While their devious schemes often push Spider-Man over the edge or provide him with some of his most memorable moments, these villains have made them one of the most beloved characters in comic books. Many even turn into antiheroes like Black Cat, Prowler Morbius Kraven, and Sandman!
Maxwell Dillon, an ambitious electrical engineer who finds himself struggling financially, is hit by lightning and acquires incredible control of electricity – becoming Electro, one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes.
Electro
Maxwell Dillon, better known as Electro, has proven to be one of Spider-Man’s most persistent and challenging foes. A geeky student at Empire State University, Dillon gained electrical powers after coming in contact with an unknown substance and being struck by lightning; his attempt at taking over the city’s electricity grid was foiled by Spider-Man himself. Since then, he’s battled Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and other heroes over time.
Electro often needed reinforcements in his fight against Spider-Man, so he joined others in the Sinister Six to increase their chances. They included Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Mysterio, the high-flying Vulture, and Kraven the Hunter, later joining Wilbur Day (known as Stilt-Man), Vincent Patilio (Leap-Frog), Melvin Potter (Matador), and Gregor Shapanka (Blizzard).
Electro is usually limited to living electricity; however, he has occasionally exceeded this limit – in one case, absorbing enough energy to power down Manhattan! This makes him an extremely formidable opponent even when not possessed by the symbiote.
Electro is beloved among both fans and creators. He serves as an excellent example of the tension that exists in modern comics between trying to modernize characters while keeping what makes them memorable, like his bright green and yellow costume – many writers find it offensive while many fans still appreciate it; this battleground can be seen most vividly in Ultimate Universe where Dillon appears bald with only a lightning cutout at his neckline to identify him as Electro.
Morlun
Morlun may not be one of Spider-Man’s more well-known antagonists, but he remains one of his deadliest enemies. An ancient vampire with great power who traveled the multiverse looking for people assuming Spider identities so he can devour them, Morlun makes for a perfect antagonist in any Spider-Man film.
Morlun was once an intimidating and intelligent villain but has become an aggressive monster driven by sheer desperation. Furthermore, any traces of intelligence he once had have vanished altogether and become mere remnants of who he used to be.
After devouring the soul of the German superhero Bundesadler, Morlun came to New York City. After becoming obsessed with hunting down Wall-Crawler and feeding off lesser lives when necessary, he set his sights on Wall-Slinger and pursued him relentlessly, even showing how to track him via physical contact by absorbing DNA from those or animals who came in contact with him. Morlun finally followed him to a nuclear power plant where he attempted to drain his life force but was burned by its radiation instead.
After a brief reprieve, Morlun returned to hunting Spider-Man. At first, he manages to avoid him, but when confronted, he defeats and even kills Morlun. Later, in Africa, where Shathra sought to consume T’Challa’s Panther totem, Morlun was forced into battle against other Inheritors, where T’Challa managed to subdue Morlun himself while simultaneously repelling all Inheritors as well. Luckily, the hero managed to stop Morlun while repelling his fellow Inheritors from T’Challa and successfully managed to alleviate him while fighting off all other Inheritors and effectively fend off all Inheritors at Shathra’s base in Africa, where Shathra sought T’Challa to consume T’Challa and subduing Morlun along with other Inheritors while fighting off his other Inheritors as well.
Swarm
Swarm, an Amazon Prime Video series written and created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, who also collaborated on Atlanta and The Hate U Give, follows one woman’s obsession with pop singer Ni’Jah to dark places. Dominique Fishback stars as Dre, her obsession becoming increasingly unclear as it becomes clear she cannot escape it. The show follows this path from dark comedy into thriller territory.
Though not explicitly referenced by the show, Beyonce is the inspiration behind several key plot points. Ni’Jah has a sister named Cache that pays homage to Solange Knowles; additionally, in its inaugural episode, Dre reportedly bites her face, similar to how many fans did during 2018 when “Who Bit Beyonce?” became virally trending online.
