Spider-Man has a menagerie of animal-themed villains, which is fitting given his own arachnid nature. These zoological threats include some iconic adversaries, namely the Rhino, the Lizard and Scorpion. Of course, not all animals make it big, which is definitely the case with Spidey's mousiest villain ever, Vermin.
Vermin debuted as an adversary to Captain America long before he set his sights on the Webslinger. Despite appearing in multiple superhero franchises he remained a second-string villain, most likely due to his lack of originality. All the promising traits that Vermin possessed are found and better developed in more popular characters. However, he's back and appears to be changing for the better and showcasing all of his hidden potential in the process. Thus, it seems like Vermin might not remain an irrelevant pest, after all.
Who Is the Spider-Man Villain Vermin?
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Vermin was created by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck in Captain America #272. Born Edward Whalen, he was the victim of horrific abuse at the hands of his father. His traumatic childhood led him down a dark path filled with poor choices and bad people. Among those bad people was Arnim Zola, a villainous impersonator, who turned Edward into a ravenous humanoid rat. Though Captain America would defeat the flesh-eating creature in this issue, his incarceration wouldn't last long. His ferocity and taste for human flesh remained untamable.
Vermin's most iconic role was easily in Kraven's Last Hunt. After constantly being defeated by Spider-Man he finally ends up receiving the psychiatric care that he needs from Dr. Kafka. This was a turning point in Vermin's life, he was finally able to deal with the heartache that had befallen him in his youth. Finally reverting to Edward Whalen, he saw the error in his ways and sought to pay for his crimes, with Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, as his lawyer. This could have been the beginning of a more sympathetic arc for him. But, unfortunately, this development was derailed by Vermin constantly being used as a filler foe to pad out background fights.
However, more recently in the pages of Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #5, Vermin actually helped the former Scarlet Spider out and regained control of his transformations. This offers a glimmer of hope for the underrated villain to continue his journey of redemption after it was cut short. He could become a hero in his own right and maybe even have a chance at hitting the big screen.
Could Vermin Show Up In the Sony Spider-Man Universe?
Vermin's lack of attention in Spider-Man's rogues' gallery is likely due to him being incredibly redundant. His whole shtick has already been done by both the Lizard and Morbius, both of whom are far more iconic. But, if he really does become Ben Reilly's version of these characters and take on a sympathetic ally role, his prominence is sure to increase. This way, he might not feel so stale, and his backstory as a victim of abuse could make for riveting pathos.
One place where he could definitely make it big is in the movies. Sony owns several Spider-Man-adjacent characters, with Edward Whalen being one of them. Given that a movie based on Kraven the Hunter is on the way, this might be the best place for Vermin to show up. Although he may not have been given his dues for his decades-long existence, Vermin may finally reach the infamy of Spider-Man's most popular villains if he tangles with Kraven the Hunter in the Sony Spider-Man Universe.