10 Essential Spider-Man Villains Not Yet Used In The Movies

10. Spencer And Alistair Smythe

Spidey fans of a certain age will remember Alistair Smythe as the wheelchair-bound scientist from the classic '90s Spider-Man cartoon. There, Alistair was a tragic villain who wrongly blamed Spidey for his father's death and underwent one of the most traumatic character transformations in cartoon history when he was forced into a cybernetic body against his will.

Spidey fans from a younger generation will likely not remember Alistair Smythe as the bespectacled suit from Amazing Spider-Man 2. There, Alistair's sole role was to kickstart Electro's transformation by ordering hapless flunky Max Dillon to perform risky maintenance near a task of MacGuffin-powered electric eels. After Electro appears Smythe disappears from the movie, ceding the stage to a far less interesting villain.

*Sigh*. Great work Sony. Saved yourselves from having to create a compelling character arc there.

Honestly, the script for Alistair Smythe writes itself. Introduce his father Spencer as a prologue villain à la "Guy who shoots Uncle Ben" in Spider-Man 1, have Spidey inadvertently bump him off, and allow Alistair to step in as the main villain.

Yes it's clichéd, but clichés exist because they work. "You killed my father, prepare to die" is classic storytelling. "I'm pissed off because I fell in a vat of eels", not so much.