Top-Ten Coolest Spidey Villains (Silver Age Only)

[General Zod]

No, he wouldn't have cracked my top ten.

[JBerg]

top 5:

1) Green Goblin

2) Dr Oct

3) Mysterio

4) Kraven

5) Sandman

[SilverRich]

Well, for one thing we're pretty much unanimous on Gobby heading the list. And shall we now pronounce Ditko "King" of the Villains? I'll cast the 1st vote.

[Unca Ben]

Well, for one thing we're pretty much unanimous on Gobby heading the list. And shall we now pronounce Ditko "King" of the Villains? I'll cast the 1st vote.

I'll second that vote!!

Besides creating dozens upon dozens of villains for Spider-Man in the first 41 stories, Steve Ditko also created quite a supporting cast for Peter Parker.

Lets see; Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Liz Allen, J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson, Betty Brant, Bennett Brant, Frederick Foswell / Big Man / “Patch”, Anna Watson, the often mentioned never seen Mary Jane Watson, Ned Leeds, Gwen Stacy, Professor Warren, Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn (before we knew he was Gobby!), and possibly a few others that I’ve forgotten.

All these characters had long range effects on Spidey. No other character at Marvel had such a vast supporting cast and only Superman had a comparable variety of supporting characters at the time.

Jack Kirby was the King of creating universes, but Steve Ditko sure knew how to create an interesting and believable neighborhood.

 

[CAP Freak]

I vote for Stan Lee.

[Unca Ben]

A side note and a question. I've noticed CGC has "1st Appearance of Norman Osborn" on slabbed ASM #37's, but I could swear that Norman is shown (but not named) in an earlier issue as a member at J.J.J.'s social club. Without digging out my longbox of early Spideys, anybody know which issue (if any) I'm talking about?

-David

[nmtg9]

Gobby is obviously the iconic villain for spidey and deserves his top spot but i have a liking for doc oc.

 

one of the strange reasons is that he appeared earlier than gobby. for some unknown reason it irks me that spideys greatest villain didnt turn up earlier.

 

i cant fathom out why i feel this way, can anyone help me?

 

that said the terrible tinkerer is just rubbish. (why did ditko pick old men to fight a teenager, maybe theres something to think about there?)

[Unca Ben]

I always liked Doctor Octopus as well. The first villain to hand spidey a sound defeat, and the Master Planner trilogy was Spider-Man's finest silver-age story.

As far as the Terrible Tinkerer being an old man, remember that Spidey pulled off his mask at the end of the story, so him being an old man was in question (this may have been retconned at some later date).

 

Gobby is obviously the iconic villain for spidey and deserves his top spot but i have a liking for doc oc.

 

one of the strange reasons is that he appeared earlier than gobby. for some unknown reason it irks me that spideys greatest villain didnt turn up earlier.

 

i cant fathom out why i feel this way, can anyone help me?

 

that said the terrible tinkerer is just rubbish. (why did ditko pick old men to fight a teenager, maybe theres something to think about there?)

[nmtg9]

just been and checked and you were right. well remembered (thumbs u

[spidercrazy]

A side note and a question. I've noticed CGC has "1st Appearance of Norman Osborn" on slabbed ASM #37's, but I could swear that Norman is shown (but not named) in an earlier issue as a member at J.J.J.'s social club. Without digging out my longbox of early Spideys, anybody know which issue (if any) I'm talking about?

-David

 

Are you talking about ASM #23, page 6? In the last two panels JJJ is talking in a room with other well-dressed men, one of them looking suspiciously like Norman Osborn...

[rodan57]

A side note and a question. I've noticed CGC has "1st Appearance of Norman Osborn" on slabbed ASM #37's, but I could swear that Norman is shown (but not named) in an earlier issue as a member at J.J.J.'s social club. Without digging out my longbox of early Spideys, anybody know which issue (if any) I'm talking about?

-David

 

Are you talking about ASM #23, page 6? In the last two panels JJJ is talking in a room with other well-dressed men, one of them looking suspiciously like Norman Osborn...

 

That's bound to be the one. Not many comic book characters have "the hair".

[rodan57]

The Vulture could quite possibly be the worst Spidey Villain of all time!

 

 

I guess I have a special place in my heart for the old "bird" because when you think of it, he was WebHead's first actual super-foe, albiet only the power to fly.

 

The point someone made about them all being Ditko was right on point.

 

I feel he warrants inclusion as a top villain. When I read these as a kid, there was a tendency to give the stories a sense of reality in your mind. The Vulture was pretty scary. Ugly, scheming, fast and could come out of nowhere --not to mention tapping into the fear of heights that many have.

 

I think that top ten lists can be usefully sub-categorized at times.

