Spider-Man has one of the best-known rogues galleries in comics. Many of Spider-Man's villains' origins are based in scientific accidents or the misuse of scientific technology, paralleling Spider-Man himself. Likewise, many also have animal-themed costumes or powers. Spider-Man's enemies are some of the best rounded antagonists in comics, with equal emphasis put on both their special abilities and their personalities.

Spider-Man also has a wide range of villains: hapless thugs, mad geniuses, crime bosses, and even extraterrestrial monsters. Due to the nature of the shared universe he inhabits, he has also fought many villains more closely associated with other heroes. However, these are not considered Spider-Man's own enemies.

Greatest Foes

Spider-Man's most renowned rogues include:

• Carnage - Carnage is the combination of a symbiote spawned from the original Venom symbiote and the serial killer and former cellmate of Eddie Brock, Cletus Kasady. He thrives on murder and chaos and is stronger than Venom and Spider-Man combined. To stop him the first few times, Spider-Man had to resort to calling on Venom for assistance. Carnage also created a son, too, called Toxin and then a whole other group of symbiotes were created.

• Chameleon - The first villain Spider-Man ever faced, Dmitri Smerdyakov was a Russian spy with a knack for disguises. Being the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter, he also sought to avenge Kraven's death, become the most powerful crime boss in New York City and utterly destroy Spider-Man with his mind games, including creating the impostors of Peter's parents. The Chameleon was formerly a member in the Green Goblin's Sinister Twelve.

• Doctor Octopus - Dr. Otto Octavius is a respected scientist, one of the world's foremost experts in radiation. He used four mechanical arms in his experiments, which bonded with his nervous system after an explosion. He combines physical power with mad genius. Founding member of the Sinister Six. He was responsible for the death of George Stacy and Ock a victim by Spider-Man's insane clone, Kaine, in which Ock was murdered but he was later resurrected by the Hand. He was incarcerated in Riker's Island but escaped when he heard the Green Goblin escaped. The villain confronted the Goblin at the George Washington Bridge and both were struck by electricity, falling into the New York river. Both of them survived, however Otto later discovered tragic news about his health. After years of battling the wall crawler, a fatal disease has taken over and his body is now failing. Given only months to live, Otto modified his harness to sustain his bodiliy functions, while adding an additional four arms and creating an army of miniture "octopus robots" so as to take less pressure on his own body. With his twisted new outlook and suit, Octavius tries to take control of NYC's utilites, but fails once again at the hands of the Human Torch and his long time nemesis. He escapes capture tey again and is still currently in hiding, but swears to carry out a "terrible revenge" upon the city and Spidey, he has since taken over Spider-Man's body.

• Electro - An emotionally stunted man with an inferiority complex, Max Dillon was struck by lightning while working on power lines and discovered thereafter that he has a supernatural control over electricity. Donning a green and yellow lightning themed costume, he has gone on to battle Spider-Man numerous times. Founding member of the Sinister Six. Electro was one of the Green Goblin's Sinister Twelve members.

• Green Goblin - Originally a normal scientist and ambitious businessman, Norman Osborn used an experimental formula which gave him superpowers but also drove him insane. When Spider-Man thwarted his plans to take over as crime boss of New York City, he dedicated himself to utterly destroying Spider-Man's life. Their mutual animosity became personal when he killed Gwen Stacy. Osborn was killed by his own glider, his death didn't end the legacy of the Goblin. Others including his son, Harry, took up the mantle, until he returned and revealed himself as the the mastermind behind the Clone Saga. His heightened strength gave him regenerative powers, allowing himself to be revived. Upon his return, Osborn made life a living hell for the wallcrawler. He was last seen struck by lightning and fallen into the New York river by Dr. Octopus at the George Washington Bridge when the Goblin almost killed Mary Jane Watson like he did to Gwen. He survived yet again and manipulated his children, Gabriel and Sarah, into thinking Spider-Man killed their mother, Gwen, as Gwen and Norman Osborn had an affair. After his children turned against him, he was imprisoned, but he now knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man. In revenge he organized the Sinister Twelve to destroy Spider-Man and Black Cat. During the battle, all present, even Osborn, were stunned to discover Mac Gargan had become the new host for the Venom Symbiote. But even this deadly addition couldn't stop the back-up Mary Jane callled up, which included SHIELD agents, the Fantastic Four, and several Avengers. Osborn escaped in the battle and saw Spider-Man reveal himself on national television, then watched as he exposed Osborn as being the Green Goblin too. He was then arrested by SHIELD for the murder of Gwen Stacey, and imprisoned in the Vault. Osborn was later inlisted in the Thunderbolts, using his Goblin persona to help hunt down unregistered Superheroes during the Civil War. He managed to gain leadership of the ex-supervillain taskforce during the Pro/Anti registration conflict, but got the most joy when he was ordered to hunt down Spider-Man. During the Skrull Invasion, thanks to intel accidentally sent to him by Deadpool, Osborn managed to be the one to kill Veranke, the queen Skrull and leader of the Earth Invasion. This event put him in the public spotlight as a hero. He used this new fame to manipulate the media and the government, eventually rising to the level of power he always dreamed of. He disbanded the 50 State Intitiative, Avengers and SHIELD, had Tony Stark turned into a wanted criminal, stole his armor to become the heroic "Iron Patriot", then created a secret Cabal of supervillains to undermine and eventually destroy all the remaining heroes that stand against them.

