Who is Spider-Man’s Most Powerful Villain?

When it comes to Spider-Man villains, most of his baddies are thieves and neer-do-wells, though a few also gained incredible superpowers. Since some of these foes, like Mysterio or Electro, would lose to an average guy at a bar in a fistfight, some fans might wonder, “Who is Spider-Man’s strongest enemy?”




Since Spider-Man has super strength – able to lift up to 10 tons in his normal state – he needs villains who can knock him around if needed in a fight. While the strongest Spider-Man villains don’t match up to those who fight Iron Man or Hulk when it comes to strength, they can still put up a good fight.

Updated on August 11, 2024 by Scoot Allan: Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery has continued growing, introducing new characters who can match and overpower the wall-crawler to give him a new challenge. The most powerful Spider-Man villains have measured up to the wall-crawler and brought him to the edge of his own strength in some of his deadliest battles. This article has been updated with more of the strongest Spider-Man villains and to conform to current CBR standards.



25 The Kingpin is One of Spidey’s Strongest Human Foes

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #50 (April 1967) by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., Mickey Demeo and Sam Rosen

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Wilson Fisk may not have flashy superpowers like some of Spider-Man’s other foes, but he’s proven he can stand toe-to-toe with some of Marvel’s toughest street-level heroes. As the Kingpin, Fisk has taken control of New York City’s underworld numerous times, though he even became the city’s mayor.


  • Strength Class: Wilson Fisk can consistently bench press over 600 lbs

Despite his seemingly oversized frame, Kingpin is almost pure muscle. He trained his body to peak human perfection and beyond, while also training with the best combat teachers around the world. While Spider-Man ultimately showed Fisk that he couldn’t match his strength during the Back in Black storyline, Kingpin still puts up a good fight every time.

24 Kraven The Hunter Used Potions To Increase His Strength

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #15 (May 1964) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Artie Simek

Kraven the Hunter brooding on a throne of horns in Marvel Comics

Sergei Kravinoff naturally enhanced himself using potions he learned from his lover and partner Calypso, increasing his strength, speed, and endurance to become Kraven the Hunter. He wasn’t the most powerful of Spider-Man villains, but his enhancements gave him the edge to become a credible threat.


  • Strength Class: Kraven the Hunter can consistently lift around 2 tons

Kraven used additional herbs and potions to enhance himself in specific ways. He also used many poisons as weapons against Spider-Man to bring him down to his level and make the wall-crawler even more vulnerable to Kraven’s enhanced strength.

23 Tombstone Was A Hitman Before Gaining Super Strength

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #36 (November 1987) by Gerry Conway, Alex Saviuk, Keith Williams, Janet Jackson, and Rick Parker

Tombstone holding Spider-Man high above the streets in Marvel Comics

The crime boss Tombstone was originally a bully named Lonnie Lincoln who increased his strength exponentially. Exposure to an experimental gas mutated his body. He also gained self-proclaimed “diamond-hard skin” that made him invulnerable to bullets and extreme temperatures, increasing his already dangerous threat.


  • Strength Class: Tombstone can consistently lift over 6 tons

Tombstone became one of Kingpin’s top hitmen before he struck out for power as one of New York’s top crime bosses. He faced several powerful heroes, including two Spider-Men (Peter Parker and Ben Reilly) and Daredevil. His enhanced strength helped him hold his own against the other villains hoping to take over parts of New York, and he recently came out on top during New York’s most recent Gang War.

22 Doctor Octopus’s Strength Comes From His Tentacles

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #3 (April 1963) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Duffy

Doctor Octopus attacking Spider-Man

Doctor Octopus is an interesting case when it comes to his strength. With his hands and muscles, he can’t beat up anyone. He would lose fights to just about any hero or villain he faced off with. However, he has four metallic tentacle arms, which is where the strength comes in.


  • Strength Class: Doctor Octopus’ tentacles can each lift up to six tons

Each arm can lift about six tons. With two arms on the ground to support Doc Ock, his other two arms could combine for 24 tons of total power. His body’s strength levels were also increased after his fan-favorite time as the Superior Spider-Man when he returned to a cloned body with spider powers. However, he’s since returned to his original body and robotic tentacles.

