Not only is Spider-Man one of the most popular superheroes of all time, but he’s also incredibly powerful, far more than he gets credit for. To challenge the web-slinger, a villain needs to be pretty powerful, or at leat very persistent; usually, it’s a combination of both. In the comics, Spider-Man has the strength to lift 10 tons; while it’s never confirmed if that’s also the case in the movies, he must, at least, come close, which is still astoundingly powerful.
Power doesn’t just come from sheer strength, though, either. Strength can also come from social or mental power over the hero. From his first adventure in 2002’s Spider-Man all the way to 2022’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, the friendly neighborhood has faced countless threats that have challenged and pushed him to the limit. Each live-action Spider-Man villain is powerful in their own right, but some simply provide more of a challenge to the red and blue-clad hero than the others.
13 Tinkerer (Michael Chernus)
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
While Tinkerer (Michael Chernus) may not be physically powerful, the Vulture’s (Michael Keaton) organization wouldn’t be possible without him. He may be the weakest of the Spider-Man villains, but he still has power in the sense that his presence and brain provide the Vulture with pretty much all of his power. The same goes for the Shocker (Bokeem Woodbine).
There’s power in supplying the villains with everything that makes them dangerous; in that way, Tinkerer is actually one of Spider-Man’s most underrated villains. But, at the end of the day, if Tinkerer were to meet up with Spider-Man face-to-face, there’s not much he could do to stop the hero from destroying his technology and knocking him out unless he made some powerful tech for himself, of course.
12 New Goblin/Harry Osborn (James Franco)
‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)
After two films of hating Spider-Man and discovering his best friend is the “man who murdered his father” in Spider-Man 2, Harry Osborn (James Franco) was ready to snap. In the third film in the franchise, Harry took on his father’s mantle and gear to kill Spider-Man once and for all. Unfortunately for him, though, he only got about two scenes of action and absolutely got his butt whooped.
After just one fight against Peter, Harry is taken out and sent to the hospital with amnesia; poor guy didn’t stand even a quarter of the chance that his father did. Harry gets one more chance against Peter later in the film, and while he does slightly better than before, he still gets a bomb to the face and is horrendously burned. Harry is truly not built to be a villain.
11 The Green Goblin/Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan)
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)
Yes, Dane DeHaan‘s Green Goblin is the man who killed the love of Spider-Man’s life, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). At the end of the day, though, while the fight he and Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) had in the clocktower was heart-pounding, he didn’t stand much of a chance against Spider-Man physically. Indeed, had Gwen not been there, Spider-Man would’ve probably taken him out quicker.
Compared to the other version of the character shown in Sam Raimi‘s first film, the Green Goblin shown in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is pretty dang weak and didn’t last nearly as long against Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s Green Goblin is a far cry from that kind of power, and while DeHaan convincingly portrays the Gonlin’s feral fury, he just isn’t that much of a challenge.
10 Shocker/Herman Schultz (Bokeem Woodbine)
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
While he may not be able to take much of a punch from Spider-Man, he sure can pack one. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Shocker really gave Spider-Man (Tom Holland) a run for his money. With his incredibly powerful Shocker Gauntlet, he smacked Spidey around, hitting him with and into multiple school buses in Midtown High’s parking lot.
It wasn’t until Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) came in with a web-shooter save that Spider-Man got the upper hand and webbed Shocker to a nearby bus. This iteration of the Shocker may be able to land a few blows, but he still has to avoid getting hit by the hero because one punch would take him out instantly, which is a bit of a struggle with such an athletic hero like Spider-Man.
9 Vulture/Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton)
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
Getting to see the legendary Michael Keaton return to the superhero game in Spider-Man: Homecoming was a total treat for everyone after not seeing him in years since Batman Returns. His appearance as the Vulture in the hero’s long-awaited solo debut in the MCU sent fans into a frenzy, as Vulture is certainly a fan-favorite Spider-Man villain, and the threat he poses is much higher than most may think.
Spider-Man may swing around, but he doesn’t have the air control that Vulture does.
Not only do his incredibly sharp talons pose a physical threat to the hero, but Vulture’s ability to fly makes him a huge threat, too. While Spider-Man may swing around, he doesn’t have the air control that Vulture does. In the film, Vulture drops Spider-Man from the sky into a lake with nothing to web onto, proving his superiority in that regard. Fortunately for Spider-Man, Vulture’s power mostly comes from tech. Thus, as long as Spider-Man takes care of that, he can easily take down Vulture.
8 Rhino/Aleksei Systevich (Paul Giamatti)
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)
Throughout all of Spider-Man media, the Rhino has always been a massive threat to the wall-crawler. It’s not easy to take down someone who seems to be an unstoppable force, forcing Spider-Man to have to become an immovable object to face him. At the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Rhino (Paul Giamatti) makes a big debut, causing destruction all around the city.
While only there for one scene, The Rhino packs a punch. Not only is he in a giant, horned mech with strong durability but he is also equipped with missiles and machine guns, making him a huge threat to Spider-Man and everyone around him, too. If there’s a weakness that Spider-Man has, it’s the well-being of innocents. Thankfully, like Vulture, Rhino’s power comes from tech, so it wouldn’t be impossible for Spider-Man to defeat. Rhino is one of those Spider-Man villains who works better in animation, so the fact they could translate him so well into live-action is impressive.
7 The Lizard/Dr. Curtis Connors (Rhys Ifans)
‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012) and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Not only is the transformed Doctor Curtis Connors (Rhys Ifans) a giant, super strong, fast and durable lizard man, but he retains the intelligence of the incredibly smart doctor. This combo makes him not only a physical threat but a mental one, too. An example is during the iconic fight in Midtown High when he draws Peter out of a hole in the wall with a chemical concoction from the science lab.
