When looking at the first year of almost any superhero in comics, the bad guys are often forgettable, with maybe one or two that ended up being important over that hero’s history. For most heroes, it took years to develop that one main nemesis into their arch-enemy. However, that wasn’t the cast for Spider-Man. Instead, the first year of Spider-Man comics had no fewer than six of his most legendary villains introduced, names that are still connected with him to this day. It should also be noted that three other major villains — The Green Goblin, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter — debuted at the end of his first year, building one of the most impressive rogues’ galleries any hero has ever had.
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From Doctor Octopus and Sandman to a few less notable villains, here are the first 10 supervillains that Spider-Man faced in comics, ranked by their legacy over the years.
10) The Enforcers
It seems funny to look at the tagline for The Amazing Spider-Man #10, where it claims no one has fought anyone as “merciless” as the Enforcers. A short time later, Spider-Man battled the Sinister Six, and no one really cared about the Enforcers again. This was a three-person group that included Montana, Fancy Dan, and the Ox, who worked for the crime kingpin, Big Man. The Enforcers appeared in a total of 48 comics, fighting either Spider-Man or Daredevil, but they were never more than basic henchmen.
9) Living Brain
The Living Brain debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #8 as a robot built by Dr. Petty and brought to Peter Parker’s high school to show how it could be a master problem solver. An accident caused its programming to glitch, and it went on a rampage until Spider-Man stopped it. Interestingly, there were several things here more important than the Living Brain, including Peter’s teacher, Raymond Warren, whose brother was Miles Warren, the Jackal. The Living Brain did show up a few times in the future, including as a member of the Sinister Six, with a total of 41 appearances.
8) Tinkerer
The Tinkerer is Phineas Mason, and he made his debut in Amazing Spidey-Man #2, making him only the second supervillain that Spidey ever faced in comics. This saw him create a scheme where he hired actors to pretend to be an alien invasion, and he used the diversion to steal government secrets. He was quickly debunked, and Spider-Man helped bring him to justice. Interestingly, he was hired by Quentin Beck (the future Mysterio), although Mysterio didn’t actually appear until later in the comics. He remained persistent and appeared in a total of 68 comics.
7) Chameleon
In some interesting trivia, the first supervillain that Spider-Man ever fought was the Chameleon. There were two stories in The Amazing Spider-Man #1, with one seeing him trying to join the Fantastic Four and the second seeing him battle the Chameleon, a master of disguise. Knowing that Spider-Man was wanted by the police, he disguised himself as Spider-Man and pulled off a robbery. Spider-Man thwarted his plans and cleared his name. Chameleon became even more important later when he brought in his half-brother, Kraven the Hunter. Chameleon has an impressive 175 Marvel Comics appearances.
6) Electro
Electro made his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #9. An electrical technician, he gained powers after an electrical accident and immediately decided he wanted to become a supervillain. He then went on to battle Daredevil before returning to fight Spider-Man again. Knowing he couldn’t beat Spider-Man on his own, he was a regular member of the Sinister Six over the years. He has also received a power boost, where he became almost pure electricity, losing much of his humanity in the process. Electro appeared in 221 comic book issues over his career.
5) Vulture
The Vulture made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #2, the first supervillain that Spidey faced that had powers, although they were tech-based powers with the flight gear. During this time, Vulture was simply a thief who wanted to steal valuables, and Spider-Man had to use his brain to figure out how to disable Vulture’s tech to beat him. Vulture was also the first repeat villain for Spider-Man, returning in Amazing Spider-Man #7. Vulture has remained one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains, with a total of 233 appearances.
4) Lizard
Out of all the supervillains Spider-Man fought early in his career, the most tragic was Curt Connors. This was a good man and a scientist who sought to find a way to regrow a hand he lost in the war. However, when he decided to experiment with reptile DNA and tested it on himself, it had the side effect of turning him into a giant lizard, one that no longer had access to his brain control. It was the classic Jekyll and Hyde storyline for Curt. This made Spider-Man want to save him rather than bring him down. The Lizard’s story has had many twists and turns over the years, and he has appeared in a total of 215 comics.
3) Sandman
Sandman is a great comic book supervillain, and he made his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #4. This was the first supervillain Spider-Man ever fought that had superhuman abilities and not just tech. Sandman was exposed to radiation that caused him to be able to turn his body into sand, making him almost impossible to fight. He became a persistent villain for Spider-Man over the years, both solo and as part of the Sinister Six. He was also someone who sought rehabilitation, was a friend of The Thing, and even joined the Avengers for a time. In all, he has appeared in 312 comic book issues since his introduction.
2) Doctor Doom
It might come as a shock, but the fifth supervillain Spider-Man ever fought was Doctor Doom. This happened in The Amazing Spider-Man #5, and from the things that Doom said in the issue, this was the real Doctor Doom and not one of his Doombots. Of course, Doom is a Fantastic Four villain and made his debut the previous year in Fantastic Four #5, but here, he wanted to find Spider-Man and convince him to join him in his battles with the Fantastic Four. Of course, Spidey refuses, and this leads to a fight, in which the Fantastic Four had to show up to save him. Doctor Doom has 979 comic appearances, but since he isn’t a genuine Spoiuder-Man villain, he ranks second.
1) Doctor Octopus
The one villain Spider-Man fought early in his career that retains the best legacy of anyone in his rogues’ gallery is Doctor Octopus. He battled Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #3, and it was Doc Ock who went on to become Spidey’s archenemy, even more so than names like Green Goblin. Dopctot Octopus even took Spider-Man’s place for a while in the phenomenal Superior Spider-Man storyline, and he is one of the few villains actually to defeat Spider-Man. Doctor Octopus has appeared in 555 comics since his introduction, and he remains Spider-Man’s most iconic villain.
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios.
