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5 Lesser Known Spider-Man Villains.

Samples From Quite Possibly The Greatest Rogues Gallery of All Time.

By Nathan TannerPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
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Arguably the most popular and well known super hero of all time, You'd be hard pressed to find a person who hasn't heard of Spider-Man. Whether it's comic books, cartoons, movies, or the plethora of merchandise the webslinger's image has appeared on over the past 58 years he has solidified himself as a pop icon. But today we aren't going to be focusing on the wall crawler but his villains. As awesome and entertaining as Peter Parker and his alter-ego is it is safe to say that he wouldn't be quite as cool without the baddies he is constantly battling it out with on the streets of New York City. I, like many others, would also give Spider-Man the award for most creative, interesting and entertaining rogue's gallery of any super hero in existence. Most casual fans are aware of Dr. Otto Octavius, Rhino, Venom, Electro and even the Vulture. But there are many villains out there Spidey has encountered and continues to encounter that they might not have had the pleasure of experiencing. So, here is a list of 5 lesser known Spider-Man villains for your enjoyment.

#1 Black Tarantula

Making his comic book debut in January of 1997 in issue #419 of The Amazing Spider-Man, Black Tarantula's origins started as a mystery. First thought to be a European explorer who eventually made his way to Japan centuries ago. Once in Japan it is said he was trained by the ninja from the clan called The Hand. Upon completion of his training he was awarded a potion which when consumed granted him super human powers and immortality. This is found not to be entirely true. The mantle of the Black Tarantula is actually passed down from father to son. Each generation posing as the same person. Though the potion consumed by their ancestor did indeed grant their bloodline with super human powers. Black Tarantula possesses super human strength allowing him to lift up to 25 tons. He also possesses super human speed, agility, reflexes and durability of an unquantified level. The current Black Tarantula, Fabian LaMuerto has bested Spider-Man in combat several times and though he is a criminal he follows a code of honor. As of late Black Tarantula has made appearances in Spider-Girl and has even assisted in her crime fighting.

#2 Overdrive

James Beverley was a talented race car driver but wanted nothing more than to be a super hero. He attempted many different methods to fight crime but he was unsuccessful. After all of these failures he returned to racing where was involved in a horrible accident. James left racing again, this time for good. He then sought out Power Broker where he was then approached by Mister Negative and asked to join his criminal organization. Becoming a member of the Inner Demons he worked as a petty crook. Overdrive uses special nanite technology that gives him the ability to transform and transmute ordinary vehicles to his liking. He made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man: Swing Shift (May, 2007). In this story he is charged to steal an artifact called The Tablet of Death and Entropy from a museum for Mister Negative. His attempt at this is thwarted by Spider-Man and it leads to a high speed chase through the city. During the chase Spider-Man tears the roof off of his vehicle and finds that Overdrive's vehicle is filled with Spider-Man memorabilia. He then begins to tell the web slinger he is his biggest fan. Overdrive was created as a throw away character but later earned his place in several heavier Spider-Man runs and even as a member of The Sinister Six.

#3 The Living Brain

Originally created by the inventor scientist Dr. Petty. His first encounter with the wall crawling wonder was in The Amazing Spider-Man #8 in January of 1964. In this origin story The Living Brain was brought to Midtown High School by his creator for a demonstration of it's ability to solve any problem. After the demonstration two workmen hired to transport The Living Brain for Dr. Petty attempt to steal the robot so they could use it for gambling purposes. Dr. Petty catches the workmen trying to steal the robot and a fight ensues. During their scuffle The Living Brain's control panel is damaged causing it to malfunction. It then starts on a rampage through Midtown High School. Spider-Man fought The Living Brain and was able to shut the robot down by fully destroying it's control panel. The Living Brain made several appearances throughout the years many times being used as a tool for greed or revenge. A simple character of typical origins I find The Living Brain is an interesting concept and good spin on the classic story of a creation meant to benefit humanity becoming a tool for nefarious purposes. His origin story and look were also modernized for a retelling in the Earth 50302 Universe.

#4 Spot

First appearing in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #98 in January of 1985 Spot is a very interesting and fun villain to me. His real name being Jonathan Ohnn, he was a scientist working for the Kingpin. Ohnn was eventually assigned the task of reproducing the radiation levels of the hero Cloak in the hopes of artificially mimicking his powers. The doctor was able to indeed mimic Cloak's abilities, creating a black circular portal in his laboratory. This portal proved to be too powerful and began draining the entire city of it's power. This resulted in a city wide blackout which in turn caused the portal to shimmer and destabilize. Dr. Ohnn feared he would lose this once in a life time creation and opportunity so he decided to step through the portal. The transition through the portal caused him to lose consciousness. Upon awakening he found himself floating in a dimension of half dark and half light surrounded by portals similar to the one he had created in his laboratory. Ohnn was able use swimming motions through the space and locate the original portal that had brought him there. When he emerged back into his laboratory and his own dimension he found that the radiation had caused a drastic transformation to his being. The portals from the other dimension had adhered to his skin leaving his body covered in black spots from head to toe. He soon realized that the spots were portable space warps and he could use them to defeat anyone in battle. This creative and unique power lead to many memorable fights with Spidey. Spot has made many appearances in the comics over the years and part of several villain groups regularly battling Spider-Man and the likes of Daredevil and Black Cat.

#5 Looter

One day Norton G. Fester witnessed a meteor fall to the earth. He found and recovered the meteor soon after. He believed that the meteor could contain tiny microbes that could help solve the riddle of the universe. Fester traveled to scientists for help with funding but he was quickly turned away. This happened with the banks as well. Mr. Fester not being completely deterred he attempted to unlock the meteor's secrets on his own by chipping away at it's surface. As he chipped away at the meteor it suddenly released some type of gas and Fester was exposed. From the effects of this space gas Norton G. Fester was imbued with incredible strength. Being a classic twist on with great power comes great responsibility Fester decided on a life of crime taking on the alias Looter. Looter spent a lot of his time pulling heists of museums. He was obsessed with finding another meteor to further grow his powers after his was no longer releasing gas, causing him to fear he would lose his abilities. He faced off with Spidey and ultimately landed in prison before breaking out and continuing his search for more meteors. He later started using the alias Meteor Man. Through the years Looter a.k.a Meteor Man has been a thorn in Spider-Man's side. At one point he was stealing weapons used by various criminals to fund his research causing him to be pursued by S.H.I.E.L.D. Looter was even a bidder at the auction for the Venom Symbiote.

So those are 5 lesser known Spider-Man villains from throughout the years. These are just a small taste of all the flavor withheld in Spidey's history. I recommend those reading this who aren't already familiar with Spider-Man's many storied adventures go dig into the archives or even go pick up some old comic books. I assure you, you will be entertained.

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About the Creator

Nathan Tanner

I am from Owensboro, Ky. I am fantasy and comic book writer and am looking to broaden my horizons. In my free time I enjoy the special times with my children, practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, fitness and I am an avid member of the FGC.

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