21 Delilah Is A Mysterious Assasin With Super Strength

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #414 (June 1996) by Tom DeFalco, Mark Bagley, Larry Mahlstedt, Bob Sharen, Richard Starkings, and Comicraft

Delilah from the "Clone Saga" attacks in Spider-Man comics

Both Ben Reilly and Peter Parker encountered the powerful assassin Delilah while they were operating as Spider-Man. Delilah worked with the second iteration of The Rose during a superpowered gang war on New York’s city streets.


  • Strength Class: Delilah can consistently lift around 10 tons

Delilah was skilled in several deadly arts and had also been enhanced to a superhuman level. This granted her incredible strength that put her in an elevated level of supervillains. While she’s only had a few appearances after her peak popularity, Delilah’s strength still stood out to fans and made her a memorable foe of Spider-Man.

20 Green Goblin Strength Comes From The Goblin Formula

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #14 (April 1964) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Art Simek

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Thanks to the Goblin Formula, Norman Osborn enhanced his strength to become the Green Goblin and match Spider-Man’s enhanced powers. While using the formula, Osborn became more powerful than normal humans which helped him stand up to some of Marvel’s strongest heroes.

  • Strength Class: Green Goblin can consistently lift around 10 tons

The Goblin formula has had a few different versions over the years that have continued to improve the strength of the character. Norman Osborn even increased his strength temporarily with the Carnage symbiote when he became the Red Goblin. However, he soon reverted to his regular strength level when he became the heroic Gold Goblin.

19 Hobgoblin Modified Norman Osborn’s Goblin Formula

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #238 (November 1982) by Roger Stern, John Romita Jr., John Romita Sr., Andy Yanchus, and Joe Rosen

Roderick Kingsley as Hobgoblin


A few different characters have used the alias of Hobgoblin over the years, but the original was Roderick Kingsley. He used an advanced version of the Goblin formula to enhance his strength to incredible levels.

  • Strength Class: Hobgoblin can consistently lift around 10 tons

Hobgoblin’s strength surprised even Green Goblin when they encountered each other, putting Hobgoblin in a slightly higher class. Other versions in a similar class were the demonic version known as Demogoblin and Jason Macendale, who used an advanced version of Kraven’s potion to enhance his strength and endurance during his time as Hobgoblin.

18 The Lizard’s Animalistic Strength Makes Him A Threat

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #6 (August 1963) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Art Simek

The Lizard


Dr. Curt Connors has little strength due to having only one arm and having done very little exercise as a scientist. However, thanks to the formula he used to try to regrow his arm, he occasionally turns into the Lizard, which gives him incredible superhuman strength.

  • Strength Class: The Lizad can consistently lift up to 12 tons

The Lizard’s superhuman leg strength can propel him almost 20 feet into the air. Part of the Lizard’s strength comes from his ability to strike with his powerful tail. His strength has also changed as the Lizard’s transformation has intensified over the years.

17 Scorpion’s Strength Has Been Increased Several Times

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #20 (October 1964) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Sam Rosen

Mac Gargan as the Scorpion


Mac Gargan was one of Spider-Man’s earliest and strongest foes. He was a private investigator looking into Spider-Man for J. Jonah Jameson, who also paid him to undergo an experimental transformation. A scientist blended his genetics with a Scorpion and encased him in a powerful suit of armor.

  • Strength Class: Scorpion can consistently lift around 15 tons

As the Scorpion, he proved to be Spider-Man’s match physically. However, he eventually regretted the experiment and tried to find a way to reverse the process to no avail. The Scorpion’s superhuman strength allows him to lift around 15 tons, though his strength increased dramatically when Mac Gargan was briefly bonded to the Venom symbiote.

16 Norton Fester Has Surprising Strength As The Looter

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #36 (February 1966) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Artie Simek

The Looter floating with a balloon


After discovering a fallen meteor, Norton G. Fester was exposed to an alien gas that greatly increased his strength. He decided to start a life of crime as the Looter, and he designed a transportive balloon and a gun that emitted dazzling lights. However, it was his incredible strength that surprised most heroes he encountered.

  • Strength Class: Looter can lift up to 20 tons and more with further exposure to meteor radiation

The Looter increased his threat when he stole weapons and technology from some of Marvel’s other villains. While weaponry from villains like the Ringer and Shocker gave him new offensive capabilities, it was a combination of Stilt-Man’s battlesuit and the Mauler armor that further increased his strength beyond his original enhancements.

