10 Forgotten Spider-Man Villains Who Failed To Leave A Mark

Spider-Man is one of the most iconic superheroes in comic books, and this popularity surrounds his entire mythos. Given the number of comics, cartoons, movies, and video games he’s had, it’s no wonder Spidey’s enemies are almost as big as he is. Many of these foes have starred in their own movies and other projects, showcasing their popularity. At the same time, countless other enemies of the web-slinger are far from mainstream.

Over the years, several Spider-Man enemies have been introduced that were meant to become big deals in his world. Others were simply one-hit wonders that never got over with readers or creators. These bad guys weren’t good villains for various reasons, and they’ve since fallen completely into obscurity. A few of them might have a shot at returning to the limelight, but for many of them, their time fighting the neighborhood Spider-Man wasn’t so friendly in the end.

10 Stunner Was Doc Ock’s Insecure Lover

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #397 by J.M. DeMatteis and Mark Bagley

Angelina Brancale came under Otto Octavius’s sway, falling in love with the mad doctor in the process. She became the seemingly muscular and powerful Stunner using powers derived from virtual reality. She saw Doctor Octopus as the only man who ever loved her and saw her as beautiful, which caused her to completely lose it when Kaine temporarily killed him off.

Stunner made a few appearances since then (namely during the Superior Spider-Man storyline), but for the most part, she isn’t a particularly important part of Spider-Man or Doc Ock’s life. She was ultimately something of a gimmick, as the idea was that she was, for some reason, smitten with Doctor Octopus, who’s usually portrayed as being not the most attractive man. The fact that she came about just as Doc Ock was briefly killed off only cemented her status as a soon-to-be-forgotten character.

9 Gaunt Was a Clone Saga Deepcut

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #37 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Mendel Stromm was Norman Osborn’s assistant who quickly became a villain in his own right. Known as the Robot Master, Stromm was soon done away with, becoming completely forgotten by Spider-Man fans. Nevertheless, he was brought back and given some semblance of relevance again during the infamous “Clone Saga,” where he was one of the story’s many mysterious men behind the proverbial curtain.

Going by the name “Gaunt,” he took on both Peter Parker and his clone Ben Reilly (who at the time believed himself to be the true Peter). Afterward, he was used occasionally, but his grand return ultimately didn’t amount to much. Whether he called himself Robot Master or Gaunt, Mendel Stromm was far less well-known than his former business partner.

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #406 by J.M. DeMatteis and Angel Medina

After Otto Octavius’ death, he was replaced by a student of his named Carolyn Trainer. This female version of Doctor Octopus was featured throughout the “Clone Saga” and was essentially poised to be Ben Reilly’s version of the iconic villain. She was also the daughter of Seward Trainer, a man who had become a sort of surrogate father to Ben. This animosity drove Carolyn over the edge and into villainy.

Once the true Doctor Octopus came back, Carolyn’s potential days of relevance were numbered. She went by the “Lady Octopus” moniker to differentiate herself, but this wasn’t enough to give her staying power. By that point, she made only sporadic appearances and is barely remembered. Interestingly enough, the female Doctor Octopus seen in the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was essentially a gender-swapped version of Otto and was not based on Carolyn.

7 Gibbon Was a Tragic Joke of a Villain

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #110 by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.

Gibbon was a lovable loser and very hard to take seriously as a threat. Like Hank McCoy/Beast, Martin Blank was a mutant with a simian appearance. This forced him to live among circus attractions, and when an attempt to befriend Spider-Man went awry, he was swayed to work with Kraven the Hunter. His career as a villain never went well, and he was far from a threat.

Gibbon constantly tried to find acceptance and his way in the world, even marrying the widow of Stilt-Man. Any attempt at happiness was taken away from him, however, and this eventually led to his death. He was comforted in the arms of Spider-Man, with Gibbon simply glad that he was no longer being laughed at.

6 The Rose Was Briefly Killed By His Own Mother

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #83 by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.

The Rose was actually a competent and popular Spider-Man villain, a thorn in the side of Spidey and his mob boss enemies. In reality, he was Richard Fisk, the son of Wilson Fisk, better known as Spider-Man and Daredevil’s enemy, the Kingpin. Eventually, he took on the name Blood Rose and sought to kill New York’s criminal element.

