With members like Green Goblin and Venom, it is no surprise that Spider-Man has one of the best rogue’s galleries among heroes. Therefore, when the time came for Insomniac to choose who got in the PS4 Spider-Man game, there was no way to make everyone happy. Overall, Insomniac did a good job with their villain’s roster.
Now that the game is out and we have had time to play it, it is time to ask the big question: who was the best villain? Which enemy was the most interesting, or the toughest to beat? I will take all that into consideration, true believers, and give you list of worst to best villains* in Marvel's Spider-Man.
*I will be excluding anti-heroes and characters introduced in the DLC. Sorry, Silver Sable and Black Cat, but you fall under this category.
11. Screwball
I never even heard of Screwball before I played this game, so I had to look it up online. In the strangest side mission of the game, Internet Famous, Screwball forces Spider-Man to race across Harlem to save a hostage. The whole thing is complete with giant QR codes on the side of buildings to send players in the right direction. When Spider-Man finally frees the hostage, he discovers its Screwball herself. She set everything up so she could get Spider-Man in her videos; that's messed up!
I put Screwball at the bottom of the ladder because the encounter/boss fight with her was such a letdown. Whereas we have to fight the other villains at least once, players have to deal with Screwball's fan base of thugs. By this point, unless you slip up, the generic thugs are not much of a challenge. While the "Screwball Challenge" gets points for originality, the whole experience was disappointing.
Villain Score: 25/100 Two thumbs down #NotcoolScrewball
To see the completely kooky challenge, click here: Screwball
10. Shocker
Shocker is a classic among Spider-Man's enemies, and recognizable by his yellow, triple-ply suit. Players first chase him down in “A Shocking Comeback” as he is robbing banks, and then fight him in “Financial Shock”. The resulting boss fight leaves an entire bank in ruins and Shocker in custody, but players learn something disturbing. The new Demon gang had intimidated Shocker into working for them, hence the robberies. If a man like Shocker’s scared of the Demons, that is a warning that things are about to get terrifying.
The reason Shocker is so low on the totem pole is that I felt that he sees less use than he could. In essence, he becomes a hype man for the Demons, and little else. That said his boss fight was fun to play through. Spider-Man’s quipping skills were on full display as he continued to make the Shocker mad, ultimately leading to his downfall. I bet it would have been even cooler if he came back in the third act as Mister Negative’s bodyguard; it would be the perfect warm-up to the fight with Mister Negative!
Villain Score: 45/100
Click here to see Shocker’s first appearance: A Shocking Comeback
9. Vulture
Adrian Toomes, AKA the Vulture, is literally Spider-Man’s oldest enemy. First appearing in the mission, "Out of the Frying Pan", he is never seen without his wingsuit. As part of the Sinister Six, this old bird proves he still has talons. Able to throw daggers from his wings and capable of flying faster than Spider-Man, Vulture can potentially rule the skies of New York.
It would have been interesting to have an all-out aerial battle against The Vulture, but it never happened. Coupled with his lack of screen time, Vulture is second from the bottom of the list. Lucky for him, he makes up for it by being such a tough opponent in his boss battle. Those feather daggers are very hard to dodge and almost impossible to throw back at him! That is awesome!
Villain Score: 55/100
To see Vulture’s first appearance, click here: Out of the Frying Pan
8. Rhino
Appearing with the rest of the Sinister Six as they break out of The Raft in "Out of the Frying Pan...” the Rhino is as dangerous as he looks. Armed with indestructible armor (that he cannot get off) and a horn to fit his namesake, this Russian is a human tank. Working for Doc Ock with the promise of getting his suit off, Rhino could level New York if he left unchecked. It is fortunate for Spider-Man that he is also as dumb as a post, and fights like an angry bull.
Rhino may seem like a human tank, but in truth, he is not as tough as he looks. He recycles the standard brute attack patterns of charging and charging again. All I had to beat him was lure him underneath something heavy, then drop it on him as if he's Wil E. Coyote. The boss fight was not that interesting until Scorpion showed up and started throwing poison.
Villain Score: 63/100
Want to see the Rhino’s first appearance, click here: Out of the Frying Pan
7. Kingpin
Appearing in the game's second mission, Wilson Fisk, AKA the Kingpin, is the first boss you fight in the game. The crime lord has controlled New York for years and is one of Spider-Man's greatest enemies. The first few minutes of the game see the wall-crawler lead the police in an all-out assault on Fisk's HQ. The events lead to an explosive fight between Spider-Man and Fisk that ends with Fisk hauled to jail.
If you grew up watching Spider-Man: The Animated Series, then the Kingpin has left a big impression on you. Which is what makes this fight against him feel satisfying: we finally get to punch his stupid face! This, sadly, marks the end to Kingpin's physical involvement in the game's events. By the time the credits roll, New York will likely have forgotten Kingpin.
Villain Score: 67/100
To see Kingpin be rekt, click here: Kingpin boss fight
6. Electro
According to his in-game bio, Max Dillon, aka Electro, was the first supervillain Spider-Man ever fought. Responsible for free most of The Raft's inmates in the mission "Out of the Frying Pan...” Electro remains a thorn in the wall crawler’s side for some time. Able to generate bioelectricity from his body, he may be Spider-Man's most powerful foe.
