Favorite "The Spectacular Spider-Man" Villain

[GregX]

So, I think we can all agree that "The Spectacular Spider-Man" re-imagined the villains new, yet familiar and iconic ways. Which re-imagining was your all time favorite?

Never mind who your favorite villain in the comic is, who is your favorite villain in the show?

 

[AlgeaX]

So much good stuff I don't know who to pick. This show gave us probably the best version of the Green Goblin ever as well elevating Tombstone from cheap flunky to criminal mastermind. Heck they even made venom awesome.

All that said I gotta give it to the Master Planner, I love Peter MacNicol's Doc Ock. He's got brains, ambition and oodles of charisma.

 

[GregX]

You can tell who AlgeaX and I voted for based on our userpics

 

[W.C.Reaf]

I think the best villain on the show is definitely Green Goblin, but the best reimagined villain was undoubtedly Tombstone.

What they did with this thug from the comics to make him this awesome kingpin esk criminal mastermind was brilliant. Keith David/Kevin Michael Richardson was great as his voice. Creepy, menacing, and a cold calculating voice that fits perfectly with his personality.

Although I must give a shout-out to Vulture. Great revision of him with giving him an actual motivation. The costume looked really cool and much better than the green feather suit. I think Robert Englund really brought some life to the character and you could really feel the rage and anger he has towards Osborn and the respect and friendship with Doc Ock.

You also missed a villain Greg. Sally Avril!

 

[thedanmachine]

Gotta go with Tombstone, mainly because it took a villain I didnt like at all, and made him one of my favorites.

But best done villain, overall, is Green Goblin/Norman Osborn. Goblin hasnt been done this well in animation/film ever, and its the best interpretation of the character since the 60's/early 70's.

"If I'd have been sent to prison, who'd have made a man out of him?"

Pure awesome.

 

[Time Wizard]

The Green Goblin. This is basically IMO the animated Marvel version of The Joker, well, kinda!

 

[jph139]

Hmm... well, let's see.

I absolutely adore the Green Goblin - I mean, how can you not? - and I'd say its pretty much a definitive version of the character. It feels very fresh, but very classic at the same time, and he definitely makes for Spider-Man's perfect foil. But I wouldn't call him my favorite.

The new twists on Shocker, Electro, and, of course, Venom, were VERY much welcome. Electro didn't quite live up to his potential, nor did Venom, but the new faces on the characters, particularly in Eddie Brock's case, definitely boosts them in my eyes. Shocker I absolutely adore; the character himself has always struck me as a "crook in a suit," instead of a supervillain, and with Montana - a professional criminal - behind the gloves, well, it just fits well for me.

I'm a big fan of their Lizard, too. A REAL shame we didn't get to see more of him, though. And the team-up aspect of Marko and O'Hirn, both before AND after their transformations, was spectacularly done. I really like Sandman, actually... he's a real threat, but he doesn't WANT to be a bad guy. He just... is. His "final" episode is fantastic, and I'd like to see that expanded if/when the next season rolls around.

Overall? I have to give it to Shocker. I think they did the best job of making a new character from an old one, and that's the best thing about The Spectacular Spider-Man; a fresh take on the hallmark material.

 

[Rick Jones]

There's so many to love that it's hard to choose. I usually have a bigger appreciation for the thugs (Shocker, Rhino, Sandman, etc) as opposed to the major players (Tombstone, Goblin, Doc Ock) probably since it seems like they're sometimes under appreciated. Shocker has always been my favorite b-level Spidey villain, and I love Montana and Montana Shocker but there still feels like something needs to be tweaked. Maybe I'm just too stuck on Herman Schultz. Sandman gets my vote because he's awesome (with DiMaggio voicing him, how could he not be?), a proper representaton of him was long overdue, and he has been the most developed of the B level guys imho. After him, I really love Electro's turn from self-pitying victim to juiced up, sociopathic sycophant.

 

[Mr. NickerNacker]

I voted other, since The Lizard wasn't listed.

