Who is Spidey's Nemesis?

For our first article in comic book mythos, I thought I'd discuss a question that has been nagging at me for a while now. It's a question widely asked, and that everyone seems to have their own opinion on.

Who is Spider-Man's archenemy?

Spider-Man is personally my favorite comic book hero. To me, his stories have always seemed interesting  creative, and enjoyable. The plenteous amounts of plot twists, unexpected deaths/reappearances, and the clever execution of such keep me invested in his story. It's also undoubtedly obvious that many others agree with me, since Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in the comic world. Although much of Spider-Man's success is owed to his very concept (a masked teenager that deals with the same issues his target audience does, etc.), what has always appealed to me, and I'm sure many others, is Spider-Man's incredible villains.

Spider-Man has faced countless foes, as any hero that's lasted 50+ years has, but what's impressive is that most all of them are  interesting and recognizable. Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Venom, Lizard, Sandman, Carnage, Mysterio, Scorpion, Vulture; all are both appealing characters and are easily recognizable even to those who don't partake in comic books. The only other hero with a rogues gallery as distinguishable as Spider-Man is Batman. However, as discernible Batman's foes are, his nemesis is obvious. Everybody knows that Batman's archenemy is The Joker. That's just common knowledge. Other heroes have apparent archenemies as well. Superman's is Lex Luther. Iron Man's is The Mandarin. Captain America's is the Red Skull. But Spider-Man? Well, it seems that if you ask anyone, whether they are familiar with comics or not, will answer with one of three answers.

Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, or Venom.

All three instantly come to mind when thinking of Spider-Man. Hell, look above. I even put them all down first when thinking of Spidey villains to list. But all three cannot hold archenemy status. Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I always thought that an archenemy had to be a single villain that unanimously came to mind when thought of a certain hero. For instance, when you think of Trix Cereal, not only do you think of the protagonistic kids that get to enjoy it but also the antagonistic rabbit who just wants some damn breakfast. That could be a bad example, but it gets my point across. So, who is Spidey's one true nemesis? Who is Spider-Man's hungry rabbit?

So, to answer this question, we're going to take a look at the three villains listed above. Every archenemy needs to have good answers to these questions. What is their personal connection to the hero? What is their mental connection to the hero? What are the similarities to the villains mindset and the hero's? What is the villain's conceptual purpose to the hero's story?

 Let's use the Walking Dead as an example to answer these questions. While perhaps not a traditional comic book situation, the roles of Rick Grimes and The Governor are equivalent to that of a hero and villain. The Governor's personal connection to Rick is that the Governor has killed many of Rick's group, and has begun a territory war for what he justifies as survival, giving Rick the need for revenge. The Governor's mental connection to Rick is that Rick is absolutely terrified of him. The constant fear of the Governor attacking, along with the undead right outside the prison gates, takes a toll on Rick. As for the similarities and differences to their mindset, that's where things get a bit more complicated. Towards the beginning of the ever so famous prison story arc, Rick Grimes is beginning to lose his head. The struggle for survival and strain of being the leader begin to get to him, and people start questioning his sanity. Then along comes the Governor, a man who was put in the same position as Rick, but let the pressure get to him. It drove the Governor to become a sick, vile, brutal, psychopathic lunatic. There's the similarities between the two; both just want to survive and to be a good leader. And that's also the Governor's conceptual purpose; to represent what will happen to Rick if he succumbs to the fear and the pressure the apocalyptic nightmare of a world puts on him.

But this article isn't about The Walking Dead, so let's get to it, shall we? We'll begin with what my six-year-old self would've answered to the question.

Venom

Venom's first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #299 

Ah, Venom. The symbiotic doppelganger that looks like he came straight from hell. As a child, I always thought Venom was the coolest bad guy ever. He has the same powers as Spidey but better! He can block his spider-sense! He can make weapons with his hands and has sharp fangs and a long tongue! Venom's appeal to the young readers is primarily what made him so popular, but many die-hard fans hate the guy and will forever deny him archenemy status. So does Venom's popularity justify being Spider-Man's moral enemy? Or is he merely a character designed to be 'cool' and nothing more?

