A new Marvel comic debuted Spider-Man's new 'Sinister Sixteen,' a supervillain team hellbent on taking down the iconic web-head.
Since 1964, the 'Sinister' branding has been applied to a group of villains teaming up to hopefully do together what they could not alone: bring an end to Peter Parker's (aka Spider-Man's) heroic efforts.
Typically made up of six Spider-Man bid bads, the 'Sinister Six' have included dozens of different Marvel Comics characters, with a version reportedly being considered for the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse movie.
Meet the Members of Marvel Comics' New Sinister Sixteen
Unveiled by Marvel Comics, a new story from the super-powered brand is set to include a never-before-seen version of the Spider-Man franchise's 'Sinister Six.'
This time, the supervillain supergroup will be known as the 'Sinister Sixteen,' comprised of sixteen supervillains from across Spider-Man's canon and the greater Marvel Comics universe.
The new comic, written by J. Michael Straczynski, is titled Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Sixteen and will be released in July. It marks the latest in a long line of Multiversal on-shots from the prolific Marvel writer.
The new supervillain team included mainstays of the 'Sinister Six' moniker, like Doctor Octopus and Kingpin, as well as some exciting new inclusions like the evil mutant Magneto and Captain America: Brave New World's The Leader (read more about The Leader's big-screen debut here).
See the full Sinister Sixteen lineup below:
Doc-Ock
Doc-Ock (aka Dr. Otto Octavius) is one of the founding 'Sinister Six' members to appear on the new team. Known for his four mechanical arms strapped to his back, Doc-Ock has been one of Spider-Man's longest-standing villains, debuting back in The Amazing Spider-Man #3.
The octo-armed supervillain has been a part of nearly every iteration of the 'Sinister Six' team, including in PlayStation's version of the team seen in Marvel's Spider-Man.
Venom
Another Spider-Man villain who has appeared under the 'Sinister' team banner before is the Symbiote-fueled alien Venom. Venom has appeared in several versions of the 'Sinister Six' team over the years, most notably in Sandman's Sinister Six, where the Spidey villain Sandman restarted the team with Venom, Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, and Electro.
Venom is the result of a freak mistake that saw journalist Eddie Brock (played by Tom Hardy in the Venom movies) bonded to the mysterious alien Symbiote, turning the New Yorker into a hulking goo-covered beast who wants nothing more than to bring down Spider-Man.
Magneto
One of the new members joining the 'Sinister Sixteen' is Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr. The metal-manipulating mutant has the power to control magnetic fields, using his powers to bend/control metal at his will. He is best known as one of the primary villains in the X-Men corner of the Marvel Comics universe.
Magento has technically never been part of a 'Sinister Six' team, but Spider-Man and the X-Men villain have crossed paths several times in comics history. Most meetings between the two are usually reserved for massive crossover events (potentially like in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars movies).
Loki
Loki, the god of mischief, is also set to appear on this new supervillain team. Traditionally associated with Thor, Loki was born a frost giant of Jotunheim but raised by the Norse gods of Asgard. However, he has taken a more villainous bent over the years than his thunder-wielding god brother, growing jealous of Thor and his exploits across the Marvel universe.
Loki is another character who has not interacted much with Spider-Man in the comics. One of the few comic book stories the pair have shared saw the two team up (Amazing Spider-Man #504) to take down the all-powerful Morwen.
Absorbing Man
Carl Kreel (aka Absorbing Man) is a Marvel Comics supervillain created when a former heavyweight-boxer-turned-criminal came into contact with a magical potion made by the God of Mischief Loki. This gave him the power to absorb the properties of anything he touches and unleash it on unsuspecting foes.
Absorbing Man previously appeared as a part of the 'Sinister Sixty,' a fictitious supervillain team made up in a story by Spider-Man and a cancer patient he was visiting to help the bed-ridden Spidey fan imagine joining his favorite superhero on one of his super-powered quests for justice.
Titania
While Titania has crossed the iconic wall-crawler's path before, the longtime Marvel character has never been a part of a 'Sinister Six' team before this. The traditionally She-Hulk-associated big bad known for her incredible strength due to immense radiation (just like her green-skinned rival).
In the MCU, Jameela Jamil played the character who appeared in Marvel Studios' She-Hulk: Attorney At Law series but has not interacted with Spider-Man as of yet. On the page, however, Titania and the web-head have squared off several times, including in one of her first times using her supervillain powers.
