Top 10 Best Spider-Man Anti-Heroes
#10: The Lizard
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In both comics and film, Doctor Curt Connors is a mentor, professor, and friend to Peter Parker. A brilliant scientist, his desire to regrow his lost arm leads him to dangerous genetic experiments. Unfortunately, they transform him into one of Spider-Man’s deadliest foes: The Lizard. When not trying to take a bite out of Spidey, Connors fights desperately against the monster within. He lives in fear every day of the ravenous reptile taking over his mind for good. Widely considered to be one of the wall-crawler’s most tragic enemies, his struggles alienate his wife Martha and his son Billy. Both die, get cloned and get transformed into lizards to save their lives. Honestly, it’s a bright spot in the Lizard’s turbulent life.
#9: The Scarlet Spider [aka Ben Reilly]
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A fan favorite, no list of Spider-Man anti-heroes would be complete without including Ben Reilly: the original Jackal clone. After first appearing in 1975, Reilly featured heavily in the mid ‘90s “Clone Saga” arc. Naming himself after Peter’s Uncle Ben, Reilly is a figure of constant torment. After his first battle with the wall-crawler, Ben spends years in exile. Struggling with another man’s memories and legacy, he eventually returns to New York. There, he becomes a hero in his own right: The Scarlet Spider. After spending time fighting crime as the Scarlet Spider and as an alternate Spider-Man, Ben is ultimately killed. Years after his death, Marvel brought him back as the new Jackal, confronting Spidey with clones of all his fallen enemies.
#8: Yuriko ‘Yuri’ Watanabe
Fans of the 2018 game “Marvel’s Spider-Man” are familiar with the tragic downfall of Yuri Watanabe. The daughter of a corrupt cop, Yuri was motivated to overcome that legacy and take down the Maggia crime family. This fueled her meteoric rise to captain, where she becomes the web-head’s main contact at the NYPD. She's with Spidey every step of the way as he fights to save New York. In the game’s DLC “The City That Never Sleeps,” Yuri snaps when a police raid on Hammerhead’s HQ results in a number of deaths. She hunts and eventually shoots down Hammerhead in cold blood, losing her job. In the process she breaks Spidey’s heart. Considering the character becomes a version of the vigilante, Wraith, she may also appear in the upcoming video game sequel.
#7: Kraven The Hunter
For almost 60 years, Sergei Kravenoff (aka Kraven: The Hunter) has been one of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies. One of the founding members of the Sinister Six, Kraven is a big game hunter determined to take down his greatest, wall-crawling prey. Granted super-human strength and agility by a mysterious potion, Kraven hunts and fights with his bare hands. He’s motivated by a deep sense of honor, and frequently fights alongside both Spider-Man and Squirrel Girl to take down bigger, more dangerous prey. In 2023, Kraven is set to make his full silver screen debut with Aaron Taylor-Johnson portraying the savage hunter.
#6: Silver Sable
Even without super powers, Silver Sable gives Spider-Man a run for his money. A mercenary from the fictional country Symkaria, Silver Sable prefers permanent solutions when dealing with bad guys. In “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” Mayor Osborn brings in her company Silver Sable International to take out Mr. Negative. For Silver Sable, the ends justify the means when super-powered bad guys rule the streets. Still, when she sees the webslinger show mercy to his enemies, she reevaluates her priorities. In the comics, Silver Sable is dangerous enough to keep villains as infamous as Doctor Doom on his toes.
#5: Prowler
The common themes with most Spider-Man anti-heroes are tragedy and heartbreak. That trend continues with The Prowler. While there are many versions of this vigilante and mercenary, the most recognizable is Aaron Davis. Armed with a super suit and expert combat skills, he features heavily in 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Aaron is the beloved uncle of Miles Morales. While Miles struggles to connect with his policeman father, Aaron encourages Miles to follow his own path. At the same time, Aaron moonlights as Prowler, an enforcer for Kingpin who helps kill this universe’s Peter Parker. When Aaron discovers the identity of the new Spider-Man, he spares Miles’ life and Kingpin kills him for that act of love.
#4: Sandman
Frequently appearing as one of the toughest members of the Sinister Six, Flint Marko’s Sandman is a fearsome villain. Over time - both in the comics, and in film - Flint has redeemed himself and become a full-fledged anti-hero. A criminal who gained his sand-based powers by touching irradiated sand, Flint has fought Spidey for decades. In film, he accidentally killed Uncle Ben while desperately trying to save his sick daughter. In the comics, Flint tries to reform, sometimes fighting with heroes like Spider-Man and Silver Sable. He was even, briefly, an Avenger! Though Flint often strays from the path of redemption, he never stops trying.
#3: Morbius the Living Vampire
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Michael Morbius is a famous biochemist suffering from a terrible blood disease. His attempt to cure it transforms him into a living vampire with a thirst for blood. His vampirism often puts Morbius at odds with heroes like Spider-Man and Blade. Deep down, though, Michael is a good man who wants to help other people. He’s fought alongside Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider against many supernatural threats. Still, the fates (and writers) have him coming back up against Spidey time and again. Despite the lackluster response to the “Morbius” film, we can’t rule out his eventually going head-to-head with one of the cinematic Spider-Men soon.
#2: Black Cat
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The daughter of the Marvel Universe’s greatest cat burglar, Felicia Hardy was born destined for infamy. Black Cat is both a key figure in Spidey’s rogues gallery and one of his most trusted allies. She’s been Spider-Man’s rival, sidekick, and love interest. After a scarring attack in college, Felicia learns martial arts to victimize other victimizers. Afraid that Spidey will get hurt trying to protect her, she undergoes experimentation to gain super powers and become his equal. Using those powers, she follows in her father’s footsteps, becoming one of the world’s greatest master thieves. Even so, when Spidey needs her help, The Black Cat is ready to step in to protect him… usually.
#1: Venom
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When you’re known as the “Lethal Protector,” you know you may be the top anti-hero in the game. An alien symbiote that’s usually bonded with a human host, Venom has a complicated history. Since being rejected by Spider-Man, the symbiote frequently tries to kill the wall-crawler. Still, both Venom - and his next most famous host, Eddie Brock - usually try to be more ‘protector’ than ‘lethal.’ From galactic threats to local muggers, Venom will fight absolutely anyone who makes a good snack. Though he comes back to New York to take on the web-head from time to time, Venom frequently protects the unhoused on the streets of San Francisco.
