The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and made his first appearance in 1962. Almost six decades later, the web-slinger has managed to become Marvel’s most beloved superhero. After getting bitten by a radioactive power, Peter Parker gained numerous abilities based on the physiology of spiders.
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Though Spider-Man did manage to somewhat alleviate the fear associated with the creepy arachnids, his famous rogue gallery has been quite busy with evoking fears associated with other creatures. As most of his popular villains are usually based on animals, real and fictional. From the Vulture to Green Goblin, Spider-Man’s rogue gallery is filled with all types of classic comic-book villains. While some are known for their prowess and tenacity, some are just downright creepy.
Here are 10 creepiest Spider-Man villains that will surely give you nightmares.
10. The Lizard
A former Army surgeon, Dr. Curt Connors lost his arm in the battlefield. In his desperate attempt to grow it back, he used a serum. However, the serum turned him into a gigantic lizard instead of giving him the intended regenerative ability. An unhinged lizard with claws roaming in the sewers? Hard pass.
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9. Vermin
A genius geneticist, Edward Whelan’s life is filled with tragedy. After surviving years of abuse from his father, Edward as used as a guinea pig by Baron Helmut Zemo which turned him into a cannibalistic rat-like creature.
8. Doppelganger
A mindless clone of Spider-Man, the Doppelganger came into existence during the Infinity War storyline in the comics. As Spider-Man’s clone, Doppelganger has all the abilities of the beloved web-slinger. With three sets of arms equipped with talons, the Doppelganger is definitely one of the creepiest Spider-Man villains ever.
7. Spot
While trying to mimic the powers of the superhero Cloak, Dr. Jonathan Ohnn gained the ability to open interdimensional portals. However, the portals stuck to his body which led to him adopting the moniker Spot. After using the portals excessively, Spot has become a grotesque horror movie villain to haunt you in your dreams.
6. Swarm
What could wrong when a Nazi scientist messes around with mutated bees? Fritz von Meyer, a top scientist in Nazi Germany decided to control the queen bee of a mutated bee hive resulting in the swarm of bees devouring him. Miraculously, his consciousness was transferred to the swarm, resulting in a swarm of bees surrounding his skeleton.
5. Morbius The Living Vampire
As one of the most popular horror-themed villains of Spider-Man, Morbius is a pseudo vampire after the results of experimentation to save his life. Though he has currently become an anti-hero, his vampiric bloodlust and appearance are creepy.
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4. Morlun
Morlun is a psychic vampire that enables him to drain others’ life force. Though his appearance is considerably better than most on this list, his relentless stalking to kill Spider-totems in the Spider-Verse storyline makes him one of the creepiest Spider-Man villains.
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3. The Thousand
Carl King was a bully at Peter Parker’s school. When Peter was bitten by the radioactive spider, Carl King was the first person to witness Peter’s newfound abilities. As a result, he decided to eat the dead radioactive spider to gain power. Instead, he turned into a grotesque monster created out of thousands of psychical spiders. Well, there comes arachnophobia.
2. Carnage
What happens when a sadistic serial killer is bonded with an alien symbiote? You get Carnage. Cletus Kasady is one of the most vicious and unhinged villains of Spider-Man in his Carnage form. Also, he is undetected by Spider-Man’s senses.
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1. Green Goblin
The most popular Spider-Man villain, Green Goblin’s obsession with Spider-Man is downright disturbing. From sleeping with Gwen Stacy to actually killing her, Green Goblin is a mentally insane character who has left a trail of bodies in his mission to torture Spider-Man. His creepy costume and nightmarish laughter only prove why he is the creepiest Spider-Man villain ever.
