Spider-Man's best second-tier villains

Spider-Man is justly famous for his expansive rogues gallery. There aren't too many comic book heroes who have more baddies than Spidey.

But with so many villains, it's not surprising that some members of Spider-Man's rogues gallery are considered decidedly B- or C-list.

That doesn't mean that Spider-Man's lesser villains don't deserve some love. After all, not every villain can rise to the level of Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus or Venom.

Here, then, is a look at the best second-tier villains that so often make life difficult for everyone's favorite webhead.

The Shocker

It'd be understandable to think of the Shocker as a second-rate Electro clone. There's a difference, though: Electro shoots electricity. Shocker relies on a weapon of his own making, his Vibro-Shock gauntlets. These don't shoot out electricity, but instead create intense vibrations that can knock most mortals out instantly. Spider-Man has battled with the Shocker numerous times. And while the Shocker usually focuses on smaller crimes, such as robbing banks, he once tried to hold New York City for ransom. That's certainly no small-potatoes crime.

The White Rabbit

It's true that the White Rabbit doesn't pose much of a physical threat to Spider-Man. She has no super powers, after all. But that doesn't mean she doesn't have a mean streak. She did, after all, kill her first husband before starting out on her life of crime. She's also dedicated to her gimmick, creating a slew of weapons and inventions all based on the story of Alice in Wonderland.

The Beetle

You might think of the Beetle as a sort of low-rent Iron Man. After all, this villain relies on a suit of armor (at least he does these days), often changes his armor on a whim and flies through the skies. And it's true that the Beetle's usually focused on smaller crimes, mostly involving filling his own pockets. But the Beetle's actually quite strong, has plenty of weaponry and has even survived scrapes with the Fantastic Four and other Marvel Universe heavies. He's no cupcake.

Hydr0-Man

Yes, he's basically a rip-off of Sandman, but made out of water. But think about that for a minute: How do you fight someone made entirely out of water? Looking at it like this, it's surprising that Hydro-Man isn't a bigger player in the world of Spider-Man villains. The problem? Hydro-Man doesn't have much in the way of ambition: He's not interested in taking over the world or ruling the city's gangs. He just wants to steal money.

Chameleon

The Chameleon is interesting: He's the first supervillain Spider-Man ever faced. He's not exactly physically imposing, and he'd never best Spider-Man in a fair fight. But, he's a master of disguise, capable of impersonating anyone on the globe. That makes him dangerous.

Tombstone

How intimidating is mobster/hitman Tombstone? He filed his teeth into sharp points -- ouch! -- just to freak people out. He's also ruthless, strong and clever. That makes him a tough foe for everyone's favorite wallcrawler.

Hammerhead

A head that's hard as a hammer. Yep. That's Hammerhead's superpower. But that doesn't mean he's a joke. He's a ruthless mobster, one who's especially adept at rapid-fire rifle attacks. In his early days, he battled not only Spider-Man but Doctor Octopus, too. Surviving that makes him a formidable foe.

Man-Wolf

If the name doesn't give it away, yep, Man-Wolf is a werewolf. He's also the son of Spider-Man's least favorite newspaper publisher, J. Jonah Jameson. Man-Wolf presents two big challenges to Spider-Man: First, he's a werewolf! No one likes to fight a werewolf. Secondly, he's an innocent person under all that fur. Spidey can't unleash his full power on this villain for fear of hurting the innocent man -- one who is a heroic astronaut! -- behind the fangs.