Taking down Spider-Man isn't the easiest of tasks. At least when it comes to individual villains facing off against everyone's favorite wall-crawler. After villains started realizing that they had strength in numbers, the first incarnation of the Sinister Six was born.
Over the years, there have been different variations and members who have joined the group. Usually, the strength in numbers reasoning is overshadowed by individual villain's egos that result in the Sinister Six failing in their mission to take out Spider-Man.
10 Overstayed: Doctor Octopus
In most variations of the Sinister Six, Doctor Octopus is the mastermind behind the teams' creation. This makes sense since Doctor Octopus is a villain with a genius-level intellect whose plans involve more than petty theft.
While Doctor Octopus has a way of upping the ante in any given situation, he always makes the other villains in the group appear minuscule. His take-charge personality lessens the idea of a supervillain team-up and, on certain occasions makes the other villains look like henchmen.
9 Underused: Sandman
Sandman has always been a tragic supervillain. In most comics, TV appearances, and Spider-Man movies, Sandman is a reluctant villain who has only turned to a life of crime because of trying to provide for his daughter.
It is this in-depth character development that makes him such a great villain, as he doesn't fit the conventional norm of what a villain's motivation should be. Sadly, he has always been one of the most underused Spider-Man villains in the comics.
8 Overstayed: Electro
Like Doctor Octopus, Electro has been in many of the different variations of the Sinister Six. Electro has always been one of Spider-Man's toughest enemies since he is just a bolt of electricity capable of frying any superhero to a crisp with a flick of his hand.
That said, he is kind of a one-trick pony and doesn't bring a lot of personality to the table, especially in a group with so many conflicting dispositions as the Sinister Six.
7 Underused: Boomerang
For fans of the Spider-Man cartoons and movies, Boomerang might be an unfamiliar name to them. As a paid assassin usually contracted by other villains to take out various different superheroes, Boomerang isn't the typical villain who has a reason behind his villainy.
He is just a man with a particular deadly skillset that is looking to get paid. This reason alone makes him unique and dangerous as heroes never know who is the one pulling the strings behind him.
6 Overstayed: Mysterio
On his own, Mysterio can be a great villain who comes up with some unique tricks to defeat Spider-Man. Though too often, his ingenuity when it comes to his illusions fails miserably, but only because Spider-Man has his spider-sense that allows him to feel the danger beyond the illusion.
As a member of the Sinister Six, Mysterio is usually only used to create an elaborate distraction, so that other villains on the team can take out Spider-Man for themselves.
5 Underused: Kraven The Hunter
Kraven The Hunter is a villain who works well when teaming up with others, especially during his time in the Sinister Six. His raw power and ability to track and hunt Spider-Man makes him a valuable asset to any team.
He is just an A-list villain that always seems to be underused in almost every variation that he is seen in. Sadly, on many occasions, other less interesting villains take the spotlight away from Kraven, who should be considered a must-have in any villainous organization.
4 Overstayed: Vulture
There just isn't a variation of Vulture that stands out from other supervillains. He just always has a way of looking like a more high-tech villainous version of the hero Hawkman.
He can fly and, in some instances, has a rather ravenous, almost primal demeanor about him. Though, sadly, none of his abilities places him in the top tier of supervillains. In fact, he is lucky to be considered above the average hired lackey or henchman that other supervillains employ.
3 Underused: Lizard
Similar to Doctor Octopus, Lizard was once a brilliant scientist who used his inventions and discoveries for helping others rather than murdering or causing outright havoc on society. As a human, he was also a close, personal friend of Peter Parker.
However, after an experiment that went horribly wrong, his alter ego, Lizard, was born. As far as sheer power, Lizard is one of the stronger Spider-Man villains. His preference to hide in damp, dark sewers makes his battle scenes with Spider-Man all the more ominous.
2 Overstayed: Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin has been used in so many different Spider-Man comics, cartoon series, and movies that his very presence has become tiresome. On the outside, he looks the part of a menacing character, but once Spider-Man gets past his many bombs along with taking out his glider, Hobgoblin becomes powerless.
During his time in the Sinister Six, Hobgoblin was one of the easiest villains for Spider-Man to take out, making his presence on the team a complete waste of time.
1 Underused: Speed Demon
While the name Speed Demon isn't one of the more original names ever created in comic book lore, it sure beats his original name of the Whizzer. Speed Demon shares many of the same characteristics as the Flash, with his lighting fast speed and quick-healing regenerative abilities.
While he has never been known as a top-level villain, he has shown promise during his time in the Sinister Six, though, he has never been able to have a breakout story arc that sets him apart from the Flash.