Spider-Man has faced off against dangerous villains since he was a teenager. The web slinger’s combination of powers and intelligence has allowed him to deal with foes that other heroes couldn’t. Spider-Man’s enemies present a unique intersection of criminals and scientists that are difficult to handle. That Spider-Man has done such a great job against them is a testament to just how good of a hero he’s become over the years.
Spider-Man’s foes have developed a personal grudge against him, to the extent that they barely fight other people. However, even if they did, there are some that only Spider-Man can defeat thanks to his combination of powers and abilities.
10/10 J. Jonah Jameson’s Grudge Against Spider-Man Meant He Cared More When The Web-Head Got Him
J. Jonah Jameson has changed over the years, but he once used The Daily Bugle as the pulpit for an anti-Spider-Man crusade. JJJ even went so far as to bankroll villains whose entire purpose was to kill Spider-Man. Jameson hated superheroes in general, but his loathing for Spider-Man was something else, which is why Spider-Man was the only hero to really beat him.
There’s a reason that Jameson’s change in personality came after Spider-Man’s constant defeats of him. JJJ’s hatred of the Wall-Crawler was ingrained in him. Seeing Spider-Man beat every attempt to defame him and still be a hero changed JJJ in a way that no other hero would have been able to.
9/10 Alistair Smythe And His Spider-Slayers Were Too Much For Anyone Else To Handle
Alistair Smythe was the son of Spencer Smythe, an old enemy of Spider-Man. Like his father, Alistaire was a robotics genius and created the Spider-Slayers, special robots designed to take on Spider-Man. Alistaire also created a robotic carapace for himself, which enhanced his physical capabilities and allowed him to battle Spider-Man one on one.
Smythe may not seem like a hard foe for other heroes to beat, but his combination of intellect and physical threat makes him a difficult enemy to take down. His grudge against Spider-Man keeps Alistair’s focus on the Web-Head, so he won’t really fight anyone else, making him Spider-Man’s problem.
8/10 Black Cat’s Fixation On Spider-Man Meant Only He Beat Her
Black Cat is more of a hero nowadays, but the former cat burglar wasn’t always so law-abiding. Once Spider-Man started to foil her crimes, Black Cat developed a crush on him and basically only committed crimes to get his attention. This meant that only Spider-Man ever foiled her crimes.
Other heroes certainly could have done as well against Black Cat as Spidey did, but never got the chance. Felicia Hardy’s short time as an out-and-out criminal began her long obsession with Spider-Man. After that, everything she did was to get his attention, making him the only one who could beat her.
7/10 The Jackal Presented A Threat That Only Spider-Man Could Handle
The Jackal has an infamous place in Spider-Man’s history. His obsession with Gwen Stacy and knowledge of cloning saw him kick off the Clone Saga, creating Spider-clone Ben Reilly and setting in motion a series of events that would change Spidey’s life for years to come. The Jackal returned time and again to torment Spidey, often bringing yet another Gwen Stacy clone with him.
Like many Spider-Man villains with a science background, Jackal experimented on himself so he could fight Spider-Man. Jackal’s obsessed with the Wall-Crawler, and other heroes would find it impossible to deal with his clone based shenanigans. Spider-Man’s experience with Jackal gives him an upper hand no one else has.
6/10 Morlun Only Targets Heroes Like Spider-Man
Spider-Man fights some very cool villains, with Morlun’s Victorian goth aesthetic putting him at the top. Morlun is an energy vampire from a group of beings who travel the multiverse and destroy totemic heroes like Spider-Man. The battles between the two have always been desperate affairs, with Morlun even winning a few.
Morlun isn’t some unstoppable enemy, but he’s not going to go and fight Daredevil. His lust for Spider-Man’s totemic spider energy means he’ll only battle the Wall-Crawler. Morlun’s power and cunning would be too much for anyone else to deal with, making Spider-Man perfectly suited to fighting him.
5/10 Spider-Man Has The Scientific Knowledge Needed To Stop Lizard
Spider-Man has some dorky villains, as a lot of his foes are science-based. Dr. Curt Connors’ Lizard form was born by his efforts to create a serum that would humans to regrow missing limbs. The unfortunate side effect created the Lizard, a savage monster that terrorized New York City. Lizard’s strength is greater than Spidey’s, and his reptilian hide gave makes him fantastically durable.
On a purely physical basis, other heroes can beat the Lizard. However, Spider-Man is the only one who knows to counteract Connors’ serum and transform him back into a human. Spidey has used that knowledge multiple times over the years, saving the day from the Lizard and helping D. Connors return to his life.
4/10 Spider-Man’s Experience With Mysterio Gives Him An Edge Others Don’t Have
Mysterio’s battles with Spider-Man are legendary. Quentin Beck’s mastery of special effects gave him the ability to create illusions that felt real to everyone, even people with super senses like Daredevil and Wolverine. Mysterio’s only gotten better as the years have gone by, which is why it’s so impressive that Spider-Man can defeat him.
Mysterio has no superpowers beyond his technology, so he can be beaten by anyone that gets through them. However, the only hero with enough experience to always see through his tricks is Spider-Man. This is why the Wall Crawler does so well against him.
3/10 Harry Osborn’s Tricks Can Only Be Beaten By An Intellect Like Spider-Man’s
Harry Osborn was once Peter Parker’s best friend. However, after the death of his father, their relationship was strained. Once Harry found out the truth about Green Goblin and Spider-Man’s identities, Harry took up his father’s mantle to battle his former friend. He didn’t have powers for most of that tenure, but still did a lot of damage to Spidey before his death.
Like his father, Harry was intelligent and devious. He gave it his all to destroy Spider-Man, and any other hero would have been hard-pressed dealing with him. Spider-Man was able to beat him because he understood Harry better than anyone. Other heroes wouldn’t have that edge, so they wouldn’t beat him.
2/10 Doctor Octopus Has Beaten The Likes Of The Hulk
Doctor Octopus has changed a lot over the years, always switching things up on Spidey. The scientist’s octopus arms are powerful weapons, especially his adamantium set, and he has created many types of technology to further bedevil Spider-Man. Doc Ock’s arms have allowed him to tussle with the toughest heroes; he even has a win over the Hulk.
Doctor Octopus’ combination of brawn and brains makes him a difficult villain for other heroes to face. Spider-Man has been fighting the eight-armed menace since he was a teenager, so he knows more about beating Doc Ock than anyone else. On top of that, Ock will go all out against Spider-Man in ways that he won’t against other heroes, making it even more miraculous that Spider-Man beats him.
1/10 Green Goblin Has Shown How Dangerous He Is
Green Goblin is a chameleonic foe, rolling with the punches and changing his tactics to fit the moment. He’s always hated the Wall-Crawler and has done more damage to his foe’s life than any other villain. Norman Osborn proved how truly dangerous he was as the leader of the Dark Avengers and HAMMER, making plans that kept the heroes of the world underground and on the back foot.
Green Goblin is both an evil super genius and a physical titan. He can challenge any hero, but the only one who can truly beat him is Spider-Man. In fact, he was the one that got the knockout blow against Goblin at the end of his Dark Reign. Spider-Man is the only hero who truly understands how to beat Green Goblin and has proven it over and over again.