The Lizard’s claws are deadly weapons, tearing through Spider-Man’s flesh like it was paper during their fight in the New York City sewer system. But his master plan is that of a scientific mind, as he plans on using a gassing device to turn the entire city into lizards, thinking it’s the next step in human evolution. The Lizard is the perfect blend of brains and brawn. However, his condition is also a detriment, as he has the same weaknesses as a lizard, meaning Peter can use his considerable smarts to beat the villain with a cold dose of reality.
6 Venom/Eddie Brock (Topher Grace)
‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)
While many didn’t like the Spider-Man 3 interpretation of Venom (Topher Grace), his power and abilities can’t be denied. Whether one thinks it was executed well or not, Venom was there to be a distorted mirror of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Thus, Venom has similar abilities as Spider-Man, giving the spandex-clad hero a major run for his money.
Venom has the same strength as Spider-Man on top of his webbing, wall-crawling ability, and speed. He’s also equipped with fangs and claws that can tear through Spider-Man’s skin with ease. Venom also has an upper hand that no other live-action Spider-Man villain does: he does not trigger Spider-Man’s iconic Spider-Sense, so he can sneak up and get the jump on the hero, making things way more difficult. More importantly, Venom is ruthless, lacking Spidey’s moral code and being more than willing to kill, main, and everything in between. Venom might be one of the most underrated characters in a Spider-Man movie, and it’s time fans put some respect on his name.
5 Mysterio/Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal)
‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ (2019)
No villain has so terribly deceived Spider-Man like Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). With his ability to craft illusions for the wall-crawler, Mysterio can control what Spidey sees. The illusions can actually hurt him, making Mysterio a true threat to Spider-Man. More importantly, Mysterio hurt Spider-Man socially as well as physically.
When it’s revealed that Mysterio is a villain, and Spider-Man gets his first confrontation with him, the villain’s illusions help him wipe the floor with the hero; he even tricks Spider-Man into getting hit by a train. Mysterio outright destroyed Peter’s trust, not fully believing that Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) was real at first when he came to his aid. But the worst of all, Mysterio ruined Peter’s life by revealing to the entire planet that Spider-Man is, in fact, Peter Parker. The great Jake Gyllenhaal really embodied Mysterio’s smug ambition, adding further layers to this character.
4 Doctor Octopus/Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina)
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004) and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
While not even having powers himself, Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) is one of the strongest Spider-Man villains. His four super-intelligent mechanical arms give him an advantage most other villains don’t have: extra limbs, all super strong. Doctor Octopus provided a real challenge to Spider-Man, producing some of the all-time best action sequences in any Spider-Man movie.
Not only is Doctor Octopus strong, with extra limbs to combat Spider-Man’s movement, but he’s also a genius. He knows how to out-think Spider-Man, meaning Peter’s intellect is not enough for this battle. Like any mad scientist, Doc Ock has no problem using innocent civilians to achieve his goals, capturing both Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) on two separate occasions and destroying the breaks on a high-speeding train, putting countless people at risk of certain death.
3 The Green Goblin/Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe)
‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
No live-action villain in the Spider-Man franchise has given Spider-Man more of a hand-to-hand physical beating than the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). The final fight of the first Spider-Man film is one of the, if not the most, brutal fights in any Spider-Man film ever. His super strength and speed, matched with his hard, metal armor, means that not only can he take a hit from Spider-Man, but he can dish out just as hard.
The Goblin also has a plethora of gadgets. Whether it’s his flying, blade-hiding glider, blade-equipped drones, and deadly explosive pumpkin bombs, the Goblin has it all. Green Goblin is also unrelenting and ruthless, having absolutely no problem killing whoever he needs to get what he wants; he even murders the entire Oscorp board without even a second thought. Green Goblin may not have mechanical arms or electric powers, but he is not to be taken lightly.
2 Sandman/Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church)
‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007) and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Sandman’s ability to control and manipulate sand is far more powerful than some may think, and his abilities are incredibly versatile and relatively represented well in Spider-Man 3. Not only can Sandman control sand, but he can also make incredibly dense weapons out of it. Sandman can also become a sandstorm and a giant version of himself, becoming relatively indestructible unless exposed to water or intense heat (like 3090°F). Furthermore, Sandman can quickly regenerate his body as long as he’s around sand.
There is so much potential in Sandman. He can drown Spider-Man in his sand (as seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home), crush him, beat him to a pulp with giant weapons, and so much more. Had it not been for Harry’s intervention at the end of Spider-Man 3, Sandman would’ve probably killed Spidey. Sure, water can disintegrate him, but as long as the one grain of sand that contains his mind is around other sand, he can come back, as he did after his fight with Symbiote Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3. Like sand itself, Sandman is almost impossible to get rid of.
1 Electro/Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx)
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014) and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
While Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) may have gotten a lot of hate from fans thanks to his “Spider-Man fanboy” persona in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, after his transformation into Electro, things majorly change. Yes, electricity is strong and deadly, but what makes Electro so dangerous is that, like Sandman, it’s seemingly impossible to get rid of him; after all, electricity can’t be destroyed.
Unless he’s wearing rubber gloves or has magnetized web-shooters, Spider-Man can’t touch or web Electro.
Thousands of volts of electricity can definitely deal some damage and singe some flesh. Unless he’s wearing rubber gloves or has magnetized web-shooters, Spider-Man can’t touch or web Electro. In a situation he’s not prepared to face, Spidey needs to do some deep thinking about other ways to defeat this superpowered foe. Electricity is everywhere and in pretty much everything, even the human body, making Electro pretty much invincible unless he’s placed in very specific scenarios, as seen at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