So naturally The Lizard is my favorite villain and I had an absolute blast watching Natural Selection. However, I believe the best villain in the series is a tie between Doc Ock and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I had to cast my vote for The Rhino. His interactions with Spider-Man were great, especially in "Accomplices" where he lets Spidey know full well that he's just been owned.

That said, it was tough for me to choose from the amazing cast of villains they have for the show. One thing in particular that I enjoyed was the friendship that seemed to have sprung-up between Doc Ock and The Vulture. That is something I'd hope to see more of if the show ever gets renewed for more episodes.

 

[SpideyFan914]

I really love all the villains in this show (except Venom). Greg and co. did a great job mixing them in, developing them, keeping them iconic, and keeping everything compact into a little community of supervillains! Here's my Top Ten:


10. Kraven- Okay, so I know a lot of people Spectacular Kraven, but I think it's the best portrayal of the character we've ever seen. In the comics, I never really liked him that much. He was always kind of just this boring hunter guy in a weird lion get-up. Kraven's Last Hunt had been the only story in which I really found him interesting at all. But right from the start in this series, they gave Kraven personality. They made a cool, calculating hunter with the physical prowess to match. His Kravinoff fight was one of the best in the series - Kraven had simply never been used this way before! You can pretend that he always had a lot of tactics in the comics, but when did he really use anything other than a net, spear, or his hands? And then - Cat-Kraven. Personally, I loved the transformation. The second fight in Destructive Testing was even better than the first. It was done such that you really had the feel of the hunt, and Kraven's dialogue was at an all-time high! For once, I actually like Kraven!

9. Rhino- Hard to choose between him and Sandman. Rhino is another villain who I'm not too fond of in the comics. He's just some idiot in a rhino costume. But now, he's a threat. Spectacular Rhino is essentially a dumbed-down Juggernaut. He's just really strong. Like, REALLY strong! And he can charge through two feet of concrete as if it were paper. And he's impenetrable. But what's more, he has, like Kraven, much more of a personality than in the comics. He's not just "some idiot," but a not-so-bright (though not ridiculously stupid) thug with a real love for brutality. It makes him a very fun villain to watch.

8. Sandman- Again, hard to choose between him and Rhino. The reason I choose Sandman is because, aside from just having cool powers, Flint Marko is far more developed than Alex O'Hirn. I'm not going to say he's a reluctant villain, but you can tell that as a kid, he was probably a good kid who just hung out with the wrong crowd (namely, O'Hirn). And he turned into a criminal. But there's still good inside him - he's a thief, but far from a murderer. I wonder if he would even kill Spider-Man if he had the chance....

7. Mysterio- I love that fishbowl, I really do. And though I'll admit I'm not too fond of the sorcerer angle they played in Blueprints, Mysterio's just so hilariously corny! The homunculi are, of course, great. And they did a great job at showing Mysterio's mastery of illusion - all his little gags are great, especially the bots! Seriously, did we ever see the real Quentin Beck outside of Persona and the final scene of Blueprints? It's a lot of fun to guess (though I'm guessing he wore the Mysterio outfit at least once, or else it would be strange that he was wearing it under the stage with Tinkerer). To sum it all up, "Actors...."

6. Lizard- Lizard has always been one of my favorite villains. I just love the idea of Peter's friend turning himself into a monster. And in Spectacular, they even eliminated the biggest drawback and didn't make him a speaking Lizard! He was a savage beast, acting on the most primal of instincts, and was really more than Spider-Man could handle physically. Here's hoping to see him back again in Season 3!

5. Miles Warren- And here's the guy who can make it happen! Okay, so I know he's not the Jackal yet, but he's still an absolutely amazing villain. Which is surprising 'cause usually you need to wait 'til you're wearing a cheesy get-up before you can be an absolutely amazing villain. I loved him in all his episodes. In Destructive Testing, when Kraven comes at him with a lion, Warren just stands there without losing his cool and dances circles around him and makes some nice cash. And when Kraven grabs him, rather than panicking, he just neatens his lab coat. And the whole time, he's got a gun in his back pocket, ready just in case - he was always in control. And yet the Connors are so oblivious to the diabolical evil right there in the lab, until, that is, Warren silently takes over the lab, creates a supervillain for the Goblin, and then kicks the Connors out via blackmail. I can not wait to see him become the Jackal (though I think Greg should wait for Season 4).

