Spider-Man has always been one of Marvel Comics‘ toughest heroes. While his strength is nowhere near someone like the Hulk, the Thing, or Thor, he can still toss ten tons around like it’s a beach ball and has managed some extremely impressive feats of strengths. He can take quite a beating… well if someone can hit him, that is. Spidey’s strength is matched by his agility, and his spider-sense allows him to know what his foes are going to do before they do it. He can easily avoid 95% of attacks from just about anyone, meaning that it’s rare he even has to depend on his strength, durability, or the healing factor in battle.
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However, as fast and tough as the Wall-Crawler is, there are some villains who have had his number. These bad guys have tested the hero beyond his breaking, and he was lucky to escape with his life. Sometimes he didn’t. These seven Marvel villains have destroyed Spider-Man in battle, able to overcome all of his advantages in combat.
7) Carnage
Carnage is Spider-Man’s deadliest villain, and has long had some advantages over the webslinger. The Carnage symbiote was immune to spider-sense, so Spidey couldn’t predict his actions, which was a big problem. The psychotic symbiote’s strength and speed were on par with the Wall-Crawler’s, probably a little higher, and their battles were always savage affairs. Over the years, Carnage has been able to get the better of his foe numerous times. Usually, Spidey would need Venom’s help in battle against Carnage; most of their early battles saw the villain dogwalking Peter Parker.
6) Venom
Venom quickly became Spider-Man’s most challenging villain. Once upon a time, the symbiote and Peter Parker had been working together perfectly, but when it tried to bond with him, he rejected it. Meanwhile, Parker destroyed the career of Eddie Brock, a reporter who wasn’t at all honest. The symbiote and the man came together and went after Spider-Man as Venom. Those early fights saw Spidey come out on the worst end of things constantly. Venom was immune to spider-sense, faster, and stronger. He pulverized the Wall-Crawler time after time back in the day.
5) Vulture
Adrian Toomes became the Vulture after he was swindled by his business partner, and has learned to hate Spider-Man with a particular passion. His flight harness gives him superhuman strength, allowing him to punch it out with the friendly neighborhood one. Recently, the two met in battle and the Vulture went hard in the paint, almost killing Peter Parker and forcing him to ask Green Goblin for help. It was honestly a pretty shocking moment; Vulture had hurt Spidey before but he never beat him this badly.
4) Morlun
Morlun is an Inheritor, an energy vampire who hunts down those who are connected to the spider-totem. He and Spider-Man have clashed many times over the years, and their first two fights were some of the worst beatings that Spider-Man ever took. Morlun was more powerful than the Wall-Crawler by a hefty measure and he was fast enough to trump the hero’s spider-sense and agility. The only reason the hero survived the first fight was because he had the help of Ezekial, another man connected to the spider-totem, and the second fight had Morlun kill him, literally. It was beyond savage, showing how dangerous Morlun really is.
3) Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter was the world’s greatest hunter, and Spider-Man changed his life. Kraven was impressed by the young hero and wanted to test himself against him. This led to the two clashing numerous times over the years, with the villain even joining the original Sinister Six. He got tired of constantly being beaten, so he decided to prove that he was superior to the hero who had taken him down so many times. In “Kraven’s Last Hunt”, the villain attacked Spider-Man, beat him near to death and buried him alive, then put on his costume and fought crime, showing that everything the Wall-Crawler could do, he could do better. He took his life after, satisfied in his triumph, and has since returned as a clone, but has never been able to match this one.
2) Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is considered one of Spidey’s greatest enemies, with him ranking up there with Green Goblin. While he can seem physically un-intimidating, his arms have made him into one of the most formidable villains out there. While he’s lost a lot of his fights with Spider-Man, he’s also been able to get the upper hand, such as when he used his adamantium arms in “Revenge of the Sinister Six”, where he nearly killed his longtime enemy (if you’ve never read it, you need to). However, he’ll forever be remembered as the man who killed Spider-Man, ending his enemy’s life by stealing his body from him. This led to one of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever in Superior Spider-Man, showing that he was better than his longtime enemy.
1) Green Goblin
Green Goblin and Spider-Man’s feud has bore poisoned fruit into both of their lives. The two of them had been locked in a death spiral for years. Norman Osborn’s Goblin formula gave him super strength and durability at a level at least as great Spider-Man’s own, and more than likely greater. They have beaten each ragged many times over the years, with Osborn nearly killing Peter on several occasions; technically, he has killed Spider-Man, but it was Ben Reilly and not Peter. Their battles always get intensely personal, and Goblin has gotten the better of Spidey many times.
Who do you think is Spider-Man’s most dangerous villain? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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