Kingpin
Spider-Man and Kingpin are like peanut butter and jelly. They just work. The two characters have been associated with one another since the late 1960s. Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin) is a massive muscular mob boss (currently being played by Vincent D'Onofrio in Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again) who uses his physical and political power to climb the ladder in New York City and beyond.
Kingpin has joined the 'Sinister Six's ranks a few times over the decades, including in both the 'Sinister Sixty Six' and the 'Sinister Sixty.'
Typhoid Mary
Mary "Typhoid Mary" Walker is an evil mutant with the power to produce small fires with her mind and invade the thoughts of others when given the chance. She is best known for being used to disturb the mind of Daredevil before falling in love with him but has never joined Spider-Man's team of arch nemeses.
She has, however, interacted with Spider-Man plenty in the comics, popping up as a minor villain for the wall-crawler to take down in many comic stories,
Mystique
Another mutant taking up arms against Spider-Man is Raven Darkhölme (better known as the shape-shifting Mystique). Mystique is well-known for her blue skin and ability to take the form of anyone she comes across, making her a valuable asset for good or bad.
Mystique has never meaningfully encountered Spider-Man in the comics, as she is better known as an antagonist to the X-Men; however, with Magneto's inclusion on this team, it is not all that surprising for Mystique to show up as well.
Destiny
Destiny/Irene Adler is another mutant set to appear as a member of the 'Sinister Sixteen.' She is a blind scientist with the power of precognition, being able to predict the future accurately at a moment's notice.
She is often depicted as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants (foes to the X-Men). Destiny has never directly fought Spider-Man before this but has been seen as an enemy to Spider-Woman.
The Leader
Samuel Sterns was once a feeble-minded American, but thanks to contact with severe gamma radiation, he has come to be known as the supergenius comic book villain, The Leader. The Leader is known for his enlarged head possessing a genius-level intellect.
The Leader is often depicted as an arch-enemy of The Hulk and has never been a member of the 'Sinister Six' team.
Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike is the cybernetically enhanced alter ego of the samurai warrior Yuriko Oyama. Outfitted with a self-healing factor and adamantium claws (yes, just like Wolverine), Lady Deathstrike is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, making her inclusion as a 'Sinister Sixteen' member all the more terrifying.
She is often associated with the X-Men but has taken on the web-slinger before, capturing Peter Parker during the iconic Marvel Comics Civil War comic event.
Klaw
Technically, Ulysses Klaw has appeared as a member of a 'Sinister Six' team, even though, if one wants to get into semantics, it was not really him. Klaw appeared as a member of the 'Big Time Sinister Six' (as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #676) but was revealed to have secretly been the Spider-Man villain The Chameleon in disguise.
In the comics, Klaw is the son of former Nazi scientist Colonel Fritz Klaue who has harnessed the power of sound with a sonic emitter he wears on his wrist. He is best known as a common adversary of the Wakandan hero Black Panther and was played by Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis in the MCU.
Sebastian Shaw
Sebastian Shaw joins the ranks of Destiny, Magneto, and Mystique as another X-Men villain ready to take down Spider-Man in the new comic. Shaw is a mutant, able to absorb energy and transform it into his raw strength.
While Shaw and Spider-Man have never come to blows before, it is a shock that they haven't, as Shaw lives in New York City and is the header of the Big Apple's chapter of the Hellfire Club.
The Grey Gargoyle
The Grey Gargoyle was once the French chemist Paul Pierre Duval. Duval became his supervillain alter ego after a freak chemical accident that turned his right hand into stone, granting him the power to petrify anything he comes into contact with.
Grey Gargoyle has never been a part of a 'Sinister Six' team, but he has fought against Spider-Man several times over the years, usually in various team-ups with Thor, Doctor Strange, and/or Captain America.
Bullseye
Usually associated with Daredevil and the Punisher, Bullseye is a psychotic, super-powered assassin who can use almost any object as a lethal projectile. Bullseye has been in the news recently, being the one responsible for killing Daredevil: Born Again's Foggy Nelson.
Bullseye has never been a proper Spider-Man villain but has traded punches with the wall-crawler, especially in the iconic Shadowlands story, in which Daredevil constructs a massive prison in the heart of New York City.
