With MCU, the web-slinging hero has opened the door for many great characters to debut in the franchise. Even in the Marvel Comics universe, Spider-Man books have often been a fertile breeding ground for legendary Marvel villains and heroes to make their start.
From notorious baddies like The Punisher, Spider-Man has run across his fair share of future Marvel stars. Though dozens of characters have made their debut in Spider-Man comics, only the best of the best have gone on to their own adventures outside of the wall-crawlers domain.
Rocket Racer - The Amazing Spider-Man #172 (1977)
Though he isn't a household name within the ranks of Marvel Comics, Robert Farrell, a.k.a Rocket Racer is one of the most interesting characters to debut in Spider-Man comics. Initially debuting as a villain with a rocket-powered skateboard, Rocket Racer soon turned good to help the wall crawler.
Like a lot of Spider-Man characters, Farrell's dark past was why he turned to crime, but New York's favorite arachnid saw the best in him. Taking part in some of Avengers Initiative storyline which further fleshed out his backstory.
Siryn - Spider-Woman #37 (1981)
Future Marvel hero Siryn, debuted as a villain in an early issue of the Spider-Woman comic in the 1980s. Using her trademark "Sonic Scream", the Irish mutant vexed Spider-Woman for a single issue before fading away from the Marvel Universe for several years.
Turning back up in the Deadpool comics in the ensuing years. Her villainy a distant memory, Siryn carried on her father's legacy by adopting the name Banshee for a short time.
Prowler - The Amazing Spider-Man #78 (1969)
Spider-Man characters often follow a formula, and most start as adversaries before becoming important allies. The original Prowler did battle with Spider-Man, but teamed up with him after the do-gooder stopped his reign of terror on New York. Prowler utilized his superior brain power to create technology to aid in his petty theft, but eventually put it to good use when turning good.
Stopping crime with a darker edge than Spider-Man, Prowler became a superhero in his own right and has appeared outside of Spider-Man books quite frequently. However, the character fully came into his own when brought to life in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Monica Rambeau - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982)
Superhero identities are always shifting whenever continuities are reset, and Monica Rambeau has gone through her fair share of changes over the years. Debuting as a disgruntled dockworker who is accidentally bombarded with solar energy, Rambeau assumed the moniker of the most powerful versions of the character.
After leaving Spider-Man behind, Rambeau ed The Avengers as Captain Marvel, but soon found herself a new identity. Over the years, she has changed names frequently, but her powers have remained largely intact. She is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe and she often teams up with other heroes to tackle global threats to this day.
Cloak And Dagger - The Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (1982)
Some characters stick around where they debuted for a while, and others very quickly jump to their own books with great success. The duo of Cloak and Dagger debuted as guest stars alongside Spider-Man but soon branched out into a mini-series of comics that become a recurring monthly book.
Bonded by the same experience that gave them superpowers, the combination is one of the most clever uses of the superhero formula. Taking on dark topics like drugs, and gang violence, Cloak And Dagger's motivations closely mirrored Spider-Man's, even if their methods didn't. In their own book, the characters were featured in grittier stories than most Marvel characters, and they are still cult classic figures in the Marvel Universe.
Morbius - The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (1971)
Marvel has produced their fair share of scary comics, but Morbius, the Living Vampire, was one of their most chilling characters. Although he debuted as a villain who squared off against the wall-crawler, Morbius' tragic backstory was still in place from the beginning. A brilliant scientist, Morbius acquired his vampiric tendencies while trying to cure himself of a fatal blood disease.
Morbius stuck around for a while as frequent villain, and even fought Blade on several occasions. Eventually though, Morbius became a flawed anti-hero, and was the subject of his own standalone book in the 1990s. Ascending as one of Marvel's preeminent scientists, Morbius has become a force for good and even lead a team of like-minded monsters as well.
Black Cat - The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979)
Like Marvel's answer to Black Cat has always been an on-again, off-again enemy and ally to Spider-Man. Trained in martial arts, and with a keen eye for burglary, Black Cat also has the ability to imbue subconscious bad luck on anyone she crosses paths with.
When not in a relationship with Spider-Man, or fighting him, Black Cat has branched out into her own stories and ongoing series. Far more than a simple femme fatale character, Black Cat's complicated backstory helps to make her a sympathetic anti-hero. She's usually always around to show Spider-Man that there are grey areas to justice.
Venom - The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988)
Although the symbiote known as Venom made its debut earlier in the comics, the character didn't come into its own until it possessed Eddie Brock and truly became the villain that readers loved. Brock started as a disgruntled reporter who felt slighted by Spider-Man, and the vicious symbiote utilized Brock's hatred to make him a perfect host.
While Venom has branched out across the Marvel universe since its debut, it is the early days of the character that most fans fondly . Venom's legendary battles with Spider-Man saw the web-slinger pushed to his limit, and many consider Venom to be one of the best Spider-Man baddies of all time.
Kingpin - The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (1967)
If the Marvel Universe had a main villain, one of the biggest contenders for that seedy title would certainly be Wilson Fisk, a.k.a Daredevil.
Unlike super powered villains, Fisk's true power is his incredible mind for criminality, and his willingness to do brutal things to come out on top. Like a puppet master of evil deeds, Fisk is usually involved whenever New York is besieged by evil forces, and his schemes are legendary. His untouchable status makes him an impossible adversary, and even his biggest foes can't seem to put him away for long.
Punisher - The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974)
Most Marvel heroes adhere to a strict code of ethics that dictates how they can deal with the criminal element, Frank Castle on the other hand, does not. The Punisher got his start as a would-be assassin of Spider-Man, and he was a full-time villain. However, his popularity with fans led him to return to team up with other heroes and he became a mainstay.
A vigilante by nature, The Punisher hunts down criminals and eliminates them through any means necessary. This brutal method has run him afoul of most of the Marvel heroes, but Castle often gets things done when other heroes cannot. The Punisher was a breath of fresh air for many readers who wanted a character with a little bit more grit compared to the do-gooders that they were used to.