15 Shathra Is A Multiversal Predator Who Hunts Spiders

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #46 (November 2002) by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Brian Haberlin, Richard Starkings, and Jimmy Betancourt


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The powerful other-dimensional being known as Shathra first appeared in Spider-Man’s reality after she followed him there from the Negative Zone. As a spider-wasp, Shathra is the natural enemy of spiders, which makes her a dangerous threat to Spider-Man and his allies. While her strength is similar to Spider-Man, she overpowered him on multiple occasions.

  • Strength Class: Shathra can lift up to 25 tons when in her spider-wasp form

Shathra returned during The End of the Spider-Verse event as she attempted to destroy the Great Web of Life and Destiny and the Spider-Totems that inhabited it. Her powerful spider-wasp form allowed her to take control of Spider-Totems and add them to her Great Nest. She increased the strength of her army with Spider-Man’s closest allies before he sent her to another dimension.


14 Alistair Smythe Modified Himself To Be A Spider-Slayer

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19 (August 1985) by Louise Simonson, Mary Wilshire, Pat Redding, Bob Sharen, and Janice Chiang

Alistair Smythe as the Ultimate Spider-Slayer from Marvel Comics.

Early in Spider-Man’s career, one of his greatest enemies was J. Jonah Jameson. The newspaper publisher used his wealth and resources to hire others like Scorpion to take on Spider-Man. He hired a scientist named Spencer Smythe to create powerful robots known as Spider-Slayers. Unfortunately, exposure to unsafe toxins during the Spyder-Slayers’ construction claimed Smythe’s life.

  • Strength Class: Smythe can lift up to 25 tons while in his enhanced carapace

His son Alistair Smythe blamed Jameson and Spider-Man, so he carried on his father’s legacy and created new advanced robotic spider-slayers. When those failed, he genetically modified his body and outfitted himself in a powerful suit of armor as the Ultimate Spider-Slayer. His strength increased dramatically, though he depended entirely on his enhanced carapace.


13 Mister Negative Is Powered By Darkforce Energy

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man Free Comic Book Day 2007 #1 (May 2007) by Dan Slott, Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning, John Dell, Jeremy Cox, Chris Eliopoulos, and Cory Petit

Mister Negative

No one knows what Mister Negative is capable of, since his power levels vary depending on his form and energy levels. Criminal scientists kidnapped Martin Li and experimented on him with the D-Lite drugs. He gained incredible powers connected to the Darkforce and the Lightforce, much like the other victims of the experiment, Cloak and Dagger.

  • Strength Class: Mister Negative can lift between 25-75 tons

Martin Li has limited control of the Lightforce, while his alternate form of Mister Negative wields the Darkforce in various ways. Mister Negative has the strength to punch Spider-Man through multiple buildings with one blow, though he can also take control of others or fire powerful concussive blasts of energy to further increase his threat.


12 The Jackal Genetically Enhanced His Strength

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #129 (October 1973) by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, Frank Giacoia, Dave Hunt and John Costanza

A clone of the Jackal emerges from a pod in the second Clone Saga

When Miles Warren first adopted the masked alter ego of The Jackal, he was just a mild-mannered college professor warped by dark feelings for the late Gwen Stacy. However, after perfecting his cloning process and kicking off both eras of the Clone Saga, he decided to upgrade himself with a new cloned body.

  • Strength Class: The Jackal can lift between 25-50 tons

The Jackal used various genetic samples and modifications to become a human/jackal hybrid. He also increased his strength so he could take on multiple versions of Spider-Man at the same time. While later versions of The Jackal seem to have returned to his former human levels of strength, he’s always quick to surprise with a new genetic payload of tricks.


11 Morlun Is One Of The Strongest Inheritors

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #30 (April 2001) by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Dan Kemp, Avalon Studios, Richard Starkings, and Wes Abbott

Morlun after eating Spider-Man's eye

Morlun has the power to travel between dimensions, and his goal is to hunt down all Spider-Totems to consume and increase his power. His unique physiology gives him many superhuman attributes, including superhuman strength.

  • Strength Class: Morlun can consistently lift over 20 tons, though that can increase based on his consumed totemic energies

Morlun has superhuman strength that varies based on what he has fed on recently and how powerful that source was. When adequately fed, he’s ripped apart an Adamantium net with his bare hands. While he’s only been around for a relatively short time, Morlun has already proven himself as one of Spider-Man’s most brutal villains.