Unfortunately, Richard Fisk eventually fell from grace, as seen in the Brian Michael Bendis run on Daredevil. There, he doublecrossed his father, which resulted in his mother, Vanessa, shooting him dead. Richard was later brought back to life in more recent comics, but his presence is certainly smaller than it once was.

5 Gang War Finally Brought Back Silvermane

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #73 by Stan Lee and Sal Buscema

Silvermane was among the many mobster villains who fought Spider-Man over the years. He was obsessed with regaining his youth so that he might also restore his power in the criminal underworld, going to extreme lengths to do so. At one point, he was reduced to simply a decapitated head that was still alive.

It’s only now that Silvermane has returned to some level of prominence, with the recent “Gang War” storyline bringing him back. It also helps that he had several appearances in the classic 1990s Spider-Man cartoon. Still, he’s not the most mainstream Spidey foe involved with organized crime, as that’s still The Kingpin.

4 The Third Green Goblin Was a Total Failure

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #176 by Len Wein and Ross Andru

The most well-known versions of the Green Goblin are Norman Osborn and his son, Harry. These aren’t the only take on Spider-Man’s emerald enemy, however, with another man taking the mantle of the villain after those two. This was Bart Hamilton, the third Green Goblin who came into power after learning Norman’s secrets. His tenure in the role didn’t last long, however, with most fans not even realizing that he ever existed.

No outside media has ever adapted Bart Hamilton, and he’s rarely, if ever, mentioned in modern comics. When it comes to other Goblins, most fans simply think of the Hobgoblin, who has his own convoluted history. Needless to say, the third take on Spider-Man’s most iconic enemy was certainly not the most popular.

3 Alistair Smythe May or May Not Be Alive

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19 by Louise Simonson and Mary Wilshire

Alistair Smythe was once one of Spider-Man’s most dastardly opponents. A mechanical and technological genius, he created the Spider-Slayer robots that hunted down the Wall-Crawler in New York City. Likewise, he even became a cyborg known as the Ultimate Spider-Slayer, with all these developments appearing inSpider-Man: The Animated Series.

Sadly, despite his previous prominence and the fact that his upgrades rivaled Spider-Man’s own strength, he only appeared intermittently in the modern era. While he was usually present during big crossovers, he was only one of several villains. In fact, the real Smythe, along with his clone, may or may not be dead, with this information apparently too unimportant to reveal.

2 Blackie Drago Is the Forgotten Vulture

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #48 by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.

Raniero “Blackie” Drago was the second incarnation of the Spider-Man enemy known as The Vulture, though he also went by Vulture Man. A cellmate of Adrian Toomes (the first Vulture), he tricked Toomes and stole his winged harness during an escape. This allowed him to take on Spider-Man and even Kraven the Hunter. Despite this victory, he lost his title when Toomes escaped and reclaimed his right to the Vulture name.

Afterward, Drago claimed to be through with supervillainy, with Toomes remaining the most well-known Vulture. The last time Drago was seen was in a jail cell with Norman Osborn, and he’s never been a mainstream villain since. The original Ultimate Universe was an exception, where Drago was the Vulture and not Toomes (who still existed in that universe).

1 The Grim Hunter Was Killed Off Too Soon

First Appearance: Spider-Man #47 by Howard Mackie and Tom Lyle

The Grim Hunter was an ultimately ill-fated foe who could have amounted to much more. He was the son of Kraven the Hunter who wished to avenge his father following his (actually suicidal) death involving Spider-Man. Wearing a similar lion-based costume, the Grim Hunter promised to be a version of Kraven the Hunter for a new generation. Unfortunately, this potential was cut short not too long after he was introduced.

Kaine killed off Grim Hunter during the “Clone Saga.” Like Doctor Octopus, his death was supposed to get rid of classic villains while establishing Kaine’s threat. He was later revived by his sister as a lion-like creature, and the two of them were hunted and killed by their revived father, Sergei Kravinoff (the true Kraven, the Hunter). Since then, the Grim Hunter hasn’t been used at all.