A new release from Marvel officially designated which character is Spider-Man's greatest and most notable villain. Almost no hero in comics history has a rogues' gallery comparable to that of Spider-Man, who has fought dozens of street-level and cosmic antagonists over the last 60 years. With that in mind, there are a handful that stand out above the crowd, and according to Marvel, only one reigns supreme.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics shared news about a comic crossover one-shot centered on Spider-Man and Superman, which will be released in April. Titled Spider-Man/Superman #1, this will be the first of two comics highlighting the iconic comic heroes, the other one coming from DC in March.
Written by Brad Meltzer and Pepe Larraz, the announcement teases the web-slinger and the Man of Steel joining forces to take down "their greatest villains," who will "exploit some of their greatest weaknesses." As for who those villains are, that designation goes to the Green Goblin and Lex Luthor (last seen in 2025's Peacemaker Season 2, portrayed by Nicholas Hoult).
This ad officially ranks the Green Goblin as Spider-Man's greatest villain of all time. Originally created by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the flying monster was first introduced to the world in The Amazing Spider-Man #14, which was released in July 1964.
On the big screen, Willem Dafoe delivered an unforgettable performance as the Green Goblin, first playing Norman Osborn in 2002's Spider-Man under director Sam Raimi. After making cameos in Raimi's two subsequent sequels, Dafoe returned to the role for Marvel Studios in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, playing the same variant from the original movie.
Many believe the Green Goblin is Spider-Man's greatest enemy because he shows Peter Parker a dark reflection of himself, understanding his secret identity. He is also known to go after Peter's loved ones (including Aunt May in both Spider-Man and Spider-Man: No Way Home), creating horrific trauma for Peter beyond the usual villain. He forces the web-slinger to face his worst fears on countless occasions, backing Peter into tight corners emotionally at every opportunity.
Interestingly, one of the other variant covers highlights half a dozen other classic web-slinger villains, although this group does not feature the Goblin. Centered on Spider-Man, this group includes Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, Sandman, and Electro.
Spider-Man is also on his way to a big year in on-screen media in 2026. Marvel Animation will deliver a second season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in fall 2026, and Amazon Prime Video will release Season 1 of the live-action Spider-Noir series, starring Nicolas Cage, sometime this year as well. On the movie side, Tom Holland will return as the MCU's live-action Peter Parker in his fourth solo movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, swinging into theaters on July 31.
Why Green Goblin Is Spider-Man's Greatest Villain
Throughout Spider-Man's history, like Batman with the Joker and the Fantastic Four with Doctor Doom, Peter Parker and Norman Osborn are inseparable. While there are plenty of differences between them, on a fundamental level, they share some important similarities, which gives the pair such an iconic rivalry.
Both Peter and Norman share a deep background in science, Peter being a genius and Norman not ranking far behind in intelligence and skills. As shown in the comics and other media, Peter does his best to use science to help people and futher humanity, while Norman's efforts usually result in chaos and mayhem (particularly in his origin story as the Goblin).
The Goblin is also famous for handing Spider-Man his first-ever defeat in the pages of Marvel Comics, which happened in The Amazing Spider-Man #39-40 from 1966. Here, he learned about Peter's identity tricked him into fighting the Hulk before revealing his own identity, showing a new level of dominance and power over the teenager.
Of course, other villains are also in the running to be regarded as Spider-Man's best foe. Doctor Octopus shares the same level of intelligence, and their respect for one another makes their battles even more dramatic every time they meet. Elsewhere, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (who fans are itching to see fight Spider-Man in the MCU) gives Peter arguably his biggest physical challenges, as he can match the web-slinger in strength while also being a master manipulator.
While the Green Goblin may be at the top of Spider-Man's villains list, this hero has no shortage of antagonists who have become household names over the decades.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