 

The top ten villains at the time of publication would need to be judged as they contributed to evolving Spider-Man mythos.

 

With this in mind, I would posit that it is easy to find 10 villains among Ditko's work alone.

 

The early appearances of the Chameleon (1 & 15) weren't much, the Tinkerer was a pre-hero throw-back and the robot encounters (the Living Brain and Smythe's) were rather weak (though the art to #25 was spectacular).

 

But almost all the rest, challenged Spider-man with a palpable sense of danger and possible defeat.

[Unca Ben]

A side note and a question. I've noticed CGC has "1st Appearance of Norman Osborn" on slabbed ASM #37's, but I could swear that Norman is shown (but not named) in an earlier issue as a member at J.J.J.'s social club. Without digging out my longbox of early Spideys, anybody know which issue (if any) I'm talking about?

-David

 

Are you talking about ASM #23, page 6? In the last two panels JJJ is talking in a room with other well-dressed men, one of them looking suspiciously like Norman Osborn...

 

That would be it! Thanks!!!

[Unca Ben]

The Vulture could quite possibly be the worst Spidey Villain of all time!

 

 

I guess I have a special place in my heart for the old "bird" because when you think of it, he was WebHead's first actual super-foe, albiet only the power to fly.

 

The point someone made about them all being Ditko was right on point.

 

I feel he warrants inclusion as a top villain. When I read these as a kid, there was a tendency to give the stories a sense of reality in your mind. The Vulture was pretty scary. Ugly, scheming, fast and could come out of nowhere --not to mention tapping into the fear of heights that many have.

 

I think that top ten lists can be usefully sub-categorized at times.

 

The top ten villains at the time of publication would need to be judged as they contributed to evolving Spider-Man mythos.

 

With this in mind, I would posit that it is easy to find 10 villains among Ditko's work alone.

 

The early appearances of the Chameleon (1 & 15) weren't much, the Tinkerer was a pre-hero throw-back and the robot encounters (the Living Brain and Smythe's) were rather weak (though the art to #25 was spectacular).

 

But almost all the rest, challenged Spider-man with a palpable sense of danger and possible defeat.

 

Well said, I was thinking the same thing while reading earlier posts (though I did enjoy the robot stories). Villains like the Vulture do have to be remembered in context. As the Marvel age grew, the threat or "power level" of the antagonists increased to offer greater and greater challenges to our heroes. Even the F.F., who thwarted cosmic level characters like Galactus started out with foes like the "Miracle Man" who was basically a Chris Angel "Mindfreak".

[piper]

The Vulture could quite possibly be the worst Spidey Villain of all time!

 

 

I guess I have a special place in my heart for the old "bird" because when you think of it, he was WebHead's first actual super-foe, albiet only the power to fly.

 

The point someone made about them all being Ditko was right on point.

 

I feel he warrants inclusion as a top villain. When I read these as a kid, there was a tendency to give the stories a sense of reality in your mind. The Vulture was pretty scary. Ugly, scheming, fast and could come out of nowhere --not to mention tapping into the fear of heights that many have.

 

I think that top ten lists can be usefully sub-categorized at times.

 

The top ten villains at the time of publication would need to be judged as they contributed to evolving Spider-Man mythos.

 

With this in mind, I would posit that it is easy to find 10 villains among Ditko's work alone.

 

The early appearances of the Chameleon (1 & 15) weren't much, the Tinkerer was a pre-hero throw-back and the robot encounters (the Living Brain and Smythe's) were rather weak (though the art to #25 was spectacular).

 

But almost all the rest, challenged Spider-man with a palpable sense of danger and possible defeat.

 

Well said, I was thinking the same thing while reading earlier posts (though I did enjoy the robot stories). Villains like the Vulture do have to be remembered in context. As the Marvel age grew, the threat or "power level" of the antagonists increased to offer greater and greater challenges to our heroes. Even the F.F., who thwarted cosmic level characters like Galactus started out with foes like the "Miracle Man" who was basically a Chris Angel "Mindfreak".

 

That's an interesting point.

[ashrael]

1. Gobby

2. Doc Ock

3. Kraven

4. Kingpin

5. Lizard

 

[Ogami]

1. Green Goblin

2. Doc Ock

3. Kraven (because of Peter David)

4. Kingpin (would put him higher, but DD stole him away)

5. Hobgoblin (I came of age during the CA)

6. Fill the rest out with assorted Sinister Six

 

[Ogami]

edited to add that I have a real fondness for Vermin, but that's because of David, also.

[Mister_Comics]

How bout that villian that everyone has forgot. The one that fought Spidey and Torch in Strange Tales Annual #2. I think his name was Fox. A forgotten villian if there ever was one.