase as one of Marvel’s deadliest villains.
1 Venom Grew Beyond His History As Spider-Man’s Black Costume To Become A Cosmic Hero
Spider-Man brought an alien suit back to Earth after the Secret Wars event and wore it as his popular black costume. However, he was forced to abandon the symbiote, leaving it to bond with the revenge-fueled Eddie Brock. They became Venom and quickly became one of Spider-Man’s strongest and most popular villains.
Venom became an anti-hero and lethal protector whose popularity continued to grow over the years. The symbiote even bonded with other hosts like Flash Thompson and Venom has joined a few teams as well. However, after the symbiote returned to Eddie Brock, Venom earned a new place in the Marvel universe as a cosmic hero that showcased his rise to fame.
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