10 Best Marvel Characters Introduced In Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

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Warning! This article contains spoilers for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
did a fantastic job of introducing a wide variety of amazing characters from Marvel’s extensive catalog. Spider-Man has long been a fan-favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
, and long before the MCU was ever formed. However, as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has been developing with other heroes in Earth-616, the new animated version voiced by Hudson Thames has been setting up an expansive shared world of his own.

In just 10 episodes, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has introduced an exciting array of heroes and villains. And these range from characters who have often been associated with Spider-Man, to some that have never really connected in the comics or previous projects. Bringing these characters together has been a joy to watch play out in YFNSM season 1, and is sure to get even more interesting in season 2 and beyond.

10

Carla Conners

One of Spidey’s most popular rivals in comics and TV shows, the Lizard, aka Dr. Curtis Connors has been adapted many times, but YFNSM changed things up by adapting this remarkable scientist as a gender-swapped version named Dr. Carla Connors. Dr. Connors is a troubled scientist who is desperate to find a way to regrow their arm, which leads to them manipulating their DNA to transform into the terrifying and out-of-control monster, Lizard. And here, the characters seem to be a lot more stable, at least on the surface.

Connors and Peter become close friends when Peter is assigned to work with them for their internship at Oscorp. Connors shows a genuine interest in Peter, and recognizes his remarkable skill and intelligence. Together, the pair successfully build a new energy source that proves incredibly powerful. However, the most exciting parts of Dr. Connors’ story is yet to come in YFNSM as the character is further explored.

9

Otto Octavius

Another villain to join the cast of the show is Otto Octavius. Doc Ock, as he came to be known, has appeared in both the Sam Raimi trilogy and the MCU, with both versions of the character being played by Alfred Molina. Molina has done an incredible job bringing the ambitious doctor to life, but the iteration of the character in YFNSM is much more true to the comics, both in terms of their appearance and their aggressive and vain personality.

The show sees Otto at an early point in his criminal career, as the disgraced and ignored doctor attempts to make money to fund his research through selling his advanced and innovative technology. And while his trademark tentacles are teased at the end of season 1, Doc Ock manages to establish his menacing nature without the aid of the machines. In addition, the backstory tying Otto to Norman Osborn also adds an element of intrigue to the show that has the potential to expand in the future.

8

Amadeus Cho

Amadeus Cho comes across as a total egomaniac in YFNSM. As another intern as Oscorp, it makes sense for Cho to be on par with Peter Parker, but Cho walks around with the swagger and confidence of someone far beyond his years. Even when Parker beats him to complete his project, Cho still manages to look at his own achievements as far superior to the others.

However, Amadeus Cho has one of the most exciting backstories in the comics, as this character becomes a Hulk. His Hulk persona has yet to manifest in the series, but the inclusion of the character means that it is likely this narrative will be developed at some point in the near future. But in order to become a hero, Cho needs to learn some humility, and get control of his enormous ego.

7

Jeanne Foucault

Jeanna Foucault is another young prodigy who is recruited to partake in the Oscorp internship. She is quieter than the others, but that is not to say that she is any less formidable. In fact, Foucault also recognizes her own brilliance, and she is more than happy to revel in her success above and beyond others. But Foucault also has a secret that was kept under wraps until the final episode of YFNSM.

For comic book fans, it’s possible that the above name would immediately appear familiar, as the character in the comics who also works as the hero Finesse. However, many characters introduced in YFNSM have connections to powered-up heroes and villains, but few came to fruition in season 1. Foucault is one of the few who actually did have their alter-ego revealed in the show, and it is revealed that she is working with another masked hero who fights crime in New York City.

6

Daredevil

Daredevil, here voiced by Charlie Cox, who is reprising his role from the earlier Netflix Marvel series, and has since joined the wider MCU, only has a brief cameo in YFNSM, but it is a highly exciting moment when he shows up. Daredevil is an incredible street-level hero that covers some of the same turf that Spidey does, and as such, it makes sense for the heroes to overlap.