Swarm draws inspiration from numerous real-life incidents and events beyond Beyonce, using its fictional universe as a springboard for commenting on social media and militant fandoms.
Swarm is an irreverent, fast-paced, and riveting series. Starring Fishback and Bailey along with Damson Idris, Paris Jackson, Billie Eilish, and Kiersey Clemons as actors, Swarm also pays homage to female friendships and support networks, providing something enjoyable that you can watch together and discuss over food or drinks – plus it’s available right now on Amazon Prime!
Sandman
The pilot episode of The Sandman did an outstanding job introducing viewers to many of its main characters and also to its intricate worlds and realms, providing viewers with an accessible entryway into this complex and fascinating series. Furthermore, these early episodes establish important storylines which may pay dividends later in the season.
Flint Marko, an ex-convict from Queens who survived a nuclear explosion and has taken on the form of living sand, is known for his long criminal career and various encounters with Spider-Man. But Flint also harbors an ethical conscience and wishes to redeem himself by becoming a hero – for instance, after Hobgoblin 2211 murders someone who looks similar to Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, he approaches Spider-Man, offering to turn himself in as soon as possible.
But when the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus’ mind embodied by Peter Parker) finds Marko, he uses his powers to temporarily control his mind and force him into performing heroic deeds against his will, such as saving Mary Jane Watson. This ultimately prompts Marko to reconsider his decision and turn himself in for arrest.
The first two seasons of this series do an incredible job of introducing fans to some of the key figures from the comic. Boyd Holbrook excels as Corinthian serial killer; Gwendoline Christie shines as Lucifer Morningstar; David Thewlis delivers an excellent portrayal as John Dee (an occult expert who holds one of Dream’s objects of power); Jenna Coleman brings just the right level of mischief as Johanna Constantine; all are carefully depicted, thanks to Heinberg/Giman and executive producer David S Goyer’s diligent approach towards recreating source material from these works of fiction.
Jackal
This character is a mercenary known for bringing down New York City’s most powerful crime bosses using unethical means and manipulating others into doing what he wants – from killing Peter Parker’s Aunt May to trying to convince Spider-Man to sign the Superhuman Registration Act and other incidents; this villain has an extensive criminal background and reputation for doing what it takes to bring them down. His methods may not always be appealing, but what truly distinguishes his acts is being an evil mastermind who gets what he wants done by others doing what he wants. His villainy lies in manipulating others into doing what he wants them to do what he wants them. It is all on his agenda – such as being responsible for Peter Parker’s Aunt May’s death and more incidents, such as trying to force Spider-Man to sign the Superhuman Registration Act, among other incidents.
Once known as Black Cat, this character returned with an unnervingly sinister edge, becoming one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous foes. A criminal, this adversary targets fast food restaurants using weapons including genetically enhanced killer rabbits, razor-tipped carrots, and an umbrella that shoots electricity bolts – not forgetting the device that allows him to control electromagnetic fields around people, making it impossible for Spider-Man to track him.
Maxwell Dillon was a lineman for an electric company when lightning struck while working on power lines nearby and became a living electrical capacitor. Wearing green and yellow lightning-themed attire, Maxwell has used his powers against Spider-Man numerous times.
Scrier created three significant clones during the Clone Saga; MacDonald Gargan was one of them. Appearing in various storylines and pushing Spider-Man beyond his limits on numerous occasions, MacDonald Gargan would often test Spider-Man with his extreme strength and transformation capabilities; his physical toughness can take much punishment while his ability to shape-shift is terrifying, not to mention his violent tactics and reputation for violence against anyone around him. Furthermore, despite being one of three significant antagonists created by Scrier clones, MacDonald Gargan can also be considered a loving father – having adopted Damien from jackals before returning him home a second time and stopping at Baby Safe Haven before returning him home again before returning him home again a second time after taking him from them both before leaving him behind!