Electro gets the halfway point for a few reasons. First, he is a formidable opponent in the game, able to shoot electric bursts from his hands, fly, and send walls of lightning at players. On his own, he would be tough to beat, but when he and Vulture double-team us, we will need sharp reflexes to beat them both. I also have to give him extra points for being able to match Spidey in banter. He even got Spider-Man's Rocky IV reference, and I had to look that online.
Villain Score: 70/100
To see our first encounter with Electro, click here: Out of the Frying Pan
5. Tombstone
You know why they call him "Tombstone?" Because if you mess with him, that is all you are left with. This ruthless leader of a biker gang debuts in MJ's flashback during "Dinner Date." Working for Martin Li, Tombstone is building the massive APC Li later uses to steal the Devil's Breath. Afterward, he is the subject to a series of side missions that culminate in a fight out of hell in his own chop shop.
Despite having little bearing on the main story, Tombstone gets number five because of his side missions. The only other villain in the whole game to have that is Taskmaster, which makes it even more impressive. Tombstone himself is a tough opponent to take down, making it even more satisfying to beat him. In addition, fighting Tombstone amidst a burning building is the stuff of cinema.
Villain Score: 78/100
Want to see Tombstone face down a gun point blank, click here: Tombstone Appearance
4. Scorpion
Once a common street thug, Mac Gargan became the guinea pig in an experiment funded by J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson's plan to create an anti-Spider-Man backfires, though, and made a bigger menace! After getting locked inside The Raft, Scorpion is one of the big names freed during the events of "Out of the Frying Pan". As part of the Sinister Six, Scorpion is even more dangerous than he already was, and he was dangerous to start with!
Scorpion is among the top four villains of the game because, unlike half the Sinister Six, he plays a bigger role. His poisoning of Spider-Man comes closer to outright killing him than anyone else in the game, so I had to give him points for that. Aside from this feat, I found the feverish trip through Peter Parker's mind fun to watch. Watching the poison bring Peter's guilt over his various failures to help his loved ones shed some light on the web head’s inner torment. Somehow, it makes beating the poison clones even sweeter in the end!
Villain Score: 82/100
To see Scorpion’s first appearance, watch this video: Out of the Frying Pan
3. Taskmaster
Nobody knows what his real name is, so everyone calls him Taskmaster. He is a killer for hire that suddenly shows up in New York, with players meeting him in the mission "What's in the box?" After that, players have to complete his challenge missions throughout the city. This will lead to a final clash with the person who, by his own statement, has fought the Avengers!
Taskmaster had almost no impact on the game's story, but I put him so high up on the list for a reason. The reason being he is among the toughest bosses in the whole game. His ability to copy other people's skills by watching him means fighting him is like fighting a copy of Spider-Man. I actually lost to him the first time around, so I had to be on guard for the rematch. Fighting this person will mean you have to get creative, but that makes it more satisfying when you win!
Villain Score: 87/100
Click here for our introduction to Taskmaster: What’s in the Box?
2. Doctor Octopus
As the game starts, Doctor Octavius serves as Peter Parker's boss and mentor and wants to help the world. Underneath his optimistic exterior, though, hides someone with many problems. Octavius' bitterness towards Norman Osborn, and his frustration at his worsening motor functions lead him down a dark path. We see the results of it in "Breakthrough", but it is not until "Out of the Frying Pan..." that he makes the full transition into Doctor Octopus.
It was hard to decide between Doctor Octopus and my number one pick, but I will explain my reasoning. The game's initial depiction of Otto Octavius as a modest, kind-hearted scientist felt like an improvement over the comics. Even though I knew what he could turn into, I could not help admiring the person and feeling sympathy for his plight. This only made it even more heartbreaking to see his fall to darkness.
That said I made him number two due to lack of time as a villain. Doctor Octopus only shows up at the end of Act II, as he becomes the main antagonist in the game's final act. My first choice was responsible for most of the events in the game, which is why Ock misses the top spot. I would like to point out, though, that the final fight with Doc Ock was one of the best in the game.
Villain Score: 95/100
To see Octavius’ final transition in Doctor Octopus, click here: Breakthrough
1. Mister Negative
On the outside, Martin Li seems like a millionaire who has dedicated his life to helping others. He created the F.E.A.S.T. Center, helping the homeless of New York. This makes it even more shocking, though, when the mission "A Day to Remember" reveals him the leader of the Demons, Mister Negative. Possessing energy-based powers and fueled by his hatred for Norman Osborn, Li is hell-bent of bringing him down. In addition, he is willing to tear New York City apart to do so.
I gave the top spot to Mister Negative for three reasons. First, as the leader of the Demons, he is the driving force behind most of the events in the game, even before his reveal. Then there is his backstory and his personality, which I compare to Jekyll and Hyde, which makes me sympathize with him. Third and finally, we fight Mister Negative three times throughout the game, which we do not do with other villains. With our final fight being one of the most exciting battles in the game, I had to give the top spot to Mister Negative.
Villain Score: 99/100
To see Mister Negative’s big reveal click here: Negative
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