To determine this, let's first look at Venom's origin. In many ways, Venom's entire existence is Peter Parker's fault. He brought the symbiotic alien 'suit' down to Earth with him, which is eventually what gave Eddie Brock his abilities. Many retelling of the Venom story, including the 2007 film, say that Peter did some things while under the influence of the suit that 'ruined Eddie's life' and gave him a hatred towards Peter and Spider-Man. Once Eddie received the suit, he decided to exact his revenge with his new-found abilities and knowledge of Peter/Spider-Man. The story is then all about Peter paying for the mistakes he made while he had the suit, and trying to redeem himself afterwards. Venom represents all of Peter's mistakes and the irresponsible things he's done in his past. What makes Venom so perfect in this story is that he can't be defeated. Even if Spidey beats Brock up, separates him from the symbiote and locks him up in jail, he can never defeat the looming shadow of the mistakes he made, and the toothy image of Venom that goes along with them. 

Except, that version of Venom technically doesn't exist in the main continuity. 

In the original comics, Peter isn't actually influenced by the suit that much at all. It never changes his personality and never directly makes him do anything he regrets. Most of Brock's hatred towards Spider-Man and Peter is misdirected; Brock's life is messed up because he messed it up, and he pins the problem on Peter, refusing to admit his own flaws. So technically, Venom is just another regular goon with super powers that wants Peter dead for selfish reasons, and has not conceptual purpose. 

But technically, Eddie's now Toxin and Venom's a secret agent for the Avengers or something, so we'll stick with the more commonly told story, false though it is. 

The Amazing Spider-Man #316

So, Venom's conceptual purpose is to be the voice in the back of Peter's head that reminds him of everything he's done wrong as Spider-Man. He represents all the times Spider-Man has failed or let someone die. He is Spider-Man's regret, and his image perfectly embodies the fear that goes along with that regret. He looks like a demon and he represents a demon. He connects personally with Peter because of their bad history and  the revenge he wishes to exact on him. He mentally connects with him as well, since Spider-Man can never seem to shake the image of his grin after their first encounter. He definitely leaves a stain in Peter's mind. And they certainly have similarities. They have the exact same powers, and Venom's appearance looks like a demonic Spider-Man. He is literally an evil version of Spider-Man. 

So, does this make  him archenemy criteria? Or does he lack enough personal connection or conceptual purpose?  Does the continuity error in which the commonly told story is actually false make his character irrelevant? Or does it matter?

Questions to think about. Moving on,

Doctor Octopus

Doc Ock's 2nd appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #11

Doctor Octopus...probably one of the most bizarre villains in all of comics. A chubby old man with four mechanical arms fused to his body. Who would consider such an odd character to be the archenemy of someone as like Spider-Man? Well...

Let's look back at Doc Ock's origin. Dr. Otto Octavius was a fairly nice guy who was bullied and ridiculed his whole life. All he wanted was to be a scientist, and to have people find use in his work. He wanted acceptance, he wanted fame, he wanted to be worth something. And people always made fun of him for it. People only saw a pathetic man with ridiculous ideas. Otto wanted to prove something, but in the process, he was involved in a horrible lab accident and was bestowed incredible powers with his extra mechanical limbs.

Now wait a second...bullied guy who is given incredible powers in a lab accident? Doesn't that sound a little bit familiar? Oh yeah! Just like our friend Peter Parker.

There's what Ock's character is all about. He and Peter were very similar people. They had the same ideas, the same interests, and were involved in similar incidents and granted amazing new powers. However, Peter decided to good with his abilities, thanks to the words of his Uncle Ben. We've all heard it a million times, 'With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility'. But Otto? He didn't have an Uncle Ben. So when he was given potential to help people, he chose instead to get revenge on those who had put him down.

The Amazing Spider-Man #700 2nd Printing 

So, Doc Ock's conceptual purpose is to show what would happen if Spider-Man listened to the tiny voice inside him that wants to give up and use his powers for whatever he pleases. The two most definitely have similarities, in their personalities and their backstories  They are equals, yet opposites. They most certainly have a personal connection too. Octavius, as with almost any big science schmuck, was idolized by Peter. For Peter to witness the scientist he looked up to become something so sinister must be maddening. But as far as a mental connection, come on. A fat old scientist with four metal tentacles isn't exactly the stuff of nightmares. There is little to no mental impression left behind after a fight with Ock. His battles are always more physical than psychological.

So, is Doctor Octopus formidable enough of a foe to be the archenemy? While he certainly has a great conceptual purpose, his appearance is far from intimidating. Does it matter? Is Doc Ock's similar origin to Spider-Man's enough to make up for what he lacks in fear factor?

More things to think about. Finally, 

Green Goblin

The first appearance of good 'ol Gobby in Amazing Spider-Man #14

The Green Goblin...good lord, this guy. I feel as though his character is unappreciated. Many write him off as  a cute, crazy green dude, but Gobby is so much more than that figuratively. Despite his unpopularity when compared to Doc Ock or Venom, Green Goblin could easily win archenemy status when you really delve into what his character is all about. 