4. Molten Man- To think they could take such an undeveloped villain from the comics and turn him into one of the best is unimaginable, but they did. Mark Allan (renamed so he could be Liz's biological brother - a good move, as it gives a closer relation) has been in trouble before, and spent six months in juvie. Now released, he wants to restart his life, and leave his past behind him. But, of course, there's always the chance of a relapse, and Mark soon falls back to gambling, and winds up in over his head. And to pay off his debt, he signs up for some "experiments" - and walks away with superpowers. And now, the only for him to regain control of his life is by working for Gobby. He doesn't want to - in Opening Night, he wants to rebel against the Goblin, but with the press of a button, his will is bent. Really, Mark Allan is a guy who only wants control of who he is, but is constantly unable to get it. When he becomes the Molten Man, he's told that if his will is strong enough, he can control it - I think that's why he listened, because he wanted it to be true, he wanted to believe that his will was strong. But it was not - he couldn't control it - and so he gave in to despair, just as the doctor ordered....

3. Electro- Another reluctant villain! Max Dillon was a nobody, but he had plans. "Go back to college, get married, have a life." And yet, by pure chance, he was transformed into an electrically-powered supervillain. At first, all he wanted was for it to go away. He wanted a cure. But he soon realized that it simply wasn't going to happen anytime soon, and he lashed out. For "without a cure, [he's] not Max Dillon!" He's Electro. He's essentially created not just an alter ego, but almost a split-personality. He doesn't want to be Max Dillon, so he changes his name and does things he would've never done before, soon teaming up with Doc Ock just because he needs someone to trust (and clearly, Ock is verrrry trustworthy). In fact, he now only identifies himself as Electro. He hasn't just come to hate Max Dillon, but to forget him entirely. "I don't know any Max! Why do you keep calling me that? I'm Electro!!! You hear? I'm Electro!!!!!!" But that's not all - from where I stand, Spider-Man is the one responsible for this. His constant mockery of Electro, rather than consideration, seems to be what's pushed Max over the edge.

2. Tombstone- Another cool, scheming villain. Much like Warren, Tombstone never loses his cool, even when Spider-Man attacks him, the Green Goblin bursts in, or when Venom just crawls in out of nowhere!! In fact, thinking back on it, Hammerhead's the only guy who he even ever got angry at.... And when Spidey pops up, Tombstone's there to pull the strings from behind the scenes, creating supervillain after supervillain to combat him and distract him, while all the while sitting in his chair under the watch of the NYPD! Everyone thinks he's just a wealthy philanthropist (well, a wealthy albino philanthropist, but there's no law against being albino, even though it seems like all albinos are secretly supervillains.... So much for diversity....), but what they don't know is that he's actually the diabolical Big Man of Crime! And even with his numerous appearances, he rarely enters the battlefield. He just studies from a far and pulls strings around everyone. In Catalysts, he even just grabs a razorbat and examines - studying his new adversary, no doubt. But most of all, Tombstone is more than just a schemer - he's strong enough to pin Spider-Man in five seconds flat!!!

1. GREEN GOBLIN- The only guy to ever best Tombstone. And no, Spidey doesn't count - 'cause it was all part of the Goblin's plan! As Norman Osborn, he's a cool, calculating philanthropist (sound familar?) who runs a billion dollar company, lives at the top of New York, allies himself with the Big Man, creates supervillains for cash, imprisons supervillains for cash, and is the father of Peter Parker's best friend. Of course, he doesn't really treat Harry like a son - just an heir. And yet, he feels confined as Norman Osborn - it's not who he truly is. But when he puts on that mask, he can himself out. He is the Green Goblin through and through. And what he really wants is control. Tombstone is no threat to him - he becomes the Big Man in a matter of months! His true threat is Spider-Man. The guy beats him not once, but three times! Two more if you count Subtext and Opening Night! So for his Final Curtain, he rigs the entire city, probably costing him billions, just to kill one guy. And he's insane! He may not think he is, but most crazy people don't. His back-and-forths with Spider-Man are among the best in the series - especially with Steve Blum voicing him! And then there's the mystery - I could go on and on and on! Really, Green Goblin is the greatest villain of the series without any question at all. Unfortunately, I couldn't give him any higher than number one....