10 Gabriel & Sarah Stacy Gained Hellish Strength As Kindred

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #1 (July 2018) by Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Laura Martin, and Joe Caramagna

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The mysterious being known as Kindred could overpower Spider-Man in every one of their encounters. This was ultimately revealed to be due to a mixture of an enhanced Goblin formula and powerful demonic abilities from Mephisto.

  • Strength Class: Kindred can consistently lift over 25 tons


Kindred was actually Gabriel and Sarah Stacy, twins who believed they were the children of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy. They were clones created by Harry Osborn, who used their enhanced abilities together as Kindred. They tortured Spider-Man in yet another of the deceased Harry Osborn’s plans from beyond the grave.

9 Carlos LaMuerto Inherited Black Tarantula’s Strength

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #419 (November 1996) by Tom DeFalco, Steve Skroce, Bud LaRosa, Bob Sharen, Richard Starkings and Comicraft

The masked Black Tarantula from Marvel Comics

The Black Tarantula alter ego is a generational title that passes from father to son when the current bearer passes on. Carlos La Muerto inherited his father’s incredible strength and became a crime lord in South America. Following a gang war that decimated all forces, Black Tarantula decided to move into New York City and challenged other crime bosses and heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil.

  • Strength Class: Black Tarantula can lift over 30 tons


The power set inherited by Black Tarantula includes incredible strength and durability, superhuman speed, and agility. He can operate at peak efficiency for extended periods and has an accelerated healing factor that slows his aging. While his strength is enough to match Spider-Man, he also wields a devastating optic blast that he needs to recharge after use.

8 Doppelganger Has Spider-Man’s Unbridled Strength

First Appearance: Infinity War #1 (April 1992) by Jim Starlin, Ron Lim, Al Milgrom, Max Scheele, Ian Laughlin, and Jack Morelli

Doppelganger Spider-Man leaps down from above in Marvel Comics

The evil half of Adam Warlock, known as Magus, created powerful doppelgangers of popular Marvel heroes during the Infinity War event. While most of the doppelgangers disappeared after the heroes defeated Magus, a few stuck around to torment their heroic opposites. Spider-Man’s doppelganger survived and played an important role in events like Maximum Carnage.


  • Strength Class: Doppelganger can lift between 25-75 tons

The Spider-Doppelganger shares many of the same powers and abilities as Spider-Man, including a spider’s incredible proportionate strength. However, he also had deadly razor-sharp webbing, edged teeth, and slashing talons, further increasing his threat level. If Doppelganger had Spider-Man’s intelligence, he would be one of the wall-crawler’s most dangerous enemies.

7 Regent Mimics The Powers Of Captured Superheroes

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 (June 2015) by Dan Slott, Adam Kubert, John Dell, Justin Ponsor and Joe Caramagna

Regent proclaims himself the victor in The Amazing Spider-Man (2015)

Fans have met two versions of Regent in two different universes, though the mainstream 616 version never reached the same power level as his counterpart from Earth-18119. First seen in the Renew Your Vows continuity, Augustus Roman was a ruthless corporate tycoon who created an advanced suit that allowed him to mimic the powers of the superheroes he kept in special containment cells.


  • Strength Class: Regent can lift up to 70 tons, but more if he steals a different strength set

As his stolen powers increased, he used them to capture more and more of Marvel’s superpowered characters. His strength was specifically from Colossus, one of the strongest members of the X-Men. Regent also gained his durable organic steel skin, which made him an even deadlier threat for Spider-Man and his superpowered family to face.

6 Sandman Can Pack A Punch With Incredible Density

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #4 (June 1963) by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Sam Rosen

Sandman from Marvel Comics raises a sandy fist.

Sandman is one of Spider-Man’s oldest and most iconic supervillains. William Baker/Flint Marko was a thief who gained his powers from radiation exposure, which allowed him to turn his body into sand. This transformation made him impossible to touch and hard as a rock when fighting back.


  • Strength Class: Sandman can consistently lift upwards of 85 tons

When Flint Marko grows into a giant animated sand creature, Sandman’s strength can increase exponentially in standard conditions. This can fluctuate based on the amount of sand Marko has absorbed into his body, making him one of Spider-Man’s strongest villains if he’s having a beach day.

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