10 Classic Spider-Man Villains Who Should Return ASAP

Spider-Man has the best overall rogues gallery of any superhero in Marvel Comics. The only character in all of comics that can even give him a run for his money is Batman, and Gotham City had about a 20-year head start in producing bad guys. Both heroes have impressively frontloaded collections of villains though with many, if not most, of their greatest foes all appearing in their first decade of stories.

The new Amazing Spider-Man series has not had any issues dipping into the past in order to revamp classic villains. Mysterio made an impressive appearance in the first issue, The Lizard is Peter Parker’s newest advisor as he pursues his doctorate, and Kraven has been slowly revealed across the first five issues as a returning force. Meanwhile, both Tinkerer and Sandman have been making notable appearances in the sister series Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man.

As the new series prepares for its first artistic changeup, with Steve Lieber and Humberto Ramos on the sixth issue, it’s worth looking ahead at which other villains might make a return. We’ve assembled a list of 10 great Spider-Man villains from his first decade (or so) of adventures who would be a perfect fit for Nick Spencer‘s take on the friendly neighborhood wallcrawler.

Chameleon

Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #1

Chameleon was one of the very first foes that Spider-Man ever battled, and has been a surprisingly versatile and dangerous enemy across the years. His ability to match almost anyone’s appearance, including their voice and mannerisms through technology and acting ability, allows him to sow chaos with no easy solution. Chameleon would be a great stealth villain to include with his cousin Kraven in an upcoming battle.

Scorpion

Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #20

The Scorpion has always seemed like a ready-made dark mirror for Spider-Man, but has never quite lived up to his potential. He gained incredible powers from an eight-legged creature combined with potent technology, and even gained a boost from Venom for a while. It’s time that Scorpion’s profile received a boost, and Spencer possesses a real knack for adding depth to B-list villains.

The Living Brain

Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #8

The Living Brain is commonly forgotten as an early creation of Ditko and Lee, but he has been around as long as almost any Spider-Man villain. Little has been done with the character since Dan Slott used its mechanical form as a storage device for Doc Ock’s consciousness. The Living Brain remains a powerful supercomputer capable of hijacking other devices and planning elaborate schemes though, and could surprise Peter Parker with some deadly new machinations.

Silvermane

Created by John Buscema and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #73

This youth-hungry old gangster made some very funny appearances in Spencer and Lieber’s The Superior Foes of Spider-Man as a detached head (later balanced atop an RC vehicle). In the past he has been far too dangerous to be considered a punchline though. Now that Spencer is guiding the main series, it may be time to let Silvermane wreak some real havoc.

Hammerhead

Created by Gerry Conway and John Romita, Sr.

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #113

Hammerhead was another very funny inclusion in The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, a classic henchman of Silvermane’s with a gimmick that is as powerful as it is ridiculous. He has been power-hungry for years, literally going head-to-head with Doctor Octopus once to control a nuclear power plant. While Spider-Man’s focus has been on colorful villains so far, this well-suited wise guy could provide some serious problems on the street level.

Molten Man

Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #28

Molten Man has settled into a civilian identity, albeit one with a bit of a shine still. Given his long history of instability and extensive underworld connections, it’s only a matter of time before he’s back in the action, even if he’s trying to stay on the side of the angels. Now that he is close with Peter Parker, in addition to his relationship with Spider-Man, seeing the Molten Man get put in a tough spot would provide plenty of drama for both identities at the heart of this series.

The Rhino

Created by John Romita, Sr. and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #41

Rhino has always had a big impact on Spider-Man’s life, both literally and metaphorically. In addition to smashing through brick walls like tissue paper, he shared a debut with the first (full) appearance of Mary Jane and grew to be a tragic figure in Peter’s life in more recent appearances. It’s time for Rhino to come back and redefine his role in this age, whether it’s as a pure villain once again or someone much more complicated.

Speed Demon

Created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema

First Appearance: Avengers (vol. 1) #70

While Boomerang has already made an appearance and most of the other lead characters from Superior Foes of Spider-Man can’t be too far behind, it’s Speed Demon who is most needed in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. While he’s far from effective, his quick feet and wit make him a substantial pain in Spider-Man’s backside that might remind the hero a bit of himself. Speed Demon would make for a very entertaining single-issue adventure.

The Punisher

Created by Gerry Conway and John Romita, Sr.

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #129

It’s easy to forget that Frank Castle entered the Marvel universe as a Spider-Man villain, even if his story has made him his own protagonist and a regular Daredevil nemesis over the years. With The Punisher’s profile increasing, it’s impossible to believe that Spider-Man could ignore a mass murderer killing New Yorkers, not matter what their rap sheet may look like. It’s time for a rematch between this pair.

Crime Master

Created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #26

Many characters have worn the mysterious Crime Master mask over the years, but each one has delivered a potent conspiracy story. Lucky Lewis and Bennett Brant don’t need to return, but the guise they used to corral the underworld would provide a great connection to the past for a new long term story.