 

[Time Wizard]

Oh my, I completely forgot about The Lizard! Darn it! The Lizard is probably my most favorite Spidey villain overall. But in TSSM I think I might still go with Green Goblin.

 

[CartoonOverlord]

Green Goblin for me, followed by Tombstone.

 

[Webbed-Wonder]

Gotta be the Green Goblin for me; they worked wonders on nearly all of the villains but he just seems to really stand out. He's the mysterious, maniacal, manipulating, cruel, cackling, unpredictable, impish arch-enemy of Spidey he's supposed to be. Norman Osborn was a great villain and character in his own right, too. I love how his personality is a contrast to when he puts on that Goblin mask just like Osborn explained those masks do.

That said, I enjoy all the villains on this show. Rhino was given a fun personality, Sandman is not an especially bad person, Doc Ock and Vulture's friendship, Mysterio being hammy and deceptive.

 

[Trevor]

Really I've found the villains on Spectacular Spider-Man to be rather 1-dimensional and not very interesting.

Mod Note: Disagreeing with others is fine here, but please try to post something more substansial in the future than a flame-worthy one-line post as seen above. Thank you for understanding, Trevor.

 

[SpideyFan914]

Really I've found the villains on Spectacular Spider-Man to be rather 1-dimensional and not very interesting.

Examples? (And please don't just bring some really minor and unimportant villain like Chameleon or Shocker.)

 

[Mistah K88]

This is actually a pretty hard choice. I want to say Doc Ock because he's my favorite Spidey villain and he's finally been done right in media outside of comic books (the movie was close if it wasn't for the evil tenticles making the good doctor do things...), but Green Goblin, Tombstone, and even a nobody like Shocker are done SO well in this show. I can't pick I'm so torn... The Big Man's plot of hiring Osborn to create supervillains to distract Spider-Man while small time crooks loot the city is one of the greatest explanations of why supervillains exist ever. I don't even recall how Rhino or Shocker got into the fray in the 90's series (if someone can please point me to their origin episodes [I was REALLY into Batman as a kid...still am, but this show has gotten me into Spider-Man as well])


A special shout out goes to Roderick Kingsley, who is trying to put his hand in the cookie jar of crime. He's already seeming to be someone who plans things ahead (bait and switch). When he dons the Hobgoblin costume I expect the same in protecting his identity (in contrast to Norman who just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got lucky a majority of the time).

 

[Rud]

I don't think this is even fair, the Green Goblin stole the show even from Spiderman himself (IMO), he was just magnificent on this show, especially in the season 2 finale. Doctor Octopus comes in second just for the Master Planer stuff and the way he yells stuff like when he said "Then L. Thomson Lincoln is WEEEEEAAAAK!!!", lol, so awesome.

 

[W.C.Reaf]

I don't even recall how Rhino or Shocker got into the fray in the 90's series (if someone can please point me to their origin episodes [I was REALLY into Batman as a kid...still am, but this show has gotten me into Spider-Man as well])

They were introduced in the Alien Costume Saga in season 1. Rhino was a guy who sat around in his costume at his apartment till Kingpin called to steal something. Shocker was a guy Smyth hired to use his latest invention. We don't see them out of costume nor do we get their real names.

 

[Anwar]

In TAS the world was already loaded with supervillains and heroes before the show began, so it wasn't that hard to believe there were super-powered mercenaries and assassins out there without real explanation or origin.

Here, Spidey is the only superhero and supervillains didn't show up until after him so an origin is required for them all.

As for Mobsters hiring Norman to create supervillains, that was from a Marvel Knights storyline a 3-4 years ago. Probably where Weisman got the idea, since it was a great story.

Personally, I would have liked them showing Otto with his "Kill Norman" fantasies a little earlier than "Reaction" but nothing is totally perfect.