Spider-Man has a rogue's gallery for the ages, whether it's the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, or Venom. However, we can't overlook the women who've spun their own webs of chaos around Peter Parker. And neither it seems can Marvel Studios.
This week, rumours have swirled about Spider-Man 4 featuring a female villain. There are conflicting reports about who will play her and what age range they'll be in, but make no mistake about it, this is an exciting development for the movie that comes out smack bang between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
In this feature, we're putting a spotlight on the ladies who've made Spidey's life a nightmare...and who could all bring something unique and amazing to the table next summer.
Find out who we've singled out by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
6. Lady Octopus
Carolyn Trainer took over the "Doctor Octopus" mantle when Otto Octavius was killed by Kaine. A genius scientist and Otto's protege, she stepped up with her own set of sleek, high-tech tentacles and caused chaos in the lives of both Ben Reilly and Peter Parker.
Despite being very much a product of the 90s, her upgraded gear - including force fields and far more powerful arms - put her a notch above her mentor's classic kit, while her cold, calculating vibe makes her a cerebral threat.
With the Multiverse likely to be in play with Spider-Man 4, gender-swapping Doc Ock or simply putting a new spin on the villain Peter clashed with in Spider-Man: No Way Home isn't a bad idea. Otto was seen on the news so may well have inspired Earth-616's Carolyn...
5. Wraith
Let's just assume for a moment that there's a chance we're getting a street-level story. If so, Yuri Watanabe, a cop turned vigilante, could make for a brilliant new addition to Spider-Man's corner of the MCU.
Introduced as one of Spidey’s NYPD allies, Yuri’s life unravelled when corruption and tragedy pushed her over the edge. Her parents' murder (tied to the Maggia) and the system's failure flipped her moral compass, pushing her to take the law into her own hands as Wraith.
Not only would this tie into Daredevil: Born Again but those of you who have played the Spider-Man video games will know how badass Yuri is. Despite that, she doesn't quite have what it takes to be Spider-Man 4's big bad.
4. Shathra
Things get weird with Shathra, a cosmic predator who's more nightmare than human. Debuting in J. Michael Straczynski's acclaimed Amazing Spuder-Man run, Shathra was introduced as a wasp-like entity from the Astral Plane, claiming to be Spidey's "natural predator."
With shape-shifting, venomous stingers, and a swarm of wasp minions, she's a real buzzkill (heh) and was later given "big bad" status during the End of Spider-Verse event. In that, she led a corrupted Spider-Army and proved herself a threat to even the near-unstoppable Morlun.
Whether it's a new take on Spider-Island or a threat worthy of bringing together countless Spider-Heroes, Shathra feels like a good fit for this movie, even if she isn't hugely well-known to casual fans.
3. Spider-Woman
Charlotte Witter is Madame Web's granddaughter and grew up with severe mental issues; unfortunately, Cassandra's attempts to help by using her psychic powers only caused resentment, and she eventually became a twisted "Spider-Woman."
Doc Ock mutated her into a spider-hybrid using stolen tech and, imbued with the powers of all prior Spider-Women, Charlotte made short work of Spider-Man thanks to her telepathy, webbing, super-strength, and venomous bite.
This tragic monster with untapped potential wouldn't need to be connected to Madame Web, but imagine if Marvel Studios uses the Multiverse to redeem that and other Sony movies. If so, this could be the perfect role for Sydney Sweeney, though there's another character she could play...
2. Black Cat
We're sure many of you will agree that Sweeney would be a perfect choice for the MCU's Felicia Hardy. With Peter Parker forgotten, we're expecting the wall-crawler to have fully embraced his identity as Spider-Man.
How better to do that than with a woman only interested in the mask and not the man beneath it? Not only can Black Cat take Spidey down a darker route, but she also feels like the right love interest for the web-slinger's next adventure in the MCU. Her live-action debut is overdue.
Daughter of a legendary cat burglar, Felicia honed her acrobatics and luck-bending powers (courtesy of the Kingpin of Crime's tinkering) into a purr-fect package that has ensured she's remained a beloved supporting player among Marvel fans.
1. Spider-Queen
Introduced during Paul Jenkins's Spectacular Spider-Man run, Ana Soria is a WWII-era mutant with pheromone powers, enhanced by government experiments gone wrong. She can control insects and arachnids, including Spider-Man himself, thanks to his spider DNA.
Her big moment came in "The Queen" arc, where she mutated Peter into a giant spider, forced him to serve her, and nearly conquered New York. The Spider-Island storyline feels like a perfect fit for a Multiversal tale and, on the page, gave Shang-Chi a big supporting role.
Spider-Queen's mix of seduction, psychic dominance, and grotesque ambition makes her one of Spidey's most chilling threats, and with Variants sure to come into play, she may well command an against Holland's hero.