In their brief encounter, the pair are at odds, putting on an incredible battle, before recognizing that maybe they are both actually on the same side. Daredevil’s presence in this season was just minor, but there is a lot of potential for the character to be developed further in the future, which is even more exciting with Cox voicing the hero in the animated show.

5

Doctor Strange

Doctor Stranger has been an ally to Spider-Man in the MCU since Avengers: Infinity War. And after Parker loses Stark, he reaches out to Stephen Strange for help when things go off the rails. Doctor Strange is actually a major character in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a film which sees Peter ask the mystic sorcerer for help with reversing an incident that revealed his identity to the world.

In YFNSM, Doctor Strange appears briefly in the first episode, before returning again in the finale. And, of course, with Strange’s arrival, it makes sense that the timeline begins to get weird. Strange is an incredible addition to the series, and despite not having Benedict Cumberbatch reprise his role in the animated show, the comic-accurate costume and flare of this version is a welcome addition to the show.

4

Norman Osborn

Returning to the dark side for a moment, one of the central characters in YFNSM was Norman Osborn. Norman here serves in a role that is similar to Tony Stark’s in the live-action MCU. Norman tracks down Spider-Man, extends an offer to join a special internship program, and then begins mentoring Peter to become an even better hero, providing him with suits and technical support. However, Norman Osborn is a name that is familiar to even the most casual Spider-Man fan, as he is the alter ego of the supervillain, Green Goblin.

Norman plays a complex and demanding part in the show, which makes it the perfect role to cast the incredible award-winning Colman Domingo in the part. While Norman has shown up in the MCU, the version of the character was not from Peter’s universe, and felt slightly out of place. However, this version is the perfect foil to young Parker, and presents a compelling narrative arc as he trains Parker to use his great powers to demand great respect.

3

Lonnie Lincoln

Lonnie Lincoln has rarely had the opportunity to appear in any adaptation of the Marvel Comics. And perhaps that is because the alter ego of this famous villain is much less well-known compared to his alter ego, Tombstone. However, as he first shows up in YFNSM, it’s hard to imagine that the character could progress to become anything like his alter-ego. From the outset, Lonnie is a charming, fun, and awesome guy.

Which makes his downfall to becoming a member of a gang, and a violent thug, all the more difficult to watch. Lonnie has a lot of potential, and a lot of love around him, but in his efforts to save his younger brother, he puts himself in harms way. The outcome is tragic, but Lonnie’s story in YFNSM still has time to take a brighter turn.

2

Nico Minoru

Nico Minoru is typically a character who appears in a separate series of Marvel Comics called Runaways. In 2017, Nico was first adapted for live-action in the Marvel TV show Runaways, which saw a group of young heroes band together after finding out their parents were all involved in a dark cult-like organization of villains. And Nico is a powerful witch who possesses skills and powers that are similar to her mother.

In YFNSM, Nico is initially introduced as the best friend of Peter Parker, and the pair share a lot of their lives and hobbies with each other. However, when Nico finds out that Peter is Spider-Man, she is devastated that he would hide such a large part of his life from her. Despite this, Nico actually has some secrets of her own that were only revealed in the finale, and will be sure to have an impact on the relationship in future episodes.

1

Peter Parker

And finally, the absolute best character to come out of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a no-brainer, Spider-Man himself. This version of Peter Parker appears to blend the original comic book version of the hero, first introduced in 1962, with the more modern takes on the character played by people like Tom Holland. Peter is nerdy, highly intelligent, and struggles to express himself. He also shows streaks of anger and rage.

However, over the course of his story, Peter learns to maintain control of his power, and overcome his rage. Peter is also someone who possesses a huge heart, and finds plenty of chances to show compassion, care, and friendship to those most in need. This Spider-Man story is proving to be deeply compelling, and well worth diving deeper, and I, for one, hope that Peter Parker and his friends will return in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2.

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