The Spider-Man universe is fraught with legendary villains, all intent on bringing about the destruction of a certain friendly neighborhood web-slinger. Since his iconic debut in 1962, Spider-Man has done his best to keep the criminals of New York City at bay, providing generations of fans with memorable confrontations for nearly 60 years.
Given Spider-Man's all-too-frequent run-ins with the criminal underworld, however, it's understandable that some adversaries have made more of a lasting impression than others throughout the years.
10 Chameleon
Dmitri Smerdyakov, aka Chameleon, was first introduced in 1963 and has since become one of Spider-Man's more troublesome foes. Interestingly, Chameleon is widely considered to be the first supervillain Spider-Man faced in the comics.
Chameleon is especially threatening, as he is able to not only take on the appearance of anyone he chooses, but he is also able to mimic their voice. At one point, he even tricked the NYPD into believing he was actually Spider-Man and has also impersonated Peter Parker.
9 Juggernaut
Juggernaut, though typically associated with the X-Men, has had several near-deadly confrontations with Spider-Man as well. In Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut, Spider-Man is forced to deal with the unstoppable Juggernaut in several harrowing battles.
At first, Spider-Man is unable to match Juggernaut's incredible strength; however, he is able to temporarily slow down his foe by luring Juggernaut into a nearby construction site full of wet cement. As it turns out, not even being encased in cement can stop the Juggernaut.
8 Venom
Venom is perhaps one of Spider-Man's most iconic adversaries, mainly due to his conflicting morality. Though he's often depicted as a villain, he frequently teams up with Spider-Man to combat larger threats (like Carnage), characterizing him as more of an anti-hero.
Eddie Brock harbored resentment for Spider-Man early in his career as a journalist, which attracted an alien symbiote that allowed him to become Venom. The symbiote bond proves to be exceedingly dangerous, as it not only gives Brock superhuman abilities but it effectively feeds off his hatred for Spider-Man, making him an undeniable threat.
7 Morlun
First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #30, Morlun's superhuman abilities make him one of the more dangerous foes in the Spider-Man universe. He is tasked with the singular purpose of destroying all the Spider-Totems throughout all dimensions, including parallel universes.
Having captured the "Master Weaver" in ancient times, Morlun obtained the ability to travel between dimensions at will, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. In the comics, Morlun mistakenly believes Peter Parker to be a "pure" Spider-Totem. Realizing this, Spider-Man injects himself with radiation, causing Morlun to disintegrate when he drinks Spidey's blood.
6 Kingpin
Kingpin, who is both literally and figuratively larger than life, made his debut in 1967 as part of Amazing Spider-Man #50. He is widely considered one of the most powerful crime lords in New York City, drawing the attention of several heroes, including Daredevil.
Many heroes have mistakenly underestimated Kingpin, assuming his gigantic figure is the result of obesity. But in reality, Kingpin is made of mostly muscle, giving him incredible strength. Not only that, he's skilled in several forms of combat including sumo wrestling, making him a surprisingly dangerous villain in the Spider-Man universe.
5 Red Goblin
Norman Osborn has taken on many different forms as the "Goblin." However, none are as dangerous and intimidating as the "Red Goblin." In Amazing Spider-Man #32, Peter Parker uses nanites to effectively remove Osborn's ability to use his Green Goblin formula.
Seeking to regain his powers as the Green Goblin, Osborn eventually comes into contact with Carnage's symbiote, forming an instant bond. Deadlier than ever, Osborn is able to control the symbiote and remove the nanites, allowing the villain to become the Green Goblin once again. With the power of Carnage's symbiote and his Green Goblin formula, Osborn is almost able to defeat Spider-Man on several occasions.
4 Firelord
Spider-Man's battles with the nearly-unstoppable Herald of Galactus, Firelord, demonstrate his incredible abilities and fortitude as a superhero. Not only can Firelord travel through space, but he also wields the "Power Cosmic," allowing him to destroy entire buildings without batting an eye.
Surprisingly, Spider-Man is able to beat Firelord senseless during an epic battle in The Amazing Spider-Man #26. In the comic, Firelord travels to Earth and almost immediately comes into confrontation with Spider-Man. The two go head to head, and eventually, Firelord is overpowered by Spidey, who is forced to resort to brute strength and his Spider-Sense.
3 Carnage
True to his name, Carnage is more deadly and powerful than Venom, blended with the insanity of Cletus Kasady, a notorious serial killer in the Spider-Man universe.
Carnage becomes so powerful that he indirectly forces Eddie Brock and Peter Parker to temporarily put aside their differences and battle the supervillain as teammates. At one point, Carnage's symbiote even bonds with Spider-Man, creating the terrifyingly powerful Spider-Carnage.
2 Mysterio
Mysterio has seen a recent increase in popularity due to his portrayal by Jake Gyllenhal in Spider-Man: Far From Home. First introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 Quentin Beck, (Mysterio) begins to harbor an unmistakable hatred for Spider-Man after Spidey thwarts his criminal money-making scheme.
Relying on his skills as a special effects expert and stuntman, Beck decides to exact his revenge on Spider-Man. As Mysterio, Beck employs deception tactics and special effects, often utilizing a wide array of ingenious inventions. At one point, he is even able to replicate Spider-Man's iconic web-shooters.
1 Thanos
Though not exclusively a Spider-Man villain, Thanos is undeniably one of the most dangerous characters in the Marvel Universe. His mere existence is a threat to the universe as more and more planets fall victim to his galactic tyranny.
In addition to his incredible powers as a Titan, Thanos is also credited for destroying the symbiote homeworld. As a result, some of the alien symbiotes fled to Earth and eventually formed bonds with Brock (Venom) and Cletus Kasady (Carnage). Spider-Man and Thanos had a particularly notable confrontation in Infinity War, where Spider-Man's abilities are put to the ultimate test.