Spider-Man has faced all manner of villains, from Morbius, to Sandman, to Mysterio or Swarm (a type made of killer bees, don’t ask). All you have done a thousand dirty tricks to the wall – crawler, but there is an evil that stands out above the others and can be considered as the largest and most dangerous of all. The choice has been difficult, but in the end there could only be one left who was the greatest villain Peter Parker has ever faced.
And we’re not going to keep you waiting to meet him, because Spider-Man’s greatest villain is undoubtedly The Green Goblin.
Yes, yes, we already know that in these things there are opinions for everything, and that there are at least a couple that could have also claimed the title. So let’s do the honorable mention for them before we get into flour.
The other most important villains of Spider-Man
There are countless and the title could have been at least two others and not much could be argued for.
Venom could have taken the crown , because the rivalry he had / has with Spider-Man is legendary. An example is Spider-Arc , when Venom was Flash Thompson and not Eddie Brock.
This story is probably the climax in Venom’s transition from villain to hero and Thompson, a regular Spider-Man rival, discovers that he is Peter Parker in this comic. However, Spidey has had other rivals that have led him further down the street of bitterness.
Doctor Octopus is another legendary antagonist , who has almost 500 appearances in the comics and will return in the film No Way Home , which opens in December 2021. Without a doubt, a recognition of his importance and the other candidate for the greatest villain of Spider -Man .
But even though he touches the trophy, we have to take it away from him.
Why the Green Goblin is Spider-Man’s most important villain
The costume and mask of El Duende Verde have been worn by up to four people, but two of them stand out from the rest. Norman Osborn, the millionaire businessman who is the original Green Goblin and his son Harry Osborn, Spider-Man’s best friend.
Since July 1964, both Harry and Norman Osborn have together added nearly 1,000 comic book appearances . More than any other if we discount JJ Jameson as a villain and even, separately, they add up to more than the next most common villain, Doctor Octopus . That already accounts for the times that hero and evil have made life impossible for each other.
In addition, their rivalry is undoubtedly the most emotional and personal , due to the ties of friendship and hatred between the Osborns and Peter Parker.
In fact, the Green Goblin literally kills Spider-Man . Peter actually kills himself in Ultimate Spider-Man 160, when he throws a truck at The Green Goblin to finish him off and the blast hits him. At least he dies with a smile, because that means saving Aunt May, something he could never do with Uncle Ben.
Yes, it is not the first time that Spider-Man has died or almost died at the hands of other villains (or the Punisher ), but without a doubt, The Green Goblin takes the cake. And not only for that and his thousand fights. The Goblin is also responsible for the death of Gwen Stacy , Peter Parker’s girlfriend.
In the comics, it occurs in Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 , number 121, in 1973. In the movies, it occurs in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), where a scene almost identical to the one in the comic is recreated.