He lost control of HAMMER when he tried to invade and destroy Asgard. He later became a human version of the Super-Adaptiod but was defeat by the Avengers and is currently in a coma.

• Hobgoblin - A millionaire fashion designer and criminal named Roderick Kingsley acquired the Green Goblin's weaponry and used them to further his own ambitions. He later retired from his identity but came back when his brother was killed by Phil Urich who took the Hobgoblin identity for himself.

• Jack O'Lantern - The original identity of Jason Macendale until he became the second Hobgoblin. It was later adopted by Daniel Berkhart, who later became the second Mysterio (the original had commited suicide when confronting Daredevil), and his partner, Maguire Beck, who used the Jack O'Lantern identity but the name Mad Jack.

• Kingpin - Wilson Fisk is the most powerful crime boss in New York City and perhaps the entire east coast, thus becoming a frequent foe of Spider-Man. He allied himself with many supervillains so they can do his bidding, eventually starting a feud with another superhero, Daredevil. Fisk even found Daredevil was Matt Murdoch and used this information to ruin his life. Murdock is one of Peter's closest friends, so Spider-Man took this very personally and vowed to help Daredevil bring him down.

• Kraven the Hunter - Perhaps the most respected big game hunter in the business, Sergei Kravinoff eventually set on a quest to capture the most elusive prey there is - the amazing Spider-Man. After being defeated numerous times by the web-slinger, his quest became an obsession. When he finaly did defeat Spider-Man, he felt there was nothing more for him to do, so he committed suicide. He was a founding member of the Sinister Six and when they were formed together again, the Hobgoblin replaced him. He has recently returned during the Grim Hunt.

• Mysterio - A disgraced stuntman and special effects artist named Quentin Beck who donned an extravagant and theatrical costume (notable for it's fishbowl like helmet) and sought to discredit and frame Spider-Man using illusions. Mysterio is well known for buying into his own hype, treating every moment as if he is a grand performer on the world's stage. He's a founding member of the Sinister Six. His student and friend Daniel Berkhart adopted the identity after Quentin Beck's death when he commited suicide when he fought Daredevil, he has since returned by unknown means.

• Sandman - While on the run from the law, the escaped convict William Baker found himself on a remote beach during a nuclear weapon testing. His cells were spliced with sand molecules, and his body became a mass of sand-like substance. Under the alias Flint Marko, he committed many crimes and fought Spider-Man frequently. He was also a hero for some time, until he was brainwashed into being a criminal again. He is a founding member of the Sinister Six.

• Shocker - A burglar gifted with a head for engineering, Herman Schultz developed a pair of gauntlets capable of throwing incredibly powerful vibrational blasts. He wears a gold and brown quilted costume to protect himself from the vibrations of his gauntlets. Shocker is one of Spider-Man's most pragmatic and business-minded villains, and usually recognizes his own limitations.

• Venom - When Spider-Man rid himself of the alien symbiote costume he wore since the Secret Wars until he got back to Earth, it bonded with reporter Eddie Brock, who hated Spider-Man. The symbiote gave Brock all of Spider-Man's powers, and even more dangerously, the knowledge of his secret identity and protection from his Spider-Sense. Venom had spawned the most dangerous villain, Carnage, who also spawned Toxin and other symbiotes. One time, Venom was cloned and Brock sold the symbiote to an Italian gangster, who died. Currently, the symbiote is now bonded with the Flash Thompson.

• Vulture - The elderly Adrian Toomes turned to the life of crime after his business partner cheated him. With a self-invented anti-gravity pack, wings for faster flying and a birdlike costume, he became the high-flying, lowdown Vulture. He is a founding member of the Sinister Six.

List of enemies

• Beyonder
• The Big Man (Frederick Foswell)
• Big Wheel
• Black Tarantula
• The Burglar — this unnamed small-time crook played an essential role in Spider-Man's origin. Spider-Man originally intended to use his powers for fame and fortune, but one day allowed a criminal to run past him. Soon after, the same criminal killed Uncle Ben -- and Peter learned that he could have prevented the death by using his powers more responsibly.
• Calypso
• Carnage
• Chameleon
• Demogoblin
• Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius) aka Master Planner
• Doctor Octopus (Carolyn Trainer) aka Lady Octopus
• Electro
• Enforcers
• The Finisher is an assassin employed by the third Red Skull, Albert Malik. He killed Spider-Man's parents. Spider-Man kills him in self defense (Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5) by turning his own missile against him.
• Fortunato
• Fusion
• Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
• Green Goblin (Harry Osborn)
• Hammerhead
• Hobgoblin
• Jackal
• Jack O'Lantern and Mad Jack
• Kangaroo
• Kingpin
• Kraven the Hunter
• The Lizard
• Looter
• Midnight
• Morbius the Living Vampire
• Mysterio
• Rhino
• Ringer
• The Rose (Richard Fisk) aka the Schemer
• Sandman
• Scorpia
• Scorpion
• Shocker
• Silvermane
• The Sinister Six, Sinister Seven, and Sinister Twelve, teams of Spider-Man's enemies
• The Sinister Syndicate, another team of Spider-Man's enemies
• Alistair Smythe
• Spencer Smythe
• Spider-Slayers (robots)
• The Spot
• Stegron
• Stunner
• Swarm
• Tarantula (Anton Miguel Rodriguez)
• Tinkerer
• Tombstone
• Trapster
• Typeface
• Venom
• Vulture
• Sentry
• White Rabbit
• Will o' the Wisp