Let's start, as we have before, with his origin story. Norman Osborn, businessman, scientist, millionaire, father. He was a busy man. Always dealing with people, always having issues. He was pressured, to say the least. So pressured, in fact, that one day he finally snapped. Maybe it was the Goblin Formula exploding in his face that drove him over the edge, but the man was destined to crack eventually. And so Norman Osborn dressed up in a comical creature, a Goblin, and began a life as a psychotic villain. Now, compare Osborn's life to Peter's. Peter also suffers from pressure, perhaps more so than Osborn did.  Peter's got to worry about school, his family, his love life, his job, all while being a super-hero who tangos with crooks daily. Yet Peter maintains, for the most part. 

So why the does this all matter? Think of what pressure is. It's all thought, right? You don't feel pressure so much as you do think it. Like, "This is too much, I can't do this, I can't manage all this" etc. Imagine those thoughts coming from someone else's voice. A little voice in the back of your head, urging you to give up and go bonkers. Now picture that voice with a physical representation. Kinda like the devil on your shoulder, right? Creepy, scrawny, like a little devil, or....a goblin?

There you have it. The Green Goblin is the devil on your shoulder, the voice in the back of your head, that wants you to submit and unleash your inner demons. That's exactly what Osborn did. He cracked, he let the Goblin in his head take over, and he became that Goblin. Now, he torments Peter. He represents Peter's faint but noticeable desire to just give up, quit being Spider-Man, or turn to a life of crime. If Doc Ock is what Peter would've been like if he used his powers for self-gain, then the Goblin is the voice telling him to do so. 

The blasphemous Amazing Spider-Man #122

He's also a sick fuck who murders and rapes. Just throwing that out there.

So The Goblin has a very clear conceptual purpose. Both Peter and Norman are similar as they suffered from the same kinds of pressure, only one succumbed and the other remains strong. Peter and Norman do have a personal connection; not only does Peter look up to Norman in that same scientist father-figure way that he does Octavius, but Peter knew Norman prior to him becoming the Goblin. Peter was a family friend to the Osborn's, so to now have to fight his friend and idol must be hard. There is also a strong mental connection, as the Goblin is a haunting inclusion to Peter's life for years. The very thought of that sinister green face and that maniacal sonic laugh can make the manliest man shudder.

The Conclusion

Thus concludes our lengthy analysis of Spider-Man's greatest foes. But one last task remains. Who wins the title of Spider-Man's archenemy? Well, quite honestly, it's up to you to decide. Only the reader can choose who deserves to be Spider-Man's greatest nemesis, and I'm not going to pretend to represent the entire Spider-Man fanbase. I will, however, express my own personal opinion and state who I believe wins archenemy status. In case it wasn't obvious, I've already ordered them in least to greatest archenemy above. As much as the child in me goes nuts for anything symbiote, the realistic part of me understands that he just doesn't have the same personal connection to Peter that the other's do. Doc Ock, while possessing interesting abilities and a strong personal connection, he just doesn't do justice figuratively. The Green Goblin represents something so much deeper than the other while still being interesting and badass. He takes the cake, in my humbly inexperienced opinion.

So that's that. Hope you enjoyed my first article. My apologies if you didn't find it entertaining or think that my opinions are idiotic and that I have no idea what I'm talking about. Keep in mind I'm not as old or as familiar as some of the more hardcore comic fans. 

'Till next time!

And hey, for some fun, take a shot every time you see the word 'archenemy', 'nemesis', or 'villain' in this article!

Not With a Bang...

This is it.

Welcome all, to Defunct Intellect, where all traces of sanity are lost to worlds filled with adventure, murder, honorable heroes, crazed villains, and the overall complexity that is the comic universe. Within this madhouse of a blog, you shall witness the ever-familiar realm of superheroes, supervillains and their fantastic stories be plucked apart and analyzed, in order for all the achieve better understanding of the characters and plots you thought you understood. 

Or at least,  you'll understand my biased and opinionated interpretations of them. 

I, the Lord of the Dysfunctional, shall be your interpreter. When struck by inspiration, I'll choose a character to analyze, a story to pull apart, a comic to criticize, a movie to review, or whathaveyou. Together, my dear reader, we shall uncover the subliminal secrets hidden within all stories, and together we shall lose our minds in this cripplingly complicated mythology. 

Enjoy the ride, y'all.

This is the way the world ends.